Measuring nurses' health policy participation: WSPPIR instrument development and psychometric evaluation

Abstract

Aim To measure nurses' health policy participation by developing and psychometrically testing the Waddell Spectrum for Policy Participation Influence and Research (WSPPIR) Instrument. Design Instrument development; based on a nursing conceptual framework. Methods This four‐phase study was conducted in 2018 to estimate content validity, construct validity, and internal consistency reliability of the WSPPIR instrument. Phase 1– item generation for the multi‐dimensional concept of health policy participation as described in WSPPIR theory. Phase 2– a content validity index was calculated based on ratings by seven experts. Phase 3– cognitive interviews of five nurses. Phase 4– 306 Registered Nurses completed the WSPPIR instrument. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify and to estimate construct validity, Cronbach's alpha was calculated to estimate internal consistency reliability. Results The 38‐item WSPPIR Instrument consists of five subscales (Professional Nursing Organizations; Health Care Delivery Systems: Organizations that Deliver Health Care Services; Governance Levels: City/Town, State, National, Global; Valuing Health and Policy; Influence Skills) and exhibits adequate estimates of reliability and content and construct validity, as a measure nurses' health policy participation. Conclusion As efforts to enhance nurses' health policy participation continue globally, the WSPPIR instrument should be useful in measuring individual nurses' health policy participation and benchmarking health policy participation for the nursing profession at large. Impact The WSPPIR instrument will be useful to individual nurses, educators, and the profession as we work to systematically and strategically increase nurses' participation in and influence on health policy.

More Thoughts About Health Policies: Focus on Conceptual Models

“…In addition, Gazarian and colleagues (2022) found that the CMNHP has been used to guide 21 nursing dissertations but at only one institution, which happens to be the University of Massachusetts Boston, where I am a faculty member. Examples of these dissertations are by Connor (2017, 2018) and Waddell (2019, 2021). Connor (2017) studied the extent of nurses’ values for, knowledge about, and implementation of evidence-based practice and extent of implementation of the clinical practice guidelines for surgical site infections and central line–associated bloodstream infections.…”