The Usefulness of Virtual Reality in Symptom Management during Chemotherapy in Lung Cancer Patients: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Background: Virtual reality (VR) emerges as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for managing symptoms and providing distraction during chemotherapy. This study aims to assess VR's effectiveness on cancer-related symptoms, vital signs, and the patients' perception of chemotherapy in lung cancer patients. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted on 100 patients. Participants were allocated into an intervention group (n = 55), which experienced immersive VR, and a comparison group (n = 45), which received usual care. Data were collected through questionnaires and checklists, including feedback on the VR experience, pain, vital signs, and common cancer symptoms, assessed through the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale. Results: VR had a significant impact on reducing the perception of chemotherapy length. Patients reported high levels of satisfaction and tolerability. No adverse events were observed. VR did not have significant influence on pain intensity or vital signs. The only exceptions were oxygen saturation, where a significant difference (p = 0.02) was reported, and the perception of chemotherapy duration. Conclusions: As a non-pharmacological intervention, VR proves to be beneficial in minimizing the perceived length of chemotherapy sessions for lung cancer patients, enhancing their overall treatment experience. The intervention was found to be a safe, feasible, and well-accepted distraction technique. Future research should explore VR's potential effects on a wider range of symptoms and evaluate its impact on long-term outcomes.

The Public's Perception of Florence Nightingale's Legacy in the Digital Media: A Critical Discourse Analysis.

This study critically examines the public's perception of Florence Nightingale's legacy through a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of digital media, specifically podcasts and YouTube. Nightingale, who is often remembered as "The Lady with the Lamp", holds a complex identity within modern narratives that is celebrated for her pioneering contributions to nursing and public health, even if there are some disagreements about her, given the colonialist setting that may have shaped some of her opinions and decisions. This research employed CDA to analyze 25 podcasts and 18 YouTube videos, which were systematically included according to a priori inclusion criteria. The study synthesized how these media products portray Nightingale and, by extension, shape public discourse about the nursing profession. The findings reveal five thematic representations of Nightingale: as a legendary figure, a modern feminist, a dedicated statistician, a pioneer in public health, and a pivotal STEM contributor. These portrayals challenge traditional nursing stereotypes by emphasizing Nightingale's role as a rigorous scientist and reformer, suggesting broader perceptions of nurses that encompass leadership, analytical skills, and strategic thinking. The study supports the hypothesis that digital narratives significantly influence the public's understanding and appreciation of nursing, advocating for a more nuanced professional identity that integrates traditional caregiving roles with critical and analytical capabilities.

Exploring Burnout among Nursing Students in Bangalore: A t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding Analysis and Hierarchical Clustering in Cross-Sectional Data.

This study explores burnout among nursing students in Bangalore, India, focusing on Exhaustion and Disengagement scores. A cross-sectional design was applied using the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory modified for nursing students, collecting data using a survey that was conducted between October and December 2023. The sample consisted of 237 female nursing students from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Bangalore College of Nursing, South India. The study integrated the t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE) procedure for data simplification into three t-SNE components, used in a hierarchical clustering analysis, which identified distinct student profiles: "High-Intensity Study Group" and "Altruistic Aspirants". While burnout scores were generally high, students with high study hours ("High-Intensity Study Group") reported greater Exhaustion, with a mean score of 26.78 (SD = 5.26), compared to those in the "Altruistic Aspirants" group, who reported a mean score of 25.00 (SD = 4.48), demonstrating significant differences (p-value = 0.005). Conversely, those motivated by altruism ("Altruistic Aspirants") showed higher Disengagement, with a mean score of 19.78 (SD = 5.08), in contrast to "High-Intensity Study Group", which reported a lower mean of 17.84 (SD = 4.74) (p-value = 0.002). This segmentation suggests that burnout manifests differently depending on the students' academic load and intrinsic motivations. This study underscores the need for targeted interventions that address specific factors characterizing the clusters and provide information for designing future research and interventions. This study was not registered.

An Observational Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Correlation between Clinical Competencies and Clinical Reasoning among Italian Registered Nurses.

