SCALE FOR RANKING HEALTH CONDITIONS AND PROBLEMS IN FAMILY NURSING

PRACTICE*
CRITERIA

SUB-CRITERIA**

1. NATURE a. Wellness state

(3)
b. Health deficit
c. Health threat
d. Foreseeable crisis
2.
a.
Current
knowledge,
MODIFIABILI technology and interventions
TY (2)
b. Resources of the community
where family lives
c. resources of the family
d. Resources of the health
worker

SCAL
E
GIVE
N
3
3
2
1
.5**
.5**
.5**
.5**

INTERPRETATION

EASILY
MODIFIABL

WEIGHT
FOR
EACH
CRITERI
ON
1

E
1-1.5**PARTIALLY
MODIFIABL
E
0-.5**
NOT
MODIFIABLE

3.PREVENTI
VE
POTENTIAL
(3)

a. Gravity or severity of the .75** 3

HIGH
1
problem
.75** PREVENTIVE
POTENTIAL
b. Duration of the problem
.75**
1.5c. Current and appropriateness
of management
.75** 2.25**MODERATE PP
0-.75**
LOW PP
d.
Exposure
of
any
vulnerable/high risk group
4. SALIENCE a. Perceived by family as
2
HIGH SALIENCE
1
(2)
needing immediate attention
1
LOW SALIENCE
b. Perceived by family as not
0
NO SALIENCE
needing immediate attention
c. Not perceived as problem or
does not need change
TOTAL SCORE OF A PROBLEM CONSIDERED AS HIGHEST PRIORITY
5
*Adopted from the original scale developed by Salvacion G. Bailon and Araceli S.
Maglaya (1978) which was updated by Araceli S. Maglaya in 2003, 2004 and 2009.
There were no changes in the criteria, sub-criteria, scores and weight made.
**These were made more detail in order to consider the significance of each subcriterion or factor, objectivity and specificity in justification and more importantly, in
prioritization. These details were also based on the post-script indicated by Bailon
and Maglaya that the figures (0,1,2,3) for weights and scale values are arbitrary,
dictated more by convenience in computation.
HOW TO SCORE, JUSTIFY AND COMPUTE:
1. Review the data gathered to determine if there is any criterion or sub-criteria
that is missing. If there is, complete first the missing data because
computation, justification and prioritization cannot be possible if there is
missing data.
2. Decide on a score for each of the criteria, while considering all the sub-criteria.
Justify why you gave such score based on the results of first and second level
assessment results.

3. Compute by dividing the score given to each criterion over the highest possible
score that can be given to that criterion then multiply by the eight.
4. Sum up all the scores in each criterion. A problem that gets a perfect score of 5
is considered to be the highest priority problem over all the other problems. Not
all priority problems will receive a perfect score of 5.
5. Do scoring and computation for all the problems identified. In general, the
problem that gets the highest score is considered as the first priority problem.

EXAMPLE 2 (NOT BASED ON THE GIVEN CASE SITUATION): JUSTIFICATION OR EXPLANATION OF THE PROBLEM AND
PRIORITIZATION AND HOW TO OBJECTIVELY CORRECT THE STUDENTS OUTPUT AND GRADE THE ABILITY OF THE
STUDENT UNDER PRIORITIZATION OF PROBLEM IN THE NURSING PROCESS PORTION OF THE EVALUATION TOOL
SAMPLE HEALTH PROBLEM: COUGH AND COLDS AS A HEALTH DEFICIT (total perfect score for the prioritization
of this problem = 36/36)
CRITERIA
JUSTIFICATION (+INTERPRETATION)
COMPUTATI
ACTUA
ON
L
SCORE
NATURE
It is an ACTUAL ILLNESS CONDITION or a failure in health maintenance 3/3 x 1 =
1
(classification of that needs immediate attention to prevent complications of
the condition or bronchitis, broncho-pneumonia, etc.
problem)
MODIFIABILITY
This health problem is considered to be EASILY MODIFIABLE because 2/2 x 2 =
2

of the presence of the following resources/justifications:

