Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Prebriefing In Simulation, Brittany A. Brennan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Quantitative Study Of Learning Effectiveness For Participant Roles In Simulation, Alyssa Zweifel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Follow-Up Nurse Telephone Calls For Heart Failure Patients: A Case Study, Danielle M. Schievelbein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Follow-up care is essential when trying to avoid readmissions for patients who have recently been discharged from a healthcare facility. As evidenced by the literature, multiple strategies have been implemented to help manage the care of heart failure patients; however, readmissions continue to be higher than desired, which implies the current strategies utilized should be reviewed and revised. It is important to evaluate the effectiveness of methods when providing follow-up care that prevents readmissions and is also beneficial and convenient for the patient. The qualitative case study explored a heart failure follow-up protocol completed by a registered nurse using the …

Giving Voice To Adults Living With Cystic Fibrosis: A Phenomenological Study, Brandon M. Varilek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cystic fibrosis is one of the most difficult chronic diseases to manage long-term because of the numerous challenges faced on a day-to-day basis. Historically, these challenges have primarily been studied using quantitative methods given the desire to prolong life. However, simply increasing the quantity of life does not mean that quality of life will improve. It is entirely possible that new treatments may worsen perceived quality of life. What is missing from the current research is the person’s voice regarding the experience of living with cystic fibrosis, especially as they continue to age. The primary purpose of this study was …

Educational Interventions For Women And Their Support Persons On Breastfeeding Outcomes, Alexandra Cordell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

n the United States breastfeeding duration and exclusivity rates are not at ideal levels, therefore there is a need to examine existing interventions. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the effects of education and support interventions during the third trimester, immediate postpartum, and the first six months of life on breastfeeding duration and exclusivity from six weeks to six months. Inclusion criteria were (a) randomized controlled trials or controlled clinical trials, (b) pregnant and/or postpartum women, (c) lactation education and support interventions, (d) measurement of breastfeeding outcomes from six weeks to six months, and (e) published between …

Examining Instructional Methods In End-Of-Life Nursing Education: Lecture Vs. Simulation, Jonathan M. Benson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Undergraduate nursing programs have historically glossed over end-of-life care, if their curricula addressed it at all. This lack of instruction can leave practicing nurses feeling poorly prepared to deliver this specialized care. Feeling incompetent and lacking confidence may lead to poorer attitudes regarding this nursing specialty. Thus, effective continuing education activities are paramount in equipping nurses to provide this care and improve attitudes towards caring for terminally ill patients and their families. The purpose of this study was to examine how registered nurse attitudes towards end-of-life care are impacted using a simulation-based learning experience compared to a traditional face-to-face lecture …

Spirituality, Religiosity, And Perceived Ability To Provide Spiritual Care In Nursing Students, Shannon O'Connell-Persaud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective. The objective of this study was to explore nursing students’ spirituality, religiosity, and perceived ability to provide spiritual care. Background. Nursing students must be prepared to respond to a patient’s spiritual needs. A gap in knowledge exists as to the educational preparedness necessary to provide a nursing student with the ability to respond to a patient’s spiritual need. To address the gap, this study explored the relationships between nursing students’ spirituality, religiosity, and perceived ability to provide spiritual care. Study Setting and Sample. This multi-site study used two accredited nursing programs located in the Western Region of the United …

Searching For A Sense Of Place: The Process Of How Adolescent Girls Overcome Suicidality, Tamara Keefner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suicide and self-harming behaviors are significant public health problems among children and adolescents globally and in the United States. Despite significant advances in recent decades to understand, prevent, and treat childhood and adolescent self-harming and suicide, suicide rates remain high. Since the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention set a goal to reduce suicide deaths and attempts by 40% by 2020, there has been a paradigm shift in the study of suicide yielding significant advances in the understanding of suicide and other forms of self-inflicted injury. This dissertation highlights some of the new developments in the study of suicide. First, …

Understanding Emotional Intelligence And Its Relationship To Clinical Reasoning In Nursing Students: A Mixed Methods Study, Heidi M. Meyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to explore emotional intelligence (EI) and its relationship to clinical reasoning in senior bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) students to gain a better understanding of how emotions are used in clinical learning experiences. This study was guided by the Four Branch Ability Model of EI.
Background. The current complex healthcare environment requires nursing students to be prepared to effectively reason in emotionally charged situations. The concept of EI and its beneficial effects in nursing are becoming more evident in the literature. However, it is still not well understood what the …