Ability, knowledge, aptitude, and skill are the terms identified in the literature as the attributes of the concept of clinical competence. This implies that in order to act competently in their own context, the nurse must be able to make decisions which mainly depend on the ability to put clinical reasoning into practice. However, the evaluation of clinical reasoning in the various clinical-care activities of nursing competence is a necessary operation to prevent routine attitudes. From the perspective of an assessment of nursing competences, the aim of this study is to validate the relationship between the degree of competence recognized in a specific clinical setting and the amount of clinical reasoning executed by nurses. The study design was a cross-sectional observational design, following the guidelines of the Strengthening Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) of observational studies. Both the Italian Nurse Competence Scale and the Nurse Clinical Reasoning Scale were used. The data was collected between 25 January and 5 March 2022. Four hundred twenty-four clinical nurses participated by completing and returning the questionnaires. The instruments underwent assessment to ensure internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Their validity was tested with the validity of known content, construct, and groups. This is supported by statistically significant correlations between the different variables examined and the scores of the different dimensions of the Italian Nurse Competence Scale and the Italian Nurse Clinical Reasoning Scale. The data collected showed an excellent average level of competencies and clinical reasoning, M = range of 72.24 and 63.93, respectively. In addition, we observed satisfactory scores across all dimensions of I-NCS (significance range: 0.000-0.014) and I-NCRS (significance range: 0.000-0.004). The understanding and development of clinical reasoning has also brought out new aspects that require further research. This study provides a fresh perspective on the correlation between clinical competences and clinical reasoning, representing a novel attempt to analyze their relationship.

Nurses' Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Care and Influencing Factors in Türkiye, Italy, and Albania: A Multicultural Study.

The present study aimed to explore the perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care among nurses who work in three different countries with different cultures as well as the factors influencing their perception. This is a cross-sectional multicultural study conducted with a total of 1090 nurses from Türkiye, Albania, and Italy. Data were collected through the "Individual Information Form" and the "Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale". Nurses' mean score on the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale was above average. It was also found that country, marital status, religious belief, Islamic religion, training for spiritual care, and using spiritual practices to cope with difficulties or illnesses influenced nurses' perception of spirituality and spiritual care. It was concluded that nurses from the three countries associated spirituality and spiritual care with religion and that some personal characteristics influenced their perceptions of spiritual care. The results highlight the need for training in spiritual care to improve nurses' perceptions and practices of spiritual care.

Empowering Nurse Health Education: Linguistic and Cultural Validation of the Nurse Health Education Competence Instrument (NHECI) in the Italian Context.

BACKGROUND: Nurses worldwide are acknowledged for their role in health education across various settings. However, doubts often arise regarding their competence in this domain. This study aims to validate the Nurse Health Education Competence Instrument (NHECI) linguistically and culturally in the Italian context. METHODS: Following Beaton et al.'s (2000) guidelines, we conducted cross-cultural adaptation to develop the Italian version of the questionnaire. RESULTS: The Italian version demonstrates a good internal consistency and stability, making it suitable for assessing nursing students during clinical internships and practicing nurses. The availability of Italian tools promotes healthcare research, ensuring patient-centric care. CONCLUSIONS: The validity and reliability of the Italian version of the instrument for assessing health education competencies, essential for self-assessment among health education nurses, are established.

Decoding Nursing Job Demands: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study Assessing Nursing Workload in Hospital Medical-Surgical Wards.

Background: Nursing workload is largely studied but poorly explored under physical, mental, and emotional dimensions. Currently, only a limited number of variables have been linked to nursing workload and work contexts. Purpose: The study aimed to investigate whether it is feasible to identify variables that consistently correlate with nursing workload and others that are specific to the context. Methods: We employed a descriptive correlational analysis and a cross-sectional design. Data were collected through a survey distributed to registered nurses working across Italy, at the conclusion of randomly assigned morning or afternoon shifts. Results: We received 456 surveys from 195 shifts, collected from nurses in four public and two private hospitals. Commonly associated variables with nursing workload dimensions included patient complexity of care, admission/discharge or transfer, informing patients/relatives, contacting physicians, and unscheduled activities. Variables categorized as setting-specific were patient isolation and specialties, nurse-to-patient ratio, adequacy of staff in the shift, peer collaboration, healthcare documentation, educating others, and medical urgency. Conclusions: In summary, certain variables consistently correlate with nursing workload across settings, while others are specific to the context of care. It is imperative for nurses and nurse managers to measure the nursing workload in various dimensions, enabling the prompt implementation of improvement actions.

