Psychometric testing of the Care Dependency Scale in patients with heart failure and their caregivers.

AIMS: This study aims to (i) test the validity and reliability of the Care Dependency Scale (CDS) for patients with heart failure (HF) and (ii) test the validity and reliability of the proxy version of the CDS assessing informal caregivers' perception of the dependency level of individuals with HF. METHODS AND RESULTS: Secondary data analysis was conducted of transnational multicentre cross-sectional design study. A convenience sample comprised of HF patients-informal caregivers' dyads in three European countries. The CDS was administered to patients and the proxy version to informal caregivers. Factorial validity was tested for each scale using confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was evaluated with the composite coefficient and Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was tested via known group differences. Measurement error was tested to assess responsiveness to changes. A total of 229 patients and 208 caregivers were recruited. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the two-factor structure (Physical Care Dependency and Psychosocial Care Dependency) of the CDS in both HF patients and their caregiver. Reliability estimates were adequate for all reliability coefficients. Construct validity was supported. The measurement error was adequate. CONCLUSION: The scale shows acceptable validity and reliability and can be useful for care dependency assessment of patients with HF and their informal caregivers. Further research is needed for assessing the validity and reliability in other cross-cultural settings. The use of the CDS has the potential to effectively enable the development of pertinent care plans, taking dependency into consideration including the perspective of both members of the dyad as a whole.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Self-Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory based on the Middle-Range Theory of Self-Care of Chronic Illness.

AIMS: To test the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Self-Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory on a sample of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in China. BACKGROUND: Measuring the self-care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is vital to promote the performance of effective self-care behaviours. However, few instruments have been developed to measure self-care in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the existing instruments lack theoretical support and satisfactory psychometrics properties. The Self-Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory based on Middle-Range Theory of Self-Care of Chronic Illness has been developed and tested previously in Italian and US population. DESIGN: A cross-sectional instrument development study. METHODS: Construct validity was tested by confirmatory factor analysis and hypothesis testing, and reliability internal consistency using factor score determinacy coefficients. RESULTS: A convenience sample of 185 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was recruited from September 2020 to January 2022. The instrument consists of three scales: self-care maintenance, self-care monitoring and self-care management. Confirmatory factor analysis performed on the three scales produced good fit indices. The internal consistency was adequate with factor score determinacy coefficients ranging from 0.891 to 0.953 in Self-Care Maintenance Scale, 0.990 to 0.993 in Self-Care Monitoring Scale and 0.750 to 0.976 in Self-Care Management Scale. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of the Self-Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory has acceptable reliability and validity. Some differences from the original instrument were identified. Further validation studies should be conducted to confirm the psychometric properties of the instrument in Chinese population.

Describing the readiness for interprofessional education among university students attending healthcare programs: insights from a monocentric cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Readiness for interprofessional education (IPE) was recognized by international authorities as a key approach for educating students attending healthcare programs. Thus far, there are no descriptions of readiness for IPE in the Albanian context. For this reason, this study aimed to describe readiness for IPE, assessed by measuring "teamwork and collaboration" and "positive professional identity, roles, and responsibilities" among students attending healthcare programs in an Italian-speaking university based in Albania, and describe the correlations between readiness for IPE and the characteristics of the respondents. METHODS: This study had a descriptive observational design, a cross-sectional data collection, and a convenience sampling procedure performed in a single centre. The study was accomplished between April 2020 and June 2021, involving 688 students, 38.2% of the entire population of students attending healthcare programs in the context of the investigation. RESULTS: The teamwork and collaboration mean score was 4.40 (standard deviation = 0.56), and no differences were found between programs (p-value=0.159). The positive professional identity, roles, and responsibilities mean score was 4.33 (standard deviation = 0.64) with no differences between programs (p-value=0.340). Females attending nursing or midwifery reported higher positive professional identity, roles, and responsibilities scores (p-value=0.020), and females in dentistry reported higher teamwork and collaboration scores than males (p-value=0.045). CONCLUSIONS: Future research should evaluate readiness for IPE longitudinally to ascertain its trajectories over time and analyze any potential individual- or organizational-level variables that may impact IPE and sex-related differences regarding factors influencing IPE.

