Competence-based human resource management to improve managerial competence of first-line nurse managers: A scale development.

What is already known about this topic? The concept of competence-based human resource management has been applied worldwide in every organization, and it is applicable to use for developing managerial competence of first-line nurse managers. Therefore, the effectiveness of this management system should be assessed via a valid and reliable instrument. Several instruments to measure competence-based human resource management have been developed, but no instrument has been identified to measure competence-based human resource management specifically in hospital settings. What this paper adds? This study developed a scale designed to measure competence-based human resource management to support improvement of first-line nurse managers' managerial competence in public hospitals. The scale demonstrated sound psychometric properties with acceptable internal consistency reliability, content validity and construct validity. The scale consists of 30 items in five dimensions: training and evaluation, career planning and development, rewards scheme, recruitment and selection, and appraisal system. The implications of this paper: This study expands the basic knowledge of competence-based human resource management as a concept with five dimensions that can be used in nursing organizations, and it can be used in quality assurance systems in public hospitals settings in Indonesia. The scale can be used as a feedback for first-line nurse managers to see the impact of competence-based human resource management framework on their competence and helps to identify which dimension of human resource management needs further improvement. With further research, the scale may be of use in other countries and settings.