Development and Psychometric Evaluation of Iranian Critical Care Nurses' Fatigue Scale

Background and Purpose: Various tools exist to measure fatigue, but no specific, comprehensive instrument is currently available to assess the unique fatigue experienced by critical care nurses. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Iranian critical care nurses' fatigue scale (CCNFS). Methods: The scale development process involved two phases: item generation and psychometric evaluation. Results: Following the evaluation of content and face validity, 36 items were retained. Exploratory factor analysis revealed five factors: "compassion fatigue," "emotional fatigue," "sound and alarm fatigue," "lack of motivation," and "physical and mental disturbances." The final scale consisted of 33 items. For the reliability analysis, the internal consistency, intraclass correlation, and Pearson's coefficient of the CCNFS were .925, .936, and .898, respectively. Conclusions: The CCNFS demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability, making it user-friendly for nursing researchers, managers, and practicing nurses in critical care. It can assess fatigue in critical care nurses and guide strategies to enhance their well-being.