Development and psychometric validation of a self-report instrument assessing perceived disaster preparedness among...

To develop and validate SN-READY, a context-specific, self-reporting instrument that measures perceived disaster preparedness and self-efficacy among Spanish registered nurses.

In light of the escalating frequency and severity of disasters, there is an imperative for a nursing workforce that can respond in an effective and coordinated manner. While the World Health Organization recognises the indispensable role of nurses in disaster health systems, there was previously no validated instrument to measure perceived preparedness specifically within the Spanish nursing context.

Cross-sectional psychometric validation study.

A purposive sample of 301 registered Spanish nurses was recruited for the study. Participants were recruited via professional associations, hospital departments and social media. The SN-READY instrument was developed through a systematic literature review and expert content validation (assessed using I-CVI, S-CVI/Ave and modified Kappa). Psychometric validation was achieved through the implementation of a split-sample approach, with a sample size of 150 for the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and 151 for the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The construct validity was analysed using exploratory factor analysis (polychoric correlations, oblique Promax rotation and parallel analysis) and confirmatory factor analysis (the WLSMV estimator). The convergent and discriminant validity of the model were evaluated using factor loadings, average variance extracted (AVE), the Fornell-Larcker criterion and HTMT ratios. The reliability of the system was assessed using three different methods: Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega and item-total correlations. The known-groups validity of the study was analysed using the Mann-Whitney U test.

The EFA identified five factors of perceived disaster preparedness, accounting for 69.61% of the cumulative variance. The CFA confirmed adequate model fit (chi-square/df = 2.80; CFI = 0.92; TLI = 0.91; RMSEA = 0.07; SRMR = 0.06). The convergent validity of the model was supported by factor loadings greater than 0.40 and AVE values ranging from 0.54 to 0.69. Discriminant validity was confirmed via Fornell-Larcker criterion and HTMT ratios (< 0.90). The reliability of the instrument was found to be excellent, with Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega both measuring 0.96, and composite reliability ranging from 0.88 to 0.93. The results of the known-groups analysis demonstrated that nurses with formal disaster training obtained significantly higher scores (p < .001).

The SN-READY scale demonstrates robust content, construct, convergent, and discriminant validity, along with excellent internal consistency. The instrument has been found to be psychometrically sound for the purpose of assessing perceived preparedness and self-efficacy in disaster management among Spanish nurses. Nevertheless, further criterion validity studies are required. The subsequent phases of the research process are recommended to be focused on the assessment of test-retest reliability and the validation of the simulation-based criteria.