THE EFFECT OF TEACHING CUE RECOGNITION ON THE ABILITY OF HOME CARE NURSES TO ASSESS MENTAL STATUS.
Contributors: Columbia University. Teachers College.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 186
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Mental Health.; Health Sciences, Education.
Description: The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the effect of teaching cue recognition on the ability of home care nurses to assess mental status. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was used to test 80 volunteer nurses in eight home care settings in a metropolitan area. Demographic data were collected on experience, education and mental status practices.

Home care nurses were pretested on ability to assess mental status using videotaped simulations of nurse-client interviews after which, nurses were randomly assigned to an experimental and control group for separate instructional programs. The instruction for the experimental group used a model for teaching mental status assessment adapted from Gagne's information processing model of learning and memory. The experimental group received an assessment guide and watched a videotape identifying components of mental status with salient behavioral cues. The guide and videotape for the control group were equivalent but without the salient behavioral cues. Following the instructional programs, the nurses were brought back together for posttesting using different videotaped nurse-client simulated interviews.

Results of the study showed the experimental and control groups were equivalent in pretested assessment ability and demographic characteristics. Posttest scores for the experimental group showed a significant increase in assessment ability and were significantly higher than control group's scores, both at p $<$.000. Results demonstrated the effectiveness of using the model for teaching mental status assessment.

Having a baccalaureate degree in nursing showed a positive correlation with pretest assessment ability. Posttest assessment ability showed a significant correlation with number of years in nursing practice and having a graduate degree. Other findings of interest were 84% of nurses reported learning mental status in their basic nursing program yet, 67% felt only somewhat prepared to assess it. Eighty-three per cent believed home care nurses should always assess mental status but, only 44% report doing so regularly. Implications for curricular changes, home health care practices and health care reform are discussed.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-08, Section: B, page: 4076.

Thesis (ED.D.)--COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE, 1993.

School code: 0055.