An instrument to measure professional nursing values

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the Nursing Professional Values Scale (NPVS), its development, reliability and validity, and its derivation from the Code of Ethics of the American Nurses Association. Design: The NPVS was tested on 599 subjects, including baccalaureate and masters' students and practicing nurses. The students were enrolled in one of 25 programs selected at random from all NLN accredited programs in the United States. Practicing nurses were randomly selected from a State Board of Nursing list. Method: A 44-item, norm-referenced instrument with a Likert-scale format was tested. The responses of participants to this instrument were subjected to principal axis factor analysis with varimax rotation. Findings: Eight factors were identified, accounting for 58% of the total variance. The two major factors were Caregiving and Activism. Conclusions: Initial results showed a high level of reliability and validity for the NPVS. The NPVS is a useful instrument for measuring professional nursing values and enhancing professional socialization.