Validity and Reliability Evidence of the Munro Scale for Perioperative Patients, Part I: Correlation, Multiple...

Area of Science:

• Perioperative Medicine
• Nursing Research
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Surgical patients face risks of pressure injury development.
• Proactive assessment and prevention measures are crucial for this population.
• The Munro Scale offers a dynamic approach to risk assessment in acute care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the causal relationships and reliability of the Munro Pressure Injury Risk Assessment Scale for Perioperative Patients (Munro Scale).
• To identify the strongest predictors of pressure injury risk within the Munro Scale.
• To assess the scale's suitability for the acute clinical setting.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 630 risk assessments from two community hospitals.
• Analysis of variable relationships, predictor strength, and scale reliability using regression and correlation.
• Evaluation of coefficient alpha for reliability evidence.

Main Results:

• Significant relationships were found among the 15 risk variables and comorbidities, correlating with postoperative injury scores.
• The overall model demonstrated significance in predicting the final risk level.
• Reliability, measured by coefficient alpha, was lower than anticipated compared to international versions.

Conclusions:

• The Munro Scale demonstrates significant internal variable relationships and is acceptable for acute perioperative use.
• The scale holds both clinical and statistical significance for pressure injury risk assessment.
• Further research may be needed to enhance the scale's reliability.