Accuracy of nursing assessments of patients' level of anxiety prior to myelogram and C.T. scan procedures

This investigation was conducted to determine how accurately nurses can assess their patients' level of anxiety. Data were collected on a total of 20 subjects scheduled for myelogram and computed tomography scan procedures at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, Knoxville, Tennessee. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y (STAI) (Spielberger, 1983) and an Anxiety Inventory Scale (AIS) developed by the researcher were utilized for data collection. The study compared nurses' estimates of patients' level of anxiety with patients' self-ratings.

Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were computed for the STAI and AIS scores according to categories of patient age, gender, education, and income. There were no significant correlations except for patients who were 49 years of age and older. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were also computed to examine relationships between the nurses' education and years of experience and their ability to accurately assess their patients' anxiety. The results indicated that there was no significant correlation for either of these variables.

It was concluded that nurses were unable to accurately assess their patients' anxiety. However, these results should be viewed with caution due to the small sample size and unanticipated situational factors. Implications for future research were discussed.