Development, Testing, and Psychometric Qualities of the Nash Duty to Care Scale for Disaster Response

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Although nurses struggle with the decision to report for work during disaster events, there are no instruments to measure nurses’ duty to care for disaster situations. The purpose of this study was to describe the development, testing, and psychometric qualities of the Nash Duty to Care Scale. Methods: A convenience sample of 409 registered nurses were recruited from 3 universities in the United States. Results: Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a 19-item, 4-factor model explaining 67.34% of the variance. Internal consistency reliability was supported by Cronbach’s alpha ranging from .81 to .91 for the 4-factor subscales and .92 for the total scale. Conclusions: The psychometrically sound instrument for measuring nurses’ perceived duty to care for disasters is applicable to contemporary nursing practice, institutional disaster management plans, and patient health outcomes worldwide.