Validity and reliability study in undergraduate healthcare students towards the solution of a neglected problem in working life: Attitude scale towards patients with chronic pain

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Sucu Çakmak, Nefise Cevriye^{a; 1; *} | Çalışkan, Nurcan^{b; 2} | Koğar, Hakan^{c; 3}

Affiliations: [a] Çankırı  Karatekin University, Eldivan Vocational School of Health Services, Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Çankırı, Türkiye | [b] Gazi University Faculty of Nursing, Department of Nursing. Ankara, Türkiye | [c] Akdeniz University, Faculty of Education, Educational Sciences, Department of Educational Measurement and Assesment, Antalya, Türkiye

Correspondence: [*] Correspondingauthor Nefise Cevriye Sucu Çakmak, RN, Ph.D, Çankırı  Karatekin University, Eldivan Vocational School of Health Services, Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Çankırı, Türkiye. Tel.: +903762131195; Email: ncsucucakmak@karatekin.edu.tr.

Note: [1] ORCID: 0000-0003-1845-9525

Note: [2] ORCID: 0000-0001-9804-3030

Note: [3] ORCID: 0000-0001-5749-9824

Abstract: BACKGROUND:Chronic pain is the type of pain that healthcare professionals frequently encounter. Health care students’ attitudes towards pain management are not sufficient and this negatively affects their chronic pain management. When students cannot manage the chronic pain they will experience professional burnout, depersonalization, and a decrease in compassion and empathy in patient care. Therefore, the first step in improving health care students’ attitudes towards patients with chronic pain is to determine their attitudes. OBJECTIVE:This study aims to test the validity and reliability of the Scale for Healthcare Professionals’ Attitudes towards Patients with Chronic Pain (HCPAPCP Scale) in healthcare students. METHOD:This quantitative study was conducted with 205 health care students in January-February 2022. Data were collected online with Personal Information Form and the HCPAPCP Scale. To determine the reliability of the scale, internal consistency and test-retest, and for construct validity, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were performed. RESULTS: The results of the exploratory factor analysis showed that the two-factor scale consisting of 18 items, the factor structure, and the distribution of factors in items were the same as the findings of the original scale. The Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient was 0.88 for the first factor and 0.74 for the second factor. Test-retest reliability was 0.60. In confirmatory factor analysis, the model had a good and acceptable fit. CONCLUSION: We found that the HCPAPCP Scale was valid and reliable in healthcare students.

Keywords: Healthcare students, chronic pain, attitude, validity and reliability study, nursing students, medical students

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-230512

Journal: Work, vol. 79, no. 2, pp. 721-731, 2024