Development and validation of the perceived compassion scale: a reliable tool for assessing patient-centered nursing care

To develop and validate the perceived compassion scale in nursing care to measure compassion from the patient’s perspective. Compassion in nursing care is a Professional value that affects nurses’ decision-making and actions. It contributes to excellence in nursing practice and facilitates nursing care. This study, designed as a methodological type, was conducted with 398 patients between October and March 2023. The study utilized the Personal Information Form, and a draft version of the Perceived compassion in nursing care as data collection instruments. The collected data were analyzed to assess validity and reliability. Validity analyses included content validity, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Reliability was evaluated through Cronbach’s Alpha and the split-half method. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 22 and AMOS. EFA was performed with the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test and Bartlett’s test (KMO = 1284.5, P = 0.000), applying varimax rotation, while CFA verified the factor structure. Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine criterion validity. The content validity index for the scale reviewed by the expert panel was 0.80. In the component analysis, all item factor loadings exceeded 0.30, and the explained variance was 51.71%. The x²/SD ratio ranged from 2.37. Fit indices such as GFI, AGFI, CFI, NFI, TLI, IFI, PGFI, and PNFI ranged between 0.68 and 0.94. The RMSEA and SRMR values were both 0.068 in the confirmatory factor analysis. The Cronbach’s α coefficient for the scale, which includes two sub-dimensions and 19 items, was 0.922, with sub-dimension Cronbach’s α values ranging from 0.921 to 0.931. The Scale of Perceived Compassion in Nursing Care is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the impact of perceived compassion in nursing care from the patient’s perspective. The Perceived Compassion Scale provides a foundation for policies emphasizing patient-centered care and integrating compassion metrics into healthcare quality assessments. Not applicable. • Compassion is a key component of holistic care. It ensures that patient care addresses emotional, spiritual, and physical needs, improving overall care quality. • This scale evaluates patients’ perception of compassion in nursing care, filling a gap in assessing care from the patient’s holistic perspective. • During the design and initial validation stages, a tool was created and validated to assess patients’ perceptions of compassion in nursing care. • The psychometric assessment of the tool demonstrated strong psychometric properties. • This instrument, grounded in holistic care, measures perceived compassion by considering the patient’s emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being. • The tool enables healthcare providers to assess and improve practices that enhance compassionate, patient-centered care from a holistic perspective.