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Published on: August 25, 2014

Assessing ambiguity at the family-nurse boundary interface in pediatric health crisis

Patricia S Tomlinson1, Bonnie Lee Harbaugh

  • 1School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Journal of Pediatric Nursing
|January 8, 2005
PubMed

Insights

This study introduces the Family-Nurse Boundary Ambiguity Scale for Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU) to measure family-nurse relationships. The scale demonstrates reliability and validity in assessing these crucial interactions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nursing
  • Family Systems Theory
  • Healthcare Communication

Background:

  • Understanding family-nurse relationships is critical in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
  • Family systems theory provides a framework for examining these interactions.
  • Clear boundaries are essential for effective therapeutic relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conceptualize and measure family-nurse relationships in the PICU.
  • To develop and validate the Family-Nurse Boundary Ambiguity Scale for PICU (FNBAS-PICU).

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative study to inform scale development.
  • Nurse panels for face and content validity.
  • Psychometric testing with 156 parents in four PICUs, including reliability (Cronbach's alpha = .81) and validity assessments.
  • Principal components analysis for construct validation.

Main Results:

  • The Family-Nurse Boundary Ambiguity Scale for PICU (FNBAS-PICU) was developed with 14 items.
  • The scale demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach's alpha = .81).
  • Validity was supported through correlations with illness uncertainty and role alteration stress.

Conclusions:

  • The FNBAS-PICU is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring family-nurse boundary ambiguity in the PICU.
  • This scale can aid in understanding and improving family-nurse relationships in critical care settings.
  • Findings support the application of family systems concepts to PICU nursing practice.

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