Development of an instrument to measure hope

The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure hope in adults and to evaluate its psychometric properties. A 40-item Miller Hope Scale (MHS) was developed based on critical elements of hope revealed in a comprehensive review of the literature and on an exploratory study of hope in persons who survived a critical illness. The instrument was critiqued by measurement and content experts, and content validity was established. The MHS was pretested on 75 subjects. The refined instrument was next evaluated using 522 healthy adults. The intent was to establish norms on the instrument before using it on ill subjects. The range of scores on the MHS is 40 to 200, with high scores indicating high hope. Mean hope score for this healthy sample was 164.46 (SD = 16.31). A leptokurtic curve, skewed to the left, was noted in these responses. As expected, the instrument detected high hope in individuals who were screened to have no physical or mental health problems. The internal consistency alpha coefficient was .93 with a 2-week test-retest reliability of .82. Criterion-related construct validity was established by correlating the MHS to the Psychological Well-Being Scale, r = .71, the Existential Well-Being Scale, r = .82, and a 1-item hope self-assessment, r = .69. Divergent validity with the Hopelessness Scale was established, r = -.54. Maximum likelihood factor analysis with oblimin rotation resulted in a three-factor solution: I, Satisfaction with Self, Others, and Life; II, Avoidance of Hope Threats; and III, Anticipation of a Future.     

Abbreviated instrument to measure hope: development and psychometric evaluation

The purpose of this research was to develop and evaluate psychometrically an abbreviated instrument to assess hope in adults in clinical settings. The Herth Hope Index (HHI), a 12-item adapted version of the Herth Hope Scale (HHS), was tested with a convenience sample of 172 ill adults. Alpha coefficient was 0.97 with a 2-week test-retest reliability of 0.91. Criterion-related validity was established by correlating the HHI with the parent HHS (r = 0.92), the Existential Well-Being Scale (r = 0.84) and the Nowotny Hope Scale (r = 0.81). Divergent validity with the Hopelessness Scale was established (r = -0.73). Construct validity was supported through the factorial isolation of three factors: (a) temporality and future; (b) positive readiness and expectancy; (c) interconnectedness. These three factors accounted for 41% of the total variance in the measure.     

Development and validation of an instrument to measure nurse-patient bonding

Background

Most instruments on nurse-patient relationship determine the caring behavior of the nurse, but have minimal consideration of the patient's role in the interaction. Moreover, it is the patients that complete many of those instruments, thus leaving out the perspective of the nurse. There is then a need to account for the contributions that both the nurse and the patient bring into their encounter where bonding is formed.

Objective

This study aimed to develop and validate an instrument that determines the degree of bonding between nurse and patient based on their openness to each other and their engagement in patient care.

Settings

Data were collected from nurses and patients in the wards of four public and private tertiary hospitals in Manila, Philippines, where most Filipino nurses render care to patients before getting employed in other countries.

Participants

A total of 420 nurses and patients (i.e., 210 dyads) participated in this research conducted in 2008. Most of the nurses were young females with beginning clinical experience, while the patients had a wider age range with the majority having no college education and no employment.

Methods

The Nurse-Patient Bonding Instrument (NPBI), which dimensions were generated from qualitative observations and interviews, and corroborated by literature, was validated at the bedside setting. To determine interrater reliability, two trained raters unobtrusively observed actual nurse-patient interactions and ticked on the NPBI behavioral indicators of openness and engagement. Construct validity was established using known-groups technique. Moreover, bonding score was correlated with patient satisfaction for predictive validity.

Results

Reliability ranged from r = .80 to .95 (p < .01). Factor analysis demonstrated that the subscale scores of patient openness, nurse openness, patient engagement, and nurse engagement all loaded on one factor, the bonding factor, demonstrating a unified structure of the NPBI. Nurses and patients had higher bonding scores in interactions of longer duration than shorter duration, controlling for number of previous encounters. This provided evidence for construct validity using known-groups technique. The NPBI was likewise shown to distinguish groups based on age, education, and civil status. Patient satisfaction correlated positively with bonding score, providing evidence suggestive of the predictive validity of the NPBI.

Conclusion

The NPBI was shown to be a reliable and valid tool for assessing nurse-patient bonding, and can possibly predict patient satisfaction. The openness and engagement of nurse and patient were demonstrated to result in a structure, a nurse-patient dyad. This finding invites further investigations on the characteristics and development of this dyad.     

Development of an instrument to measure technological caring in nursing

Twenty-seven statements make up the Technological Caring Instrument (TCI) which was developed to measure technological caring in nursing. In order to establish a database and its reliability and validity, responses were generated from 193 professional nurses who participated in the study. The results indicate that the TCI has a high internal consistency, construct validity, and sufficient split-half reliability. Cronbach's alpha was 0.8129 with split-half alpha of 0.666 for 14 items in Part 1 and 0.828 for 13 items in Part 2. Significant differences were found between factors (F = 97.0199, P = 0.0000). Factor analysis identified eight items with the first factor revealing nine cluster statements with values of 0.51–0.84. The second factor had two cluster statements with 0.75 and 0.74 values. The independent sample t -test results demonstrated the influence of education, area of expertise, and years of experience on the technological caring of registered professional nurses. The utilization and continued investigation of TCI are suggested.     

