Development of a Scale Study: Validity and Reliability of a Scale Compliance with Isolation Precautions

Aim: The aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable tool to evaluate compliance with isolation precautions.Method: This methodological study sample consisted of 430 nurses and physicians working in the internal medicine, general surgery, and pediatrics departments of a university hospital. Relevant literature was reviewed to construct a pool of items; expert’s opinions were sought; validity of content and structure, and reliability of included items was analyzed. Results: A 41-item draft was revised based on expert opinion and pretest results. Total correlation values of the 35-item revised scale ranged between 0.60 and 0.34. Correlation coefficient of test-retest reliability was 0.84, with a strong linear relationship between measurements. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value of 0.87 indicated adequate sampling and Barlett test showed correlation between the items (p 0.05). Structural validity was assessed by explanatory factor analysis and four factors (route of infection, practitioner-patient safety, environmental safety, hand-hygiene/glove use) were obtained.After the analyses item number was reduced to 18, 5-point Likert Scale format was used and Cronbach alpha value of the compliance scale was determined as 0.85. Conclusion: The developed scale was a valid and reliable assessment tool evaluating compliance with isolation precautions.