Relationship Of Physical Health Risk Screenings In Seriously Mentally Ill With Self-Efficacy For Health, Perception Of Health Risk, And Intention To Follow-Up With Medical Care., Dawn (Vanruler) Bos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Morbidity and mortality occur at higher rates in those with serious mental illness (SMI) than those without SMI. These higher rates are worsening in degree, despite known preventative strategies, such as physical health risk screening (HRS). This study evaluates the relationship of physical HRS with self-efficacy for health prevention behaviors, perception of level of risk of health consequences, and intention to follow up with medical care for identified health risks. The study considers Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) factors related to HRS in individuals with SMI. A HRS tool was administered to 54 adult ambulatory clients from the Midwestern United States …

Health-Promoting Behaviors, Hope, And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Persons Impacted By Parkinson’S Disease, Amy K. Forbes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between hope, health-promoting behaviors, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in persons with Parkinson’s disease.
Background: The incidence of Parkinson’s disease is high in Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States. Parkinson’s disease affects motor and non-motor symptoms and has a variety of complications. Parkinson’s disease is related to genetic and environmental factors. HRQOL decreases in Parkinson’s disease; thus, the effect of hope and health-promoting behaviors on health is crucial as the disease advances.
Methods: A descriptive correlational design was used to guide the study. A convenience sample …

The Impact Of Standardized Patients On Physical Assessment Skills, Clinical Judgment, And Self-Efficacy In Undergraduate Nursing Students, Allison Mueller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The healthcare industry is seeing constant changes in patient acuity, expanding care environments, new healthcare policies, and continual advancements in research and technology. To overcome these challenges, nurses must receive education that adequately prepares them with confidence, clinical judgment, and the proper skills to provide safe and quality care to patients. More specifically, nurses must have strong physical assessment skills, sound clinical judgment, and high levels of self-efficacy (Chong, Lim, Liu, Lau, & Wu, 2016; Institute of Medicine (IOM), 2010). Peer physical assessments are generally the standard for practicing and validating physical assessment skills (Slater, Bryant, & Ng, 2016). Standardized …

Determining The Relationship Among Change Fatigue, Resilience, And Job Satisfaction Of Hospital Staff Nurses, Robin Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine if there is a relationship among change fatigue, resilience, and job satisfaction of hospital staff nurses and if differences exist between novice and experienced staff nurses.

Background: Healthcare is typified by change. Organizational changes have a negative impact on nurses and the effects of organizational change are being overlooked and under researched. Change fatigue is a result of constant organizational change and has not been researched with nurses.

Methods: The study utilized a descriptive correlational design. Participants completed an online survey, using three tools: Change Fatigue Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), …

The Nurse As A Family Caregiver: Their Experience, Their Story, Julie A. Hansen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative narrative research study was to explore and bring more attention to the Registered Nurse in the role of informal caregiver to family members. These caregivers are responsible for the care of parents, spouses, and children. The stories shared in this study are not isolated experiences as more and more nurses are placed in the caregiver role outside of their formal professional role. The number of caregiver roles are expected to increase with the increasing numbers of baby boomers and improved life expectancy.

Pilot Study Of The Effects Of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback On Perceived Stress, Perceived Coping Ability, And Resilience In Accelerated Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Andrea J. Harmelink

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective. The purpose of this quasi-experimental randomized controlled two-group pilot study was to test the effectiveness of a Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback (HRVB) intervention on accelerated baccalaureate nursing (ABN) students’ perceived stress, perceived coping ability, and resilience over four weeks during an academic term of ABN coursework. This study was guided by Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping, with a focus on primary appraisal.
Background. ABN students report higher perceived stress and anxiety compared with nursing students in traditional four-year nursing programs due to the compressed and fast-paced format of the ABN curriculum. Qualitative data points to …

The Learning Experiences Of Immigrants Who Are Graduates Of An Entry-Level Baccalaureate Nursing Program In Minnesota, Marcia L. Scherer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United States faces an immigrant population explosion with more foreignborn residents compared to any country in the world. Each immigrant enters with individual and cultural health beliefs and, as they seek health care, often prefers to receive care from someone who understands and supports their cultural beliefs and customs. Nurses comprise the largest segment of healthcare providers. Within this population of nurses, the number of ethnically diverse nurses continues to stagnate at astoundingly low levels. The literature reviewed neglected to identify interviewing immigrants separate from ethnically diverse nursing students. Understanding the immigrant’s nursing education experiences is essential to addressing …

