Development of the Attitude Scale Toward Nonpharmacological Methods in Postoperative Pain Management.

Abstract

Purpose: Nurses' attitudes toward nonpharmacological methods are critical to effective postoperative pain management. However, no validated scale specifically assesses nurses' attitudes toward these methods in surgical wards and surgical intensive care units. This study aimed to develop the Attitude Scale Toward Nonpharmacological Methods for Postoperative Pain Management and to evaluate its psychometric properties.

Design: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was used.

Methods: In the qualitative phase, an item pool was generated based on input from 30 nurses working in surgical settings. In the quantitative phase, psychometric properties were evaluated using data from 600 nurses employed in surgical wards and surgical intensive care units. Data were collected using a sociodemographic form and the developed scale. Validity, reliability, and test-retest reliability were assessed.

Results: Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure that explained 59.272% of the total variance, and confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated acceptable model fit. Composite reliability and convergent/discriminant validity were within acceptable ranges. Known-groups validity indicated that surgical ward nurses had significantly higher attitude scores than surgical intensive care nurses, with a small effect size (Cohen's d = 0.217). The scale showed strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.88; McDonald's ω = 0.88) and good test-retest reliability.

Conclusion: The Attitude Scale Toward Nonpharmacological Methods in Postoperative Pain Management is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing nurses' attitudes in surgical care settings. Its use in nursing practice, education, and research may support educational and organizational interventions that integrate nonpharmacological methods into postoperative pain management.