<![CDATA[Background: Clinical leadership among nurse managers plays a vital role in ensuring the quality and effectiveness of hospital services. Nurse managers are responsible for integrating professional competence, managerial skills, and interpersonal collaboration to enhance patient outcomes and team performance. However, in Indonesia, there remains a lack of standardized and contextually relevant instruments to measure clinical leadership competencies.Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate a clinical leadership competency assessment instrument specifically tailored to the Indonesian hospital context and to evaluate its feasibility for practical application in nursing management.Methods: The study employed a research and development design conducted in Tasikmalaya City. The sample consisted of 38 nurse managers selected through accidental sampling. The research process consisted of several stages: instrument design, expert validation, revision, and limited testing. Content validity was examined using the Content Validity Index to ensure conceptual and contextual relevance, while item validity and reliability were analyzed through appropriate statistical methods to ensure measurement accuracy and internal consistency. Results: The developed instrument included 49 items across five core dimensions: communication, collaboration, decision-making, team empowerment, and change management. Validation results showed a CVI of 0.86 (>0.80), and high reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha 0.950). Non-valid items were removed, resulting in a final instrument that is valid, reliable, and contextually appropriate for use by nurse managers.Conclusions: The instrument is valid, reliable, and feasible for assessing nurse managers’ clinical leadership competencies. Beyond its psychometric soundness, it provides a strategic framework to strengthen leadership accountability, improve team coordination, and enhance hospital service quality. The instrument can also serve as a valuable tool in hospital management and nursing education to guide professional development and promote evidence-based leadership practices]]>
