Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop and analyze the psychometric properties of an instrument that could analyze the communication of nursing professionals in nurse-patient therapeutic communication.
Methods: A literature review and a panel of experts were used (N = 10) to develop the questionnaire to analyze the communication of nurses in nurse-patient therapeutic communication. The final version of the questionnaire was composed of 49 items and applied to a convenience sample of 370 nurses.
Results: The construct validity was assessed by an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the reliability using Cronbach's Alpha. Three dimensions were identified that determine therapeutic communication: professional, contextual and/or situational and patient. The Cronbach's α total coefficient was 0.90, ranging from 0.71 to 0.81 for the dimensions.
Conclusion: The questionnaire to analyze the communication of nurses in nurse-patient therapeutic communication represents a valid and reliable questionnaire to measure nurses' communication with patients in the clinical setting.
Implications for practice: The use of the questionnaire enables the analysis of elements that interfere with effective communication. This can assist in developing interventions to improve nurses' therapeutic communication with patients.
Keywords: Instrument development; Nurse-patient communication; Nursing; Psychometric; Therapeutic communication.
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