Pilot adaptation and preliminary psychometric evaluation of the QuIN16VIPs-ET questionnaire to assess workplace violence among prehospital emergency nurses

BACKGROUND: Workplace violence (WPV) represents a major occupational hazard in emergency care, yet validated instruments specifically designed for the prehospital emergency care context remain lacking. This study aimed to adapt and conduct a preliminary psychometric evaluation of the Questionnaire for the National Survey on Violence against Emergency Department Nurses (QuIN16VIPs) for use in prehospital emergency care (QuIN16VIPs-ET). METHODS: A prospective pilot study was conducted among 33 prehospital emergency nurses working in an Italian prehospital emergency care service. The adaptation process included expert panel assessment of item clarity and contextual relevance, followed by pilot administration with test-retest evaluation after 7 days. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment, questionnaire completion, missing data, survey usability, and temporal stability. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega, while test-retest reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). RESULTS: The questionnaire demonstrated excellent feasibility, with a 100% completion and retention rate and no missing data across administrations. No operational or technical difficulties were reported during questionnaire administration. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α = 0.903; McDonald's ω = 0.905), and test-retest reliability demonstrated excellent temporal stability (ICC range: 0.87-0.94). CONCLUSION: The QuIN16VIPs-ET demonstrated satisfactory feasibility, internal consistency, and temporal stability, supporting its potential applicability in future multicenter psychometric and epidemiological investigations on workplace violence in prehospital emergency care.