Content Validation of Hopelessness in Slovakia and Czech Republic

PURPOSE. The purpose of this study was to validate the content of nursing diagnosis hopelessness in Slovak and Czech social and cultural contexts. METHODS. The Fehring's Diagnostic Content Validity Model was used to measure the importance of diagnostic characteristics of hopelessness. FINDINGS. Only three NANDA characteristics and five Nowotny Hope Scale characteristics have reached the value of weighted average of the scores for defining characteristics. CONCLUSION. NANDA characteristics are concerned with the affective-behavioral dimension of hopelessness. Nowotny Hope Scale characteristics that reached high importance in our study are concerned with its cognitive-temporal dimension. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE. The defining characteristics of hopelessness identified in our study could be tested in the development of instrument to measure hope in clinical practice.