(resources)
a) A two-day cough and colds of viral in origin is a self-limiting
disease and does not require medicines and high technology
for diagnosis and treatment. (current knowledge, technology
and interventions*) (.5)
b) The community where the family lives has many fruits rich in
vitamin C such as guava, lemon, oranges, pomelo that are sold
at affordable prices. The community leaders see to it that
prices of basic commodities in the market are given at
affordable prices (community resources*) (.5)
c) The family has sufficient water and other forms of liquid
available in the home, they are convinced that water is the
most indispensable medicine, eats adequate food and fresh
vegetables and possesses knowledge of ways on how to care
for the children with cough and colds. (family resources*) (.5)

d) The Rural Health Midwife is willing and has time and concern
to help the family. In act, she does home visit regularly
(resources of the health worker*) (.5)
PREVENTIVE
The problem has a HIGH PREVENTIVE POTENTIAL because of the 3/3 x 1 =
1
POTENTIAL
following justifications:

(of
future
a) Cough and cold of 2 days duration is not severe and can still
problems)
be self-limiting if interventions are done to resolve it. (gravity
or severity*) (.75)
b) It has been occurring for 2 days only and no complications
have set in yet, therefore, it is easier to resolve. (short
duration) (.75)
c) The management instituted by the family which is balanced
diet, 1 glass of water every hour, non-exposure to extremes of
temperature are APPROPRIATE for cough and colds (current &
appropriateness of management initiated by family) (.75)
d) Manuel has his mother and two other younger siblings who
can also be infected with cough and colds and that
complications of pneumonia and bronchitis will be prevented if
the current problem is resolved. (exposure of vulnerable/at
high risk or the magnitude of FUTURE problems that can be
prevented) (.75)
SALIENCE
The problem has a HIGH SALIENCE because
2/2 x 1 =
1
(family
a) The mother verbalized that it is a common problem in the
perception and
community thus affecting her children. (Familys recognition of
not of the health
the problem) (1)
b) The fact that she immediately instructed her children not to go
workers)
out every now and then and to drink lots of fluid is an
indication of the familys perception of urgency (perception of

urgency) (1)
TOTAL SCORE
5
* Current knowledge and technology include advances of science that are already available to address the
problem, regardless of whether the family has utilized it or not. Utilization will be scored under preventive
potential (appropriateness of management initiated by family)
* Resources of the community this include materials available in the community shared by community people
that can be used to resolve the problem under consideration; availability of support system from the community
(organizations, officials, employed health workers, health facilities, availability of the currently developed
technology to resolve this problem in this particular community, etc)
* Resources of the family include the members attitudes (positive or negative compliance, cooperation with
health worker, philosophy), knowledge and skills in trying to resolve the problem, availability and willingness of a
responsible member to accept the delegated health task, financial and material resources and other properties
that can help in the resolution of their problem.
* Resources of the health worker include positive or caring behaviors and liking for people of the health worker,
knowledge and skills in helping the family and community perform their health tasks, availability and accessibility
or willingness
* Gravity or severity of the problem refers to the progress of the disease/problem indicating extent of damage
on the patient/family; also indicates the prognosis, reversibility or modifiability of the problem. In general, the
more severe the problem is, the lower is the preventive potential of the problem. (Maglaya, A et al, 1997, 2000,
2002, 2004, 2009).
HOW TO GRADE SKILLS PERFORMANCE IN PRIORITIZING THE PROBLEM:
1.
Total the scores earned. Example: If the teacher identified 15 conditions and problems, which should also
be identified by the student and the student prioritized all the 15 problem perfectly, then the student
should be earning a total perfect score of 540 pts (36 pts per problem prioritized x 15 problems/conditions
= 540 pts)
2.
If the number of points allotted for prioritization of problems in the nursing process skills performance is 4
(for example), then the point given to the student for this sub-step will be 4 points (540/540 x 4 = 4).
3.
Therefore, the formula that can be used will be: Total score earned / expected total perfect score x # of
points under prioritization of the problem in the performance checklist or rating scale.