Psychometric Testing of the Student Evaluation of Clinical Educational Environment Inventory in Greek Nursing Students

INTRODUCTION: The need for translation and validation of an assessment tool regarding the Clinical Learning Environment of nursing students in Greece is imperative, given that inappropriate research tools are frequently used. Τhe aim of this study was to validate and psychometrically test the Greek translation of the Student Evaluation of Clinical Educational Environment (SECEE) Version 3 Inventory, with a sample of senior nursing students during their clinical practice.

METHODS: Following a formal “forward-backward” method to translate the original SECEE into Greek, the scale was administered to 130 senior students. They also completed the Clinical Learning Environment and Supervision (CLES) Scale. Validity and reliability analyses were performed.

RESULTS: Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the SECEE subscales score was 0.89 for Instructor Facilitation of Learning (IFL), 0.84 for Learning Opportunities (LO) and 0.84 for Preceptor Facilitation of Learning (PFL). Test-retest reliability analysis in a subgroup of students (n=40) revealed good short term stability over a two week interval. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the three factor subscales for the Greek translation, as in the original scale. Construct validity was supported through the scale’s moderate correlation with CLES subscales, ranged from 0.163 to 0.317 for IFL, from 0.387 to 0.445 for LO and from 0.443 to 0.537 for PFL.

CONCLUSIONS: The Greek version of the SECEE is a psychometrically sound instrument that can be usefully implemented into clinical education to identify appropriate clinical sites and provide information about student perceptions regarding the adequacy of learning opportunities.