Validation of the intellectual capital scale of nursing services

Objective: Nursing services are considered strategic in the functioning of health organizations, therefore the study of intellectual capital (human capital, structural capital, relational capital of nursing services) in innovation as a contribution to decision policies, practice and research. The main focus is to promote critical thinking on the condition of nursing services in an innovative perspective. This study aims to adapt and validate the psychometric properties of the Questionnaire of Intellectual Capital and Innovative Capacity (already used in business management, automobile) and apply it to the Nursing Services (QICICNS). Methods: A cross-sectional and quantitative study was carried out on a sample of 1,388 Portuguese nurses enrolled in the Nurses’ Order. For the analysis of the psychometric properties of the instrument we used the factorial analysis of main components with varimax rotation of the scale items and the calculation of the Cronbach Alpha coefficient. Results: The QICICNS analysis revealed good internal consistency (global scale = 0.95, constructs between 0.83 and 0.97) and good quality of the items (KMO = 0.95), with four factors being extracted: human capital, relational capital, structural capital and innovation. Conclusions: The positive indices of internal consistency and the sensitivity of this questionnaire show the validity of the reliable and robust data collection instrument in the studied context. Implications for nursing management: QICICNS, due to its multifaceted nature, can be a management tool in the decision making support by nursing managers. The characteristics of each intellectual capital construct may influence the management of services and future investigations.