Development of the Perspectives on Caring for Older Patients scale: Psychometric analyses

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Nursing
• Psychology

Background:

• Ageism is a significant global issue impacting nurses' attitudes toward older patients.
• Existing research often measures general attitudes toward aging, not specific care perspectives.
• This gap necessitates a specialized tool to assess nurses' views on caring for the elderly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the reliability and validity of the 24-item Perspectives on Caring for Older Patients (PCOP) scale.
• To refine the PCOP scale into a precise instrument for measuring nurses' perspectives on geriatric care.

Main Methods:

• Two independent samples of nurses and nursing students were used for scale development.
• Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted.
• Structural equation modeling and tests for structural invariance confirmed the scale's factor structure.

Main Results:

• Exploratory factor analysis reduced the PCOP scale to 12 items.
• Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling confirmed a 9-item factor structure.
• The revised scale demonstrated an excellent fit and stability across samples.

Conclusions:

• The revised nine-item PCOP scale is a reliable and valid instrument.
• It effectively measures nurses' perspectives toward caring for older patients.
• The scale is suitable for use in the U.S. and internationally.