Development and psychometric evaluation of a workplace psychological hazards scale for operating room nurses

BACKGROUND: Assessment of psychological hazards in the operating room requires application of valid instruments designed to measure this type of hazards. The present study aims to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a workplace psychological hazards scale for operating room nurses. METHODS: This study is a methodological work carried out in two stages. In the first stage, a pool of items was created using the findings of a qualitative study. Subsequently, a systematic review of existing research across academic databases was performed to identify relevant constructs and generate additional scale items. Eventually, item analysis and validity and reliability tests were implemented to decrease the number of the items and evaluate the psychometric properties of the scale. RESULTS: Following iterative revisions, the initial 106-item pool was streamlined to 49 items. Redundant or ambiguous items were discarded based on expert feedback and assessment of face and content validity. Exploratory factor analysis identified seven latent constructs, including job stress, feeling incompetent in one's role, bullying, ineffective communication, injustice, lack of emotional support, and burnout. The reliability of the scale was confirmed by internal consistency analysis, with a good Cronbach's alpha (0.95), and test-retest analysis, with good values of interclass correlation (0.95). CONCLUSION: By using the scale developed and tested in the present study, operating room managers can determine the psychological hazards which operating room nurses are exposed to. In addition, by identifying psychological hazards, more effective strategies can be developed and employed to manage the psychological well-being of the personnel.