Nurses' Assessment of Sedation of Patients With Mental Illness Scale Development and Validation

The current study aimed to determine the reliability and validity of a tool for evaluating the sedation of patients with mental illness. A literature review and focus group interviews were used to develop the initial questionnaire. The scale was tested on a sample of 412 representative patients and analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, concurrent validity, and internal consistency. The final scale comprised 14 items across four factors related to sedation of patients with mental illness: arousal, affect, cognitive status, and physical performance. The scale has high sensitivity and specificity and can discriminate among levels of sedation for patients with mental illness.