Stress measurement among charge nurses: developing a cross-cultural tool.

AIM: The aim of this study was to develop a cross-cultural tool for the measurement of stress among charge nurses in general hospitals. BACKGROUND: Studies of the specific stressors unique to different nursing roles are few, particularly those related to hospital charge nurses. The Charge Nurse Stress Questionnaire is a well-validated Israeli-developed scale. However, it has not been tested cross-culturally. DESIGN: A descriptive methodological study was conducted in Israel, Ohio and Thailand. METHOD: A total of 2616 nurses from 23 hospitals (small to large size) completed the questionnaire between 2011-2013. The questionnaire was translated into English and Thai. To establish tool validity and reliability, content validity, internal consistency reliability, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were performed. RESULTS: Analyses resulted in a final abbreviated version of the questionnaire with 25 items and four stress subscales. Internal consistency for the subscales indicated very good internal consistency. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a self-reported, cross-cultural, valid and reliable tool for evaluating the specific stressors of the role of charge nurses. A rigorous assessment of charge nurse stress provides a good basis for planning tailored stress reduction interventions. It is recommended to further use the tool in different settings across different countries.

Research plan for developing trauma core competencies for nurses in Thailand.

The aim of this research plan was identification and development of core competencies for emergency trauma nurses in Thailand. The research plan was undertaken in three phases. Phase I: a national survey of the critical dimensions of care; Phase II: development of a 64 item tool; and Phase III: efficiency study with emergency nurses representing Level-1, Regional, Community and Rural facilities. Six dimensions of competency were identified: cooperation, decision-making, leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, and technical knowledge with a content validity index (CVI) of 1.00 and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) of 0.98 (N=485 RNs in 29 hospitals). Analysis of the first year pilot study data using a 5 point likert scale (N=285 RNs in 16 hospitals), nurses rated themselves as 4.18 (SD=0.69) and their peers at 4.00 (SD=0.68). Head nurse evaluations averaged 3.98 (SD=0.55). ANOVA demonstrated no statistical significance (p=0.09) between groups. The results of the preliminary studies demonstrated appropriateness of the core competency items, but refinement is required prior to national distribution.