Abstract
BACKGROUND: As essential members of the assisted reproductive team, nurses play a critical role in clinical care, and their competency directly influences the quality of nursing practice and service delivery. However, a standardized instrument for assessing nurse competency in assisted reproductive technology (ART) departments is currently unavailable in China. This study aimed to develop a competency evaluation scale for ART nurses and examine its reliability and validity. METHODS: Using the Iceberg Competency Model, an evaluation index framework for the competency of nurses with four first-level indexes and 55 s-level indexes was constructed using Delphi consultation in a previous study. Five experts assessed the content validity of the scale. In January 2025, 38 nurses in reproductive medicine departments from three hospitals in Beijing were selected for a preliminary survey. 283 nurses from 10 hospitals were recruited for formal investigation between January and March 2025. Exploratory factor analysis was used for validity testing. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability. RESULTS: A competency evaluation scale for ART nurses was formulated, consisting of four subscales, and 49 items. The content validity index value of the scale was 0.982. The content validity index values of all items ranged from 0.800 to 1.000. The internal consistency, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability values were 0.985, 0.992, and 0.874, respectively. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the professional and related theoretical knowledge subscale explained 73.606% of the variance, the professional practical skills subscale explained 79.306% of the variance, the professional development ability subscale explained 85.511% of the variance, and the professionalism scale explained 86.678% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of the ART Nurse Competency Evaluation Scale exhibited good reliability and validity in the study sample, supporting its use as a practical and scientifically sound tool for assessing competency among nurses working in ART settings in China. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.