Development and Validation of a Nursing Work Interruption Scale

Work interruption disturbs nurses’ flow of thinking, diminishes work efficiency, induces burnout, and causes errors that can threaten patients’ lives. Therefore, it is important to identify the causes and measure the extent of work interruption. This study developed a self-report scale and established its validity and reliability for use in hospital settings. Through literature review and in-depth interviews with nurses, we identified two components and developed 25 preliminary items. These items were reviewed by nursing experts for content validity and pilot tested among 20 hospital nurses; subsequently, a 16-item preliminary instrument was finalized. A total of 359 questionnaires were included in the final analysis, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed. Two factors and 12 items were derived from two rounds of EFA, with a cumulative percentage of variance of 55.73%. Construct validity was established through CFA. The predictive validity and internal consistency reliability of the developed scale were also established. Thus, the 12-item Work Interruption Measurement Scale for Nurses comprising two domains (human and environmental factors) was developed. This scale can be useful in assessing work interruption experienced by nurses and for developing and assessing the effectiveness of interventions pertaining to nurses’ work interruption.