VALIDATION OF THE OCCUPATIONAL FATIGUE EXHAUSTION RECOVERY(OFER) SCALE AMONG EMERGENCY NURSES IN A BRUNEI PUBLIC HOSPITAL

Abstract

Introduction: The Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion Recovery (OFER) scale is a reliable and validated tool to measure work-related fatigue. However, its psychometric properties were not found in any studies examining nurses in the Southeast Asian region, particularly in Brunei. Aim: To ensure validity and reliability of the OFER scale using a sample of emergency nurses in Brunei. Methods: OFER scale was assessed for face, reliability statistics including Cronbach's Alpha and Corrected Item-Total correlation, along with convergent and discriminant validity. Floor and ceiling effects were also calculated. Results: Thirty-eight emergency nurses participated in the study. OFER scale demonstrated high face validity. Internal consistency reliability was good where Cronbach's Alpha ranged from 0.72 to 0.80. A ceiling effect was present for Item 6, 7, and 8 of the acute fatigue subscale. Floor effect was present for Item 15 of inter-shift recovery subscale. Item 13 might have slightly lower inter-item correlation amongst the items in the inter-shiftrecovery subscale. The inter-scale correlation might be 'too high' between acute fatigue scale and chronic fatigue subscale. Conclusion: Overall, there were good reliability and validity estimates for OFER scale using the sample of emergency nurses from Brunei.