Clinical learning environment for nursing students in operating rooms: Development of an evaluation scale

Aim: To develop a measurement tool to evaluate the clinical learning environment for nursing students in operating rooms. Background: In this study, a scale for evaluating the clinical learning environment for nursing students in operating rooms was developed and subjected to reliability and validity tests. Design: A cross-sectional, methodological study. Methods: Qualitative interviews, the Delphi method, a literature review and pilot testing were employed to develop the scale. A purposive sampling method was used to select September 2021 through May 2022; a total of 227 nursing students with internship experience in operating rooms at several teaching hospitals in North China were selected to evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale. Results: The 32-item, four-dimensional evaluation scale was developed through two rounds of consultation with 17 experts. The reliability and validity test showed that the overall Cronbach's alpha was 0.984 and 0.96. The split-half reliability for the total scale was 0.937, indicating good reliability. Conclusion: The proposed scale has high reliability and validity in evaluating the clinical learning environment of nursing students in operating rooms and improving clinical nursing education.