The Italian version of the Nurses’ Cancer Pain Management Competency Scale: a validation study

The Italian version of the Nurses’ Cancer Pain Management Competency Scale: a validation study

Authors

  • Vincenzo Damico Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale of Lecco, Lecco, Italy
  • Giuseppe Demoro Department of Neuroscience, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Sette Laghi of Varese, Varese, Italy
  • Luca Cossalter Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale of Lecco, Lecco, Italy
  • Liana Murano Territorial Department, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale of Lecco, Lecco, Italy
  • Antonella D'Alessandro Presidio Ospedaliero SS Annunziata of Taranto, Taranto, Italy
  • Lara Fermi Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Modern Cultures, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
  • Margherita Milani Department of Neuroscience, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale of Lecco, Lecco, Italy
  • Giuseppe Russello Presidio Ospedaliero “S. Elia” of Caltanissetta, Caltanissetta, Italy
  • Manuela Pedrini Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale of Lecco, Lecco, Italy
  • Viola Margosio Territorial Department, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale of Bergamo Est, Bergamo, Italy

Keywords:

Nurses’ Cancer Pain Management Competency Scale, reliability, validity, cancer pain

Abstract

Background and aim. The Nurses’ Cancer Pain Management Competency Scale is a tool to explore nurses’ competencies and subjective experiences in cancer pain management, and to help nurses understand their current shortcomings in cancer pain management. Furthermore, based on the scale’s specific score, nurses can evaluate their lack of understanding about cancer pain management, advance research into this area, and enhance their capacity to control cancer pain while providing patient care. The scale is currently available only in English and in Chinese. The aim of this study was to translate the new scale and measure its reliability and validity in the Italian context.
Study design. Methodological research model.
Methods. The population of this methodological study included Italian nurses working in the oncology departments of 21 hospitals in Northern, Southern and Central Italy; the sample involved 243 nurses who met the inclusion criteria.
Results. Cronbach’s alpha of the scale was 0.814. The Guttman half-reliability of the scale was 0.819. Nurses’ cancer pain management competency includes four factors, which accounted for 71.43% of the cumulative variance: the context of pain management, pain assessment and measurement, management of pain, and multidimensional nature of pain. On a 4-point scale for total competency, the mean score was 2.65 ±0.89. The multidimensional nature of pain (2.88 ±0.76) was the factor that showed the highest mean score, whereas the management of pain factor was the lowest (2.52 ±0.73).
Conclusion. Nurses’ cancer pain management competency can be assessed using the Italian version of the Nurses’ Cancer Pain Management Competency Scale, which has strong validity and reliability.

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Published

2025-07-23

Issue

Vol. 37 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Original research

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Copyright (c) 2025 Vincenzo Damico, Giuseppe Demoro, Luca Cossalter, Liana Murano, Antonella D'Alessandro, Lara Fermi, Margherita Milani, Giuseppe Russello, Manuela Pedrini, Viola Margosio (Author)

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How to Cite

1.
Damico V, Demoro G, Cossalter L, et al. The Italian version of the Nurses’ Cancer Pain Management Competency Scale: a validation study. Ann Ig. 2025;37(2). doi:10.7416/ai.2025.2673