Strict compliance with standard precautions (SPs) is warranted to ensure the safety of patients in healthcare facilities. Nursing students (NSs), who are regarded as nurses in training, potentially play a role in cross-contamination in the hospital. NSs are also at high risk of acquiring infections in cases of ineffective compliance with SPs. Thus, an assessment of NSs' compliance with SPs should be conducted on a regular basis, which necessitates a valid and reliable tool. This study was conducted to assess the validity and reliability of the Compliance with Standard Precautions Scale Arabic version (CSPS-A) in Saudi NSs. A convenient sample of 230 respondents (158 NSs and 72 staff nurses) was included in this descriptive, cross-sectional study. The CSPS English version was translated into the Arabic language following a recommended guideline from cross-cultural adaptation and translation instruments. The Cronbach's alpha, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the test-retest scores, and the item-total correlations (ITC) were computed to establish the reliability. Content validity and construct validity by the known-groups method and hypothesis testing method were performed. The CSPS-A exhibited good internal consistency and reliability (Cronbach's alpha, 0.89; ICC, 0.88; ITCs, 0.325-0.728). A satisfactory content and construct validity was also reported. The CSPS-A is a valid and reliable tool that can measure the compliance to SPs among NSs in Saudi Arabia.

The result may facilitate nursing and hospital management to reflect, examine, and review their organizational climate, the impact of infection prevention initiatives and patient safety strategies, and the reason to amend related policies or improve procedures, including the promotion of a healthy work environment.