Validation of a Questionnaire to Assess Nursing Students' Knowledge in Critical Care.

Abstract

Background: Acquiring nursing skills in critical care requires the planning and implementation of carefully structured educational interventions. These interventions must be based on proven teaching methods that support the achievement of the expected educational objectives for students. Integrating traditional classroom teaching with interactive methodologies, such as gamification and role-playing, is essential to enhancing students' knowledge. These knowledge levels need to be measured through structured tools. To validate the questionnaire needed to assess nursing students' knowledge in the critical care area, a feasibility pilot study was conducted.

Materials and methods: A pilot study was carried out, enrolling a total of 30 third-year nursing students from the University of Rome "La Sapienza". The questionnaire was administered at two time points: T0 and 48 hours later (T1) in April 2024.

Results: The results did not show significant differences in the questionnaire administration at T0 and T1. Based on statistical analysis of the data using Cronbach's alpha, which yielded a value of 0.606, an adequate level of reliability and good internal consistency of the tool was found. These findings demonstrate the usefulness of the tool in assessing the learning of nursing students regarding the care of critically ill patients.

Conclusions: The results from the statistical analysis of the data allowed for the validation of the administered questionnaire.