Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
1. Cognitive Adaptation Processing Scale (CAPS) a 48 item scale
that reflects coping strategies. Sister Callista Roy, of the Boston
College nursing faculty was a co-investigator. The CAPS is based
on the Roy Adaptation Model focusing on cognitive adaptation
processing (Roy and Andrew, 1999). The CAPS has 3 classes of
stimuli: focal (immediately confronting the person), contextual,
(all other stimuli present) and residual (non specific stimuli, such
as beliefs or attitudes).
2. Profile of Mood States (POMS) a 30-item checklist to describe six
different aspects of emotional processing, that is, tensionanxiety,
depression-dejection, anger-hostility, vigor-activity,
fatigue-inertia, and confusion-bewilderment. This psychological
instrument has been used in many nursing studies. (McNair,
Lorr, & Droppleman1989)
3. Functional Health Status (SF -36) a 36-item instrument that
measures a broad range of physical and mental health concepts
and health states. There are eight subscales: physical
functioning, role physical, bodily pain, mental health, role
emotional, social functioning, and vitality and general health
perceptions. (Ware, 1993)
4. Symptom Distress Scale (SDS) a listing of 15 symptoms with a
rating scale for presence and intensity. Symptoms include:
nausea, appetite, insomnia, pain, fatigue, urinary and bowel
patterns, concentration, breathing and cough, mobility,
appearance, and outlook. Dr. Ruth McCorkle (1987) the nurse
researcher who developed this scale approved a revision of its
rating scale. She had developed this instrument for cancer
patients and changes were needed to reflect a healthier
population. A zero rating was added to the 1-10 scale to reflect
absence of symptom.
5. Open Ended Interview Questions. These questions expanded
upon the quantitative data. Examples include: How would you
describe your overall hospital experience? What did you find to
be most helpful during this week?
The number and length of the instruments required attention to the
time it took subjects to respond, how easily they understood the
interview questions and the most effective order in which to present
the instruments. These authors (O'Neil, Olivieri & Fairchild, 2000)
conducted a pilot study, funded by Boston College entitled
“Evaluation of Data Collection Methods For Ambulatory Surgical
Patients”. This study determined the time for each patient interview
to be approximately 50 minutes and the most effective order of
presentation of the instruments to be SDS; POMS; CAPS; SF36 and
open ended interview questions.
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