Measuring social support for novice nurses: Development of the supportive relationship inventory and perceived availability of post-error support tool

Aim To develop and psychometrically test the Supportive Relationship Inventory and Perceived Availability of Post-error Support Tool for novice nurses. Background Novice nurses are particularly susceptible to adverse effects from medical errors. Supportive relationships and the perceived availability of social support can limit the impact of these errors. However, there are no valid and reliable instruments to measure these forms of social support for novice nurses in medical error settings. Method Questionnaires were distributed to 597 novice nurses at 20 hospitals throughout Japan, with 305 responses. Construct validity was tested by confirmatory factor analysis, and criterion validity, by correlation with external criteria. Reliability was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability. Results Confirmatory factor analysis indicated good model fit for both scales, establishing construct validity. The Supportive Relationship Inventory and its subscales displayed good internal consistency (alpha = 0.795-0.951), as did the Perceived Availability of Post-error Support Tool and its subscales (alpha = 0.831-0.944). Test-retest correlations were above 0.74. Conclusion The reliability and validity of the scales was determined. Implications for Nursing Management Nurse managers can use these two scales to foster supportive colleagues, to build a supportive organisational culture and to evaluate whether colleagues' support meets novice nurses' needs.

Automated summary

The study aimed to develop and test the Supportive Relationship Inventory and Perceived Availability of Post-error Support Tool for novice nurses. The questionnaires distributed to 597 nurses in Japan showed good construct and criterion validity, as well as reliability. Nurse managers can use these tools to promote a supportive organizational culture and evaluate the support provided to novice nurses.