Introduction

Communication with the family of a critically ill patient is an essential aspect, so reliable instruments must be available to assess it.

Objective

Obtain an adapted, valid, and reliable version for the Colombian context of the instrument known as "Nursing activities to communicate with families" in intensive care units.

Materials and method

A psychometric study that included the process of facial, content validity and reliability was conducted. The sample consisted of 5 experts and 80 nurses from adult intensive care units in different cities of Colombia. Two scenarios were used: principal components with varimax rotation and unweighted least squares with oblimin rotation.

Results

Items with a content validity ratio greater than 0.58 were maintained. The content validity index calculated on 15 items was 0.88. Facial validation allowed the adjustment of several items. The exploratory factorial analysis yielded a structure of 3 factors, demonstrating that communication is a key tool to inform families, recognize and resolve family needs, and identify both the wishes of the patient and family acceptance. Reliability established by internal consistency showed a global Cronbach's alpha of 0.9258.

Conclusions

A culturally adapted version for the Colombian context of the target instrument was obtained, comprising 16 clear, understandable, and precise items, as assessed by experts and supported by validity evidence. Statistical analysis demonstrates that the instrument's items are consistent in measuring the phenomenon of interest.

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