Abstract

The experimental study attempted to determine whether pre-admission crisis nursing intervention had any effect on the level of anxiety of elderly people when they were transferred from an acute hospital to a nursing home.

The literature review related to trends in numbers of nursing homes and in the increase in longevity. Several articles indicated that the aged, as a group, lacked power to alter their situations. The need for patients to express their feelings and participate in their own decisions was stressed in various studies. Other theories discussed theoretical aspects and goals of crisis intervention. Several articles suggested that crisis intervention was effective with the elderly and that nurses, being closest to and respected by them, seemed to be in a unique position to implement such intervention.

Twenty-four elderly patients, ranging in age from 67 to 89, were chosen for the study. These patients were placed conveniently in one of the three groups--A, an experimental group receiving pre-admission crisis nursing intervention; B, a second experimental group which received routine counseling by a hospital social worker; and C, a control group admitted from any hospital not on the selected list to one of the listed nursing homes. Data were collected from September 1975 to May 1976.

Two guidelines for interviewing were developed prior to the study to provide maximum control over unnecessary variability in implementing the crisis nursing intervention and test administration.

The data were obtained by the use of Multiple Affect Adjective Check List (MAACL) which was designed to measure the level of anxiety, depression and hostility of the patient the day he was admitted to the nursing home. Data were tabulated and analyzed by the computer.

Analysis of variance was done comparing Groups A, B, and C, but there was no significant difference in their level of anxiety, depression and hostility.

T-tests on Groups A and B, A and C, and B and C showed a significant difference in the mean anxiety level (P = .02) between Groups A and B. However, groups were not equal in terms of the decision variable (patient's decision versus other's decision) which made a significant difference in anxiety, depression and hostility. Taking the decision variable into account, further analysis looked at Groups A, B, and C. There was no significant difference among the three groups. However, Group A gave lower values for anxiety, depression and hostility than either Group B or Group C. This would lead one to suspect that further study with a larger sized sample might show a significance in the variables between the respective groups.

LLU Discipline

Nursing

Department

Nursing

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

Esther E. Sellers

Second Advisor

Richard Banks

Third Advisor

Astrid King

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1975

Date (Title Page)

6-1976

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Aged -- psychology; Nursing Homes

Type

Thesis

Page Count

viii; 85

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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