CNKQ-15 tool validated

Researchers have validated a 15-question test called the Contraception Nursing Knowledge Questionnaire, or CNKQ-15, to measure what nurses and midwives know about contraception. (sciencedirect.com) The study’s stated aim was to create a standardized instrument that can identify contraceptive knowledge gaps and training needs among nursing professionals. It used psychometric validation, the standard process for testing whether a questionnaire actually measures what it claims to measure. (sciencedirect.com) In the validation phase, the researchers assessed item difficulty by measuring the share of respondents who answered each question correctly. They also tested discriminant validity by comparing scores from midwives, treated as a specialist group, with scores from non-specialized nursing professionals. (sciencedirect.com) Contraceptive counseling depends on providers giving accurate, method-specific information on effectiveness, side effects, and safe use. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2024 Selected Practice Recommendations says clinicians need evidence-based guidance to provide contraceptive methods and manage side effects while removing unnecessary barriers to access. (cdc.gov) Nurses and midwives are often the clinicians who answer those questions in routine care, from postpartum visits to family planning appointments. The American College of Nurse-Midwives says midwifery practice includes sexual and reproductive health, gynecologic care, and family planning services. (midwife.org) The new questionnaire fits into a broader push to measure contraceptive knowledge with tools that are shorter and easier to use in real settings. A 2016 study in the journal *Contraception* validated a separate Contraceptive Knowledge Assessment for patients and said modern, evidence-based instruments were needed because older indices were outdated. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) Other recent research has found that contraceptive knowledge remains uneven even among groups expected to have more exposure to health information. A 2025 study of 1,203 adolescents and young adults in the United States reported low knowledge overall and differences by age, race, sexuality, and geography. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) Among nursing students, prior training has been linked to sharply different scores on contraceptive knowledge measures. A multicenter study published in 2020 reported success rates above 70% among nursing students who had received contraceptive training, compared with 15.3% among those who had not. (mdpi.com) The CNKQ-15 gives educators and health systems a way to test provider knowledge before and after training, instead of assuming coverage in coursework translates into practice. That closes the loop on a basic question in contraceptive care: whether the people giving advice have been measured with a tool built for their job. (sciencedirect.com)