2025 Volume 21 Issue 2 Pages 12-22
Objective：To examine the reliability and validity of an evaluation tool specifically developed to assess ethical behavior in nursing care for older inpatients.
Method：A prototype version with 44 evaluation items was created, and a questionnaire survey was conducted with 431 nurses from five hospitals specializing in medical care and nursing for older adults. The survey targeted nurses who were likely to have a high interest in ethical issues related to nursing for older adults. Item analysis and exploratory factor analysis were performed, and concurrent validity was verified. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s α coefficient.
Results：A total of 182 participants were analyzed （valid response rate: 42.2%）. Based on the results, the prototype version was revised to include 5 factors and 41 items：［Care based on daily ethics］, ［Team approach respecting the older patient’s wishes］, ［Understanding and engaging with older patients with cognitive impairments］, ［Care that does not restrict behavior］, and ［Sincere care that prioritizes time and effort］. The Cronbach’s α coefficients for the revised version ranged from 0.7 to 0.9, and the correlation coefficients with existing ethical behavior scales ranged from r = 0.4 to 0.8.
Conclusion：The revised version confirmed a certain level of reliability and validity as an evaluation tool specifically designed to assess the ethical behavior required in providing nursing care to older inpatients. Moving forward, it is necessary to conduct surveys involving various nurses in acute care hospitals to enhance the potential for its use as an evaluation tool.
