Development and psychometric appraisal of the Pain Management Self‐Efficacy Questionnaire

Abstract Aim The aim of this study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate the Pain Management Self‐Efficacy Questionnaire. Background Pain management competence and confidence are important in rendering safe and effective patient care. However, there is a lack of psychometrically sound instruments measuring pain management self‐efficacy. Design Triphasic, prospective psychometric study. Method A 55‐item Pain Management Self‐Efficacy Questionnaire was initially developed after extensive theoretical and literature review. The questionnaire was evaluated by content experts for content validity and a consensus was achieved after two iterations. After pretesting, the Pain Management Self‐Efficacy Questionnaire was distributed to 420 randomly selected pre‐graduate student nurses and registered nurses from a nursing institution and a tertiary hospital. Data collection was conducted from January 2015 ‐ 2016. Assessment parameters included basic item analysis, reliability analysis, floor and ceiling effects and construct validity using factor analysis and “known groups” technique. Replication analyses scrutinized two random halves of the sample. Results The initial 55‐item questionnaire was reduced to 42 items after two iterations of validation. After preliminary factor analyses, the Pain Management Self‐Efficacy Questionnaire was reduced to 21 items. Final factor analysis produced a three‐factor model: Comprehensive, Evaluative and Supplemental Pain Management Self‐Efficacy. Construct validation using Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney tests showed group differences according to years of clinical experience and receipt of pain management training. Conclusion The 21‐item Pain Management Self‐Efficacy Questionnaire demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties and can be used to measure pain management self‐efficacy among nurses. Nevertheless, further psychometric validation is warranted accounting differences in culture and clinical practices.