Psychometric Validation of the Korean Version of the Professional Bereavement Scale Among Tertiary Hospital Nurses

Abstract

Background Nurses experience professional bereavement—distinct grief reactions following patient deaths that differ fundamentally from familial bereavement; however, existing measurement tools lack specificity for assessing these unique professional experiences. Purpose This study aimed to validate the Korean version of the Professional Bereavement Scale, which comprises two subscales: Short‐term bereavement reactions (SBR) and accumulated global changes (AGC). Methods Data from 340 nurses working for at least one month in tertiary hospitals in Korea were used in this study. The content, construct, convergent, discriminant, and criterion validities were evaluated. Cronbach’s α and intraclass correlation coefficients were also evaluated to determine reliability. Results Three factors with 17 items were identified for SBR, whereas three factors with seven items were identified for AGC. The validity and reliability of the scale were acceptable. Cronbach’s α was 0.91 for SBR and 0.65 for AGC. The intraclass correlation coefficients for SBR and AGC were 0.83 and 0.81, respectively. Conclusions This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Professional Bereavement Scale; the SBR was found to be a valid and reliable tool, whereas the AGC requires further validation. Implications for Nursing Management The Korean version of the Professional Bereavement Scale was validated in this study. This enables nurse managers to systematically assess professional bereavement among nurses in a Korean context, thereby facilitating the early identification of grieving nurses and the development of targeted support interventions to improve their well‐being and reduce burnout.