Digital Commons Network^™

Testing A Theory Of Decision Making Derived From King's Systems Framework In Women Eligible For A Cancer Clinical Trial, H.E. Ehrenberger, M.R. Alligood, Sandra Thomas, D.C. Wallace, C.M. Licavoli

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

The purpose of this study was to test an explanatory theory of decision-making in women eligible for a cancer clinical trial. The theory derived from King’s framework proposed that the concepts of uncertainty, role functioning, and social support relate to emotional health (hope and mood state), which in turn relates to the treatment decision. A correlational study design was used to test the theory in a sample of 40 women. Findings provided empirical evidence of the adequacy of King’s framework and supported, in part, theorized relationships among the critical factors. However, these factors did not illuminate the treatment decision.

Differentiation And Treatment Of Anemia In Hiv Disease, Kenneth D. Phillips, M Groer

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

Anemia is a frequent complication of HIV disease that contributes to decreased quality of life and increased morbidity and mortality. The three major categories of anemia in HIV disease are anemia due to impaired red blood cell production, anemia due to increased red blood cell destruction, and anemia due to increased red blood cell loss. Although anemia of chronic illness is the most common type of anemia in HIV disease, other classifications of anemia may be encountered. Understanding the pathophysiology of anemia and laboratory tests that are frequently used to establish the differential diagnosis of anemia helps to ensure that …

What's Therapeutic About The Therapeutic Milieu?, Sandra Thomas, M. Shattell, T. Martin

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

While the milieu of an inpatient facility is considered a treatment modality, extant literature focuses on the staff's role in creating the milieu rather than the patient's perception of it. Not since Goffman's Asylums (1961) has there been an in-depth examination of the phenomenal world of the hospitalized psychiatric patient. In this study, eight inpatients (ages 23 to 58) on the acute psychiatric unit of a metropolitan general hospital participated in phenomenological interviews about their experience of the environment. The essential meaning of the hospital was refuge from self-destructiveness. Prominent aspects of patients' experience within the place of refuge were …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experience Of The Spouse Of A Heart Transplant Recipient, A.H. Mccurry, Sandra Thomas

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

In this phenomenological study, in-depth interviews were used to obtain a description of spouses’ experiences in heart transplantation. Thematic analysis of the transcripts revealed four major, interrelated themes: death-life, vigilance, change, and gift. The experience was contextualized by the existential grounds of time and other people. Findings suggested that the changes inherent in the transplant experience have not been fully described in previous studies. The theme of death-life was dominant and pervasive in all interviews. As the threat of their husbands’ deaths became less prominent, wives reported difficulty letting go of their vigilance. Although the most outstanding gift was that …

Incidence And Correlates Of Violence Among Hiv-Infected Women At Risk For Pregnancy In The Southeastern United States, R.L. Sowell, Kenneth D. Phillips, B. Seals, C. Murdaugh, C. Rush

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

To identify the incidence and correlates of physical and sexual violence among HIV-infected women at risk for pregnancy, a cross-sectional examination was conducted within a longitudinal study of reproductive decision making. Participants consisted of 275 HIVinfected women 17 to 49 years of age (mean = 30.1 years).Women were predominantly African American (87%) and single (82%), with annual incomes of $10,000 or less (66%). Overall, 68% of the women reported experiencing lifetime physical and/or sexual violence. Before becoming HIV infected, 65% of the women reported having been physically or sexually abused. After HIV diagnosis, 33% of the women reported experiencing physical …

Age Differences In Anger Frequency, Intensity, And Expression, Sandra Thomas

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

BACKGROUND: Although research consistently indicates harmful effects of mismanaged anger, little attention has been given to age differences in the experience and expression of this emotion. It is plausible that, with age and experience, people have less intense anger or learn to manage it more constructively.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this project was to examine age differences in anger frequency, intensity, and expression in a nonclinical sample of students, faculty, and staff who participated in a health fair at a large southeastern university.

STUDY DESIGN: This descriptive study involved a predominantly white sample, ranging in age from 18 to 76 …