A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Marginal Nursing Competencies in Kanchanaburi Province

Abstract

The purposes of this mixed-methods study were to 1) investigate the competencies of marginal nurses 2) conduct a confirmatory factor analysis of the competencies of marginal nurses, and 3) validate the model’s goodness-of-fit with empirical data. The key informants were divided into four groups based on the criteria outlined in qualitative research. The 22 essential informants composed of head nurses, community leaders, nurses, and patients. Using in-depth interviews, data were collected and evaluated according to the Miles and Huberman concept. The simple random sampling method was used to recruit 306 registered nurses. A questionnaire with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of .99 was utilized to collect information. The data were analyzed using percentages, means, standard deviations, and confirmatory factor analysis. The findings indicate that the competencies of marginal nurses involve three themes: leadership, humanistic nursing care, and teamwork. The marginal nurse competency component model included ten observable variables: virtue, good attitude, self-development, knowledge, pride, caring, cultural understanding, communication, empathy, and engagement. The model was fitted with empirical facts. The harmony index is c²=31.812, df=19,  c²/df=1.674, p=.033, RMR=.006, GFI=.981, AGFI=.944, CFI=.997, RMSEA=.047. The nursing education institute should promote these marginal nursing competencies to fulfill the demands of the region.