The relationship between characteristics of nurses and their attitude toward nursing diagnosis: a cluster analysis

Abstract

Aims and objectives To classify a sample of nurses into groups with similar attitude towards nursing diagnosis (ND), using the cluster analysis method, to explore differences in the characteristics between the identified profile groups. The characteristics tested included sociodemographic and professional aspects, and the degree of contact with ND.

Methods A cross-sectional explorative design was used in a convenience sample of 548 registered nurses (RNs) was recruited through snowball sampling between the contacts of collaborators of the research group. It was used the Nursing Diagnosis Scale (PND): a 20-item scale that uses the semantic differential method to assess attitudes towards ND. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise data. A hierarchical cluster analysis was employed to categorise the participants into mutually exclusive clusters with similar attitude profiles based on their responses to the 20 items of the PND. Results A three-cluster solution was considered the most suitable. Clusters 1, 2 and 3 comprise RNs with positive, neutral and negative attitudes towards ND, respectively. Conclusion RNs who work in the management field show a better attitude. The increasing awareness of the Spanish managers regarding the benefits of the use of ND in practice could be related to this finding. Contact with ND appears to be a common factor among nurses with positive attitudes; the greater the interaction with ND by nurses, the better the attitudes.