Development and reliability testing of a risk factor and risk outcome assessment scale for nurses in "internet + nursing services" for the elderly.

Background: China is experiencing an aging population, leading to a significant demand for "Internet + nursing services" tailored for elderly individuals. However, there are many risk problems in the process of nurse service, which hinder the development of the service, and a scale is needed to assess the risk problems faced by nurses in "Internet + nursing services" for the elderly. Objective: The purpose of this study is to develop an assessment scale for risk factors and outcomes related to nurses' involvement in the "Internet + Nursing Service" for the elderly and to assess its reliability and validity. Methods: Based on literature analysis, focus group, the Delphi method, and a presurvey, we designed an initial scale. The initial scale comprised two sections: risk factors and risk outcomes for nurses. In January and February of 2023, nurses engaged in "Internet + nursing services" for the elderly in Shanxi Province were chosen through a convenience sampling technique for a questionnaire survey. Subsequently, item analysis and exploratory factor analysis were employed to refine and develop a test version of the scale further. A follow-up questionnaire survey was carried out in March and April 2023 using a similar approach. The reliability and validity of the scale were assessed through confirmatory factor analysis, culminating in the formation of the final scale. Results: The initial survey yielded 244 valid responses. The cumulative variance contributions of the two segments from the exploratory factor analysis were 84.584% and 90.089%, respectively. A subsequent survey garnered 220 valid responses. The confirmatory factor analysis results indicated: χ2/df = 2.086, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.918, normative fit index (NLI) = 0.855, root mean square of residuals (RMR) = 0.045, and root mean square of error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.070. These results demonstrate good structural, convergent, and discriminant validity. The content validity index at the item level (I-CVI) ranged between 0.875 and 1.000, while the content validity index at the scale level (S-CVI/Ave) was 0.941. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the entire scale stood at 0.970. Moreover, the scale exhibited a split-half reliability of 0.876 and a retest reliability of 0.980 (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The risk factors and risk outcomes associated with nurses involved in "Internet + nursing services" for elderly individuals, as developed in this study, demonstrate strong reliability and validity. They are well suited to the Chinese national context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]