Introduction

When using questionnaires developed in other countries and languages for scientific studies, besides the translation, it is necessary their cultural adaptation and validation. The objective of this work was to assure the use of an instrument which is valid and reliable while assessing the competencies among nursing personnel of public health in the Mexican context.

Methodology

This is a descriptive-transversal and multi-step study. The population was represented by 3 groups for 3 different stages. The first group was integrated by 10 experts in research from the Nursing Faculty of the University of Tamaulipas, Tampico, and 17 professionals working in the first level of attention. The second group was integrated by 30 professionals of nursing. The third group was integrated by 177 professionals working in the field of public health. All professionals were from three jurisdictions in the south of Tamaulipas, Mexico. The sampling process was by convenience.

Results

The three validation processes showed satisfactory results for the adaptation of the instrument. The V-Aiken test score was close to 1. Regarding the semantics, only one word was modified. The pilot test had a final Cronbach Alpha of 0.97.

Conclusions

The instrument was considered valid for the assessment of the herein referenced competencies.