Development and Psychometric Validation of the Perinatal Bereavement Care Competence Scale for Midwives

Abstract

Summary: Purpose: The aim of this paper is to develop a scale for measuring the perinatal bereavement care competence of midwives and assess its psychometric properties. Methods: The Perinatal Bereavement Care Competence Scale was developed in four phases. (1) Item generation: 75 items were formulated based on a literature review and interviews with midwives. (2) Delphi expert consultation: 15 experts evaluated whether the items were clear/appropriate/relevant to the questionnaire dimensions, and the items were optimized. (3) Pilot test: The comprehensibility, acceptability, and time required to complete the questionnaire by midwives were assessed. (4) Evaluation of reliability and validity: The scale was validated by initial item analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and internal consistency reliability and test–retest reliability. Results: The final scale consisted of six dimensions and 25 items: maintaining belief (three items), knowing (four items), being with (six items), preserving dignity (four items), enabling (five items), and self-adjustment (three items). Exploratory factor analysis yielded a six-factor structure that was consistent with the theoretical framework and explained 70.8% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit for the six-factor model. Cronbach's α for the scale was 0.931, and the test–retest reliability coefficient was 0.968. Conclusion: The Perinatal Bereavement Care Competence Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the competence of midwives in caring for bereaved parents who have experienced perinatal loss.

Keywords

• bereavement
• perinatal death
• midwifery
• obstetric nursing