Development of an instrument to measure job satisfaction among dentists

Because of the rapid changes that have occurred in the dental profession, the Dentist Satisfaction Survey (DSS) was developed to assess both facet and overall job satisfaction among dentists. The DSS was administered to a sample of 558 California general dentists. The results suggest that the DSS is a practical, reliable, and valid measure of dentists' job satisfaction. Internal consistency reliability coefficients for all facet subscales and the overall job satisfaction scale ranged from 0.60-0.92. The DSS discriminated between groups of dentists known to have different levels of job satisfaction; dentists identified by dental society presidents as being very dissatisfied scored significantly differently in the hypothesized direction on the DSS. A high correlation (r = 0.68) was found between judges' independent ratings of dentists' satisfaction based on their open-ended comments and DSS scores. While the majority of respondents were satisfied with most facets of their jobs, substantial variation was found among dentists in their levels of satisfaction.     

Development of an instrument to measure exercise of self-care agency.

The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure a person's exercise of self-care agency. Reliability and validity were established. Content validity was established through a rating of each item of the questionnaire by five nursing experts practicing under the self-care concept. The Adjective Check List and Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control of Reinforcement Scale were used in establishing construct validity. Subjects consisted of 84 associate degree nursing students and 153 psychology students. Results showed (a) a positive correlation of self-confidence, achievement, and intraception with exercise of self-care agency and (b) a negative correlation between abasement and exercise of self-care agency. The test-retest reliability was .77 for the nursing students; split-half reliabilities were .80 and .81, respectively, for the first and second testings of the nursing students, and .77 for the psychology students.     

Development of an instrument to measure collaboration and satisfaction about care decisions

The psychometric assessment of a new instrument for measurement of the construct of nurse-physician collaboration in making specific patient care decisions, Collaboration and Satisfaction About Care Decisions (CSACD), is reported Content validity for the tool was supported by literature review, nurse and physician experts, and potential subjects In a pilot study 58 neonatal intensive care nurses'and resident physicians'responses showed variance, alpha reliability of the collaboration questions was 0 95 Construct validity of the collaboration questions was supported by finding expected correlational patterns and by factor analysis revealing a single factor that explained 75% of the variance in collaboration Further psychometric testing of the instrument is proposed, particularly in the context of substantive studies that would allow investigation of its association with patient outcomes     

Development of an instrument to measure stress in the older adult

The purpose of this study was to develop and carry out initial psychometric evaluation of a tool to measure stress in adults 65 years of age and older. The universe of stressors for this age group was elicited from 25 older adults, a literature review, and consultations with gerontological nursing experts. The stressors were ranked and weighted, using a Q-sort, by a sample of 43 adults 65 and over, resulting in the Stokes/Gordon Stress Scale (SGSS). The instrument was evaluated using reliability and validity measures. Test-retest reliability estimates yielded a Pearson's r ranging from .98 to .90. Coefficient alpha was .86. Pearson's r in a 1-year test of predictive validity was .36, p = .014; in tests of concurrent validity correlations ranged from .65 to .81. The SGSS can be used for clinical and research purposes to aid in assessing and planning care for the older individual.     

Development of an observational instrument to measure mother-infant separation post birth

The importance of the timing, quality, and quantity of early maternal-infant contact has gained prominence over the years. However, no researcher has adequately documented the nature of maternal-infant contact and separation. This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Index of Mother-Infant Separation (IMIS), pronounced "I miss," which is a 37-item observational measure of the process of mother-infant contact or separation post birth. Assessment of reliability and validity of the IMIS was conducted using data collected in a randomized clinical trial with 224 healthy newborn infants assigned at 1 hour post birth to self-regulatory or routine nursery care (control) groups. Time-sampled observations occurred every 15 minutes. Content validity indices of the IMIS, determined by nine nationally known perinatal experts, were 77% to 100% for instrument items. Construct validity was supported through known-groups hypothesis testing (p < .0001). Interrater reliability was from 86% to 90%. The IMIS is a valid observational measure of maternal contact when raters are trained to score it reliably.     

