CONSTRUCTION AND VALIDATION OF A SCALE TO MEASURE THE EMOTIONAL LOAD IN NURSES DURING NIGHT SHIFTS

Abstract

The emotional burden nurses face during night shifts poses a significant risk to their psychological well-being and professional performance. This study aims to develop and validate a specific scale to measure emotional load in this work context. A quantitative, cross-sectional methodological design was followed in three phases: theoretical review, item construction, and validation by factor analysis and internal consistency. The scale was applied to a sample of 230 nurses from public and private hospitals. The results indicated a clear factor structure with three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, impact on personal life and work coping. The overall Cronbach's alpha was 0.91. It is concluded that the scale is a valid and reliable instrument for the evaluation of emotional load in night shift nurses, thus allowing the design of effective psychosocial interventions.