Psychometric testing of the nurses professional values scale-revised on family and community health nurses.

BACKGROUND: Family and Community Health Nurses (FCHNs) are at a higher risk of experiencing emotional exhaustion and feelings of low personal accomplishment. Higher levels of professional identity may decrease these negative feelings. Its measurement could produce positive effects for FCHNs and the quality of care they offer. AIM: This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties (validity and reliability) of the Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised (NPVS-R) on FCHNs in Italy. RESEARCH DESIGN: A cross-sectional research design was used. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: A convenience sample of FCHNs was recruited in an out-of-hospital setting from Italy. A total of 202 nurses were eligible (mean age of 41.11 ± 10.55 years; 78.2% female). ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: The study was performed in accordance with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki. Participants were asked for their consent and were guaranteed anonymity in the information collected. The study was approved by the internal review board of the university. RESULTS: Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) supported a unidimensional factorial structure of the NPVS-R with an adequate fit to the data. Internal consistency reliability was also supported. The construct validity was further reinforced by the concurrent validity results showing a positive and significant correlation of professional identity with job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The NPVS-R is a valid and reliable instrument to measure professional identity among FCHNs. It can be used in clinical practice to improve FCHNs' psychological-emotional feelings and quality of care provided, in research to allow comprehensive understanding of professional identity, and in educational settings to monitor the professional identity levels of Family and Community Health Nursing students.

Assessment of the Psychometric Characteristics of the Italian Version of the Nurse Manager Actions Scale.

Nurse managers play a vital role in healthcare organizations, wielding the ability to substantially enhance work environments, foster nurses' autonomy, and bolster retention within workplaces. In this context, this study focuses on the Nurse Manager Actions scale, aiming to evaluate its items' scalability as well as the scale's validity and reliability among nurses and nurse managers operating within the Italian healthcare context. The study protocol was not registered. To ensure linguistic and cultural alignment, an iterative and collaborative translation process was undertaken. Subsequently, a multi-center cross-sectional design was adopted. Using a web-survey approach, data were collected among 683 nurses and 188 nurse managers between August 2022 and January 2023. The Nurse Manager Actions scale was found to be a valid and reliable instrument in Italian after a Mokken Scale Analysis. For nurses (HT= 0.630, Molenaar-Sijtsma rho = 0.890), the scale included 6 items, while 11 items were confirmed for nurse managers (HT= 0.620, Molenaar-Sijtsma rho = 0.830). Nurse Manager Actions scale scores were correlated with increased satisfaction and decreased intention to leave for both nurses and nurse managers. The employed validation process enhanced the scale validity for use in Italy and provided a model for other researchers to follow when assessing similar measures in different populations. Measuring and empowering nurse manager actions in work contexts is essential to improve the general well-being and retention of nurses, especially in the current nursing shortage.

The influence of dyad sex combination on patient self-care and caregiver contribution to self-care in multiple chronic conditions: An observational study.

