Development and Psychometric Validation of the Perinatal Bereavement Care Competence Scale for Midwives.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The aim of this paper is to develop a scale for measuring the perinatal bereavement care competence of midwives and assess its psychometric properties. METHODS: The Perinatal Bereavement Care Competence Scale was developed in four phases. (1) Item generation 75 items were formulated based on a literature review and interviews with midwives. (2) Delphi expert consultation 15 experts evaluated whether the items were clear/appropriate/relevant to the questionnaire dimensions, and the items were optimized. (3) Pilot test The comprehensibility, acceptability, and time required to complete the questionnaire by midwives were assessed. (4) Evaluation of reliability and validity The scale was validated by initial item analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability. RESULTS: The final scale consisted of six dimensions and 25 items maintaining belief (three items), knowing (four items), being with (six items), preserving dignity (four items), enabling (five items), and self-adjustment (three items). Exploratory factor analysis yielded a six-factor structure that was consistent with the theoretical framework and explained 70.8% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit for the six-factor model. Cronbach's α for the scale was 0.931, and the test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.968. CONCLUSION: The Perinatal Bereavement Care Competence Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the competence of midwives in caring for bereaved parents who have experienced perinatal loss.