The efficacy of high-fidelity simulation on knowledge and performance in undergraduate nursing students: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This umbrella review aimed to consolidate the evidence base on the impact of high-fidelity simulation on knowledge and performance among undergraduate nursing students. DESIGN: Umbrella review with meta-analyses of pooled effect sizes, followed by an additional meta-analysis of primary studies from the included systematic reviews, excluding overlapping results. DATA SOURCES: Systematic searches were performed up to August 2023 in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library. We included reviews that compared high-fidelity simulation against other learning strategies. REVIEW METHODS: The risk of bias was assessed for each included systematic review (ROBIS tool) and primary study (RoB 2 or ROBINS-I as appropriate). Random-effect meta-analyses of meta-analyses were performed to estimate the pooled effects of high-fidelity simulation on knowledge and performance. Further random-effect meta-analyses of primary studies were conducted, with overlapping studies excluded (12 %). Subgroup analyses were performed to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the findings. Trim-and-fill analyses were conducted to adjust for potential publication bias. RESULTS: Six systematic reviews were included and encompassed 133 primary studies (2767 and 3231 participants concerning performance and knowledge, respectively). The adjusted pooled effects for knowledge (SMD = 0.877, 95 % CI: 0.182 to 1.572) and performance (SMD = 0.738, 95 % CI: 0.466 to 1.010) closely aligned with those obtained from meta-analyzing the primary studies for knowledge (SMD = 0.980) and performance (SMD = 0.540), both showing high statistical heterogeneity. Traditional lectures represented the more common comparison. The subgroup analysis revealed significant differences in effect sizes across geographic locations, topics, types of control, and how interventions were reported. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide robust evidence supporting the integration of high-fidelity simulation into undergraduate nursing programs to enhance students' knowledge and performance. The high reported heterogeneity may be attributed to variations in study contexts or methodologies. Future research should explore the optimal use of high-fidelity simulation in different educational and cultural contexts.

Factors Influencing Generation Z Bachelor of Nursing Students' Decision to Choose Nursing as a Career: A Pilot Study.

Introduction: Despite nurses representing the largest healthcare professional group, the number is not enough for global health coverage. Understanding Generation Z students' intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, internal and external influences, and beliefs in choosing nursing education is crucial. This knowledge empowers universities to enhance nursing program enrollment through targeted promotion and recruitment strategies. Objective: The aim was to understand why Italian students of Generation Z choose the Nursing Degree Course. Methods: In this pilot study, a cross-sectional design was used. A survey with closed and open answers analyzing demographics, opinions, and motivations among new enrolled nursing students was administered on the first day of the Bachelor of Nursing Degree course. Descriptive statistics were used. Quantitative data were analyzed with Chi-square and ANOVA tests and qualitative data underwent content analysis and coding. Correlation analysis explored relationships between qualitative and quantitative results. Results: Forty first-year students (85% female, average age 22) completed the questionnaire. The choice of the degree pathway, as the first or second option, is influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, the student's opinions, and family and social influences. Significant positive and negative associations were evidenced. Negative factors affecting choice included location and the responsibility for nursing care, while positive factors included role models, family advice, passion, curiosity for healthcare, the desire to help others, and family influences on decision-making. Conclusions: Among Italian generation Z students, the choice of the nursing degree pathway is influenced by social models, family advice, passion, the desire to help others, and curiosity. Universities should be more proactive in their recruitment and promotion efforts, transforming these events into vibrant meeting points for professionals from diverse nursing specialties. They should also implement robust information policies that highlight career possibilities spanning clinical practice, management, education, and research areas within the field.

