Kontakt 2018, 20(1):e3-e10 | DOI: 10.1016/j.kontakt.2017.09.003

Validating the clinical learning environment and supervision and nurse teacher scale (CLES + T scale) in SlovakiaNursing - Original article

Elena Gurková^a,*, Katarína Žiaková^b, Gabriela Vörösová^c, Helena Kadučáková^d, Andrea Botíková^e

^a University of Prešov, Faculty of Health Care, Department of Nursing, Prešov, Slovak Republic

^b Comenius University in Bratislava, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Martin, Slovak Republic

^c Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Faculty of Social Sciences and Health Care, Department of Nursing, Nitra, Slovak Republic

^d Catholic University in Ružomberok, Faculty of Health Care, Ružomberok, Slovak Republic

^e Trnava University, Faculty of Health Care and Social Work, Department of Nursing, Trnava, Slovak Republic

Aim: The application of reliable and valid tools may be helpful to evaluate the effectiveness of the clinical learning environment in nurse education and to enhance international comparison of clinical learning between European countries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties (internal consistency and construct validity) of the Slovak version of the Clinical Learning Environment + Teacher (CLES + T) evaluation scale, and to evaluate its usefulness in the context of clinical learning.

Design: A cross-sectional validation study.

Methods: The sample included 503 students from six Slovak universities. The structure of the instrument was computed with principal component analysis. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to measure the internal reliability of the CLES + T scale.

Results: The factor structure of the Slovak version of the CLES + T scale was in line with the original study and other studies in Western European countries. The internal consistency of the Cronbach's alpha values of five subscales of the CLES + T scale was high.

Conclusion: The Slovak version of the CLES + T is a valid and reliable tool that can be useful to assess students' evaluation of the clinical learning environment as well as the impact of clinical supervision methods on the domains of the learning environment.

Keywords: Nursing student; Clinical learning environment; Instrument psychometric analysis; Validation; Reliability; Factor structure

Received: June 9, 2017; Revised: August 21, 2017; Accepted: September 18, 2017; Published: March 26, 2018  Show citation