Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of Intrahospital Transport Safety Scale in intensive care

Abstract Background Intrahospital transport of critically ill patients is a common occurrence in intensive care units, where the challenging nature of high-intensity work and dynamic environments often poses patient safety risks. The Intrahospital Transport Safety Scale is a favorable self-report measurement tool utilized to evaluate the safety of Intrahospital transport, but it has not been used in China before. Objectives This study aimed to validate the reliability and validity of the scale among critical care nurses in China. Methods A cross-sectional design employing cluster random sampling was used, involving a total of 544 critical care nurses. The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Intrahospital Transport Safety Scale were examined. Results The Chinese version of the scale displayed robust psychometric properties, with Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.976, a split-half reliability of 0.906, and a test-retest reliability of 0.856. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a four-factor model that explained 75.970% of the variance. The factor loadings of the items ranged from 0.433 to 0.951. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a strong model fit, with a chi-square to degrees of freedom ratio (CMIN/DF) of 2.765, comparative fit index (CFI) of 0.943, incremental fit index (IFI) of 0.943, and goodness-of-fit index (GFI) of 0.845, supporting the efficacy of the four-factor model in assessing intrahospital transport safety for critically ill patients. Conclusion The Chinese version of the Intrahospital Transport Safety Scale demonstrated favorable reliability and validity among critical care nurses in China, making it a suitable tool for measuring the level of Intrahospital transport safety for critically ill patients.