Anotace:
Aim: The aim of the study was threefold: 1) to validate and analyze the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Caring Ability Inventory (CAI-PL); 2) to analyze the impact of the motivation for choosing a career in nursing on the ability to provide care; and 3) to determine whether previous experience in providing care as part of volunteer work affected respondents’ caring ability. Design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: The study was performed in accordance with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. Data were collected using the online form between May and July 2021. Construct validity and reliability of the instrument were tested using SPSS 25.0. Results: A satisfactory level of CAI content validity was observed; the CAI-PL was composed of 36 items and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the entire scale was 0.715, confirming high internal consistency. The mean score obtained by respondents on the Caring Ability Inventory was 189.55. Conclusion: The study showed satisfactory psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Caring Ability Inventory, confirming its potential to measure nurses’ level of caring ability – both in education and research.