A Clinical Validation Study of Impaired Physical Mobility of Patients Submitted to Cardiac Catheterization

PURPOSE:  To conduct a Fehring model-based clinical validation of the defining characteristics of the nursing diagnosis of impaired physical mobility in a sample of 250 patients.

METHOD:  Cross-sectional study.

FINDINGS:  Three of the 11 NANDA-International defining characteristics assessed in this study were validated: limited range of motion, limited ability to perform gross motor skills, and difficulty turning. Although discomfort was not validated due to the rarity of occurrence, there was excellent interrater agreement as to its relevance (kappa coefficient).

CONCLUSIONS:  In this setting, three characteristics were validated.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE:  Validation studies are important for advancing evidence-based practice.