Translation and further validation of a global rating scale for the assessment of clinical competence in prehospital emergency care

Global rating scales are useful to assess clinical competence at a general level based on specific word dimensions. The aim of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the Paramedic Global Rating Scale, and to contribute validity evidence and instrument usefulness in training results and clinical competence assessments of students undergoing training to become ambulance nurses and paramedics at Swedish and Finnish universities. The study included translation, expert review and inter-rater reliability (IRR) tests. The scale was translated and culturally adapted to clinical and educational settings in both countries. A content validity index (CVI) was calculated using eight experts. IRR tests were performed with five registered nurses working as university lecturers, and with six clinicians working as ambulance nurses. They individually rated the same simulated ambulance assignment. Based on the ratings IRR was calculated with intra-class correlation (ICC). The scale showed excellent CVI for items and scale. The ICC indicated substantial agreement in the group of lecturers and a high degree of agreement in the group of clinicians. This study provides validity evidence for a Swedish version of the scale, supporting its use in measuring clinical competence among students undergoing training to become ambulance nurses and paramedics. •Validity evidence is provided for the Swedish version of a global rating scale.•Lecturers' ratings of students' clinical competence show substantial agreement.•Clinicians' ratings of students' clinical competence show high degree of agreement.•The scale is useful in measuring clinical competence among students.