Assessment Tools

Running head: 1 Assessment Tools Analysis Paper Tricia E Topping University of Phoenix NUR/440 Karen Harriman April 16, 2012 Assessment Tools Analysis Paper 11/13/12 8:13 PM http://www. scribd. com/doc/104725000/Assessment-Tools-Analysis-Paper Page 2 of 12 April 16, 2012 2 Assessment Tools Analysis Paper Assessment tools are used in nursing to enhance the overall assessment phase of the nursing process. The assessment tools that I have selected to analyze are: The Spiritual Well- Being Scale (SWBS), The Hassles and Uplifts Inventory, and The Well Being Picture Scale (WBPS).

After describing each tool and it’s benefits within the nursing process, I will apply them to the vulnerable population of person’s with Down syndrome. Spiritual Well-Being Scale “The Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) is a general indicator of perceived well- being” (lifeadvance. com). During its creation by doctors Ellison and Paloutzian, they found a need for Assessment Tools Analysis Paper 11/13/12 8:13 PM http://www. scribd. com/doc/104725000/Assessment-Tools-Analysis-Paper Page 3 of 12 people to be able to describe their thoughts on spirituality in their own terms.

This concept gives spiritual followers a greater sense of self worth and a reason to continue their spiritual beliefs. It also gives purpose to the congregation and individual members for continuing to spread the message of their beliefs to others. Having the ability to believe in a higher being, to talk and pray to this entity, empowers a person beyond normal daily activities. It allows for the creation of self peace and guidance in times of trouble. “Being religious or having spiritual beliefs has been linked to improved health and well-being in several empirical studies” (Grow et. ll). The SWBS is inexpensive tool and can be utilized by any person or population. It is very simple to use, is self-administered and takes between 10-15 minutes. “It is a paper and pencil survey currently available in both English and Spanish… and was designed to assess people’s perception of their own spiritual well-being” (lifeadvance. com). The SWBS can be used by nurses within the assessment process to help guide and show a patient’s level of spiritual well- 3 being.

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A higher level of spiritual well-being can be associated with improved health and better recognition of self limitations and spiritual peace if faced with a life threatening diagnosis. As the SWBS is a simple tool, it would be effective for a health care worker to use with a high functioning adult with Down syndrome. With slight modification to questions for ease of understanding, and possible verbal presentation, a health care provider could present the tools and interpret the results as with any other adult.

The community in which one worships acts as a support system for it’s members. Many families with children affected by Downs or similar disorders turn to a spiritual community for support and acceptance. These communities assist to foster the growth of the child into a spiritual adult, giving them a better sense of self worth, a Assessment positive belief in a higher power, and a functional place within a small population. Because of this, the SWBS can be an effective tool to enhance the assessment of an adult Downs patient.

Hassles and Uplifts Scales The Hassles and Uplifts Scales (HSUP) were created as a more positive approach to recognizing daily stressors in our lives. A modification of the Hassles scale, the HSUP is a combination of the Hassles scale with 117 items identifying life’s stressors, and the Uplifts scales including 135 items identifying daily positive encounters. The HSUP contains “fifty-three items worked so that the respondent can indicate whether a given transaction is a hassle, uplift, or both” (Lazarus & Folkman, 2011).

By combining the two scales, a positive emphasis was placed on daily activities, rather than focusing on the negative stressors of the Hassles scale. “The Uplifts scale suggests how positive aspects of daily life counteract the damaging effects of stress” (Lazarus & Folkman, 2011). Brought together in the HSUP scale, the positive influences 4 and negative effects of stressors in a person’s daily life can be identified. If the negative stressors are prevalent, it is then within the power of the individual to increase the number of uplifting events while decreasing or overcoming the stressors.

This information is very useful to identify while performing a health assessment. If a patient is found to have an overwhelming number of stressors or hassles and few to little uplifts, their emotional and physical well-being could be compromised. Too many negative stressors can lead to an inability to cope and cause damaging effect. Assisting a patient to identify both stressors and uplifts can allow them to develop their own coping mechanisms as well as introduce more positive interactions throughout Assessment Tools Analysis Paper 11/13/12 8:13 PM ttp://www. scribd. com/doc/104725000/Assessment-Tools-Analysis-Paper Page 5 of 12 their day. The HSUP is also an inexpensive and simple tool that can be performed during a health care assessment and take approximately 10 minutes for an adult to complete. By identifying the 53 phrases as either a hassle or uplift and giving each a numerical value from 0-3, the test can be scored quickly providing immediate results for the patient. This is important because is allows the nurse to quickly recognize positive and negative influences.

The patient can then be made aware of the outcome. This allows the patient and nurse or health care provider to collaborate together to balance out the hassles and increase the uplifting experiences. The HSUP, like the SWBS, can be easily used in assessments of higher functioning adults with Downs. If needed, slight modification to the 0-3 numerical rating can be done. Instead of assigning a number to an uplift or hassle, the patient could more easily identify a positive or negative experience in their daily activities.

By then focusing on the uplifting/positive experiences, a patient with Downs could recognize the experiences that create happiness, learning to try and experience these more often. This assessment tool can also be used easily by members of the patient’s family to assist them in identifying situations that cause increased stress. Assisting the family in recognizing Developers / API Legal Terms Privacy Copyright © Copyright 2012 Scribd Inc. Language: English

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