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. 2025 Apr 10:11:20552076251332987.
doi: 10.1177/20552076251332987. eCollection 2025 Jan-Dec.

Translation and psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the Digital Competence Questionnaire for clinical nurses

Zhengang Wei  1 , Hongli Liu  1 , Jicheng Zhang  1 , Yan Chen  1 , Lixia Chang  1 , Huiyu Cheng  1 , Xue Bai  1 , Xiaohua Wang  2 , Su Li  3
Affiliations

Translation and psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the Digital Competence Questionnaire for clinical nurses

Zhengang Wei et al. Digit Health. .

Abstract

Background: Adequate digital competence is crucial for clinical nurses to effectively adapt to the evolving digital technologies in their practice. Currently, there is a lack of a brief assessment tool in China that comprehensively measures the digital competence of nurses in clinical practice across the dimensions of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Therefore, this study aims to translate the Digital Competence Questionnaire (DCQ) into Chinese and evaluate its psychometric properties.

Methods: Following Brislin's translation model, the DCQ was translated and back-translated, and cultural adaptation and revisions of the Chinese version were conducted through expert consultations and a pilot survey. A cross-sectional study was carried out from July to October 2024 to conduct a methodological investigation on the translation and validation of the DCQ.

Results: The Chinese version of the DCQ includes two dimensions-attitude and knowledge & skills-with a total of 12 items. The overall Cronbach's α value for the questionnaire is 0.970, while Cronbach's α for the individual dimensions ranges from 0.921 to 0.945. The split-half reliability of the entire scale is 0.912, and the test-retest reliability is 0.846. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesized first-order two-factor model, with all fit indices demonstrating satisfactory values and remaining within acceptable levels.

Conclusion: The Chinese version of the DCQ has been successfully introduced in China, demonstrating strong psychometric properties. It can be used in healthcare settings as a tool to assess the digital competence of nurses, providing a basis for developing subsequent digital technology training programs and targeted interventions.

Keywords: Nurse; digital competence; digital technology; psychometric evaluation; reliability; validity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Scree plot of exploratory factor analysis for Chinese version of the DCQ.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Standardized two-factor structural model of the DCQ (n = 359).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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