UTILIZATION OF CUES IN JUDGMENTS OF ACTIVITY INTOLERANCE: A METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH TO THE VALIDATION OF NURSING DIAGNOSES.
Contributors: Boston College.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 100
Subjects: Education, Health.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this study was to test the adequacy of a linear decision model to specify relationships hypothesized in the theoretical description of the nursing diagnosis activity intolerance.

Using a rotated fractional factorial experimental design, 125 hypothetical cases of activity intolerance was constructed. Each case contained varying combinations of the six independent variables (cues) and three intervening variables. Judgments of the likelihood of activity intolerance ranged from definitely absent to definitely present.

The subjects for the study were 25 cardiovascular clinical nurse specialists. Using an experimental design, each nurse was randomly assigned 30 cases. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis.

Approximately 12 per cent of the nurses' judgments concerning activity intolerance in the hypothetical cases were able to be explained. Four cues contributed significant information to the prediction model: discomfort, blood pressure, dyspnea, and fatigue.

The subjects were not consistent in the relative importance assigned to cues. When the variation among the nurses and the interaction between each nurse and the cues was accounted for in the regression model, approximately 77 per cent of the judgments of activity intolerance was able to be explained. Separate regression models for each subject were indicated due to this interaction.

The last research question compared subjective and objective estimates of cues in judgments of activity intolerance. Heart rate response was thought to be the most influential in determining the presence of activity intolerance. There was a moderately high correlation between predicted judgments of the subjective and objective model.

The findings do not support the validity of the diagnosis of Activity Intolerance in this group of hypothetical hospitalized cardiac patients with congestive heart failure. Examination of this diagnosis is needed in other populations before any generalizations can be made.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-09, Section: A, page: 3320.

Thesis (PH.D.)--BOSTON COLLEGE, 1986.

School code: 0016.