Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties Testing of the Persian Version of the Emergency Department Forensic Nursing Survey.

Abstract

Background: Forensic nursing is an evolving specialty focusing on healthcare when legal issues are involved. Valid tools are needed to assess emergency department (ED) nurses' performance of forensic nursing role behaviors and their corresponding perceptions. We aimed to translate and culturally adapt the original English version of the "Emergency Department Forensic Nursing Survey" (EDFNS) into Persian and evaluate its psychometric properties among ED nurses.

Methods: This methodological study was conducted in 2022. The EDFNS was translated into Persian. Face and content validity, along with construct validity (exploratory/confirmatory factor analyses) and reliability (internal consistency/test-retest reliability), were assessed.

Results: The EDFNS-P (EDFNS-Persian) items were appropriate, clear, and relevant in face validity assessment. Content validity was satisfactory for all items (content validity ratio = 0.66/content validity index = 0.92). In total, 274 nurses completed the questionnaires. The EDFNS-P consisted of five factors, namely, identifying forensic cases, acting as a forensic nurse specialist, assisting with legal investigations, providing holistic supportive care, and protecting forensic evidence, explaining 56.49% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis assessment showed a good model fit. The EDFNS-P demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and stability (α = 0.902/intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.938).

Conclusion: The concept of forensic nursing role behaviors within Iranian EDs is multidimensional. The EDFNS-P is a 37-item reliable and valid scale. It can help identify areas requiring improvement, promote better collaboration among healthcare professionals, and increase recognition of the specialty. Future studies examining the factor structure in different contexts are suggested to validate the findings. Further research is needed to assess the Persian version of the EDFNS in countries where forensic nursing roles are increasingly emerging.