| Learning Objective #1: Formulate three methods of deriving outcomes within psychiatric consultation-liaison nursing | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Generate outcome indicators for patients, families, staff and administrators within psychiatric consultation-liaison nursing |
Objective: To develop categories of outcome indicators used by psychiatric consultation-liaison nurses (PCLNs) in evaluating their interventions.
Design: Content validity, chart review, and qualitative interview studies.
Population: PCLNs living within the United States.
Concept: Psychosocial outcomes.
Methods: A three-phase program of research was undertaken to systematically describe outcome indicators within psychiatric consultation-liaison nursing (PCLN). The first phase consisted of a content validity study in which items derived from PCLN literature were rated for relevance by a panel of 13 experienced PCLNs. In order to determine outcomes more directly from customary practice of PCLN, 273 consultation notes from PCLNs working in a Midwestern metropolitan hospital were reviewed during the second phase. The third phase entailed an individual interview study with 11 practicing PCLNs designed to elicit outcome indicators related to patients, families, staff, administrators, and the health care system.
Findings: Items from the content validity study rated as highly relevant included those reflecting relief of distress, cooperation with care providers, referral to other professionals, understanding of disease and physical limitations, treatment adherence, and patient/family satisfaction. The consultation note review corroborated these categories and provided additional outcomes: positive patient response to sleep hygiene, pain management, grief counseling, stress management, and diversionary activity, and follow-up with staff about interventions. The interview study revealed more complex outcome categories, including administrative concerns, application of education, collaboration/communication, integration of care, positive attitudes/satisfaction, post-discharge concerns, safety, and self-care.
Conclusions: PCLNs were able to consistently identify major outcome categories that reflect the holistic nature of PCLN interventions and their ability to influence a broad span of health care outcomes.
Implications: PCLN interventions benefit patients, families, and personnel who experience psychosocial distress within health care systems. A projected fourth phase of study will include a national survey of PCLNs to determine the meaningfulness and generalizability of obtained outcome categories.
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Back to 14th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
10-12 July 2003