INTRODUCTION: We know that patient and caregiver sex influence patient self-care and caregiver contribution to self-care in multiple chronic conditions. However, the role of dyad sex combination (e.g., male patient and female caregiver, female patient and male caregiver, male patient and caregiver, and female patient and caregiver) in influencing patient self-care and caregiver contribution to self-care remains unexplored. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between patient and caregiver sex combination and patient self-care and caregiver contribution to self-care in multiple chronic conditions. DESIGN: Multicentre cross-sectional study. METHODS: We enrolled patients with multiple chronic conditions and caregiver dyads in outpatient and community settings from April 2017 to December 2019. We used the Self-Care of Chronic Illness Inventory and the Caregiver Contribution to Self-Care of Chronic Illness Inventory that measure, from the patient and caregiver perspective, self-care maintenance (i.e., behaviors to maintain illness stability), self-care monitoring (i.e., monitoring of illness signs and symptoms), and self-care management (i.e., behaviors to manage signs and symptoms). We used multivariate analysis of covariance to evaluate the association between sex and self-care and caregiver contribution to self-care. RESULTS: We recruited 540 patient-caregiver dyads. Male patients cared by female caregivers performed higher self-care maintenance compared to female patients cared by female caregivers. Female caregivers caring for female patients performed higher caregiver contribution to self-care monitoring compared to male caregivers caring for female or male patients. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should consider the influence of patient and caregiver sex combination on self-care and caregiver contribution to self-care in multiple chronic conditions to provide tailored interventions. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Healthcare professionals should consider the patient and caregiver sex combination in the dyad to tailor better interventions aimed at improving patient self-care and caregiver contribution to self-care in multiple chronic conditions.

Translation, validation and psychometric properties of the Albanian version of the Nurses Professional Competence Scale Short form.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The primary aim of this study was the translation and psychometric validation of the Albanian Nurse Professional Competence Scale Short Form (A-NPCS-SF) for further application in Albanian healthcare settings. METHODS: The multiphase design used to develop the A-NPCS-SF comprised (1) cultural and linguistic validation, (2) content and face validity, and (3) construct validity. RESULTS: The A-NPCS-SF showed adequate content validity. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the six-factor structure of the A-NPCS-SF to explain the data obtained from the nurses. CONCLUSIONS: The A-NPCS-SF showed evidence of validity and reliability in measuring four professional competencies. Having an appropriate scale in Albanian for professional competence self-assessment by nurses constitutes an essential step in measuring these competencies.  (www.actabiomedica.it).

Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Leader Member Exchange Scale (LMX-7): A Validation Study.

For decades, scholars have studied leader-member exchange (LMX) relationships to understand and explain the effects of leadership on follower attitudes and performance outcomes within work settings. One available instrument to measure these aspects is the LMX-7 scale. This measurement has been widely used in empirical studies, but its psychometric properties have been poorly explored. The aim of this study was to test the psychometric characteristics (content, structural and construct validity, and reliability) of the Italian version of the LMX-7 scale and to support its cultural adaptation. We used a cross-sectional multi-center design. The forward-backward translation process was used to develop the Italian version of the scale. The scale was administered through an online survey to 837 nurses and nurse managers working in different settings. The factorial structure was tested using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA), and reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. For the construct validity, we used hypothesis testing and differentiation by known groups. The Italian version of the LMX-7 scale presented one dimension. All the psychometric tests performed confirmed its validity and suggested its usefulness for future research.

Evaluation of Standard Precautions Compliance Instruments: A Systematic Review Using COSMIN Methodology.

BACKGROUND: Standard precautions (SPs) are first-line strategies with a dual goal: to protect health care workers from occupational contamination while providing care to infected patients and to prevent/reduce health care-associated infections (HAIs). This study aimed at (1) identifying the instruments currently available for measuring healthcare professionals' compliance with standard precautions; (2) evaluating their measurement properties; and (3) providing sound evidence for instrument selection for use by researchers, teachers, staff trainers, and clinical tutors. METHODS: We carried out a systematic review to examine the psychometric properties of standard precautions self-assessment instruments in conformity with the COSMIN guidelines. The search was conducted on the databases PubMed, CINAHL, and APA PsycInfo. RESULTS: Thirteen instruments were identified. These were classified into four categories of tools assessing: compliance with universal precautions, adherence to standard precautions, compliance with hand hygiene, and adherence to transmission-based guidelines and precautions. The psychometric properties of instruments and methodological approaches of the included studies were often not satisfactory. Only four instruments were classified as high-quality measurements. CONCLUSIONS: The available instruments that measure healthcare professionals' compliance with standard precautions are of low-moderate quality. It is necessary that future research completes the validation processes undertaken for long-established and newly developed instruments, using higher-quality methods and estimating all psychometric properties.

