Validation of the Implementation Climate Scale in Nursing

Background One critical factor in effective implementation of evidence‐based practices (EBPs) in nursing is an organizational context that facilitates and supports implementation efforts. Measuring implementation climate can add useful insights on the extent to which the organizational context supports EBP implementation. Aims This study cross‐validates and examines the psychometric properties of the Implementation Climate Scale (ICS), which measures nurses’ perceptions of their unit’s climate for EBP implementation. Methods This study analyzed ICS data from two cross‐sectional studies, including 203 nurses from California and 301 nurses from Florida. Analyses included evaluation of internal consistency, multilevel aggregation statistics, and confirmatory factor analyses. Results The 18‐item ICS demonstrated comparable psychometric properties to the original measure development paper in both samples. Confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the scale’s factor structure in both samples. Linking Evidence to Practice The ICS is a pragmatic measure that can be used to assess unit implementation climate in nursing contexts. Results from the ICS from nurses and nurse leaders can provide insights into implementation‐specific barriers and facilitators within the organizational context.