Evaluation of social problem-solving abilities in rural home health visitors and visiting nurses.
A number of studies have shown the value of using home health visitors and visiting nurses in intervention outreach programs designed to provide pre- and postnatal care for low-income women. The purpose of this study was to compare the abilities of a selected sample of professionally trained nurses and nonprofessionally trained home health visitors to suggest and prioritize solutions to a medical dilemma. Data were gathered by the use of a Practical Solutions Test and a Ranking Solutions Procedure. The subjects for the study were 77 females residing in rural counties in West Alabama. The four study groups were comprised of: (a) trained home visitors with 0 to 6 months of experience, (b) trained home visitors with more than 6 months of experience, (c) professionally trained nurses, and, (d) a control group of women with no training or experience. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings suggest that all of the trained groups were able to generate more solutions to a typical client medical dilemma than could the control group: F(3.76) = 11.79; p = .0001. Faced with the same medical dilemma, the nursing group was more likely to suggest medical options over socioemotional solutions than were the home visitors: chi 2(3.76) = 9.41; p = .02. The nurses also prioritized the solutions differently by ranking them in a different sequence.
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D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000407:Alabama; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016294:Models, Nursing; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000592:standards*; D011340:Problem Solving; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards*; D012424:Rural Population; D012940:Social Problems