Reliability and Validity of a Tool to Assess Oncology Nurses' Experiences With Prognosis-Related Communication

Purpose/Objectives: To establish the reliability and validity of a previously developed survey measuring nurses' experiences with prognosis-related communication.

Design: Psychometric testing of survey.

Setting: Mailed survey of Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) members.

Sample: 392 ONS members.

Methods: Reliability was analyzed using Cronbach's alpha. Total scale and subscale characteristics were evaluated through inter-item correlation matrices, average inter-item correlations, corrected item-to-total correlations, and Cronbach's alpha coefficients if the items were removed. Construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis and contrasted group comparisons.

Main Research Variables: Measures of attitudes toward prognosis-related communication, demographic variables.

Findings: A three-factor structure emerged with acceptable reliability and validity. Contrasted group comparisons revealed differences in prognosis-related communication by nurses' years of experience with patients with cancer, level of education, and extent of education about prognosis-related communication.

Conclusions: The final three-factor instrument, Prognosis-Related Communication in Oncology Nursing, was found to have acceptable reliability and validity.

Implications for Nursing: The final instrument can serve as a tool to measure nurses' experiences with prognosis-related communication. Such measurements may guide interventions that aim to improve the process of prognostic disclosure and elucidate the role of the nurse in the process.