The Italian version of the SAQ proved to be an effective tool to evaluate and compare the safety culture in the NICUs. The obtained scores significantly varied both within and among the NICUs. The organizational and structural characteristics of the involved hospitals probably affect the safety culture perception by the staff.

Background:The Person-centered Care Assessment Tool (P-CAT) was developed as a self-reporting assessment scale for the healthcare staff ratings of the person-centeredness of their nursing practice.Aim:This study investigates the psychometric proprieties of P-CAT tool in a sample of staff working in residential units for older people, in the North of Italy.Methods:Internal consistency and reliability were examined using the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Exploratory factor analysis was used to evaluate construct validity, homogeneity analysis performed to evaluate internal homogeneity of the items and equidistance of item options, test–retest reliability examined by the Pearson correlation coefficient and the intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficient. The P-CAT score was standardized to a 100-point scale, the score differences among groups were compared with one-way ANOVA.Results:The exploratory factor analysis supported the construct validity of a two-factor solution. The mean standardized score of P-CAT was 67.3 (SD 12.8) and Cronbach’s alpha was .79 for subscale 1 and .75 for subscale 2. The ICC coefficient was .87.Conclusion:Reliability and homogeneity were satisfactory for the whole P-CAT tool (Cronbach’s alpha ≥ .70). Test–retest reliability showed temporal stability of the scale (r Pearson .86, ICC .86). The Italian version of the P-CAT was found to be valid, reliable, and applicable for further research. Two subscales are recommended for the Italian version.

Background Travellers’ risk perception is a key component of travel risk assessment because it influences the adequate implementation of safety precautions. The aims of this study are to validate a tool to analyse travellers’ risk perception to identify which factors can influence it and how it changes upon return. Methods The Traveller’s Risk Perception (TRiP) questionnaire was developed and administered to outpatients before and after travel in three travel clinics. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to validate the questionnaire and multivariate regression analysis was used to evaluate the effect of travellers’ characteristics on the risk scores. Results A total of 1020 travellers completed the questionnaire. PCA identified two latent factors: ‘generic-disseminated risks’ and ‘specific-circumstantial risks’. Cronbach’s α was acceptable (0.76 and 0.70, respectively). The ‘generic-disseminated risks’ dimension scored higher than the ‘specific-circumstantial risks’ (p<0.001). The items with the highest scores were insect bites, gastrointestinal disorders and malaria. The mean scores were significantly lower after the travel for all items but one. Conclusions The TRiP questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool for rating travellers’ perceptions. Staff in travel clinics should be trained to systematically assess travellers’ risk perception in order to tailor the consultation according to specific information needs.

Rationale, aims and objective: Measuring nurse caring may provide empirical evidence to assist clinicians and administrators in making decisions. The aim of the present study was to develop a new scale, called the CARE-Italy, grounded in the Italian culture, for measuring nurses’ caring behaviours.Methods: A mixed method approach was applied in developing the instrument. The item generation and scale development were performed through a qualitative phenomenological approach and a focus group with a panel of experts. The provisional instrument was then administered to a convenience sample of 439 nurses and then questionnaire scaling and association analysis were performed. A dual scaling analysis of successive categories was performed to identify preferences on the rating scale. An item selection based on item-scale correlations and item weights was performed. Subjects’ mean scores were computed and standardized in a 100-point scale.Results: The 20 caring behaviours perceived by nurses to be the most important ones constitute the final version of the CARE-Italy questionnaire. They concern patients’ surveillance, professional relationships with patients, satisfying patients’ and family members’ practical and psychological needs, team consultation and nurses’ emotions.Conclusions:  A relational and paternalistic caring approach by Italian nurses seems to be suggested. The next step of the research project will be the validation process of the CARE-Italy questionnaire with a Likert scale measuring the occurrence of the 20 caring behaviours in daily practice.

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