Publication year
2012Author(s)
Number of pages
12 p.
Source
Journal of Clinical Nursing, 21, 21-22, (2012), pp. 3025-3036ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor

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Organization
Primary and Community Care
Geriatrics
IQ Healthcare
SW OZ DCC NRP
Medical Psychology
Journal title
Journal of Clinical Nursing
Volume
vol. 21
Issue
iss. 21-22
Languages used
English (eng)
Page start
p. 3025
Page end
p. 3036
Subject
DCN PAC - Perception action and control NCEBP 11: Alzheimer Centre; DI-BCB_DCC_Theme 3: Plasticity and Memory; NCEBP 11: Alzheimer Centre; NCEBP 6: Quality of nursing and allied health care; NCEBP 6: Quality of nursing and allied health care ONCOL 4: Quality of Care; NCEBP 7: Effective primary care and public health; NCEBP 8 - Psychological determinants of chronic illness DCN PAC - Perception action and control; Neuropsychology and rehabilitation psychology; Neuro- en revalidatiepsychologieAbstract
Aims and objectives. To examine the psychometric properties of the Nurses' Observation Scale for Cognitive Abilities. Background. Nurses' Observation Scale for Cognitive Abilities is a behavioural rating scale comprising eight subscales that represent different cognitive domains. It is based on observations during contact between nurse and patient. Design. Observational study. Methods. A total of 50 patients from two geriatric wards in acute care hospitals participated in this study. Reliability was examined via internal consistency and inter-rater reliability. Construct validity of the Nurses' Observation Scale for Cognitive Abilities and its subscales were explored by means of convergent and divergent validity and post hoc analyses for group differences. Results. Cronbach's alphas of the total Nurses' Observation Scale for Cognitive Abilities and its subscales were 0.98 and 0.66-0.93, respectively. The item-total correlations were satisfactory (overall > 0.4). The intra-class coefficients were good (37 of 39 items > 0.4). The convergent validity of the Nurses' Observation Scale for Cognitive Abilities against cognitive ratings (MMSE, NOSGER) and severity of dementia (Clinical Dementia Rating) demonstrated satisfactory correlations (0.59-0.70, p < 0.01), except for IQCODE (0.30, p > 0.05). The divergent validity of the Nurses' Observation Scale for Cognitive Abilities against depressive symptoms was low (0.12, p > 0.05). The construct validity of the Nurses' Observation Scale for Cognitive Abilities subscales against 13 specific neuropsychological tests showed correlations varying from poor to fair (0.18-0.74; 10 of 13 correlations p < 0.05). Conclusions. Validity and reliability of the total Nurses' Observation Scale for Cognitive Abilities are excellent. The correlations between the Nurses' Observation Scale for Cognitive Abilities subscales and standard neuropsychological tests were moderate. More conclusive results may be found if the Nurses' Observation Scale for Cognitive Abilities subscales were to be validated using more ecologically valid tests and in a patient population with less cognitive impairment. Relevance to clinical practice. Use of the Nurses' Observation Scale for Cognitive Abilities yields standardised, reliable and valid information about patient's cognitive behaviour in daily practice. The Nurses' Observation Scale for Cognitive Abilities aids in tailoring nursing interventions to patients' specific cognitive needs. We advocate the implementation of the Nurses' Observation Scale for Cognitive Abilities both in research and at geriatric units in acute care hospitals.
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Academic publications [227436]
- Faculty of Medical Sciences [86157]
- Faculty of Social Sciences [28417]
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