Validity and reliability evaluation of the Turkish version of the Clinical Interpersonal Reactivity Index

Abstract

Aim

This study was conducted to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Clinical Interpersonal Reactivity Index, an instrument to assess nurses' empathy.

Background

A practical empathic approach is valuable for planning nursing interventions suitable for the patient's conditions and needs and increasing patient satisfaction.

Design

This is a methodological study.

Methods

The study was carried out at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University Training and Research Hospital, recruiting a total of 358 nurses between January and February 2023. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to determine and validate the factor structure of the Clinical Interpersonal Reactivity Index.

Results

The exploratory factor analysis extracted three factors. According to the confirmatory factor analysis, all goodness of fit measures were within acceptable limits. Cronbach's α values were 0.89 for the total scale with 17 items and between 0.73 and 0.81 for the factors. In test–retest analyses, all intra-class correlation coefficients were higher than 0.7, and the correlations between the first and second applications of the scale were between 0.61 and 0.73.

Conclusion

The Turkish version of the Clinical Interpersonal Reactivity Index can be applied as a valid and reliable measurement tool to evaluate empathy in Turkish nurses.