Role adaptation in the employed adult female caregiver following transitional nursing support (parent-daughter)

This study addressed the question: Will transition support for midlife women during role transition to caregiver or care manager for their elderly parents lead to role adaptation and decrease role insufficiency? A systematic sample of 30 women between the ages of 30 and 60 was drawn from a pool of employees of a large health science center in the Southwest; their mothers were also asked to volunteer as research subjects. A before-after two group with random assignment design was used to determine the effects of a nurse-led support group on role adaptation of midlife women during role transition. Role adaptation was measured by correlating the scores of mother and daughter pairs on the Brackley Concerns of Aging Scale. The level of role insufficiency was determined by a score on Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale. The independent variables were social support and the nurse-led group. A two-way analysis of covariance was calculated to test each hypothesis. Hypothesis 1 which predicted a decrease in role insufficiency following transitional nursing support was rejected. Support was found for Hypothesis 2 which specified an increase in role adaptation following transitional nursing support. Alpha was set at p (LESSTHEQ) .05.