The McGill model of nursing and children with a chronic-condition: "who benefits, and why?".

This study sought to understand why and how the psychosocial adjustment of children between the ages of four and 16 with a chronic illness was improved by a year-long nursing trial (1990-1991), guided by the McGill Model of Nursing. We examined the characteristics of children whose adjustment improved (improvers), who remained within the normal range (adjusted), and who deteriorated (clinical rangers). Improvers and clinical rangers presented with similar characteristics, and a profile analysis was conducted to understand why one group improved while the other did not. Four pathways leading to improvement were identified. The effectiveness of the nursing appeared to be related to engagement with the nurse and to features of the nursing.