Objective: This pilot study describes the development of an instrument to measure nursing quality knowledge, skills, and attitudes for practicing pediatric oncology nurses. Because many nurse leaders of academic centers are responsible for outcomes at both local and global level, ensuring nursing quality is critical, given the variability in practice outcomes.
Methods: Quality Improvement Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes (QulSKA), a 73-item electronic questionnaire was developed using QSEN competencies; the six domains include: quality improvement (QI), safety, evidence-based practice, teamwork, patient-centered care, and informatics. Content validity was established by pediatric oncology, QI, and test-construction experts. Nurses from St Jude Children's Research Hospital and US and Latin American affiliate sites were surveyed.
Results: Thirty-seven of 216 RNs surveyed participated in the study. The QulSKA inter-item correlation coefficient was 0.839 (P = .001). The mean knowledge score (based on 100) was 69.2 +/- 11.3. Scores were highest for safety (82.9%) and lowest for teamwork (48.6%). The mean skills rating was 3.3 +/- 0.74 (used 2-4 times). Lowest rated skills were in analysis and QI tools. The mean attitude rating was 3.8 +/- 0.25 (highly important).
Conclusion: Data suggest that QulSKA may be reliable to measure quality knowledge, skills, and attitudes among pediatric oncology nurses-nurses were knowledgeable in QI, yet they lacked skills in practice application.