Psychometric evaluation of a patient safety competency self-evaluation tool for nursing students.

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of a patient safety competency self-evaluation (PSCSE) tool. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to investigate the compositions of the PSCSE. The internal structure of the PSCSE was schematized using a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Three hundred fifty-four students attending six schools of nursing participated in the study. On the basis of the results of the CFA, the PSCSE consisted of 12 factors (four for attitude, six for skill, and two for knowledge) with a good model fit. It was confirmed that the structures of the PSCSE were identical between EFA and CFA. The PSCSE consisted of multidimensional structures of the 12 factors and hierarchical models of three categories. The PSCSE can be used to assess nursing students' perception of their own competency regarding patient safety and to develop educational strategies integrating patient safety competency into nursing curricula.