Development and Evaluation of a Core Competence Inventory for Geriatric Transitional Care Nurses

Background China is experiencing a growing population of older people with a high prevalence of chronic diseases. While geriatric transitional care is essential for improving their health outcomes, its effectiveness is hindered by a shortage of skilled nurses and a core competency inventory to guide practice. This study aims to develop an inventory of core competencies for geriatric transitional care nurses in China, to provide an effective assessment tool to evaluate the competencies required in geriatric transitional care. Methods This study used a two-phase design. In phase one, a core competency inventory was developed from three Chinese theoretical frameworks for nurses and refined through a two-round Delphi consultation with 13 experts from China. In phase two, the reliability and validity of the inventory were evaluated through an Exploratory Factor Analysis in a cross-sectional study involving 320 nurses from 12 hospitals in Guangdong. The inventory’s validity was confirmed through the Content Validity Index, while its reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s α and split-half reliability. Results The final inventory comprises 61 items across five dimensions: Nursing Care and Education Guidance (18 items), Legal and Ethical Principles (9 items), Critical Thinking and Evidence-Based Practice (9 items), Leadership and Coordination (13 items), and Professional Autonomy (12 items). The five dimensions accounted for 76.90% of the variance, indicating a robust factor structure. The inventory demonstrated excellent internal consistency, with Cronbach’s α of 0.991 (p < 0.001) and a split-half reliability of 0.964 (p < 0.001). Additionally, the Scale Content Validity Index (S-CVI) was 0.98, and the Item Content Validity Index (I-CVI) was 0.8, confirming strong validity. Conclusions The inventory shows strong validity and reliability, making it an essential tool for developing competencies in geriatric transitional care nurses in China. It also provides valuable insights for implementing targeted training and assessment measures for nursing staff.