Martina Lepiešová*, Juraj Čáp*, Katarína Žiaková*, Mária Nemčeková**
* Comenius University in Bratislava, Jessenius Medical Faculty in Martin, Department of Nursing
** High School in Sládkovičovo, Faculty of Public Policy and Administration, Department of Sociology and Social Psychology
LEPIEŠOVÁ, M. – ČÁP, J. – ŽIAKOVÁ, K. – NEMČEKOVÁ, M. Incidence of Patient's Aggression against Nurses - Psychometric Properties of Instrument. In Ošetrovateľstvo: teória, výskum, vzdelávanie [online], 2012, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 26-32. Available on: https://www.osetrovatelstvo.eu/en/archive/2012-volume-2/number-1/incidence-of-patient-s-aggression-against-nurses-psychometric-properties-of-instrument.
Aim: The paper aims to present psychometric properties of self-rating, self-report instrument of own construction to measure the incidence of patients' aggression against nurses (Violence and Aggression of Patients Scale – VAPS). Construction of VAPS was based on literary review and findings of partial research performed in our conditions.
Method and sample: The research sample consisted of the nurses from hospitals selected in Žilina region (n = 270). Psychometric analysis was performed from the perspective of reliability analysis by means of determination of Cronbach's alpha, factor analysis and correlation analysis.
Results: Within the context of the problem studied 3 common factors were identified in VAPS by factor analysis, i.e., 3 subscales representing concrete forms of aggression: S – Verbal aggression, T1 – Physical aggression with no use of offensive weapon, T2 – Physical aggression with the use of offensive weapon and contact forms of sexual aggression. Cronbach's alpha of VAPS was 0.860, in subscale S it was 0.823, in subscale T1 0.850 and in subscale T2 0.664. Within convergent validity evaluation we have found out that subscales mutually correlate from 0.301 to 0.668.
Conclusions: Based on the results of psychometric analysis performed in our socio-cultural context, VAPS (and its subscales) is regarded to be incontrovertibly reliable and valid instrument to measure the incidence of patients' aggression against nurses in their professional practice.
Keywords: patients' aggression against nurses, forms of aggression, VAPS scale, reliability, construct validity
Mgr. Martina Lepiešová, PhD.
Ústav ošetrovateľstva JLF UK
Malá Hora 5
036 01 Martin
Slovenská republika
e-mail: lepiesova@jfmed.uniba.sk
Received: 17th February 2012
Accepted: 7th March 2012