Creation and Psychometric Validation of “Nursing Competencies Questionnaire on Older People’s Environmental Health (NCQ‐OPEH)” in Nurses and Nursing Students

Abstract

Aim To develop and psychometrically validate an instrument to assess the competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) of nurses and nursing students regarding the effects of climate change on the health of older people. Methods Cross‐sectional descriptive study of questionnaire construction and validation developed in four phases: creation and elaboration of the initial items, content validation by an expert panel, pilot test, and psychometric validation. A tool was developed consisting of a knowledge questionnaire, a skills scale, and an attitude scale. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 708 individuals (210 nurses and 498 nursing students) between January and April 2024. Content validation was carried out by consulting a panel of 13 experts and a pilot test. Psychometric validation was carried out using Item Response Theory, specifically the Rasch model for the knowledge questionnaire and Andrich’s rating scale model for the skills and attitude scales. The STROBE checklist for cross‐sectional studies was followed. Results Reliability for the set of items and for individuals was excellent (0.99 and 0.90, respectively). Item separation index was above 2 in all three parts of the instrument, although somewhat more limited for people. Internal consistency was acceptable in the knowledge questionnaire (11 items, Cronbach’s α 0.68) and excellent in the skills (13 items, Cronbach’s α 0.91) and attitudes (11 items, Cronbach’s α 0.93) scales. Conclusion Nursing Competencies Questionnaire on Older People’s Environmental Health is a useful and reliable instrument for measuring knowledge, skills, and attitudes in nurses and nursing students.