Psychometric properties of the Caring Efficacy Scale among personal care attendants working in residential aged care settings

Abstract

Objective: This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Caring Efficacy Scale (CES) among personal care attendants providing care to older residents in residential aged care settings. Methods: This cross-sectional study was completed in Australia in 2020–2021. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the 30-item original CES (Model 1) and 28-item CES validated in registered nurses (Model 2) was conducted to assess the goodness of fit of these models in our study population. Due to unsatisfactory fit indices for both models, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to examine the dimensionality and underlying structure of the original CES among personal care attendants. Internal consistency of the final scale and subscales identified was examined using item-total correlations and Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Results: Two hundred and eighty personal care attendants participated in the study. The model fit indices such as Comparative Fit Index and Tucker Lewis Index of both models were less than 0.90, while the Standardised Root Mean Square Residual and Root Mean Square of Approximation values were greater than or equal to 0.08 and 0.06, respectively. The EFA identified a two-factor structure, and 22 items of the 30 in the original scale were retained. Item-total correlations amongst items retained in the scale and subscales were greater than 0.3. Cronbach's alpha for the abbreviated scale was 0.85, with 0.83 and 0.79, respectively, for the two subscales. Conclusions: The modified CES can be used as a robust tool to assess the self-efficacy of personal care attendants in providing care to older residents in residential aged care settings.