Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop and psychometrically test a scale of professional belonging in Iran. This study was carried out using exploratory mixed method on 150 nursing students. After using grounded theory, the process of professional belongings was explained and a 61-item question bank was formed and then the psychometric characteristics of the designed tools were examined. Following different quantitative and qualitative face and content validity, in construct validity, three methods of convergent, divergent and exploratory factor analysis were examined. By explaining a variance of 56.14, the assessment tool of professional belonging was formulated with 47 items and the 5 factors of personal views, professional acceptance, educationalcon text, interpersonal communications and perceived consequence in the Likert scale. In convergent and divergent validity, the correlation between belonging scale and depression questionnaire were (r=0.1), lower than that between b elonging scale and self-efficiency questionnaire (r=0.6) The reliability was also examined using two methods of internal consistency using Cronbach alpha(0.97) and tool stability(r=0.76). The Nursing Students Belonging Scale can be used as a criterion for measuring the nursing students’ professional belonging and improving clinical environments. © 2018, Advanced Scientific Research. All rights reserved.