Reliability and validity of Chinese version of the Transition Shock Scale for Newly Graduated Nurses (TSSNGN)

Background: New nurse graduates encounter a myriad of experiences in their first employment setting as a result of the lack of knowledge, specialized skills, transition shock, and other aspects of the situation. There is a lack of tools to assess the experiences encountered during the transition process in China. The aim of this research was to explore the reliability and validity of Chinese version of the Transition Shock Scale for Newly Graduated Nurses (TSSNGN) among recent Chinese nurse graduates. Methods: The Korean version of TSSNGN was translated and culturally adapted by Beaton and his colleagues based on the instrumental adaptation process. A methodological research design was adopted for the study. Newly graduated Chinese nurses (N=327) were recruited using convenience sampling method. All of the participants were investigated by the Chinese version of the TSSNGN and a socio-demographic questionnaire. The content, construct, convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity and the reliability of the scale were examined. Results: The TSSNGN Korean version includes 18 items. A modified index was used to improve the model fit and it supported the reliability of the Korean version of the TSSNGN model. Analysis of fit of the revised Chinese model using Nomed χ2 (CIMIN/df) showed: fit indices to 3.09, RMSEA = 0.07, RMR=0.03, GFI= 0.90, IFI =0.92, TLI=0.90, CFI=0.92. Criterion validity compared to the PSS showed significant correlation, and the Cronbach’s alpha was 0.92. Factor loadings of the 18 questions ranged from 0.49 to 0.87. Conclusions: The simplified Chinese version of the TSSNGN is valid and reliable to assess the transition shock of newly graduated Chinese nurses.