The scale of attitudes toward workplace sexual harassment disclosure: development and validation among Iranian nurses.

Abstract

Introduction: Workplace sexual harassment (WSH) is a global concern among nurses. Understanding nurses' attitudes toward disclosing WSH is essential for addressing this issue. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate a scale measuring Iranian nurses' attitudes toward WSH disclosure.

Methods: This study is the second phase of a mixed-methods study. The initial qualitative phase explored nurses' attitudes toward WSH disclosure using conventional content analysis. This qualitative data and existing literature were examined to develop the scale. In the quantitative phase, the scale underwent psychometric evaluation, including content validity (assessed by 14 experts), face validity (evaluated by 15 nurses), construct validity (tested with 330 nurses from hospitals affiliated with Kerman University of Medical Sciences), and reliability [measured using Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's Omega, Intraclass Correlation Coefficient, and Standard Error of Measurement (SEM)].

Results: The developed 18-item scale effectively captures four key dimensions related to nurses' attitudes toward WSH disclosure: concerns about personality consequences, concerns about processes and organizational outcomes, tendency toward alternative strategies, and ethical beliefs about the disclosure of WSH. This scale accounted for 54.27% of the overall variance. The strong correlation between the Nurses' Attitudes toward Disclosure of Workplace Sexual Harassment Scale (NAWSHD-S) and the Nurses Sexual Harassment Scale (NSHS) (r = 0.684) confirmed convergent validity. Furthermore, the scale demonstrated good reliability, with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.774, an Omega coefficient of 0.770, an ICC of 0.802, and an SEM of 1.87.

Conclusion: Considering the significant impact of WSH on nurses, assessing their attitudes toward the disclosure of WSH is crucial for developing preventive interventions. This study indicates the psychometric properties of the 18-item NAWSHD-S, making it a valuable scale for use in clinical settings. It is recommended that future research within the nursing community be conducted to validate these findings.

Clinical trial number: Not applicable.