Psychometric properties of the Person-Centered Palliative Care Nursing Instrument (PPCNI): validity and reliability study

The most effective approach for patients and healthcare professionals to manage multiple symptoms during treatment or care is palliative care support focused on symptom control. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Person-Centered Palliative Care Nursing Instrument. A methodological and descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at a city hospital in Istanbul. The sample included 200 nurses who worked in the intensive care unit. Data were collected using the Person-Centered Palliative Care Nursing Instrument and the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying Scale. The content validity index of the scale was calculated as 0.84. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy was 0.918, and Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity yielded a χ² value of 8395.116 ( p < 0.001). Item-total correlation coefficients ranged from 0.519 to 0.762, while factor loadings varied between 0.514 and 0.866. Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed acceptable goodness-of-fit indices: χ² = 2355.612, df = 0.8, RMSEA = 0.07, GFI = 0.92, CFI = 0.97, and AGFI = 0.87. The internal consistency reliability of the subscales ranged from 0.905 to 0.965, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.98 for the overall scale. Exploratory Factor Analysis confirmed the original structure of the scale, consisting of 37 items and four factors. Families of people with chronic illness often struggle to provide adequate care, increasing the demand for professional support. Poor satisfaction levels of palliative patients, families and health care providers indicate the need for improvements in the palliative care system. Assessing the quality of palliative care provided by nurses is essential to improve the quality of patient care. The Turkish version of the scale was found to be a valid and reliable instrument for clinical use, enabling nurses to deliver palliative care tailored to patients’ needs and preferences.