Global Trends of Medical Misadventures Using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision Cluster Y62-Y69 Comparing Pre-, Intra-, and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Phases: Protocol for a Retrospective Analysis Using the TriNetX Platform.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has sharpened the focus on health care safety and quality, underscoring the importance of using standardized metrics such as the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). In this regard, the ICD-10 cluster Y62-Y69 serves as a proxy assessment of safety and quality in health care systems, allowing researchers to evaluate medical misadventures. Thus far, extensive research and reports support the need for more attention to safety and quality in health care. The study aims to leverage the pandemic's unique challenges to explore health care safety and quality trends during prepandemic, intrapandemic, and postpandemic phases, using the ICD-10 cluster Y62-Y69 as a key tool for their evaluation. OBJECTIVE: This research aims to perform a comprehensive retrospective analysis of incidence rates associated with ICD-10 cluster Y62-Y69, capturing both linear and nonlinear trends across prepandemic, intrapandemic, and postpandemic phases over an 8-year span. Therefore, it seeks to understand how these trends inform health care safety and quality improvements, policy, and future research. METHODS: This study uses the extensive data available through the TriNetX platform, using an observational, retrospective design and applying curve-fitting analyses and quadratic models to comprehend the relationships between incidence rates over an 8-year span (from 2015 to 2023). These techniques will enable the identification of nuanced trends in the data, facilitating a deeper understanding of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical misadventures. The anticipated results aim to outline complex patterns in health care safety and quality during the COVID-19 pandemic, using global real-world data for robust and generalizable conclusions. This study will explore significant shifts in health care practices and outcomes, with a special focus on geographical variations and key clinical conditions in cardiovascular and oncological care, ensuring a comprehensive analysis of the pandemic's impact across different regions and medical fields. RESULTS: This study is currently in the data collection phase, with funding secured in November 2023 through the Ricerca Corrente scheme of the Italian Ministry of Health. Data collection via the TriNetX platform is anticipated to be completed in May 2024, covering an 8-year period from January 2015 to December 2023. This dataset spans pre-pandemic, intra-pandemic, and early post-pandemic phases, enabling a comprehensive analysis of trends in medical misadventures using the ICD-10 cluster Y62-Y69. The final analytics are anticipated to be completed by June 2024. The study's findings aim to provide actionable insights for enhancing healthcare safety and quality, reflecting on the pandemic's transformative impact on global healthcare systems. CONCLUSIONS: This study is anticipated to contribute significantly to health care safety and quality literature. It will provide actionable insights for health care professionals, policy makers, and researchers. It will highlight critical areas for intervention and funding to enhance health care safety and quality globally by examining the incidence rates of medical misadventures before, during, and after the pandemic. In addition, the use of global real-world data enhances the study's strength by providing a practical view of health care safety and quality, paving the way for initiatives that are informed by data and tailored to specific contexts worldwide. This approach ensures the findings are applicable and actionable across different health care settings, contributing significantly to the global understanding and improvement of health care safety and quality. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/54838.

The Relationship between Clinical Environment and Adverse Events Reporting: Evidence from Lithuania.

BACKGROUND: The clinical environment plays a crucial role in patient safety, as it encompasses the physical, organizational, and cultural aspects of healthcare delivery. Adverse events, such as active errors, can often be attributed to systemic issues within the clinical environment. Addressing and improving environmental factors is essential for minimizing adverse events and enhancing overall patient care quality. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional design was applied. The study utilized two questionnaires: the Reporting of Clinical Adverse Events Scale (RoCAES) and the Revised Professional Practice Environment (RPPE) scale. A total of 1388 questionnaires were fully filled out, with a response rate of 71 percent. RESULTS: Nurses who expressed higher levels of satisfaction with various aspects of the clinical environment were more inclined to indicate their intention to report adverse events in the future. These positive relationships suggest that a contented clinical environment fosters a greater willingness among nurses to report adverse event occurrences. CONCLUSION: The findings of our study support the evidence that demonstrated that the clinical environment plays a significant role in influencing the reporting of adverse events in healthcare settings. It significantly influences nurses' attitudes, quality of care, and adverse event reporting rate.

Self-Perceived Clinical Competence of Nurses in Different Working Experiences: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Competence is an essential concept for measuring nurses' performance in terms of effectiveness and quality. To this end, our analysis highlighted the process of acquiring competencies, their self-evaluation into clinical practice, and how their proficiency levels change throughout the nursing career. In detail, this research explored nurses' perceived level of competence and the factors that influence it in different contexts. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire to assess the nursing participants' perception of their competencies in different clinical settings was accomplished. RESULTS: A descriptive and bivariate analysis was performed on 431 nurses. Most respondents assessed their level of competence to be higher than their roles required. The Kruskal-Wallis test confirmed that nursing experience was a relevant factor influencing nursing competencies. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest improving the competence of practicing nurses, using experience as a measurable effect of their development.

