Development of a Reward Scale for Hospital Nurses

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and test a reward scale for hospital nurses. Methods: The initial items were identified through a literature review and focus group interviews with ten hospital nurses. The content validity of the items was evaluated by ten experts. Fifty-one items were derived from the pilot survey. Four hundred eighty-eight nurses participated in the study: 248 for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and 240 confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Data were analyzed using item analysis, EFA, CFA, convergent validity, known-group validity, and internal consistency using IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0 and IBM SPSS AMOS 29.0. Results: The final scale consisted of 31 items and eight factors (decent wage, opportunity to grow and develop, support for special situations, various benefits, flexibility of work, job-related achievement, reflecting career and performance, and recognition), which explained 67.3% of the total variance. The eight-subscale model was validated by CFA. Convergent validity was evaluated by analyzing correlation with intention to leave (r = -.63, p < .001) and job satisfaction (r = .54, p < .001). The known-group validity was evaluated by comparing the reward scales according to age, clinical career, income level and hospital type. The scale was found to be reliable with a Cronbach's alpha of .89. Conclusion: Both the validity and reliability of the reward scale for hospital nurses are verified, which can enhance the understanding of the range of rewards and may assist nurse managers in establishing an effective reward system.