Appraisal and Evaluation of the Learning Environment Instruments of the Student Nurse: A Systematic Review Using COSMIN Methodology.

BACKGROUND: Nursing education consists of theory and practice, and student nurses' perception of the learning environment, both educational and clinical, is one of the elements that determines the success or failure of their university study path. This study aimed to identify the currently available tools for measuring the clinical and educational learning environments of student nurses and to evaluate their measurement properties in order to provide solid evidence for researchers, educators, and clinical tutors to use in the selection of tools. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the psychometric properties of self-reported learning environment tools in accordance with the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) Guidelines of 2018. The research was conducted on the following databases: PubMed, CINAHL, APA PsycInfo, and ERIC. RESULTS: In the literature, 14 instruments were found that evaluate both the traditional and simulated clinical learning environments and the educational learning environments of student nurses. These tools can be ideally divided into first-generation tools developed from different learning theories and second-generation tools developed by mixing, reviewing, and integrating different already-validated tools. CONCLUSION: Not all the relevant psychometric properties of the instruments were evaluated, and the methodological approaches used were often doubtful or inadequate, thus threatening the instruments' external validity. Further research is needed to complete the validation processes undertaken for both new and already developed instruments, using higher-quality methods and evaluating all psychometric properties.

Is the Self-Evaluation of Resilience a Valid Assessment to Measure Resilience in Healthcare? A Confirmatory validation Study in Italian Healthcare Settings.

Although the Self-Evaluation of Resilience (SEOR) scale is a promising tool for assessing resilience in healthcare, its psychometric structure has not yet been confirmed. This study aimed to assess and validate the four-factor psychometric structure of the SEOR. Between September 2020 and January 2021, cross-sectional data were collected from randomly selected healthcare workers, managers, and administrators from a predefined network of 70 healthcare facilities in 12 Italian regions. The sample size was based on a Monte Carlo simulation using estimates from the SEOR developmental study. Two confirmatory factor models (first-order and second-order) were predefined. The responders (n = 199, response rate, 81%) were healthcare workers (n = 99; 49.7%), managers (n = 86; 43.2%), and administrators (n = 14; 7%). The two confirmatory factor models each showed a good fit in explaining sample statistics, corroborating the capacity of the scale to provide a total score of resilience and sub-scores for organizational resilience, network-based resilience, skill-based resilience, and individual-based resilience. The Molenaar-Sijtsma coefficients (internal consistency) ranged between 0.889 and 0.927. The SEOR enables managers and policy-makers to comprehensively screen resilience in healthcare from an epidemiological perspective.

Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Trust Me Scale-Italian Version: A Validation Study.

BACKGROUND: The Trust Me Scale is a widely used instrument to measure trust in healthcare providers. However, no Italian version of the scale exists yet, limiting its use in Italian-speaking populations. The aim of this study is to translate and validate the Trust Me Scale for use in Italian-speaking populations in nurses and nurse managers. METHODS: The translation process involved methodological steps of collaborative and iterative translation with cultural adaptation. The validation process included a cross-sectional study enrolling a convenience sample of 683 nurses and 188 nurse managers who completed the Italian version of the Trust Me Scale and measures of intention to leave, satisfaction, and organizational commitment. RESULTS: Item 5 was removed for poor factor loading, and items 11 and 13 were removed following an a priori strategy focused on deleting items with correlations between residual variables different than expected based on theoretical expectations derived from previous research. The final model fit well to sample statistics with a three-factor structure (harmony, reliability, and concern) and 13 items. A multiple-indicator multiple-cause model showed a measurement invariance between nurses and nurse coordinators. Construct validity was also supported by the evidence that the measured domains of trust align with the theoretical expectations and are related to the intention to leave, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Each dimension showed adequate scale reliability. CONCLUSIONS: The Italian version of the Trust Me Scale is a valid and reliable instrument to measure trust in nurses and nurse managers in Italian-speaking contexts. It can be used for research in nursing and leadership and evaluation of interventions aimed at improving trust in healthcare contexts.

