The development of a transcultural instrument designed to measure registered nurses' attitudes to caring, technology, and professional self: New Zealand in a multicenter study

Aim: A study of 96 registered nurses was conducted using the Caring Attributes, Professional Self and Technological Influences Questionnaire instrument as part of an international collaborative research project between Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand and the Hong Kong Polytechnic Hong Kong. The aim of the international study, involving 1956 registered nurses from 11 countries, was to test the reliability and construct validity of the instrument on a sample of nurses from diverse cultures. This study constituted New Zealand's contribution to this international research project for developing the instrument. Methods: The international study involved 11 countries, including Canada, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand, The Philippines, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, and Sweden. As part of the study, the Caring Attributes, Professional Self and Technological Influences Questionnaire instrument was administered to 96 New Zealand registered nurses enrolled as students. Results: The psychometric properties of the Caring Attributes, Professional Self and Technological Influences Questionnaire instrument are reported here based on the results of the New Zealand study. Of the 8 original Caring Attributes, Professional Self and Technological Influences Questionnaire scales and subscales developed by Hong Kong, only 4 (professional self-concept, technological influences questionnaire, caring attributes, and practical caring) demonstrated adequate reliability in the New Zealand context. Conclusions: The study results have lead to the development of a refined instrument, the Caring Attributes, Professional Self and Technological Influences Questionnaire 2, which has improved construct validity and reliability for use in a national New Zealand survey of registered nurses.