Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Patient Care Associates' Work Environment Scale. (March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ives-Erickson, Jeanette; Duffy, Mary E.; Jones, Dorothy A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of nursing administration. Volume 45:issue 3(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-03
• Subjects: Nursing services -- Administration -- Periodicals; 610.7305
• DOI: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000000173
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0002-0443

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE:</title> <p>The purpose of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of the Patient Care Associates' Work Environment Scale (PCA-WES).</p> </sec> <sec> <title>BACKGROUND:</title> <p>Few studies exist examining patient care associates (PCAs) working in acute care settings, and no instruments are available to examine the impact of the work environment on their practice.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS:</title> <p>A psychometric evaluation using a nonprobability purposive sample of 390 PCAs was undertaken.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS:</title> <p>Cronbach's <italic>α</italic> internal consistency reliability of the total score was .95. Principal components analysis with varimax rotation and Kaiser normalization identified 5 components that accounted for 57.2% of variance and confirmed the original theoretical structure. The resulting 35-item scale had subscale Cronbach's α reliability estimates that ranged from .84 to .93.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS:</title> <p>The multidimensional PCA-WES is a psychometrically sound measure of 5 components of the PCA practice environment in the acute care setting and is sufficiently reliable and valid for use as independent subscales in healthcare research.</p> </sec> </abstract>