Friendship Network Satisfaction: A multifaceted construct scored as a unidimensional scale.

Although satisfying friendships are crucial for well-being throughout adulthood, measures of friendship satisfaction have been limited by: (1) item content relevant to children only, (2) a focus on single relationships rather than the friendship network, and (3) disagreement about the number of dimensions necessary to capture the construct. To overcome these limitations, we assembled an item pool from a number of existing measures, created additional items drawn from research on friendships, and then examined the structure and psychometric properties of those items in two online surveys of over 2000 respondents each. Factor analyses consistently identified two correlated factors-closeness and socializing-but bi-factor modeling revealed that scores on both subscales load strongly on a general factor, suggesting that the multifaceted content can be scored efficiently as a unidimensional composite. Analyses using item response theory (IRT) supported the creation of a reliable 14-item instrument that demonstrated adequate convergent and predictive validity. Thus, the Friendship Network Satisfaction (FNS) Scale is a psychometrically sound tool to advance research on friendships across the lifespan.

Healing presence.

Medicine is the art and science of restoring and preserving health through the healing process. The science of medicine lies in evidenced based practices and the technological achievements of the last century, which enable practitioners to preserve the physical body. A growing number of research articles and writings have also appeared addressing the spiritual dimension of healing (the art of medicine), which often ignored creates a gap in the medical care of the patient. The spiritual aspects of medical care are explored based on the experience of the doctor-patient encounter. Three case studies of various clinical settings are presented to begin to look at the spiritual aspect of healing and better define its incorporation in the encounters with patients. The author reflects on the skills and concepts that begin to define the spiritual dimension of care: communication (listening, speaking), connection (space, safety, and sacredness), and communion through which healing can occur. As health care professionals we can be a "healing" (Hopeful, Empathetic, Attentive, Loving, Intentional, Nourishing, Grateful) presence taking care of the physical, mental and spiritual needs of our patients in our encounters with them, bringing them back to health and wholeness.