Background and purpose: This study explored the psychometric properties of the Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument (C-CEI), previously validated for use with nursing students, to assess simulation performance among registered nurses working 12-hour shifts. Valid and reliable measurements are needed to test clinical and simulation competencies and characterize the effects of fatigue on nursing performance.
Methods: Trained raters scored nurses' patient care performance in simulation scenarios using the C-CEI. We analyzed the instrument's principal components, internal reliability, and construct validity.
Results: Internal reliability of the C-CEI aggregate score and the Clinical Decision-making component were high (>.70). The latter robustly correlated with predicted cognitive effectiveness, a measure of fatigue.
Conclusions: The C-CEI is a reliable measure for use among registered nurses and its further development will be important for testing performance of working nurses and fatigue-mitigation innovations.
Keywords: fatigue; nurses; principal components analysis; psychometrics; shift work schedule.
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