Caring Behaviors Inventory: analysis of responses by hospitalized surgical patients.

Hospitalized surgical patients were surveyed to determine the completeness, reliability, and validity of their responses to the 42-item Caring Behaviors Inventory (CBI) and to an abbreviated inventory derived from it. Of 354 patients, 211 completed all 42 CBI items. Item responses were reliable (alpha = 0.980) and each correlated (r = 0.192-0.630) with global nurse caring (GNC). The CBI score (item sum) also correlated with patients' rating of GNC (r = 0.569). All CBI items correlated with the CBI score (r = 0.582-0.863). Forward multiple regression showed 6 items (6, 13, 16, 28, 33, and 41) to explain nearly all variance in the CBI score (R = 0.979). Responses to these 6 items by 318 patients were reliable (alpha = 0.893); their sum was correlated with the CBI score (r = 0.964) and patients' rating of GNC (r = 0.605). This study provides further statistical support for the CBI. It justifies use of a less burdensome 6-item inventory.