Nurses’ Attitudes Towards Scholarly Publishing Scale (NAS Scale): A Psychometric Analysis

Abstract

The existing research studies on tool development are concentrated on determining and assessing the perception of individuals in scientific research. These instruments do not measure the complex construct of nurses’ attitudes toward scientific publications, which includes the nurses’ perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors regarding the value, accessibility, usability, and impact of scholarly publications. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop and validate a scale specifically measuring Nurses’ Attitudes Toward Scholarly Publishing (NAS). This methodological study developed and psychometrically tested the NAS Scale (NAS Scale) through rigorous literature review and interviews with nurses. Content validity and exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 334) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 305) were performed. Hypothesis testing was also used to support the scale’s construct validity. Internal consistency was computed to support the scale’s reliability. The data were collected among nurses in the Philippines from February to March 2024. The EFA revealed a 12‐item NAS Scale with three factors: “NAS Challenges” (NAS Challenges), “NAS Benefits and Values” (NAS Benefits and Values), and “NAS Support and Mentorship” (NAS Support and Mentorship). The CFA supported this three‐factor solution: x2/df = 2.96, RMSEA = 0.08 (90% CI = 0.06–0.09), SRMR = 0.057, NFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.96, and CFI = 0.97. The hypothesis testing also supported the construct validity of the scale. The computed Cronbach’s alpha for the entire scale was 0.79, with subscale’s Cronbach alpha ranging from 0.91 to 0.95. Thus, the NAS Scale has sound psychometric properties in measuring the NAS.