Expert Validation and Differentiation of the Nursing Diagnoses Anxiety and Fear

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Abstract
In this study, the author (a) identifies and validates critical and supportive characteristics of the nursing diagnosis anxiety , and (b) differentiates the defining characteristics of the nursing diagnosis anxiety from the nursing diagnosis fear . The sample consisted of 233 nurses with a master's degree in psychiatric‐mental health nursing or medical‐surgical nursing. The study design followed the nurse validation model of Gordon and Sweeney (1979) as expanded by Fehring (1986, 1987). Following concept analyses of anxiety and fear , the author developed three instruments for rating characteristics as to how representative they were of fear or anxiety . Three critical defining characteristics were identified for anxiety and six critical defining characteristics were identified for fear . Nurses differentiated between the two diagnoses but also suggested the presence of a fear‐anxiety syndrome in some clients.

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