Psychometric evaluation of Persian version of the oral presentation evaluation scale in nursing students

BMC Nursing Rahmatkhah et al. BMC Nursing (2024) 23:932 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02628-y Open Access RESEARCH Psychometric evaluation of Persian version of the oral presentation evaluation scale in nursing students Tahmine Rahmatkhah2, Rajab Dashti-Kalantar1, Nazila Vosoghi1, Alireza Mirzaei2 and Saeid Mehri1* Abstract Background Nurses should possess the ability to deliver concise oral presentations. Strong oral presentation skills can improve the quality of nurse-client communication, enhance teamwork among healthcare professionals, and contribute to professional development, leadership, and promotion. This study aimed to determine psychometric evaluation of the Persian version of the oral presentation evaluation scale in nursing students. Methods The study aimed to translate the oral presentation evaluation scale (OPES) into Persian using the standard translation and re-translation method. After the translation, the scale was distributed among 474 nursing students of various levels using the available sampling method. The scale’s reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and test-retest repeatability. The construct validity was determined using the confirmatory factor analysis. Results The Persian questionnaire consists of 15 items and is divided into three categories: accuracy of content, effective communication, and speech clarity. The overall score for the content validity index (S-CVI) was 0.94. The three-factor questionnaire’s fitness indices were RMSEA = 0.070, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.96, goodness-of-fit index (GFI) = 0.91, and adjusted goodness-of-fit index (AGFI) = 0.88. The intra-cluster correlation index (ICC) was 0.965, and Cronbach’s alpha was 0.875. Conclusion The study found that the 15-item oral presentation evaluation scale Persian Survey is reliable for assessing nursing students’ oral presentation skills. Keywords Nursing students, Oral presentation, Psychometrics, Evaluation, Scale development *Correspondence: Saeid Mehri 1 Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran 2 Department of Emergency Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran Introduction Oral presentations are widely used for assessing student performance in higher education settings [1]. They are a crucial tool for evaluating students’ grasp of a subject [2]. A well-prepared and effectively delivered speech can impart new information to the audience and clarify and structure complex ideas and thought patterns [3]. Competence in oral presentations requires knowledge, skill, and the right attitude to speak in public to inform, express oneself, communicate, and persuade others [4]. This skill must be learned and practiced consistently [5]. Recent studies have emphasized the importance of effective oral © The Author(s) 2024. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creati vecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. Rahmatkhah et al. BMC Nursing (2024) 23:932 presentation skills for nursing students and professionals, as these skills are crucial for communicating with healthcare teams, patients, and families [2, 4]. The importance of oral presentations spans various academic disciplines, including medicine, nursing, engineering, health, business, and communication [6], as professionals in these fields need to communicate with colleagues in meetings, seminars, and conferences [7]. Education experts argue that students often enter the job market with notable deficiencies in oral communication skills and frequently need help with public speaking [8]. Proficiency in oral presentation is crucial for effectively conveying ideas to others, especially within the nursing profession [9], as it offers nurses a strong foundation for future career success [10]. Research indicates that oral presentation of information in nursing is more impactful and valuable than written presentation [11]. Oral presentation skills are crucial for effective communication and transfer of patient care responsibilities among nurses. Short presentations form the basis of collaborative work in hospitals [12]. A study of care standards in 14 hospitals with high mortality rates in the United Kingdom revealed subpar nursing delivery in some facilities [13]. According to Collins (2014), nurses sometimes struggle with structuring and presenting information, and these challenges are attributed to both the nature of nursing delivery and general presentation skills [14]. In modern nursing, there is a growing emphasis on nurses taking on diverse roles in prescribing and justifying treatments, particularly consultant nurses and clinical nursing specialists who are expected to participate in multidisciplinary meetings. Proficiency in oral presentation skills is valuable for these meetings [15]. Effective presentation skills can be acquired through learning and are not determined by genetics [9]. Texts related to oral presentation often focus on assessing and providing feedback from self, peers, and teachers, which can have significant outcomes [4, 16]. However, the evaluation and feedback topics for oral presentation skills often need to be more specific to be helpful, leading to students having an indifferent attitude toward feedback due to its ambiguous and non-constructive nature [17]. Using a standardized assessment tool with subjectspecific criteria can help identify expected competencies and pinpoint areas needing improvement after assessment [7]. Clear evaluation criteria can prevent subjective bias and ensure fair evaluation [8]. Evaluators must provide clear instructions for student evaluation and standardized criteria for assessment and feedback to address the quality of work in the course [18]. Many disciplines are adopting new, valid evaluation tools specific to their field. Practical design, understanding, and appropriate use of assessment tools are crucial for different assessment methods [19, 20]. Subjective assessment of oral Page 2 of 9 pr (...truncated)