Factors associated with professional confidence in Japanese public health nurses: A cross‐sectional survey

OBJECTIVES: To clarify factors associated with professional confidence in Japanese public health nurses (PHNs) and to examine the relationship between professional confidence and professional competency. DESIGN: A cross‐sectional study. SAMPLE: Public health nurses (N = 1,512) working in local government agencies. MEASUREMENTS: An anonymous, self‐administered questionnaire with questions on demographic characteristics (sex, age, experience as a PHN, educational background, affiliation, and position) and 34 items on professional confidence developed by the researchers based on a literature review was administered. Factors associated with the professional confidence were extracted through an exploratory factor analysis, and construct validity of the confidence was verified through a confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS: In total, 883 responses (response rate, 58.4%) were received; only 467 (30.9%) of them were valid. On the basis of the exploratory factor analysis results, professional confidence included 17 items, with the following four factors: “technical practice,” “effortful learning,” “exploring the evidence,” and “educators in workplace.” The goodness‐of‐fit model in the confirmatory factor analysis proved the construct validity of professional confidence. CONCLUSIONS: Professional confidence was gained by self‐improvement that reflects on public health practice. Professional confidence underpinned the generalist level of professional competency among PHNs.