Development and Psychometric Validation of the Comprehensive Core Competence Instrument for Healthcare Professionals

Abstract

Aim: To psychometrically validate a comprehensive core competence (3C) instrument to measure the core competence of healthcare professionals in clinical settings. Design: Instrument development and validation study. Method: This study focused on the fourth phase of instrument development and validation, which involves refining the scale and assessing its psychometric properties. Secondary data from self-reported assessments of core competency levels by healthcare professionals (628 nurses and 450 physicians) working at healthcare institutions in Oman were used. Structural validity was examined via exploratory factor analysis using oblique rotation (Promax). The stability of factorial validity was assessed through transformation analysis and invariance testing using confirmatory factor analyses. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. Results: The development and validation process produced a 3C instrument including 39 items across 11 factors: research and innovation (4 items), patient sustainable care (5 items), strategic leadership (4 items), safety promotion (3 items), tech integration (3 items), quality excellence (4 items), collaborative care delivery (4 items), professional growth (3 items), communication excellence (3 items), ethics and compliance (3 items) and professional practice (3 items). The instrument explained 65.3% and 67.6% of the total observed variance for nurses and physicians, respectively, with Cronbach's alpha for each component above the minimum acceptable value of 0.70. Conclusion: The 3C instrument, developed through structured validation, comprehensively assesses healthcare professionals' core competencies, bridging the gap in existing tools with robust psychometric properties. Impact: Healthcare professionals must develop robust and versatile core competencies to address increasing quality and safety patient care demands, escalating costs, unsustainable delivery models and rising stakeholder expectations. The developed 3C instrument is valuable for (1) comprehensively assessing core competencies, (2) suggesting an immediate and short-term action plan and (3) stimulating policies to drive the transformation of the delivery system over the longer term. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution.