Validity and Reliability of the Scale for Coping with Violence-Prone Patients

Objective: This study aims to develop a reliable and valid scale to assess the attitudes and coping strategies adopted by nurses when working with patients prone to violence.Methods: The study involved a sample of 450 nurses. An initial pool of 97 items was generated through an extensive literature review and expert consultations. Following content validity testing using the Lawshe technique, a 64-item draft was administered using a 5-point Likert-type response format. Construct validity was assessed through sequential exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha, and temporal stability was measured via the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient.Results: The final version of the scale consisted of 20 items, distributed across five distinct sub-dimensions. Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated a satisfactory model fit (χ²/df= 2.510; GFI= 0.915; AGFI= 0.888; IFI= 0.905; TLI= 0.905; CFI= 0.904; RMSEA= 0.058; SRMR= 0.056). The scale demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.700) and excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.989; P < .001).Conclusion The Scale for Coping with Violence-Prone Patient is a concise, easy-to-understand, and psychometrically satisfactory instrument. The scale can be reliably used to evaluate nurses’ approaches to managing patients with violent tendencies.