Reliability and validity testing the Chinese version of the nursing surveillance scale: a cross-sectional study

Nursing surveillance is an essential process that allows nurses to ensure patient safety and prevent further deterioration in their condition. At present, there is no specialized tool in China to evaluate nurses’ surveillance within the framework of multiple dimensions. The aim of this study was to translate the Nursing Surveillance Scale into Chinese and to evaluate its psychometric properties, including reliability and validity, among nurses in China. A total of 629 clinical nurses from Grade III Level A hospitals in Liaoning, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi Provinces were recruited through convenience sampling in April 2025. With the consent of the original author, the scale was translated according to Brislin’s guidelines, and item analysis, reliability, and validity testing were performed using general data and the Chinese version of the Nursing Surveillance Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS 29.0 and AMOS 27.0. Item analysis retained 16 items in the final Chinese version of the Nursing Surveillance Scale. The scale showed good reliability, with Cronbach’s α = 0.891, split-half reliability = 0.928, and test–retest reliability = 0.908. The content validity index was 0.938. Exploratory factor analysis identified four factors—Problem Prediction and Decision-Making, Systematic Assessment, Pattern Recognition, and Identifying Patient Self-Care and Coping Strategies—which explained 68.41% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the structural validity (CMIN/DF = 1.559, GFI = 0.942, NFI = 0.942, IFI = 0.978, TLI = 0.973, CFI = 0.978, RMSEA = 0.042, RMR = 0.029). Convergent validity was confirmed, with AVE values ranging from 0.500 to 0.730 and CR values from 0.823 to 0.897. Discriminant validity was also supported, as the square roots of AVE (0.707–0.854) exceeded the inter-factor correlations. The Chinese version of the Nursing Surveillance Scale shows acceptable reliability and validity and provides an appropriate tool for evaluating nurses’ monitoring capabilities.