Development and Validation of a brief Occupational Coping Self-Efficacy questionnaire for Nurses (OCSE-N)

This paper is a report of a study to develop and test the psychometric properties of the Occupational Coping Self-Efficacy for Nurses Scale. In 2006, 1383 nurses completed the following measures: Occupational Coping Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Nurses, Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations Short Form and Maslach Burnout Inventory. Based on a randomized split of the data, we conducted exploratory factor analysis on group 1 data (n = 691) and confirmatory factor analysis within the framework of structural equation modelling on group 2 data (n = 692). The exploratory results revealed two factors: Coping Self-Efficacy to cope with the occupational burden (Cronbach alpha = 0•77) and Coping Self-Efficacy to cope with the relational burden (alpha = 0•79). In the confirmatory group, the two-factor structure was tested against an alternative one-factor structure and confirmed as the best solution. Correlation patterns between the Occupational Coping Self-Efficacy for Nurses Scales, and both coping and burnout variables, supported the criterion-related validity of the Occupational Coping Self-Efficacy for Nurses dimensions. Nurses can have two basic and distinct coping self-efficacy beliefs: beliefs about occupational burden and beliefs about relational difficulties in the workplace. Research is needed into how efficacy evaluations shift as a result of specific stress management interventions.