Development in Health Assessment for Practical Nurses

Abstract

Introduction: An effective health assessment leads to the identification of health problems and the ability to plan supportive care activities for individual patients.

Research Objectives: To analyze the survey components and develop a health assessment form for practical nurses.

Research Methodology: This study used a descriptive design. Participants included students of the Practical Nurse Certificate Program, practical nurses, and nursing instructors. A simple random sampling method was used to recruit 355 participants. Instruments was a health assessment form containing a five-point Likert-type responses, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.98. Also, it was tested using the index of correspondence between question and objectives (IOC) for each item ranged from 0.67-1.00.  Data were analyzed using exploratory component analysis, including co-component extraction, principal component analysis, and rotate element axis orthogonally with varimax method.

Results: According to the composition analysis, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy (KMO) was 0.961. Meanwhile, Bartlett's test of sphericity was statistically significant (p<.001). Components 1-8 together explained 67.26% of the variance in health assessment.  Hence, health assessment form consisted of 8 patterns, namely 1) health status perception and illness history patterns, 2) eating and defecation patterns, 3) sleep and rest patterns, 4) activity and exercise patterns, 5) personal identity and health patterns gender, 6) mental health and adaptation patterns, 7) family relationship and social role patterns, and 8) values ​​and belief patterns.

Conclusion: The findings of this study reflects that the health status assessment form for practical nurse is appropriate for their scope of duties, covering physical, mental, social, and spiritual health conditions.

Implications: For students in the Nursing Assistant Certificate Program, nurse instructors can use the health status assessment form to assess the health status of individual patients.