Making Key Clinical Assessment Tools Accessible for Global Nursing Practice

Monday, 31 October 2011: 3:35 PM

Lucia Gonzales, PhD, MSN, MBA, RN
Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA
Anne Floyd Koci, PhD, APRN-BC, cFNP, WHNP
Nelda C. Stark College of Nursing, Texas Woman's University, Houston, TX
Rose Mary Gee, PhD, RN
School of Nursing, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA

Learning Objective 1: Expand nursing leadership role on medical missions by translating tools. Describe the steps in tool translation, reliability and validity testing of a new translated tool.

Learning Objective 2: Discuss implementation techniques (1) setting the stage of trust for culturally-sensitive sharing; and (2) providing the explanation for the use of the tools for practice.

Making key assessment tools accessible for global nursing practice

Lucia Gonzales PhD, MSN, MBA, RN, University of San Diego, CA; Anne Koci PhD, FNP-BC, RN, Texas Women’s University, Houston, TX ; Rose Mary Gee PhD, RN, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA

Purpose: Taking up a global leadership role by providing hands-on nursing on international medical missions, inspires one to enhance giving and leading to yet another level.  It is proposed that research incorporated into nursing science be shared with our healthcare colleagues in the Philippines and Ukraine.  The purpose of this research is to prepare brief assessment tools for use in global populations.  Assessment tools have provided valuable insights into our patients’ health outcomes following nursing interventions, and in uncovering underlying reasons for complex symptomology.  The KOCI Marginality Index-5 assesses marginality that is significantly positively correlated with anxiety and depression. Additionally, the Index of Religiousness, Life Orientation Test-Revised, the Self Efficacy and the Outcomes Expectations for Lifestyle Physical Activity Scales have been shown to be excellent assessment tools. Religiousness and optimism have demonstrated significant statistical correlations with mental health as is lifestyle physical activity with physical health.  Questions: “What are the key elements of the translation process?” “What are the tools’ reliability and validity when used with targeted populations?

Methods: Use translation techniques to translate these tools into native languages of Tagalog and Russian. Perform pilot testing to assess reliability and validity. Prepare clinical explanations to accompany the use of the tools in practice.

Results: Anticipated results include (a) reliability within standard .70 for new tool (b) validity assessed with focus groups, (c) process log maintained of experiences.

Conclusion:  Translation of key assessment tools advances the sharing of clinical expertise, builds on current collegial relationships, and spreads the influence of nursing research and its contribution to nursing science globally.