Empathy is an important characteristic to possess for healthcare professionals. It has been found to improve communication between professionals and patients and to improve clinical health outcomes. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) was developed to measure this quality and has been used extensively, and psychometrically appraised, with a variety of cohorts and in different cultural environments. However, no study has been undertaken to systematically examine the methodological quality of studies which have assessed psychometric factors of the JSE. This systematic review will examine the quality of published papers that have reported on psychometric factors of the JSE.
A systematic review of studies which report on the psychometric properties of the JSE will be conducted. We will use a predefined search strategy to identify studies meeting the following eligibility criteria: original data is reported on for at least one of the psychometric measurement properties described in the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) Risk of Bias checklist, examines the JSE in a healthcare cohort (using the student, physician or health profession versions of the JSE), and is published from January 2001 and in the English language. Conference abstracts, editorials and grey literature will be excluded. Six electronic databases (Medline, EMBASE, PsychInfo, PubMed, Web of Science and CINAHL) will be systematically searched for articles meeting these criteria and studies will be assessed for eligibility by two review authors. The methodological quality of included papers will be examined using the COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist.
A narrative description of the findings will be presented along with summary tables. Recommendations for use of the JSE with various cohorts and circumstances will be offered which may inform future research in this field.
PROSPERO CRD42018111412.

BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding provides beneficial health outcomes for infants and their mothers, and increasing its practice is a national priority in many countries. Despite increasing support to exclusively breastfeed, the prevalence at 6 months remains low. Breastfeeding behavior is influenced by a myriad of determinants, including breastfeeding attitudes, knowledge, and social support. Effective measurement of these determinants is critical to provide optimal support for women throughout the breastfeeding period. However, there are a multitude of available instruments measuring these constructs, which makes identification of an appropriate instrument challenging. Research aim: Our aim was to identify and critically examine the existing instruments measuring breastfeeding attitudes, knowledge, and social support.
METHODS: A total of 16 instruments was identified. Each instrument\'s purpose, theoretical underpinnings, and validity were analyzed.
RESULTS: An overview, validation and adaptation for use in other settings was assessed for each instrument. Depth of reporting and validation testing differed greatly between instruments.
CONCLUSIONS: Content, construct, and predictive validity were present for most but not all scales. When selecting and adapting instruments, attention should be paid to domains within the scale, number of items, and adaptation.

BACKGROUND: Since the 1990s, evidence-based practice (EBP) has been increasingly emphasized in nursing, but its implementation is still sometimes met with confusion and resistance. Therefore, identifying factors affecting its implementation is crucial. The Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (EBPQ) was published in 2006, addressing a need for a robust measure of nurses\' practice of, attitudes toward, and knowledge of EBP. The growing body of professionals using the questionnaire means that a review of its reach, transferability, and impact is timely.
OBJECTIVE: The aims of this review were threefold: (a) identify the situations in which the EBPQ has been used in both published and unpublished research internationally (Reach); (b) collate the psychometric properties of the EBPQ from the research reviewed (Transferability); and (c) discuss the study\'s findings to shed new light on issues facing professionals in implementing EBP, and possible future directions for research (Impact).
METHODS: Literature searches on studies reported between 2006 and July 2012 inclusive were conducted using the terms \"Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire\" and \"EBPQ.\" Green, Johnson and Adams\'s guidelines for completing narrative literature reviews and Terwee et al.\'s framework for reporting questionnaires\' psychometric properties were adopted to ensure rigor.
RESULTS: Twenty-seven studies were reviewed in which the EBPQ had been translated into five different languages and used with a variety of professional groups. The questionnaire demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity and good internal reliability. Research adopting the questionnaire identified a range of variables related to EBP implementation, including qualification route and job role.
CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of organizational culture and workforce training needs prior to developing educational interventions is crucial. The EBPQ has the potential to provide further understanding of these and other issues faced by professionals when implementing EBP.