Development and validation of an instrument to measure patient satisfaction with pharmacy services

A research program was undertaken to develop and validate a multidimensional measure of patient satisfaction with pharmacy services. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 44 Likert-type attitudinal items was adapted from the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire developed by Ware et al. In an iterative scale development process, the adapted questionnaire and its revisions were evaluated in three successive studies conducted on convenience samples (n = 30, 313, 489) of individuals in attendance at family practice clinics in a southwestern city. Methods used to construct multi-item scales measuring separate dimensions of service included principal components factor analysis and item analyses. Acquiescent response set (ARS), the tendency to agree with statements of opinion regardless of content, was measured by the method of matched pairs of items. A partial correlation matrix which controlled for ARS was used as the data in a principal components factor analysis in an effort to reduce the biasing effect of ARS on factor analytic outcomes. Dimensions of satisfaction identified were Explanation, Consideration, Technical Competence, Financial Aspects, Accessibility, Drug Efficacy, OTC (over-the-counter) Product Availability, and Quality of the Drug Product. Questionnaire revision is suggested to confirm the validity of the latter two dimensions Future research should examine the relationship between separate dimensions of satisfaction and other patient attitudes and behaviors, and the convergence between this instrument and other measures of patient satisfaction with pharmacy services.     

Development and testing of an instrument to measure interactions in synchronous distance education

The advance of computer and network technology has made it possible for students to flexibly acquire real-time information through distance education, allowing life-long learning. As in previous studies, the researchers found that students generally experienced less instructional interaction in distance education as compared to the traditional classroom setting. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a reliable and valid instrument to evaluate instructional interactions in synchronous distance education. Based on a literature review and researcher experience, a 36-item interaction scale was developed and administered to 100 students from two different schools. Data were collected and the reliability and validity of the scale were tested. The results showed that the scale had a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.901. Factor analysis was used to test the construct validity and 29 items were extracted and divided into seven different interaction factors. These seven factors explained 72.69 % of the total variance. Furthermore, the results showed that the scale had good internal consistency and construct validity, and would therefore provide an effective and useful tool for evaluating interaction in synchronous distance education. Use of this instrument can help teachers to understand interactions taking place in a synchronous distance education environment and provide guidance for the future development of distance education programs for various disciplines.     

Development of an instrument to measure mothers' performance of self-care activities for children

One who performs self-care activities for another is known as a dependent care agent, according to Orem. Attempts to study mothers' performance of self-care activities for children have been impeded by the lack of an instrument with which to measure dependent care agent performance. Findings based on a sample of 475 women indicate that the Dependent Care Agent (DCA) questionnaire developed in this study had a coefficient alpha of .91, with item-total correlations ranging from .27 to .63. Although Orem's expected dimensions of universal, developmental, and health deviation requisites were not represented in the factor analysis, individual requisites for self-care were clearly present.     

The development of an instrument to measure self-consistency

The maintenance of self-consistency is a task that engages elderly people, and it can be viewed as an indicator of how well a person can cope with stress in the ageing process However, there is no reliable and valid instrument to date that measures this phenomenon To help elderly people to accomplish the task warrants the necessity to develop an instrument to measure self-consistency The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure self-consistency in elderly people with chronic conditions The Self-Consistency Scale (SCS) was designed and administered to hearing-impaired elderly people ( n = 130) in the north-east part of the USA Psychometric properties of the SCS were evaluated and the results indicated a promising psychometric integrity The obtained alpha coefficient for the SCS total scale was 089, with a score range of 51–104 and a mean total score of 85 10 (SD = 11.04) Convergent validity of the SCS was established by correlating the SCS to a Visual Analogue Scale—A Sense of Self (VAS), r = 0.60 ( P < 0.01) Divergent validity with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was established, r = -0.57 ( P < 0.01) Maximum likelihood factor analysis with oblimin rotation resulted in a two-factor solution Factor I, self-knowledge, and Factor II, stability of self-concept     

Development of an instrument to measure strategic and clinical quality indicators in postoperative pain management

AIM OF THE STUDY: To develop and evaluate psychometric properties, that is reliability and validity, of an instrument to measure strategic and clinical quality indicators in postoperative pain management. BACKGROUND: Strategic and clinical quality indicators in postoperative pain management were previously developed from a tentative model of important aspects of surgical nursing care and assessed to have content validity, that is to be essential for the quality of care, realistic to carry out and possible for nurses to use to influence management. METHODS: The quality indicators were converted to items suitable for a patient questionnaire and were scored on a 5-point scale, with higher scores indicating higher quality of care. Inpatients from five surgical wards took part in this study on their second postoperative day. The response rate was 96% and the average ages of the female (n=120) and the male (n=78) respondents were 62 and 63 years, respectively. RESULTS: Items in the total scale had an average inter-item correlation >0.20 and an item-total correlation >0.30. Cronbach's coefficient alpha was 0.84 for the total scale. Four factors entitled 'communication', 'action', 'trust' and 'environment' emerged from an orthogonal factor analysis, with a cumulative variance of 61.4%. Patients who received epidural analgesia had higher scores on the total scale compared with those who did not receive epidural analgesia. Patients who reported more pain than expected had lower scores on the total scale compared with those who did not report more pain than expected. Correlation between the total scale and an overall pain relief satisfaction question was 0.53. CONCLUSION: The results suggest initial support for the new instrument as a measure of strategic and clinical quality indicators in postoperative pain management, but it must be further refined, tested and evaluated.