Cultural adaptation and psychometric testing of a traditional Chinese version of the career crafting scale: A study among graduating nursing students

AIMS: To translate the Career Crafting Assessment Scale (CCAS) into traditional Chinese and evaluate its psychometric properties (CCAS-C) among graduating nursing students (GNSs). BACKGROUND: High turnover among newly graduated nurses exacerbates global nursing shortages. Career crafting is a proactive behavior crucial to the professional development of GNSs; however, no instrument for measuring career crafting in traditional Chinese for this population has been developed. DESIGN: A cross-sectional psychometric validation study. METHODS: The CCAS underwent standardized forward-backward translation and expert review. Data were collected from 329 GNSs recruited using cluster random sampling at a Taiwanese university. Construct validity was tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed using composite reliability (CR), average variance extracted (AVE) and the heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT) ratio. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: The four-factor CFA model demonstrated excellent fit. All item loadings were significant. The CR values (0.82-0.90) and AVE (0.53-0.69) supported convergent validity and the HTMT values (< 0.85) confirmed discriminant validity, revealing the CCAS-C exhibited strong internal consistency and meaningful item-level performance. CONCLUSIONS: The CCAS-C is a reliable and valid tool for measuring career crafting in GNSs. Educators can use CCAS-C data to develop interventions that encourage proactive career behaviors in GNSs and facilitate GNSs' transition into professional practice. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Empowering future nurses-validated the Chinese Career Crafting Scale to support nursing education and help students actively shape their career paths.