Development of ethical conflict scale for nurses in extraordinary circumstances and psychometric testing

Abstract

Aim

The aim of this study was to develop and psychometrically test the Ethical Conflict Scale for Nurses in Extraordinary Circumstances (ECSNEC).

Design

This study is designed to develop and validate an instrument.

Methods

There are four basic steps in the development process of ECSNEC: (1) establishment of the conceptual framework, (2) creation of the item pool, (3) preliminary evaluation and (4) psychometric evaluation. The data were gathered from 519 nurses who worked in two different hospitals operating in Istanbul between June 2022 and October 2022.

Results

The scale had good content validity. The exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor construct which explained 47.31% of the total variance in the measured variable. The corresponding construct was confirmed by the confirmatory factor analysis. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients were greater than .60 for all dimensions. The test–retest reliability coefficient value of the scale was 0.90.

Conclusion

ECSNEC is a valid and reliable tool to determine the ethical conflict experienced by nurses in extraordinary circumstances.

Impact

The established scale allows the identification of factors influencing the ethical challenges nurses face in extraordinary circumstances. Thus, policies can be developed to prevent such ethical conflicts.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.