Describing the readiness for interprofessional education among university students attending healthcare programs: insights from a monocentric cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Readiness for interprofessional education (IPE) was recognized by international authorities as a key approach for educating students attending healthcare programs. Thus far, there are no descriptions of readiness for IPE in the Albanian context. For this reason, this study aimed to describe readiness for IPE, assessed by measuring "teamwork and collaboration" and "positive professional identity, roles, and responsibilities" among students attending healthcare programs in an Italian-speaking university based in Albania, and describe the correlations between readiness for IPE and the characteristics of the respondents. METHODS: This study had a descriptive observational design, a cross-sectional data collection, and a convenience sampling procedure performed in a single centre. The study was accomplished between April 2020 and June 2021, involving 688 students, 38.2% of the entire population of students attending healthcare programs in the context of the investigation. RESULTS: The teamwork and collaboration mean score was 4.40 (standard deviation = 0.56), and no differences were found between programs (p-value=0.159). The positive professional identity, roles, and responsibilities mean score was 4.33 (standard deviation = 0.64) with no differences between programs (p-value=0.340). Females attending nursing or midwifery reported higher positive professional identity, roles, and responsibilities scores (p-value=0.020), and females in dentistry reported higher teamwork and collaboration scores than males (p-value=0.045). CONCLUSIONS: Future research should evaluate readiness for IPE longitudinally to ascertain its trajectories over time and analyze any potential individual- or organizational-level variables that may impact IPE and sex-related differences regarding factors influencing IPE.

Psychometric testing of the nurses professional values scale-revised on family and community health nurses.

BACKGROUND: Family and Community Health Nurses (FCHNs) are at a higher risk of experiencing emotional exhaustion and feelings of low personal accomplishment. Higher levels of professional identity may decrease these negative feelings. Its measurement could produce positive effects for FCHNs and the quality of care they offer. AIM: This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties (validity and reliability) of the Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised (NPVS-R) on FCHNs in Italy. RESEARCH DESIGN: A cross-sectional research design was used. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: A convenience sample of FCHNs was recruited in an out-of-hospital setting from Italy. A total of 202 nurses were eligible (mean age of 41.11 ± 10.55 years; 78.2% female). ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: The study was performed in accordance with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki. Participants were asked for their consent and were guaranteed anonymity in the information collected. The study was approved by the internal review board of the university. RESULTS: Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) supported a unidimensional factorial structure of the NPVS-R with an adequate fit to the data. Internal consistency reliability was also supported. The construct validity was further reinforced by the concurrent validity results showing a positive and significant correlation of professional identity with job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The NPVS-R is a valid and reliable instrument to measure professional identity among FCHNs. It can be used in clinical practice to improve FCHNs' psychological-emotional feelings and quality of care provided, in research to allow comprehensive understanding of professional identity, and in educational settings to monitor the professional identity levels of Family and Community Health Nursing students.

Assessment of the Psychometric Characteristics of the Italian Version of the Nurse Manager Actions Scale.

Nurse managers play a vital role in healthcare organizations, wielding the ability to substantially enhance work environments, foster nurses' autonomy, and bolster retention within workplaces. In this context, this study focuses on the Nurse Manager Actions scale, aiming to evaluate its items' scalability as well as the scale's validity and reliability among nurses and nurse managers operating within the Italian healthcare context. The study protocol was not registered. To ensure linguistic and cultural alignment, an iterative and collaborative translation process was undertaken. Subsequently, a multi-center cross-sectional design was adopted. Using a web-survey approach, data were collected among 683 nurses and 188 nurse managers between August 2022 and January 2023. The Nurse Manager Actions scale was found to be a valid and reliable instrument in Italian after a Mokken Scale Analysis. For nurses (HT= 0.630, Molenaar-Sijtsma rho = 0.890), the scale included 6 items, while 11 items were confirmed for nurse managers (HT= 0.620, Molenaar-Sijtsma rho = 0.830). Nurse Manager Actions scale scores were correlated with increased satisfaction and decreased intention to leave for both nurses and nurse managers. The employed validation process enhanced the scale validity for use in Italy and provided a model for other researchers to follow when assessing similar measures in different populations. Measuring and empowering nurse manager actions in work contexts is essential to improve the general well-being and retention of nurses, especially in the current nursing shortage.

A stepwise methodological approach to develop and validate the digital and technological self-efficacy scale for healthcare workers among nurses and nursing students.

