Development and Validation of the Intimate Partner Violence Nursing Competency Scale (IPVNCS): A Psychometric Tool to Strengthen Clinical Detection and Intervention

Abstract

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) represents a major public health problem in Europe, with significant physical, psychological, and social consequences. Nurses are often the first professionals capable of detecting early signs of IPV, yet they lack validated instruments to assess their clinical competency in detection, evaluation, documentation, and intervention. This study aimed to develop and validate the Intimate Partner Violence Nursing Competency Scale (IPVNCS), aligned with the Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC 6403). Methods: A cross-sectional psychometric study was conducted among registered nurses in the Community of Madrid. A 30-item Likert-type self-administered instrument (1–5 scale) was developed based on NANDA, NIC 6403, and NOC frameworks. A total of 202 nurses participated. Reliability was assessed through Cronbach’s alpha. Construct validity was examined using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with Promax rotation and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using AMOS 26. Ethical approval was obtained (CEU San Pablo, code 843/24/104). Results: After item refinement, 26 items remained across four dimensions: (1) Intervention and Referral, (2) Detection and Assessment, (3) Documentation and Recording-keeping, (4) Psychosocial Support. The instrument showed excellent reliability (𝛼 = 0.97). KMO was 0.947 and Bartlett’s test was significant (p < 0.001). CFA demonstrated satisfactory fit: 𝜒2/df = 2.066, RMSEA = 0.073, CFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.91, NFI = 0.86. The final model adequately represented the latent structure. After debugging, its psychometric properties were significantly improved. Four redundant items were eliminated, achieving internal consistency (𝛼 = 0.97), a KMO value of 0.947 and a significant Bartlett’s test of sphericity. It showed a better fit, according to 𝜒2/df = (2.066); Parsimony = (720.736); RMR (0.0529; RMSEA (0.073); NFI (0.860); TLI (0.910) and CFI (0.920). The final model provides an adequate representation of the latent structure of the data. This study provides initial evidence of construct validity and internal consistency reliability of the IPVNCS. Conclusions: The IPVNCS is a valid and reliable tool to assess nursing competencies for clinical management of IPV. It supports structured evaluation across four core nursing domains, enabling improved educational planning, clinical decision-making, and quality of care for victims. The scale fills a gap in clinical nursing assessment tools and can support protocol development in emergency, primary care, and hospital settings.