Development of a career-orientation scale for public health nurses

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop a career-orientation scale for public health nurses (PHNs) and to validate the scale. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were sent to 7170 PHNs in 10 prefectures. A retest survey was sent to 252 participants. Results: The valid responses from 2003 PHNs in the first survey were analyzed for major factors by varimax rotation. The analysis resulted in five orientation factors and 19 items being selected. The cumulative contribution ratio was 46.9%, and Cronbach’s coefficient alpha was 0.863. The exact match ratio of test-retest was 59.7% (from 47.7% to 72.1% for each item and from 12.0% to 92.0% for each participant). Conclusions: The reliability and validity of this survey were confirmed; however, further research is required to confirm the reproducibility. This scale can be used as a self-assessment tool when managers need to advise their staff on career development.