Relationship Between Self-Care Agency, Self-Care Practices, And Body Mass Index Among Nursing Professionals, Takara Schomberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between self-care agency (SCA), self-care practices (SCP), and Body Mass Index (BMI) among Registered Nurses (RNs) living in an urban South Dakota county. These specific constructs and their relationships have not been researched among nursing professionals. Methods: This study used a non-experimental, predictive correlational approach based on Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory to quantify the relationship between self-care agency and self-care practices and subsequently body mass index (BMI) among nursing professionals. A tracked but anonymous online survey was sent by email via QuestionPro to 210 nursing professionals selected using systematic …

Depression Outcomes In Care Coordination, Primary Care And Psychiatry Patients After Pharmacogenetic Testing, Julie Kittelsrud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective. The purpose of the study is to compare the outcomes of patient activation before and after pharmacogenetic care in a coordinated care population. The process of pharmacogenetic care includes the patient’s acknowledgment of medication changes which are based on their genetic profile. This study will be framed by Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Theory and Davies and Conley’s framework of genetic influences in prescribing anti psychotropic therapy.

Background. Understanding patient’s behavioral reactions to pharmacogenetic care in terms of patient activation is important to understanding patient’s health outcomes. No published studies were identified in literature reviews conducted by this author which …

Sisters Of Mercy: The Walking Nun's Siouxland Journey And Experiences In Nursing (1890-1965), Diane L. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nursing history is like a kaleidoscope, with prisms of time representing the past, present, and future experiences of nursing. The existence of nursing history is unknown until it is written; similar to the shadowed image of a kaleidoscope mirror is the history of the Sisters of Mercy in Siouxland. Uncovered collections, documents, letters, pictorial archives, and oral histories provide a way to examine the work of the Sisters of Mercy in Siouxland in light of the Careful Nursing Model. On December 12, 1831, Catherine McAuley became the Foundress of the Religious Sisters of Mercy Order in Dublin, Ireland. These Sisters …

Go Wish- Pediatrics : Pilot Study Of A Conversation Tool In Pediatric Palliative Care, Meghan Ryan Potthoff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Problem: Difficult conversations and decisions are an unfortunate reality for parents caring for children facing life threatening conditions. Confusing, inadequate, and inconsistent communication by health care providers makes advance care planning difficult in pediatrics.
Design: A mixed methods design was utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of an advance care planning conversation tool, Go Wish- Pediatrics, on the emotional resources and distress experienced by parents caring for children in palliative care.
Methods: For this pilot study, a mailed invitation to participate was sent to 134 parents of children currently enrolled in palliative care which yielded a total of ten participants. …

Risk Factors For Release In Nurses With Substance Use Disorder, Kathleen J. Tinklenberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is defined as the continued use of mood-altering addicting substances despite adverse consequences (Morse & Flavin, 1992). Nurses are not immune from this progressive and fatal disease and if left untreated, a nurse with SUD poses a double jeopardy: risk to the patients and a threat to her or his own health. Many State Boards of Nursing (SBN) have implemented a non-disciplinary alternative to punitive treatment of professionals with SUD; such programs offer monitoring for nurses afflicted with SUD. While studies have found a lower relapse rate for healthcare professionals enrolled in these monitoring programs than …

Living On The Edge: A Humanbecoming Perspective, Robin Peterson-Lund

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Living on the edge is a universal lived experience. The humanbecoming theory of nursing science guided the study. The purposes of this investigation were to reveal the structure of the experience of living on the edge, to understand the lived experience of living on the edge, to reveal and gain insight into the unique ways people live their health. This understanding is essential for nurses to value the person's perspective of their personal health and quality of life. The participants were ten persons living in the frontier of the American west. A review of literature evaluated the existing body of …

As Two Become One : The Lived Experience Of A Twinless Twin, Jody Ness

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Twins enter life as a pair and are often viewed so in later life. After the death of a co-twin, twins feel like they have lost part of themselves, leaving them alone, often without professional help. No nursing research has provided insight into the experience of a twin who has lost their co-twin. The purpose of this research was to explore and describe the lived experience of a twin who has lost their co-twin. The aim was to generate an understanding of the unique bond and sense of loss experienced by twinless twins. Phenomenology and Attachment Theory were utilized to …

