“Impaired Resilience (00210)” in patients under fertility treatment: Clinical validation study

Purpose

The aim of this study was a clinical validation of the NANDA-I nursing diagnosis “Impaired Resilience (00210)” in people under fertility treatment and determination of the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of the defining characteristics.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2019 and June 2020. A total of 104 patients were recruited through fertility-related websites, and they answered an online questionnaire after giving informed consent. The Rasch model was used for statistical analysis. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee.

Findings

The “Impaired Resilience (00210)” had a prevalence of 15.4% in the sample, and seven defining characteristics confirmed as representative are “decreased interest in vocational activities,” “depression,” “impaired health status,” “ineffective coping strategies,” “low self-esteem,” “renewed elevation of distress,” and “social isolation.” No item showed differential item functioning. “Renewed elevation of distress” and “low self-esteem” were the most sensitive defining characteristics and had the highest negative predictive value. “Shame” was the most specific one.

Conclusions

The nursing diagnosis “Impaired Resilience (00210)” was validated, and results may improve its accuracy in people going through fertility treatment.

Implications for nursing practice

This paper contributes by raising knowledge regarding NANDA-I nursing diagnosis and enhancing the quality of nurses’ critical judgment and clinical reasoning. A more effective assessment will allow early recognition of patients struggling with adversity during fertility treatment and enhance a nursing resilience approach in the reproductive field.