A Study on the Development of the Neonatal Safety Assessment Scale in Disasters

Background Newborns are highly vulnerable to multidimensional safety risks during disasters. This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable instrument to assess neonatal safety in disaster settings. Methods The study population consisted of neonatal nurses providing care to newborns affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye on February 6, 2023. The sample was determined using the rule of ten participants per item, resulting in 302 nurses. Content validity was assessed with the Polit-Beck Content Validity Index (CVI). Reliability was evaluated using the Kuder-Richardson 20 (KR-20) coefficient. Items with negative item-total correlations or correlations below 0.20 were considered for removal. Results The Polit-Beck CVI was 1.00, and the KR-20 coefficient was 0.81, indicating high reliability. Ten items were removed due to low item-total correlations, resulting in the final version of the scale. The “Neonatal Safety Assessment Scale in Disasters” demonstrated strong validity and reliability, making it suitable for evaluating neonatal safety in disaster contexts. Conclusions The developed instrument is a robust and reliable tool for assessing neonatal safety during disasters, supporting clinical decision-making and preparedness in neonatal care.