Interpretability of the Canadian Nurse Informatics Competency Assessment Scale Among Fourth-Year Nursing Students

Nursing informatics merges nursing practice, its information and knowledge, with information communication technologies to improve patient care. Uptake of informatics competencies can be measured using self-perceived assessment scales. A scale for measuring Canadian nursing informatics has been recently developed from national competency indicators. In order to examine its wording and interpretability, cognitive interviewing was conducted with eight fourth-year nursing students as they completed the Canadian Nurse Informatics Competency Assessment Scale. Findings revealed issues related to misinterpreted survey items, items seen as “difficult” to answer, and specific words and phrases not recognized or misinterpreted. Furthermore, design flaws such technology-related jargon, wording ambiguity, or double-barrelled questions were revealed. Correspondingly, specific item and response re-wording revisions have been recommended to improve wording, interpretability and scale validity. Improving this scale may contribute to nursing informatics assessment and uptake in Canada which may be timely and strategic given that nursing informatics preparedness in Canada lags.