Short hospitalizations and increasingly stringent regulation of eligibility for home health services have changed the role of family caregivers for people with cancer. More than ever, family members are now extensively involved in care that requires complex problem-solving and clinical judgement, as well as symptom management and procedural skills. Helping families to develop caregiving skill is an integral part of the community health nursing role. However, no research-based tool exists that allows nurses to systematically assess levels of family caregiving skill. This presentation will report on the development of a new assessment tool for advanced practice nursing in home care: The Family Caregiving Skill Profile (FCSP). This new instrument was developed from qualitative research in which family caregiving skill was defined as the ability to carry out nine caregiving processes effectively and smoothly. The FCSP is currently undergoing refinement and revision in a series of psychometric studies. This paper will describe the FCSP and report the results of the initial psychometric study conducted with 50 family caregivers of people with cancer. At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to describe the nine caregiving processes and 62 indicators of skill that comprise the FCSP; describe the administration and scoring of the FSCP; describe the psychometric properties of the instrument, and articulate its relevance for practice. As home care for complex conditions increasingly is provided by families, it is imperative that home care nurses have the tools needed for in-depth assessment of families’ skill development needs.
Learning Objectives: Describe the 9 processes and 62 indicators of family caregiving skill that comprise the Family Caregiving Skill Profile (FCSP). Describe the administration and scoring of the FCSP. Describe the psychometric properties of the FSCP. Articulate the relevance of the FCSP for research and practice.
Keywords: Cancer, Caregivers
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.