Establishing Content Validity of a Self-Developed Survey Tool: Implications for Use in Future Studies on Opiate Addiction Treatment Patterns and Barriers Within the Advanced Practice Nursing Population

Abstract

In the United States, opioid addiction is a growing health concern that affects millions of Americans. Opiate addiction creates significant burdens to health, and can lead to an increase in morbidity and mortality. Opiate addiction is the leading cause of drug deaths in America. Individuals who need treatment for opiate addiction are not likely to receive it, therefore, there is a need for healthcare providers to be knowledgeable and capable of treating this disease. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) scholarly project is to establish content validity of a self-developed survey that will be used in the future to assess current trends in treatment practices for opioid addiction by advanced practice registered nurses (APRN)s within a large Midwestern state. Perceived barriers to opiate addiction treatment practices will also be addressed in this survey. Prior to statewide dissemination of the survey to APRNs, content validity for this self-developed survey must be obtained. The survey was developed from current evidence-based literature (Deflavio, et al., 2015; Hutchinson et al., 2014; Oliva, Maisel, Gordon, & Harris, 2011; The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 2012). Information on the content validity of the survey will be obtained from a list of content experts who are board-certified advanced practice psychiatric mental health nurses, treat patients with opiate addiction, and have been in practice a minimum of 5 years. The list of possible content experts was generated by the project director and co-director.