DEVELOPMENT OF A SCALE TO MEASURE CONFUSION IN HOSPITALIZED ADULTS (MENTAL STATUS, DECISION-MAKING, DELIRIUM).
Contributors: Case Western Reserve University.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 186
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this methodological study was to develop a clinically useful scale for nurses to measure the presence and level of confusion in hospitalized adults. Two sequential phases were employed to produce the final instrument. In Phase one 228 medical-surgical nurses rated 141 patient behaviors as more or less important in determining the presence of confusion in hospitalized adults. Factor analysis was used to identify five underlying dimensions of confusion: cognition, general behavior, motor activity, orientation and psychotic/neurotic behavior. The five dimensions and the indicative patient behaviors became the instrument for Phase Two. In Phase Two the validity and reliability of the scale were determined using 24 medical-surgical nurses who evaluated 129 patients over 14 days producing 305 observations. The results of the study demonstrate the CAC-2 as valid and reliable for the sample.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-09, Section: B, page: 3709.

Thesis (PH.D.)--CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, 1986.

School code: 0042.