Validity of the nursing diagnosis of relocation stress syndrome

Background: There have been no reports of validation studies on the nursing diagnosis of relocation stress syndrome (RSS). Objectives: To validate the presence of some defining characteristics of RS S in a group of long-term care residents relocated en masse to a new facili ty. Methods: This study measured the effects of relocation on 108 elderly resid ents moved from one long-term care facility to another. The presence of fiv e characteristics defining the nursing diagnosis of RSS (dependency, confus ion, anxiety, depression, and withdrawal) were measured using the Multidime nsional Observation Scale for Elderly Subjects (MOSES) scale, a tool previo usly validated for use among similar groups of individuals. Using the Cheni tz model of relocation, measures were taken twice before and twice after th e move to examine changes in these characteristics over time. No extraordin ary efforts were made to alleviate RSS. Results: Repeated measures analysis of variance indicated no differences in the mean scores (p < 0.05) on these factors overall or from one measuremen t period to another. Conclusion: On the basis of the findings from this research and supporting literature, the appropriateness of anticipating RSS during mass moves is qu estioned. Additional research with other measurement tools should be conduc ted to verify these results.