Development and validation of the infant nursing assessment scale: Results from exploratory factor analysis and Rasch...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing
• Healthcare Assessment Tools
• Infant Health Monitoring

Background:

• Developing objective assessment tools for hospitalized infants is crucial for effective care.
• Existing methods often rely on subjective evaluations, limiting reliability in diverse settings.
• A need exists for a rapid, comprehensive, and valid infant assessment scale.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Infant Nursing Assessment Scale (INA) for hospitalized newborns and infants.
• To establish the structural validity of the INA scale.
• To create a tool minimizing subjective evaluations for infant care.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional design involving conceptualization, expert interviews, and pilot testing.
• Psychometric evaluation using exploratory factor analysis and Rasch analysis.
• The INA scale consists of 22 items across three subscales: Functionality, Breastfeeding, and Parental-infant relationship dynamics.

Main Results:

• 319 measurements demonstrated scale sensitivity to clinical changes, with score decreases from admission to discharge.
• Factor and Rasch analyses confirmed strong structural validity and optimal item fit.
• Internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach's Alpha 0.59–0.74); Sensorium and Mother's substance use items require review.

Conclusions:

• The Infant Nursing Assessment Scale (INA) is a valid and reliable instrument for comprehensive infant assessment.
• The INA scale facilitates targeted nursing interventions, enhancing pediatric care quality.
• The scale demonstrates potential for widespread use in various inpatient pediatric settings.