[Testing an instrument measuring Italian nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding pain]

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Pain Management
• Health Education

Background:

• Assessing nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding pain is crucial for effective pain management.
• The availability of validated instruments in local languages is essential for cross-cultural research and practice improvement.
• The original Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain needed adaptation for the Italian context.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the construct validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency of the Italian translation of the Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain.
• To assess the knowledge and attitudes of Italian nurses regarding pain management.
• To establish a reliable tool for measuring pain knowledge in Italian nursing populations.

Main Methods:

• A validation study was conducted involving 157 nurses across different settings (students, general medical, oncology, hospice) in Italy.
• The survey instrument underwent translation and adaptation, including expert review and pilot testing.
• Statistical analyses included calculating the percentage of correct answers, Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency, and test-retest reliability over 14 days.

Main Results:

• The Italian version of the survey demonstrated good construct validity, discriminating between different levels of nursing expertise.
• Overall, nurses achieved an average of 52.7% correct answers, with higher scores observed in oncology (56.3%) and hospice (62%) nurses compared to students (40.7%) and general medical nurses (46%).
• Test-retest reliability was high (r = 0.97), and internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach's alpha = 0.69).

Conclusions:

• The Italian translation of the Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain is a valid and reliable instrument.
• The study highlights a general deficit in pain management knowledge among the participating nurses.
• These findings support the use of the translated survey in future research, particularly in oncology and palliative care settings, and underscore the need for targeted educational interventions.