Validation of a Questionnaire to Analyze the Expectations of First-Year Nursing Students.

AIM The aim of this study was to design and validate a questionnaire to analyze students' expectations, along with their level of interest and overall satisfaction with their nursing studies. BACKGROUND The expectations of students on entering university are closely related to the level of interest that they have in their area of study and their general satisfaction with it. This is certainly a conditioning factor in their learning. In this regard, there are few quantitative instruments that measure the expectations of first-year nursing students. METHOD A mixed questionnaire was constructed using items validated in previous studies, along with new items formulated following a review of the literature. The questionnaire was validated with a sample of 339 first-year degree program nursing students. RESULTS The scales of expectations and degree of interest showed strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α > .7). CONCLUSION The questionnaire to evaluate the expectations and interest of students demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties.