Development and validation of the nurses sexual harassment scale in Iran

In recent years, the prevalence of sexual harassment has become a global problem, and nursing, like other professions, has not been immune to this issue. By having a valid and reliable instrument, healthcare personnel can be helped in preventing and managing this problem and reduce its negative consequences on mental health and well-being. The aim of this study was developing and psychometrically measuring the Nurses Sexual Harassment Scale.

This study is the second phase of a mixed method study. Initially in the first phase, a qualitative approach with conventional content analysis was used to explain nurses' experiences of sexual harassment in the workplace. To design the Nurses Sexual Harassment Scale, qualitative data and literature were reviewed. In the quantitative phase (second phase), the target scale was psychometrically evaluated using content validity (14 experts), face validity (12 nurses with being sexually harassed), construct validity (316 nurses working in hospitals affiliated to Kerman University of Medical Sciences), and reliability (internal consistency and repeatability).

A 15-item scale with two components: "latent sexual harassment" (9 items) and "manifest sexual harassment" (6 items), which explained 68.4% of the total variance was developed. Also, due to the strong correlation between the Nurses Sexual Harassment Scale and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (r = 0.67), convergent validity was confirmed. Also, the scale of the present study had good reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.94, Omega coefficient = 0.94, and ICC = 0.92).

Given the importance of sexual harassment among nurses, measuring the dimensions of this problem may allow professionals to plan interventions to prevent it. Overall, the results of the present study showed that the psychometric properties of the " Nurses Sexual Harassment Scale" with 15 items are acceptable and this scale can be used in the clinical environment. A further study within the nursing community is recommended to confirm the findings.