The Relationship Between Rural Low-Income Women's Knowledge And Short-Term Duration Of Breastfeeding, Jefferey J.A. Enstad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although patterns of breastfeeding initiation and duration among American women have made dramatic changes over the past 100 years, these patterns have not been studied in rural, low-income women. Furthermore, even less is known about the characteristics of rural low-income women who practice short-term breastfeeding. Therefore, the problem under investigation was to explore the relationship between rural low-income women's knowledge and short-term duration of breastfeeding. The objectives of the study were to: 1) describe what are the characteristics of rural low-income women who breastfeed for four or more weeks postpartum, 2) describe what sources did they receive breastfeeding instruction and …

Differences In Body Image And Depression Scores In Postmenopausal Women Who Do And Do Not Take Hormone Replacement Therapy, Doreen M. Boomsma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine differences in depressive symptomology and perceived body image in postmenopausal women who currently used HRT with women who never used HRT and women who had previously used HRT but were currently not. Few medical treatments presently available for postmenopausal and menopausal women have such substantial benefits, and risks, as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The study is based on findings that document the use of HRT in preventing chronic illnesses that afflict elderly women. Chronic illness and disability has been shown to increase the incidence of depression in the general population. Chronic …

Pain Management: South Dakota Advanced Prepared Nurses' And Physicians' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Perceived Barriers, Rebecca B. Reed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The most common reason patients seek health care is for the relief of pain. One of the most important roles health care providers serve is to assist patients in achieving comfort. The literature documents pain is inadequately managed as a result of inadequate knowledge, attitudes, and potential barriers. Advanced prepared nurses (APNs) and physicians engage in professions that demand safeguarding and protecting the health of patients. APNs and physicians have an ethical duty to provide collaborative, interdisciplinary pain management to patients.
This study described the knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers of South Dakota APNs and physicians in regard to selected …

A Comparison Of Nurses' Attitudes Concerning Therapeutic Ward Atmosphere With Those Of Other Members Of The Multi-Disciplinary Treatment Team, Barbara Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The atmosphere of a psychiatric hospital ward has been found to have an influence on patient behavior and on treatment outcome. The ward atmosphere is affected by the patients, the multi—disciplinary team and the nurse who is the team member who spends the greatest amount of time on the ward. A multi-disciplinary team which shares similar attitudes concerning ward atmosphere is more likely to create a therapeutic ward atmosphere.
The multi-disciplinary teams of three adult psychiatric units at a midwestem psychiatric hospital were subject of a research study regarding their attitudes concerning therapeutic ward atmosphere. The scores, of team members …

Learning Needs Of Ostomy Patients: A Comparison Of Nurse And Patient Perceptions, Linda K. Burdette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study will attempt to identify areas of agreement and disagreement between the ostomy patient's perception and the nurse's perception of learning needs. In order to achieve this purpose, the objectives of the study were:
,1. Determine the different perceptions regarding the importance of content items offered in an ostomy patient education program when comparing:
a. Medical-surgical nurses and ostomy patients;
b. E.T. nurses and ostomy patients;
c. Medical-surgical nurses and E.T. nurses.
2. Determine the different perceptions regarding time placement of patient education content items when comparing:
a. Medical-surgical nurses and ostomy patients;
b. E.T. nurses and ostomy patients; …

Impact Of Perceived Mandatory Continued Formal Education On Professional Attitudes Of Licensed Practical Nurse Associate Degree Upward Mobility Students, Kathy Hankel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effects of perceived mandatory continued education on professional attitudes of Licensed Practical Nurse Associate Degree Upward Mobility Students. The results indicate a statistically significant difference in the professional attitude of self-regulation. Those Licensed Practical Nurse Associate Degree Upward Mobility Students who perceived continued education as mandatory had a more positive attitude regarding self-regulation than those who chose to continue their education. Age and size of city were variables that also influenced professional attitudes.

Perceptions Of Health Status Of Rural Elderly, Colleen Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Questionnaires were designed and administered to a nonrandom sample of 18 rural elderly residents in a midwestern state. The questionnaires obtained information which attempted to describe perceptions of current health status and self-care capability, to determine the relationship between perceptions of health status and type of residence or senior citizen center attendance. The dependent variables were definitions of perceived health status as derived from the Health Perceptions Questionnaire. Health status included factors of current health, prior health, health outlook, resistance to illness, health worry/concern and sickness orientation. The independent variables were selected personal factors, self-care capability, desire for self-care and …