Scale for the environments evaluation of professional nursing practice—shortened version: Psychometric evaluation

Aim The aim of this study is to test the validity and reliability of the shortened version of the Scale for the Environments Evaluation of Professional Nursing Practice (SEE‐Nursing Practice). Methods This methodological, cross‐sectional study was conducted between September and December 2022. The original version of the SEE‐Nursing Practice was administered in questionnaire format across 17 hospitals. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to identify relevant items for the new shortened version of the scale and evaluate its construct validity. Results The study involved 1713 registered nurses from various regions of Portugal. From the exploratory factor analysis, the SEE‐Nursing Practice was condensed to 59 items and 3 subscales. In the structure subscale, 14 items were removed, and the remaining 29 items distributed over four factors; in the process subscale, 18 items were removed, and the remaining 19 items organized into three factors; in the outcome subscale, 2 items were removed, and the remaining 11 items distributed over two factors. The Cronbach's alpha for the three subscales exceeded 0.90, indicating high reliability. Confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the validity of the 59‐item model. Conclusion The shortened version of the SEE‐Nursing Practice shows adequate validity and reliability, reducing the burden associated with its longer version. Summary statement What is already known about this topic? Given the impact of nursing practice environments on clients, nurses, and institutions, it is essential to have tools that allow for understanding the reality of practice contexts. The use of tools to evaluate nursing practice environments enables the measurement of the impact of interventions implemented with a view to their continuous improvement. Lengthy assessment tools can result in a greater response burden for the participant and, consequently, a lower response rate and poor quality of those responses. What this paper adds? The shortened version of the Scale for the Environments Evaluation of Professional Nursing Practice was considered valid and reliable for assessing practice environments from the standpoint of structure, process, and outcome. The implications of this paper: This study makes the shortened version of the Scale for the Environments Evaluation of Professional Nursing Practice (SEE‐Nursing Practice) available to the scientific community. It enables the assessment and proposal of improvement st