Developing an instrument to evaluate suffering related to care.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Caring Science
• Healthcare Quality

Background:

• Increased interest in suffering within nursing and caring science.
• Suffering is a key aspect of patient care that requires attention.
• Existing methods for assessing suffering in care may be insufficient.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the validity and reliability of a new instrument designed to assess suffering related to care.
• To lay the groundwork for a scale to continuously evaluate the quality of care.
• To contribute to a better understanding of suffering in the nursing context.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving 130 nurses (head nurses, supervisors, Registered Nurses) at a Finnish university hospital.
• Administration of a newly developed questionnaire to assess suffering related to care.
• Principal component analysis for validity and internal consistency testing for reliability.

Main Results:

• The instrument demonstrated a reasonable level of consistency and reliability.
• Principal component analysis yielded a four-factor solution.
• The four dimensions identified correspond with the theoretical framework of suffering in care.

Conclusions:

• The developed instrument shows promise for identifying suffering related to care.
• The instrument's four dimensions align with the theoretical underpinnings.
• Further validation and refinement through confirmatory factor analysis are planned.
• This work aims to advance thinking in nursing care quality assessment.