Cross-cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Korean Version of the Moral Identity Scale in Intensive Care Unit Nurses

Abstract

Background: Korean intensive care unit (ICU) nurses face a variety of moral conflict situations. What makes nurse give up other values and choose moral values? To answer this question, scholars began to study a concept termed “moral identity.” However, despite the increased importance of nurses’ moral identity, it has not been thoroughly studied using empirical data analysis. Instruments developed to predict moral behavior need evidence of their reliability and validity for rigorous research. The purpose of this paper is to report psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Moral Identity Scale in Intensive Care Unit nurses. Methods: The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the MIS (K-MIS) developed by Aquino & Reed. Data were collected from 207 ICUs. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to test the construct validity. Research question/aim/objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the MIS (K-MIS) developed by Aquino & Reed.Results: The results of exploratory factor analysis showed that the Eigen values ranged from 1.63 to 4.47 and comprised 52.17% of the total explained variance. Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable model fit indices (χ2 (p) = 28.822 (.051), df = 18, root mean square error of approximation = .076, GFI = .937, Tucker-Lewis index = .93, comparative fit index = .955) and standardized factor loadings (.45 to.82). Conclusion: As a professional, the ICU nurse must protect and advocate for the patient. In this respect, K-MIS is a acceptable tool to measure the moral identity of ICU nurses in Korea. Therefore, it is expected that the K-MIS will be used in nursing education programs to improve the moral identity of ICU nurses.