A Pilot Study: Testing of the Psychological Conditions Scale Among Hospital Nurses.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Psychological Conditions Scale (PCS), a measure of drivers of engagement in hospital-based nurses.

BACKGROUND: Research suggests drivers of engagement are positive links to patient, employee, and hospital outcomes. Although this scale has been used in other occupations, it has not been tested in nursing.

METHODS: A cross-sectional, methodological study using a convenience sample of 200 nurses in a large Magnet® hospital in New Jersey.

RESULTS: Cronbach's α's ranged from .64 to .95. Principal components exploratory factor analysis with oblique rotation revealed that 13 items loaded unambiguously in 3 domains and explained 76% of the variance. Mean PCS scores ranged from 3.62 to 4.68 on a 5-point Likert scale.

CONCLUSIONS: The scale is an adequate measure of drivers of engagement in hospital-based nurses. Leadership efforts to promote the facilitators of engagement are recommended.