Professional Nursing Values in Men: An NPVS-R Instrument Validation Study

Abstract

Background and purpose: Although the Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised (NPVS-R) has been validated in predominantly female samples, this instrument has not been validated with adequate samples of men. The purpose of the study was to assess the reliability and validity of the NPVS-R in a sample of male nurses and nursing students.

Methods: Psychometric testing was performed, using principal component analysis (PCA), on a convenience sample of 329 men in nursing from the United States. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha.

Results: Participants rated the values in the NPVS-R as important, although undergraduate students significantly less so than graduate students or nurses. Factor labels of caring, professionalism, and activism were similar to those in previous studies. Variations across responses to particular items may reflect cultural variations.

Conclusions: Although further testing is needed, results from the current study indicate that the NPVS-R is a valid and reliable scale when administered to a sample of male nurses and nursing students.

Keywords: instrument; men; nurses; nursing students; validation; values.