AIMS: To develop and validate the Digital and Technological Self-Efficacy Scale (Digitech-S) for healthcare workers among nurses and nursing students. BACKGROUND: Digital and technological solutions (DTS) significantly impact working life in healthcare and educational settings. DTS-related self-efficacy might be defined the individual's confidence in proficiently performing digital and technological tasks, even when faced with challenges. Its assessment might guide educators in orienting focused interventions to enhance the self-efficacy of nurses and nursing students. Thus far, the assessment of DTS-related self-efficacy is currently undermined by the lack of valid and reliable measurements. DESIGN: A stepwise methodological approach was employed in two main phases. Phase one focused on tasks guided by literature for generating items reflecting DTS. Phase two encompassed three steps: A content validity step, a first cross-sectional data collection for Mokken scaling analysis (MSA) performed to reduce the number of items toward a unidimensional structure and with a hierarchical approach, and a confirmatory factor analysis including the group (nurses vs. nursing students) as a covariate (MIMIC) to cross-validate the unidimensional structure and assess the measurement invariance using a second cross-sectional data collection round. A Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MG-CFA) was also conducted to test for configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance across the two groups. RESULTS: Phase one resulted in 36 items derived from a literature review, which was reduced to 33 after the content validity process. 660 responders (nurses = 388; nursing students = 272) were included in the sample analyzed with MSA, and 13 items were hierarchically selected for the subsequent data collection (Rho reliability = 0.95; Hs = 0.67; Hi ranging from 0.55 to 0.72). MIMIC models were performed on 421 responders (nurses = 268; nursing students = 153), and three items that caused non-invariance between nurses and nursing students were identified and removed from the final version (Cronbach's alpha = 0.928). The MG-CFA demonstrated configural and metric invariance, suggesting a consistent factor structure and factor loadings across both groups, but scalar and strict invariance were not fully achieved. CONCLUSIONS: The Digitech-S is a 10-item scale showing a unidimensional and stable structure, which could be used for educational and research purposes.

An Observational Cross-Sectional Study on the Correlation between Professional Competencies and Self-Efficacy in Albanian Registered Nurses.

(1) Background: The assessment and application of registered nurses' professional skills are essential to providing quality and safe care. Self-efficacy can positively affect the professional competence of registered nurses. This study analysed professional competence and its association with self-efficacy among registered nurses. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted. The sampling was conventional. The data collection took place through the Albanian version of the Nurse Professional Competence Scale Short Form (A-NPCS-SF), which was used to assess their professional skills, and the Albanian version of the Nursing Profession Self-Efficacy Scale (A-NPSES), which was used to assess their self-efficacy. The study was based on a convenience sample of 985 registered nurses from the 12 Albanian provinces. (3) Results: The Cronbach alpha value for the A-NPCS-SF scale was 0.947, while for the A-NPSES scale, it was 0.875, proving both scales to be reliable. Self-efficacy does not play an essential role in the development of the professional competence of registered nurses since our survey found only one dimension correlates with these two elements. (4) Conclusions: The results of our analysis have instead highlighted the importance of a close relationship between job satisfaction and the development of professional skills.

Translation, validation and psychometric properties of the Albanian version of the Nurses Professional Competence Scale Short form.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The primary aim of this study was the translation and psychometric validation of the Albanian Nurse Professional Competence Scale Short Form (A-NPCS-SF) for further application in Albanian healthcare settings. METHODS: The multiphase design used to develop the A-NPCS-SF comprised (1) cultural and linguistic validation, (2) content and face validity, and (3) construct validity. RESULTS: The A-NPCS-SF showed adequate content validity. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the six-factor structure of the A-NPCS-SF to explain the data obtained from the nurses. CONCLUSIONS: The A-NPCS-SF showed evidence of validity and reliability in measuring four professional competencies. Having an appropriate scale in Albanian for professional competence self-assessment by nurses constitutes an essential step in measuring these competencies.  (www.actabiomedica.it).

Development and Validation of the Nursing Care and Religious Diversity Scale (NCRDS).

(1) Background: In response to the impact of religious intervention on health outcomes and the importance of documenting how nurses experience the spiritual need of 392 hospitalized patients, it is vital to provide the nursing profession with instruments to evaluate these spiritual aspects. This study describes the development and validation of the Nursing Care and Religious Diversity Scale (NCRDS); (2) Methods: A two-step design was used for NCRDS translation and psychometric validation. The tool design was developed in the first step, while the psychometric characteristics were tested in the second step. An inductive study was conducted to test the validity and reliability of the NCRDS tool. The overall sample consisted of 317 nurses; (3) Results: The final instrument comprised 25 items in five dimensions. The construct validity indicated five dimensions. The face and content validity were adequate. Test-retest reliability displayed good stability, and internal consistency (Cronbach's α) was acceptable (0.83); (4) Conclusions: Initial testing of the NCRDS suggested that it is a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate individuals in religious diversity, with five dimensions for evaluating the meaning of spirituality and individual belief, the religious healthcare environment, educational adequacy, spiritual and religious needs, and religious plurality.