The influence of patient and caregiver depression on patient self-care and caregiver contribution to self-care in ostomy: A dyadic analysis.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore the association between patient and caregiver depression and patient self-care and caregiver contribution to self-care in the context of ostomy care. BACKGROUND: Self-care is essential for ostomy patients and their caregivers. The ostomy self-care process can be considered a dyadic phenomenon in which the patient and the caregiver interact together and work as a team. The presence of depressive symptoms may limit the patient's ability to perform self-care and caregivers' abilities to engage in caregiving tasks. Research into the dyadic influence of depression on self-care behaviours from the perspective of ostomates and their caregivers is still in its infancy. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a multicentre, cross-sectional study. The STROBE checklist was used to report the present study. METHODS: Patient-caregiver dyads were recruited from eight ostomy outpatient clinics from February 2017 to May 2018. Depression was assessed with the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire in both patients and caregivers. Patient self-care was evaluated with the Ostomy Self-Care Index, and caregiver contribution to self-care was assessed with the Caregiver Contribution to Ostomy Self-Care Index. Both instruments measure the dimensions of maintenance, monitoring and management. The actor-partner interdependence model was performed for the dyadic analysis. RESULTS: In total, 252 patient-caregiver dyads (patients: 69.8% male, mean age 70.05; caregivers: 80.6% female, mean age 58.7) were enrolled. Patient depression was positively associated with caregiver contribution to self-care maintenance. Caregiver depression was negatively associated with self-care management. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: These findings add a better understanding of the reciprocal influence of dyadic depression on patient and caregiver contributions to self-care in ostomy contexts was found. Patient and caregiver depression influence patient self-care and caregiver contribution to self-care. Therefore, clinicians should assess and treat depression in both members of the dyad to improve self-care.

Nursing Profession Self-Efficacy Scale-Version 2: A Stepwise Validation with Three Cross-Sectional Data Collections.

BACKGROUND: The nursing professional self-efficacy scale (NPSES) is one of the most used self-reporting tools for assessing nursing self-efficacy. Its psychometric structure was described differently in several national contexts. This study aimed to develop and validate version 2 of the NPSES (NPSES2), which is a brief version of the original scale selecting items that contribute to stably detecting attributes of care delivery and professionalism as descriptors of salient aspects of the nursing profession. METHODS: Three different and subsequent cross-sectional data collections were employed to reduce the number of items to generate the NPSES2 and validate its new emerging dimensionality. The first (June 2019-January 2020) involved 550 nurses and was used to reduce the number of the original scale items by using a Mokken scale analysis (MSA) to ensure the selection of items consistently with the invariant item ordering properties. The subsequent data collection was performed to conduct an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) involving 309 nurses (September 2020-January 2021), and the last data collection (n = 249) was performed to cross-validate with a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the most plausible dimensionality derived from the EFA (June 2021-February 2022). RESULTS: The MSA led to the removal of twelve items and retention of seven items (Hs = 0.407, standard error = 0.023), which showed adequate reliability (rho reliability = 0.817). The EFA showed a two-factor solution as the most plausible structure (factors loading ranged from 0.673 to 0.903; explained variance = 38.2%), which was cross-validated by the CFA that showed adequate fit indices: χ2 (13, N = 249) = 44.521, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.946; TLI = 0.912; RMSEA = 0.069 (90% CI = 0.048-0.084); SRMR = 0.041. The factors were labeled as care delivery (four items) and professionalism (three items). CONCLUSIONS: NPSES2 is recommended to allow researchers and educators to assess nursing self-efficacy and inform interventions and policies.

Psychometric Characteristics of the Self-Care of Chronic Illness Inventory in Older Adults Living in a Middle-Income Country.

