Development of an instrument to measure caring peer group interactions

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Authors
Hughes, Linda C.
Advisors
Issue Date
1998-05
Type
Article
Keywords
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Citation
The Journal of nursing education. 1998 May; 37(5): 202-7.
Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop psychometric properties of the Peer Group Caring Interaction Scale (PGCIS) designed to measure caring during informal peer interactions as experienced by undergraduate nursing students. The PGCIS has two subscales that address caring peer behaviors and interactional events during which students assist their peers in the resolution of specific needs. PGCIS psychometric properties were developed using data from 873 junior students enrolled at 87 BSN schools of nursing. Internal consistency reliability was demonstrated for the 9-item Caring Behaviors and the 7-item Giving Assistance subscales with a coefficient alpha of .91 for each. Findings from an exploratory factor analysis supported the two subscale structure of the PGCIS. The PGCIS scores correlated positively with scores on the Intimacy subscale of the Organization Climate Description Questionnaire (OCDQ) and the Peer Group Interaction Scale and inversely with scores on the OCDQ Disengagement subscale. The findings from this study provide beginning support for the PCGIS as a valid and reliable approach to the measurement of caring in academic settings. Additional studies are recommended to continue the psychometric evaluation of this instrument.

Table of Contents
Description
The full text of this article is not available in SOAR. WSU users can access the article via commercial databases licensed by University Libraries: http://libcat.wichita.edu/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=1329463. The URL of this article is: http://search.proquest.com/docview/79901345?accountid=15042.
Publisher
Slack
Journal
Book Title
Series
The Journal of Nursing Education
J Nurs Educ
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
0148-4834
EISSN