Measuring nursing error: psychometrics of MISSCARE and practice and professional issues items.

Health care error causes inpatient morbidity and mortality. This study pooled the items from preexisting nursing error questionnaires and tested the psychometric properties of modified subscales from these item combinations.Items from MISSCARE Part A, Part B, and the Practice and Professional Issues were collected from 556 registered nurses. Principal component analyses were completed for items measuring (a) nursing error and (b) antecedents to error.Acceptable factor loadings and internal consistency reliability (.70-.89) were found for subscales Acute Care Missed Nursing Care, Errors of Commission, Workload, Supplies Problems, and Communication Problems.The findings support the use of 5 subscales to measure nursing error and antecedents to error in various inpatient unit types with acceptable validity and reliability. The Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Omissions subscale is not appropriate for all inpatient unit types.

Duke Scholars

Author Jessica Patience Castner Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability