A naturalistic test of Peplau's theory in home visiting

Diane B McNaughton1

  • 1Department of Community and Mental Health Nursing, Rush University College of Nursing, 600 S. Paulina Street, Suite 1030a, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. diane_b_mcnaughton@rush.edu

Nurse-client relationships have been considered the foundation of successful home-visiting programs for vulnerable families. Even though nurse-client relationships are important when working with multiproblem families, relationship theory has not been used to guide interventions in home visiting. Identification of a fitting theory could provide direction for tailoring interventions to families at a "dose" individualized to meet their needs. This article reports a small study that tested the applicability of Peplau's theory of interpersonal relations in nursing (Peplau, 1952/1991) in the context of home visiting. Five prenatal clients and public health nurses participated in the study. Home visits were observed and audio-recorded beginning with the first prenatal home visit and ending in the early postpartum period. Audiotapes were transcribed and analyzed using a start list of codes based on Peplau's theory. Changes in the percentage of interaction assigned to the relationship phases along with a rating from the Relationship Form were compared over time to determine whether relationships progressed as predicted by Peplau. Findings of this study supported Peplau's theory. Implications for nursing practice and research are discussed.

Related Concept Videos

Naturalistic Observations02:30

Naturalistic Observations

If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. However, people might change their behavior in unexpected ways if they know they are being observed. How do researchers obtain accurate information when people tend to hide their natural behavior? As an example, imagine that your professor asks everyone in your class to raise their hand if they always wash their hands after using the restroom. Chances...
Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting01:29

Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting

Documentation in long-term care facilities and home healthcare settings is crucial for ensuring continuous, coordinated, and comprehensive care for patients. Each setting has its specific documentation processes and tools:
Long-Term Care Facilities
The Nativist Approach01:21

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to exist...
Observational Studies01:11

Observational Studies

Observational studies are a type of analytical study where researchers observe events without any interventions. In other words, the researcher does not influence the response variable or the experiment's outcome.
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One example of...
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood03:34

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships.
Nursing Evaluation01:15

Nursing Evaluation

The evaluation stage signals the end of the nursing process. The nurse gathers evaluative data to assess whether or not the patient has attained the expected results. Whereas the nurse collects data in the nursing assessment to identify the patient's health concerns, the evaluation stage data determines if the indicated health issues are resolved. Evaluative data collection includes two sections: the data acquired to evaluate patient outcomes and the time criteria for data collection.
Section...