The development of a delirium knowledge test for intensive care nurses: A validity and reliability study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Critical Care Medicine
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Delirium is a common and serious complication in intensive care units.
• Accurate assessment of delirium knowledge among nurses is crucial for effective patient management.
• Existing tools may not adequately measure the specific knowledge required by intensive care nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the validity and reliability of the Delirium Knowledge Test (DKT) specifically designed for intensive care nurses.
• To establish a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing nurses' understanding of delirium.
• To provide a tool for quality improvement initiatives in delirium care.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 274 nurses from adult intensive care units in Turkey.
• Psychometric evaluation included content validity, face validity, item analysis (difficulty and discrimination indices), and reliability testing (Cronbach's alpha).
• A draft 40-item test was refined based on item analysis, resulting in a 26-item final version.

Main Results:

• Item analysis led to the exclusion of 14 items from the draft test.
• The final 26-item Delirium Knowledge Test demonstrated good item difficulty (0.22-0.79) and discrimination (0.20-0.51) indices.
• The overall test reliability was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.83.

Conclusions:

• The Delirium Knowledge Test possesses adequate content and face validity for intensive care nurses.
• The test is a reliable instrument for measuring the delirium knowledge of intensive care nurses.
• This validated tool can be used to assess and improve nurses' understanding of delirium management in critical care settings.