The nursing student resilience scale-social and emotional learning (NSRS-SEL): Development and psychometric validation.

AIM: This study developed the Nursing Student Resilience Scale-Social and Emotional Learning (NSRS-SEL) and evaluated its psychometric properties. BACKGROUND: Existing resilience instruments primarily assess general psychological resilience and may not fully capture the social and emotional competencies relevant to nursing students' adaptation in academic and clinical contexts. DESIGN: A mixed-methods design. METHODS: Phase 1 involved a literature review and qualitative interviews with 20 nursing students to inform item development. Phase 2 examined the psychometric properties of the NSRS-SEL among 350 nursing students in southern Taiwan. Independent subsamples were used for exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 150) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 159). Content validity, reliability and construct validity were assessed. A total of 41 participants were excluded due to incomplete or invalid responses during data screening. RESULTS: Content validity indices ranged from 0.89 to 1.00 at the item level, with a scale-level content validity index (S-CVI/Ave) of 0.92. EFA yielded a 22-item, three-factor structure: Inner Strength and Life Meaning, Active Coping and Problem Solving and Adaptive Beliefs and Social Support. CFA supported the three-factor model (χ²/df = 2.06, GFI = 0.80, CFI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.08). Cronbach's α ranged from 0.85 to 0.89, composite reliability from 0.82 to 0.89 and average variance extracted from 0.43 to 0.55. CONCLUSION: The NSRS-SEL demonstrates preliminary evidence of an acceptable factor structure, reliability and validity. Further studies are needed to confirm its psychometric properties and to examine its applicability across different educational and cultural contexts.