Italian cross-cultural validation of the Scale for the Image of the Nursing Profession.

Background: Despite being a university-educated, evidence-based profession, nursing's social image often lags behind its professional reality, particularly in Italy.

Aims: To translate and validate the Scale for the Image of the Nursing Profession (SINP) for the Italian context.

Methods: This study followed a six-phase process. A single sample was randomly split for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Test-retest reliability was evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) on a convenience sample.

Results: The demographic characteristics of the two sub-groups (sub-group A: N = 874; sub-group B: N = 873) were uniformly distributed (p > 0.05). EFA on 42 items in sub-group A identified five dimensions explaining 54.7% of the variance, removing 12 items with low factor loadings (<0.50). CFA in sub-group B confirmed the robustness of the five-dimensional structure. The overall questionnaire showed strong internal consistency (α = 0.84) and excellent test-retest reliability (r = 0.99, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The I-SINP is a reliable, culturally sensitive tool for assessing public perceptions of nursing in Italy. It provides a valuable resource for policymakers, educators and organisations in enhancing the visibility and recognition of the nursing profession, providing a solid foundation for improving its societal image and, thereby, supporting recruitment and retention within the profession.