Development and psychometric analysis of the nurses' perceptions of the discrimination scale

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to develop the Nurses’ Perceptions of Discrimination Scale (NPDS) and evaluate its reliability and validity. Materials and Methods: The study included a convenience sample of 352 nurses working in hospitals on the European side of Istanbul. Data were collected between December 2020 and April 2021 using a personal information form and the NPDS, both of which were prepared and developed by the researcher. Validity analyses consisted of content validation with the Lewis technique and construct validation by explanatory and confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability analyses consisted of Cronbach’s alpha and item-total correlation analysis. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to determine the significance of relationships between scale scores and individual characteristics. Analyses were performed with IBM SPSS 26 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) statistical package program. Results: Factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure (Personal Preferences and Individual Characteristics, Kinship and Closeness, Nurse Individual and Professional Characteristics, and Patient and Disease Characteristics) explaining 52.97% of the total variance. The content validity index for the scale items was 0.96-1.00, factor loadings were 0.49-0.80, and internal consistency coefficients for the subscales were 0.66-0.92. The Cronbach’s alpha value of the scale was 0.89. NPDS total and subscale scores differed significantly according to the nurses’ institution, unit, and years of professional experience. Conclusion: The final NPDS consists of 30 items answered on a 5-point Likert-type scale. The total score is obtained as the average item score and ranges from 30 to 150, with higher scores indicating higher perceived discrimination. Perceptions of discrimination varied according to certain work-related variables. The NPDS can be used to evaluate nurses’ perceptions of discrimination.