Assessment Tools in Nursing: Enhancing Patient Care

The purpose of this paper is to investigate assessment tools that evaluate non-physical aspects while incorporating Watson's Theory of Human Caring, which includes mind-body-spirit elements. The paper will discuss three selected assessment tools, detailing each tool's potential usefulness for specific populations, as well as data regarding cost and duration of use. Considerations for implementing the tools will also be explored, along with analysis of the target population and reliability of information obtained. Additionally, the paper will examine how these tools can enhance the assessment phase of the nursing process and impact healthcare quality provided by nurses.

These assessment tools will be applied to adolescent and teenage pregnancy, as identified in the Vulnerable Population and Self-Awareness assignment from Week Two.

Definition of Assessment Tools

Assessment is the process of gathering information to evaluate the client's health, functional status, and coping mechanisms. Nursing assessment involves obtaining data from both the client directly and other sources like family or medical records. Assessment tools are essential for collecting data, which can be subjective (based on the client's perspective) or objective (measured by the collector), including body language and vital signs.

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This paper will examine three specific assessment tools: Beck Depression Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, and Well-Being Picture Scale.

Beck Depression Inventory

The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)

is a self-report questionnaire developed by Aaron T. Beck in 1961 to assess the intensity of depression symptoms. Consisting of 21 items, it is widely utilized in both clinical and research environments. The latest iteration, The Beck Depression Inventory-11, is tailored for individuals aged 13 and above, with each item rated on a scale from 0 to 3.

Patients who endorse multiple items on the questionnaire, such as sadness, pessimism, past failures, loss of pleasure, guilty feelings, punishment fears, self-dislike, and more typically have higher scores up to 63 compared to others. In the general population, a score of 21 or above is associated with depression. For clinically diagnosed individuals, a score of 0-9 indicates minimal depressive symptoms, while scores between 17 and 29 suggest moderate depression. Scores ranging from 30 to 63 indicate severe depression (Farinde, 2013).

Perceived Stress Scale

Stress is a key focus in health science research due to its association with various health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis (Lee, 2012). The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a commonly used tool for assessing psychological stress. It is a self-report questionnaire that measures how individuals perceive situations in their lives as stressful. The PSS items assess the degree to which individuals feel their life has been unpredictable, uncontrollable, and overwhelming in the past month. Instead of focusing on specific events, the assessment items are more general in nature (Lee, 2012).

Lee (2012) states that the original instrument is the 14-item scale (PSS-14) developed in English, consisting of 7 positive and 7 negative items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The PSS-14 was later condensed to 10 items (PSS-10) after five years and a brief four-item version (PSS-4) was created for telephone interviews. Additionally, the PSS has been translated into 25 languages other than English. However, only a few studies have assessed the criterion validity of the PSS using questionnaires, revealing weak to moderate associations and indicating insufficient criterion validity (Lee, 2012).

Well-Being Picture Scale

The investigation of well-being from a Rogerian perspective involves using a theoretical framework that focuses on observing and measuring health-related variables specific to the Science of Unitary Human Beings. Principles and concepts from Rogerian science are applied to understand well-being, which is seen as a reflection of health and aligns with knowledge development (Reis and Alligood, 2008). The Well-Being Picture Scale, a 10-item non-language based pictorial scale, measures general well-being within the unique human environment field process. Each item is rated on a scale from 1 to 7, with scores ranging from 10 to 70. Higher scores indicate higher levels of well-being by evaluating energy field frequency and intensity of movement, self-awareness as energy, actions stemming from the energy field, and power through conscious participation in change within the mutual human and environmental energy field process.

According to participants, the WPS is universally understood regardless of ethnic background (Reis and Alligood, 2008). By including tools such as the Beck Depression Inventory during the assessment stage of nursing care, the quality of healthcare can be improved by facilitating early detection and treatment of depression across all age groups. This is especially important for adolescents dealing with stress related to pregnancy, low self-esteem, and various illnesses. Nurses play a crucial role in healthcare by offering support and directing patients to relevant healthcare professionals.

Utilizing the Perceived Stress Scale and Well Being Picture Scale during the assessment stage of the nursing process enables nurses to pinpoint individuals with elevated stress levels, aiding in the application of coping mechanisms. This approach enhances patient care and results, especially for pregnant teenagers confronting distinct obstacles. The Well Being Picture Scale is suggested for expectant mothers as a fundamental preventive measure to evaluate their well-being and general health status. Healthcare professionals can employ these instruments to track patients' wellness and gauge how any medical conditions affect their overall health.

References

Alligood, M. R. (2010), Nursing Theory: Utilization and Application, 4th ed.

This information was obtained from the University of Phoenix eBook database Collection.

Bailey, L. D., (2012). "Adolescent Girls: A Vulnerable Population" in the Journal of Advances in Neonatal Care, volume 12(2), pages 102-106.

Retrieved from a specific URL on the Apollo Library website, Farinde, A. (2013) discusses The Beck Depression Inventory.

The Pharma InnovationJournal has a volume of 2, issue 1, and comprises pages 56-58. The ISSN for this journal is 2277-7695.

Retrieved from http://www.thepharmajournal.com Lee, E. H., (2012).

A review conducted on the Psychometric Evidence of the Perceived Stress Scale was published in the Journal of Asian Nursing Research, volume 6, issue 4, pages 121-127.

The information was obtained from the following source:
Potter, P. A. & Perry, A. G. (2005). Fundamentals of Nursing. (6th ed.)

MO: Elservier Mosby Reis, P.J., and Alligood , M. R. (2008).

A study conducted on Well-Being in Pregnancy using the Well-Being Picture Scale was published in the Journal of Rogerian Nursing Science, volume 15, issue 1, pages 8-17.

The text can be paraphrased as:

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