Bullying behaviors in nursing education (BBNE) scale: a psychometric study among Iranian nursing students

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of The Bullying Behaviors in Nursing Education (BBNE) scale among Iranian nursing students.

Method: In this cross-sectional study, 366 undergraduate nursing students from two public universities in Iran were selected through convenience sampling from April to June 2023. The BBNE scale was translated into Persian, and its content and construct validity, internal consistency and reliability were evaluated.

Results: The three extracted factors explained 53.22% of the total variance. The results supported the three-factor model of the BBNE with acceptable goodness-of-fit (χ²(112) = 368.59, χ²/df = 3.2, CFI = 0.92, IFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.91, PCFI = 0.76, PNFI = 0.74 and RMSEA = 0.079 [CI90%: 0.07, 0.08], good internal consistency (> 0.7), and convergent and discriminant validity.

Conclusion: The results supported the three-factor model of the BBNE with acceptable goodness-of-fit, good internal consistency and construct reliability. In order to reduce and eliminate bullying behaviors in the university environment, we should first measure the bullying behavior among nursing students and then teach them how to deal with the consequences.