Workplace supports resource for nurses’ well-being: development and psychometric evaluation

Workplace supports are crucial to nurses’ well-being, as they buffer against high job demands and occupational stress, promote resilience, strengthen role commitment, and enhance work-related satisfaction. We developed the Workplace Supports Resource for Nurses’ Well-being scale (hereafter referred to as the SRNW scale) and tested its psychometric properties. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, comprising qualitative interviews followed by a quantitative survey. A literature review informed the initial conceptualisation of the SRNW scale, which was further developed through individual interviews. The resulting items underwent face and content validation. A cross-sectional survey – including the SRNW scale and the General Well-Being (GWB) and Job and Career Satisfaction (JCS) subdomains of the Work-Related Quality of Life (WRQoL) instrument – was administered to nurses working in Southern Alberta, Canada. Survey data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and preliminary confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for structural validity, average variance extracted (AVE) for within-factor convergent validity, Fornell–Larcker criterion for discriminant validity, Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega for internal consistency reliability, and Pearson correlation for convergent validity with GWB and JCS. Initial development and psychometric evaluation yielded a 21-item scale. A total of 269 nurses completed the survey. EFA and preliminary CFA yielded a final 18-item scale with three subdomain structures: co-worker, immediate supervisor, and organisational supports, with AVEs of 0.54, 0.69, and 0.64, respectively, and adequate discriminant validity. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.93 for the SRNW scale, with values ranging from 0.85 to 0.94 for the three subdomains. Similarly, the McDonald’s omega for the overall scale was 0.92, with subdomain values ranging from 0.85 to 0.94. The convergent validity of the SRNW scale and the three subdomains with GWB and JCS was significant, ranging from 0.34 to 0.48 and 0.42 to 0.70, respectively. The findings provide preliminary evidence that the 18-item SRNW scale is a reliable instrument with promising evidence of validity for measuring workplace supports experienced by nurses. The scale has the potential to support research and organisational initiatives aimed at improving workplace demands and conditions and supporting nurses’ well-being.