Nursing Informatics Competencies Assessment Level 3 and Level 4 (NICA L3/L4)

Advanced nursing informatics practitioners must have a minimum set of competencies in nursing informatics (NI). Online, reliable, and valid tools for self-assessment of one’s skill level with a set of NI competencies were lacking. Research team followed a systematic process to design, develop, and pilot test an online tool through a synthesis of both seminal work and current literature, using a Delphi approach (Dalkey & Helmer, 1963). Tool, known as NICA L3/L4, addresses 3 advanced NI competency areas: computer skills, informatics knowledge, and informatics skills. Pilot test was conducted following IRB approval using a purposeful, convenience sample from the NI community. The content validity index (CVI) approach was used to estimate content validity. Values ranged from .9 to 1.0 with an average of .98, demonstrating acceptable content validity. Internal consistency reliability results were: computer skills (.909), informatics knowledge (.982), and informatics skills (.992). NICA L3/L4 was determined to be a reliable, valid, and usable online tool.