Chronic illness requires numerous treatments and self-care is essential in the care process. Evaluation of self-care behaviors facilitates the identification of patients' needs and optimizes education and care processes. This study aimed to test the psychometric characteristics (validity, reliability, and measurement error) of the Albanian version of the Self-Care of Chronic Illness Inventory (SC-CII). Patients with multiple chronic conditions and caregivers were recruited in outpatient clinics in Albania. The patients completed the SC-CII, which includes three scales: self-care maintenance, self-care monitoring, and self-care management. Factorial validity was tested for each scale, with confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was evaluated with the composite coefficient, Cronbach's alpha, and the global reliability index for multidimensional scales. The construct validity was tested using hypothesis testing and known differences between groups. The measurement error was tested to assess responsiveness to changes. The self-care maintenance and self-care monitoring scales showed a unidimensional factorial structure, while the self-care management scale showed a bidimensional structure. Reliability estimates were adequate for all reliability coefficients. Construct validity was supported. The measurement error was adequate. The Albanian version of the SC-CII shows good psychometric properties in the Albanian sample.

Dyadic Archetypes of Patient Self-Care and Caregiver Contribution to Self-Care in Dyads With Multiple Chronic Conditions: An Observational Study.

Self-care of multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) and caregiver contribution to self-care have been theorized as dyadic. However, the different dyadic archetypes are still unknown. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify dyadic archetypes related to how in patient-caregiver dyads manage the patient's MCCs and to describe other ways in which the dyadic archetypes differ. A sample of 340 MCCs patient-caregiver dyads was enrolled in outpatient and community settings. Patients had a mean age of 76.7 (±7.3) years and were mostly female (54.5%). Caregivers had a mean age of 54.6 (±15.1) years and were mostly female (71.5%). Four dyadic archetypes were observed: "autonomous," "compensatory," "balanced," and "complementary" care. Clinical programs should consider the different characteristics of dyads to support self-care.

Nurses' Organization of Work and Its Relation to Workload in Medical Surgical Units: A Cross-Sectional Observational Multi-Center Study.

INTRODUCTION: Work contexts can affect nurses' work and work outcomes. Work context factors of nurses, patients, or workflow can modulate nurses' organization of work and determine increased workloads. AIM: The aim of this research was to analyze relationships between factors regarding the patient, the nurse, workflow, and nurses' work organization, to investigate whether work organization is related to physical, mental, and emotional workloads, and to explore whether one dimension of workload influences the other dimensions. METHODS: We used a cross-sectional design based on the Job Demand-Resources theory. We asked registered nurses, working in nine medical-surgical wards across three hospitals in Italy, to self-report on work organization and workloads regarding randomized shifts over three consecutive weeks. Four scales from the QEEW 2.0 questionnaire were used on an online survey for data collection. multivariable linear regressions with structural equation modelling were tested. The study was approved by the three local Ethics Committees. RESULTS: We received 334 questionnaires regarding 125 shifts worked. Patient complexity (ß = 0.347), patient specialties (ß = 0.127), adequacy of staffing (ß = -0.204), collaboration with colleagues (ß = -0.155), unscheduled activities (ß = 0.213), supply search (ß = 0.141), and documentation (ß = 0.221) significantly influenced nurses' work organization. Nurses' work organization was significantly related to physical, mental, and emotional nursing workloads. CONCLUSIONS: the patient, the nurse, and workflow aspects influence nurses' work organization and workloads. Healthcare organizations, managers, and nurses should explore work settings to identify work turbulences early and implement strategies to improve nursing work conditions and workloads.

Development and Psychometric Validation of the Nursing Self-Efficacy Scale for Managing Cancer Treatment-Induced Cardiotoxicity: An Exploratory Mixed-Method Study.

