Validation of the Brazilian version of the Nursing Work Index‐Revised (B‐NWI‐R)

Aims and objective. The goal of this paper was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Nursing Work Index‐Revised – Brazilian version (B‐NWI‐R). Background. Some instruments evaluate the presence of certain characteristics in the professional practice environment of nurses. Among them, the B‐NWI‐R, often cited in the literature and which is examined in the present study. This instrument is composed of 57 items and four subscales: autonomy, control over the work environment, nurse–physician relationships and organisational support. Design. A cross‐sectional research design was carried out in three public university hospitals in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods. The sample was composed of 278 nurses. The reliability of the instrument was evaluated through its homogeneity, using the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The validity of the subscales of the B‐NWI‐R was evaluated through divergent construct validity and criterion‐related validity. For the divergent construct validity, the Brazilian version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was employed, while for the criterion‐related validity, variables such as ‘satisfaction at work’, ‘perception of quality of care’ and ‘nurses’ intention to leave work in the following year’ were considered. Results. The results showed satisfactory consistency for the total of the items (α = 0·95) and for the subscales of the B‐NWI‐R: ‘control over practice settings’ (α = 0·75); ‘nurse–physician relationships’ (α = 0·75); ‘organisational support’ (α = 0·75) and ‘autonomy’ (α = 0·63). The divergent validity resulted in significant correlation between the adapted instrument subscales and those of the MBI. In addition, a significant correlation was obtained between the subscales of the B‐NWI‐R and the variables ‘perception of quality of care’, ‘satisfaction at work’ and ‘intention to leave work in the following year’. Conclusion. The reliability and validity of the B‐NWI‐R have been established. Relevance to clinical practice. The B‐NWI‐R subscales can be used to assess the nurses’ perceptions of the work environment.