Translation and validation of the Chinese version of the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC-C) scale in nursing inters: a psychometric analysis

Background

Nursing interns, the future nurses, often find it challenging to interact with trauma survivors due to their lack of experience and training. Assessing their attitudes and knowledge in trauma-informed care can improve their clinical performance.

Objective

To culturally adapt and assess the reliability and validity of the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care Scale in Chinese nursing interns.

Design

Quantitative cross-sectional design.

Methods

The translation of Attitudes Related to the Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC) Scale followed guidelines for the cross-cultural adaptation process. A survey was conducted with 490 nursing interns from two colleges in China in February and May 2024, and seven experts evaluated the content equivalence of each item. Reliability and validity were assessed using item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency reliability, and test–retest reliability.

Results

The Chinese version of the ARTIC-C retained 35 items and demonstrated high content validity. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 6-factor structure, explaining 61.887% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the 6-factor model adequately represented the scale structure: chi-square/degree of freedom (CMIN/DF) = 1.544, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.045, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.969, incremental fit index (IFI) = 0.969, Tucker Lewis index (TLI) = 0.966, and standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.046. The scale had a Cronbach's alpha of 0.916 and test–retest reliability of 0.876.

Conclusions

The Chinese version of the ARTIC-C scale has demonstrated strong reliability and validity, making it an effective tool for measuring Chinese nursing interns' attitudes and knowledge regarding trauma-informed care.