Purpose: To validate the nursing diagnosis anxiety as experienced by adult patients undergoing bone marrow transplant (BMT).
Methods: Using a descriptive, longitudinal design, data were collected on the first day of conditioning, 25 days later, and 100 days post-transplant. Study tools included the State/Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Graphic Anxiety Scale (GAS), and the Defining Characteristics Tool (DCT).
Findings: A significant positive correlation was found between patient STAI and GAS scores and STAI and DCT scores at Times 1 and 2, between DCT and GAS scores at Time 2, and between patient DCT scores and significant other DCT scores at Times 1 and 2. Eighteen critical and supporting defining characteristics were identified by the patient, 20 by the significant other, and 9 by the nurse. Significant others were found to be a valid resource in identification of the patients' level of anxiety, as well as the defining characteristics of anxiety.
Conclusions: A tool that consists of the critical and supporting defining characteristics of anxiety, as experienced by patients undergoing BMT, is recommended for further development and testing. Use of a visual analog scale to assess anxiety in clinical environments should be considered.
Practice implications: Availability of clinically valid and reliable tools to help assess anxiety in this patient population could enhance patient outcomes. Recognizing and incorporating significant others' assessment of patient anxiety is important data to be considered in the planning and delivery of patient care.