Development of a scale of difficulty for nurses engaged in pediatric nursing care in hospital wards

Abstract

 The purpose of this study was to develop a difficulty scale for nurses engaged in pediatric nursing care in hospital wards. A draft scale was created based on concept analysis and qualitative research. The surface validity and content validity were verified, and a draft scale of 64 items was developed. To confirm the reliability and validity of the draft scale a questionnaire survey of nurses who were involved in pediatric nursing care in hospital wards was conducted. A total of 1,040 copies were distributed, and only 307 valid responses were received. Item analysis and exploratory factor analysis revealed five factors across 39 items. Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.790～0.937, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient with the external standard was p=0.362 (p＜0.01), and the intra-class correlation coefficient of the subscale by the test-retest method was 0.70～0.86. The above results verified the reliability and validity of the scale. This scale can be used for self-assessment by nurses involved in pediatric nursing in hospital wards, and allows administrators to identify the current difficulties and underlying problems that pediatric nursing care experiences as an organizational unit.