Development of a growth mindset assessment scale for nursing students based on the growth mindset model: A mixed-method study.

Objective: The aim was to develop a growth mindset assessment scale based on the growth mindset model.

Background: Growth mindset is a critical factor in the development of nursing students, but there are limited tools available to measure growth mindset effectively among nursing students.

Design: A Delphi study and cross-sectional study.

Methods: A questionnaire based on the growth mindset model as the theoretical framework was developed through a literature review, expert consultation and presurvey. From May to July 2024, 755 nursing students from five tertiary hospitals in Shandong Province were randomly recruited as participants and the reliability and validity of the questionnaire were tested.

Results: The growth mindset assessment scale for nursing students comprises 3 dimensions and 24 items. The content validity index (CVI) at the scale item level ranged from 0.833 to 1.00 and that at the scale level was 0.856. A total of 3 common factors were extracted from the analysis, with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 68.483 %. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.911 and those of the dimensions were 0.910, 0.933 and 0.938, respectively. With respect to the SEM, the following values were obtained: χ2/df = 2.046, RMSEA = 0.012, CFI = 0.961, NFI = 0.926, IFI = 0.961 and TLI = 0.955.

Conclusions: The growth mindset assessment scale for nursing students has high reliability and validity. The preliminary evidence provided supports the reliability of the growth mindset assessment scale as a measure of growth mindset.