Translation and validation of the Italian version of the incivility in nursing education-revised scale

Abstract

Background

Incivility in nursing education is present worldwide and impacts all those involved and the teacher-student relationship. The revised Incivility in Nursing Education (INE-R) is a validated and reliable instrument to measure academic incivility, but it is not available in Italian language. The aim of the study was to translate and validate the INE-R tool with an Italian sample.

Methods

The INE-R was translated from English into Italian, culturally adapted and piloted for content and linguistic clarity. The questionnaire was administered online to Nursing Faculty (NF) and Nursing Students (NS) of Sapienza University of Rome to assess uncivil behaviors and their frequency of occurrence. The psychometric properties of the Italian version were investigated.

Results

79 Italians participated, of which 63.3 % were NS. Four-factor models provided the best fit for NF and NS scales. The models explained 78.2 % (NF) and 73.2 % (NS) of the variance of the scales. The Root Mean Square Error of Approximation for both models was 0.07, indicating an acceptable fit. INE-R reliability for all 48 NF and NS incivility items was 0.962 and 0.954, respectively. Measuring the degree of incivility and establishing codes of conduct were recommended.

Conclusions

Incivility in nursing education negatively impacts the teaching-learning environment and could cause emotional or physical distress for those involved. Zero-tolerance policy regarding incivility, routine evaluation, and raising awareness among students and faculty could improve the quality of academic settings. The Italian INE-R is a valid and reliable tool that can be used to evaluate incivility in Italian nursing programs.