Development of a Scale to Measure Nursing Practices in End-of-life Care (ELNEC-J P)

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a scale to measure nursing practice in end-of-life (EOL) care and examine its reliability and validity. Method: A cross-sectional survey using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire was conducted among nurses working in wards with ten or more patient deaths in the previous year among four hospitals with palliative care units. Results: Of 369 questionnaires distributed to nurses, 79 (21%) were completed and returned. As a result of the exploratory factor analysis, a scale consisting of 18 items in one subscale was developed Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.95 for the entire scale, indicating sufficient internal consistency. Comparison of scale scores between groups that received comprehensive EOL education and those that did not demonstrated known group validity. Conclusion: The newly developed scale to measure nursing practice in EOL care was confirmed to have sufficient internal consistency and known group validity. This scale may contribute to measuring nurses’ EOL care practices regardless of diseases and the effectiveness of EOL nursing education.