OBJECTIVE: Assessing nursing self-efficacy could be strategic to sustain nursing competence. This study aimed to develop and validate the nursing self-efficacy scale for managing cancer treatment-induced cardiotoxicity (NSS-CTC). DATA SOURCES: An exploratory mixed-method study was performed by including two main phases. The first comprised the developmental tasks to generate the initial pool of items, including a literature review and a consensus meeting based on a nominal group technique. The second phase initially involved an external panel of experts in assessing the content validity of the novel scale, followed by a cross-sectional data collection to perform exploratory factor analysis by employing a multicenter and convenience sampling approach. The most plausible psychometric structure derived from the exploratory factor analysis was tested with a confirmatory factor analysis using a second data collection round on another sample enrolled with a multicenter and convenience sampling approach. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alfa. CONCLUSION: The NSS-CTS is a novel 15-item self-report measure for assessing nurse self-efficacy in dealing with cancer treatment-related cardiotoxicity. Its two plausible domains were labeled knowledge-related self-efficacy (Cronbach's α = 0.924) and practice-related self-efficacy (Cronbach's α = 0.937); the factor analyses in both samples showed adequate fit to sample statistics. Future studies are necessary to corroborate its construct validity and assess its measurement invariance across various country contexts. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Assessing nursing self-efficacy for managing cancer treatment-induced cardiotoxicity is a promising approach for identifying educational gaps and promoting nursing competency in this particular area of cancer care.

Validity and Reliability of Caregiver Contribution to Self-Care of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory and Caregiver Self-Efficacy in Contributing to Self-Care Scale.

The study tested the construct validity and reliability of the Caregiver Contribution to Self-Care of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Inventory and the Caregiver Self-Efficacy in Contributing to Self-Care of COPD Scale. The two instruments were developed by modifying the Self-Care of COPD Inventory and Self-Care Self-Efficacy Scale in COPD into caregiver versions. The psychometric properties were tested in a convenience sample of 261 informal caregivers of COPD patients recruited in Italy in two cross-sectional studies. Structural validity was tested by confirmatory factor analysis, construct validity by posing several hypotheses, and internal consistency through factor score determinacy and global reliability index for multidimensional scales. In confirmatory factor analysis, the caregiver contribution to self-care maintenance, monitoring and management scales, composing the Caregiver Contribution to Self-Care of COPD Inventory, presented good fit indices. Global reliability indices ranged 0.75-0.88. The caregiver self-efficacy scale presented a comparative fit index of 0.96 and a global reliability index of 0.82. The caregiver contribution to self-care and the caregiver self-efficacy scales correlated moderately among themselves and with the patient versions of the scales, and scores were higher with caregiver-oriented dyadic care types and female caregivers. Our study provides evidence of the two instruments' construct validity and internal consistency.

Examining how congruence in and satisfaction with dyadic care type appraisal contribute to quality of life in heart failure care dyads.

AIMS: Given the complexity of heart failure (HF) management, persons with HF and their informal caregivers often engage in dyadic illness management. It is unknown how congruent appraisal of dyadic HF care type is associated with dyadic health. Our aim was to examine how congruence in and satisfaction with appraisal of dyadic HF care type contribute to quality of life (QOL) for dyads. METHODS AND RESULTS: This is a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data on 275 HF care dyads (patients 45.1% female, caregivers 70.5% female). Congruent appraisal and satisfaction were assessed using the Dyadic Symptom Management Type instrument. Quality of life was measured using the Short Form-12. Multilevel dyadic models were estimated to examine the contribution of congruence and satisfaction with dyadic care type to physical and mental QOL. Congruent appraisal of dyadic care type was positively associated with caregivers' mental QOL (B = 2.69, P = 0.026). Satisfaction with dyadic care type was positively associated with physical and mental QOL for persons with HF (B = 1.58, P = 0.011 and B = 2.09, P = 0.002, respectively) and informal caregivers (B = 1.70, P = 0.004 and B = 2.90, P < 0.001, respectively), while controlling for age, New York Heart Association class, daily hours spent together, relationship type, and congruence with dyadic care type. CONCLUSION: Satisfaction with dyadic care type appraisal was a stronger contributor to QOL for HF care dyads, compared with congruent appraisals. It is important to understand reasons for dissatisfaction within the dyad to assist dyad members in reaching shared appraisals while managing HF.