Perceived level of knowledge and difficulty in applying family assessment among senior undergraduate nursing students

J Fam Nurs. 2010 May;16(2):177-95. doi: 10.1177/1074840710366566.

Abstract

Because the structure, development, and functioning of a family plays an important role in health and illness, preparing nursing students to assess families in health care settings is of critical importance. A quasi-experimental design using a pre- and postcourse questionnaire was used to examine students' perceived knowledge about family assessment and perceived difficulty applying family assessment in the clinical setting. The Calgary Family Assessment Model (CFAM) was taught in an elective nursing course, "Families in Health and Illness," offered at the University of Hong Kong. At the completion of the course, 46 senior baccalaureate nursing students showed a significant increase in their perceived understanding of all subcategories in CFAM compared with the control group of 43 senior baccalaureate nursing students who completed an elective nursing course in women's health. Teaching family nursing assessment in undergraduate programs may be useful in ensuring that nurses attend to families in practice.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Attitude of Health Personnel*
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Clinical Competence*
  • Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / organization & administration*
  • Educational Measurement
  • Family Nursing / organization & administration*
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Hong Kong
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Models, Nursing
  • Nursing Assessment / organization & administration*
  • Nursing Education Research
  • Nursing Methodology Research
  • Program Evaluation
  • Regression Analysis
  • Self Efficacy
  • Students, Nursing / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires