Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evaluation Of The Provision For A University Health Service As Part Of The Quality Assurance Process, Rob Chandler, Barry Sheridan

Research outputs pre 2011

Universities within Australia are facing increasing demands to demonstrate quality in both product and process by ensuing that their aims are met efficiently and effectively. As part of the quality assurance process for Edith Cowan University, a multi-campus institution, an evaluation was undertaken to monitor the effectiveness of the University health service and its significance within the University community. Responses from both staff and students to a survey conducted during August 1993 on behalf of the Department of Medical and Health Services indicate a high level of support for this service. This Report provides an overview of the evaluation study …

Does An Individualized Back Education Programme Change Nurses' Knowledge And Practice About Back Injury Prevention, Diane K. Riley

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Back injury has predominantly been a problem which has affected a large cross-section of nursing staff involved with direct patient care. While back injury prevention has been instituted in hospitals for sometime, the percentage of nurses with back injury remains high. Within a major teaching hospital, a ward in which nurses suffered a high rate of back injuries was identified. Through an action research approach the researcher (who worked in the same area as the participants) developed and implemented an individualized back injury prevention programme. The 4 criteria by which the study was measured included, a reduction of back injuries, …

Detection Of Point Mutations In The Dystrophin Gene, John Pedretti

Theses : Honours

The dystrophin gene has been localised to Xp 21.1. Mutations of this gene can lead to the clinical manifestations of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies (DMD/BMD). In the majority of DMD and BMD patients the disease-causing mutation is a deletion detectable by southern analysis or multiplex PCR, however in 30% of patients no deletion is observed using these conventional tests. Using PCR amplification of cDNA it was possible to detect a deletion in the product of the dystrophin gene of one such individual affected with BMD. It was then necessary to characterise the mutation in order to determine whether this …

Effects Of A Topical Application Of Chlorhexidine 1 % Cream On Clinical Signs Of Infection In Newborn Infants, Fiona Christine Bottin

Theses : Honours

For the past 40 years midwives and neonatal nurses have been applying antistaphylococcal cream to newborns, to reduce the risk of Staphylocccus aureus (Staph. aureus) infections. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was any· difference in the incidence of clinical signs of infection in newborns, untreated or treated with a topical application of the currently used antistaphylococcal cream chlorhexidine 1%. The experimental design compared two groups of randomly assigned newborns, using an observation chart based on indicators of infection. Observations were recorded twice ~ day for four days. Any specific or nonspecific signs of infection …

The Effects Of High And Low Repetition Resistance Training On The Force Profile Of The Rowing Stroke, Benjamin Tarbox

Theses : Honours

The effect of resistance training on the ability to generate force throughout the rowing stroke has to date been unreported. The purpose of this study therefore was to determine the changes that occur in the force profile of the rowing stroke, following low repetition strength (LRS) and high repetition endurance (HRE) resistance training. Eight female and 10 male sub elite heavy weight rowers matched according to gender, strength and anthropometric variables, completed 12 weeks of LRS or HRE resistance training. Pre and post testing was completed to determine changes in bench press and leg press repetition maximum (3RM) strength and …

Bone Density And Muscle Development Problems In Female Lightweight Rowers Trying To Make-Weight, Carmel A. Shipway

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to determine whether high intensity exercise, combined with restriction of diet, is counter-productive to the normal health and development of the competitor. The study investigated the effects of high intensity exercise on body composition (fat, muscle and bone); bone density; and physical performance (aerobic capacity, rowing performance, quadricep strength, power and fatiguability) in twelve lightweight female rowers (age range 17- 25yrs), training for the State and National lightweight championships. Six of the rowers completed the testing, which consisted of test1 (pre-training) and test2 (post-training) after a 12 weeks training regime.

Skinfold measurements were lower …

Health Care Beliefs Of Elderly Vietnamese Refugees, Gayle Watson

Theses : Honours

Since 1975, a large number of Vietnamese refugees have settled in Australia. They can be recognised as a distinct cultural group within our society. However, little research has focused upon the health practices and beliefs of these people. This is a study of elderly Vietnamese refugees who have previously been identified as maintaining a great adherence to traditional values and behaviours. The aim of the research is to describe the health practices and beliefs of elderly Vietnamese refugees. As a mini ethno-nursing study, this research sought qualitative data, guided by the Health Belief Model adapted to accommodate cultural perspectives. With …

Development Of A Questionnaire To Assess Knowledge In Women With Gestational Diabetes, Caron Mclarty

Theses : Honours

Women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have a significantly increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus in later life. A lifestyle which includes healthy eating habits, weight control, regular exercise, and stress management has been associated with preventing or delaying the onset of diabetes mellitus and its associated complications. To care for themselves women require educati9n about and knowledge of strategies that have been associated with preventing diabetes. An essential part of education is knowledge assessment Women with GDM have been largely overlooked in the development of instruments to measure knowledge of diabetes. Orem's general theory of nursing …

A Comparison Of Axillary And Tympanic Temperature Measurement In The Preterm Infant, Susan Elizabeth Bearsby

Theses : Honours

The transition of the newborn to extrauterine life, especially the preterm infant, necessitates adaptation to environmental changes in temperature (Levene, Tudehope & Thearle, 1987). The need for a method of measuring an infant's temperature rapidly and with minimal disturbance is critical and accurate temperature measurement in a preterm infant is a vitally important nursing procedure. However, the literature is inconclusive regarding the optimum placement time required to achieve an accurate temperature measurement and few studies bad been conducted to ascertain the reliability and usefulness of tympanic thermometers in preterm infants. The study of 81 hospitalised preterm infants, compared axillary mercury, …

Urinary Bladder Assessment Skills Used By Hospital Nurses Before A Decision Is Made To Institute Intermittent Catheterization, Marion L. Burke

Theses : Honours

Intermittent Catheterization is an invasive technique in which a hollow tube (catheter) is inserted into the bladder to drain urine at regular intervals when a patient does not void. Catheterization is a technique frequently performed by nurses. The skills of assessment by nurses of a patient's urinary bladder prior to instituting intermittent catherization (IC) have been neglected in the field of nursing research. The purpose of this descriptive-correlational study is to identify bladder assessment skills (BAS) among hospital nurses prior to instituting intermittent catheterization. The study asks the questions: To what extent do nurses utilize BAS, and what is the …

Preoperative Predictors Of Postoperative Pain, Robyn A. Paterson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to investigate five factors, which have been identified in the literature as having influence on the experience of postoperative pain. (1) Patient satisfaction with preoperative information, (2) Anticipated postoperative pain, (3) General self-efficacy, (4) Age, (5) Gender. These variables were examined to determine their relationship, if any with postoperative pain. Any relationship between these variables was also examined. Review of the literature revealed considerable research on pain, and that much of that research has been directed at the treatment of, rather than prediction of postoperative pain. Also, these studies have focused on patients who …

St. Juan De Dios, 1495-1550 The Patron Saint Of Nurses, Christopher Churchouse

Theses : Honours

For any profession to develop, grow and plan for the future, it is imperative that all members know from whence they have come. Nurses', however, do not generally consider this to be an important aspect to their professional development, and hence have focused more on empirical or experimental research. Whilst much literature has been written on nursing history, it has focused primarily on its founding women and its inception from the mid nineteenth century when a more structured training evolved. This study, therefore, goes beyond this period of time and examines a man who played an equally important role in …

Mathematical Transmission Model Of The Spread Of Hiv Through Sexual Contact And Iv Drug Usage Among Heterosexuals In Western Australia, B. Glockner

Theses : Honours

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and its latter stage, the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), are still a major health problem in the world and the full extent of the epidemic is unknown. The HIV virus in Australia has been spread mainly through homosexual contact, but this mode of transmission is decreasing while transmission from heterosexual contact and from IV drug use is increasing. The proposed mathematical model concentrates on transmission of the HIV virus through heterosexual contact and IV drug use among heterosexuals in Western Australia. The model parameters will be estimated from surveys conducted by the Australian National …

An Exploratory Study Of The Development Of Perceived Body Image In Elite Female Artistic Gymnasts In One Central Programme, Michelle A. Saliba

Theses : Honours

Women's elite gymnastics is characterised by subjective and aesthetic judgement and together with increasing technical requirements imposes strict body composition and body image requirements throughout the international gymnastic community. Limited research has been conducted on the younger, smaller, leaner and almost prepubescent gymnasts who now dominate the International arena. The purpose of this study is to provide an understanding of the way in which current and retired elite, female artistic gymnasts perceive their own and the "ideal" gymnast's body image, and to identify factors influencing the development of these perceptions. Nineteen subjects were drawn from one Australian women's artistic gymnastics …

The Effect Of A Semester Unit Of Study On Ethical Issues In Nursing On A Group Of Practising Registered Nurses, E. C. Ambrose

Theses : Honours

This study explored the effect an educational unit on ethical issues in nursing had on the ethical reasoning of practising registered nurses. The educational unit was conducted at a university school of nursing as part of a baccalaureate degree programme for already registered and practising nurses. A quasi-experimental posttest design utilising stratified random samples compared subjects from one group who had undertaken the unit (n=53) with subjects from another group who had not (n=61). Ethical reasoning was measured using Grisham's Nursing Dilemma Test and a researcher designed demographic data sheet provided information on additional variables for analysis.The group which had …

Comparison Of Primiparous Women's Expected And Experienced Pain In Labour, Shelagh Lawrence

Theses : Honours

Pain is a subjective phenomenon and is, in varying degrees, an inherent part of the childbirth experience. However, most Western societies view suffering as unacceptable and as such, regard analgesia as a necessity. Many women do not anticipate the intensity of pain experienced in childbirth and are, therefore, not ready to manage this amount of pain when it occurs. This prospective study compared the expected and experienced labour pain of 99 primiparous women, aged 17-40 years. The relationship between expected and experienced pain and acceptance of pregnancy; identification with the motherhood role; relationship with mother; relationship with husband/partner; preparation for …

Place-Identity And Homelessness : The Restorative Nature Of The Home, Marie Sadkowski

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research aims to address deficiencies in the Place-Identity literature and establish whether the home is a central and mediating environment within this theory. An exploration of the association between homelessness and Place-Identity provides a vehicle for clarifying the psychological role of the home and in doing so an increased awareness of this social problem is promoted. Korpela's (1989) and Kaplan's (1983) theories on place, accentuating active self-regulatory mechanisms and restorative environments, act as a catalyst and provide a solid foundation for this current research. The extensive literature on the home highlights the different conceptions that abound and the lack …

Needs Of Terminally Ill Cancer Patients In An In-Patient Hospice Unit, Marylynn C. Oldham

Theses : Honours

In Western Australia, in-patient hospice/palliative care units are caring for increasing numbers of terminally ill cancer patients. Hospice philosophy is based on the belief that the terminally ill patient in individual needs are of paramount importance. The needs of advanced cancer patients have been researched in the home, for patients continuing or having completed curative treatment, and for patients receiving palliative care. However, there is a lack of literature about the needs of terminally ill cancer patients in in-patient hospices. Using a descriptive approach, this study investigated the needs of six terminally ill cancer patients in a 26 bed in-patient …

Art Therapy With Latency Period Boys Exhibiting Overt Anger And/Or Aggression, Sylvia Blades

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of using art as therapy, with latency period boys, to develop anger management skills. The respondents for this study were male children selected by an outpatient psychiatric clinic, using the criteria of age (latency period) and problem (anger/aggression). The six subjects assigned to the group agreed to attend a therapy session for one hour per week for six consecutive weeks. Sessions involved the use of art to therapeutically achieve the aims of anger management and ego strength, while incorporating projective drawing tests as part of the evaluative process. The Achenbach …

An Evaluation Of A Workshop On Pain Assessment And Management For Nurses, Beverley Bradshaw

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to assess nurses’ knowledge of pain assessment and management, examine what change occurred immediately following a pain assessment and management workshop and examine whether any changes were retained one month later. Chin and Benne’s theory of change provided the theoretical framework for this study. Their approach to planned change involves assessing the existing structure, formulating and implementing a plan to change that structure, then evaluating the change. The following hypothesis was formulated for investigation: That nurses’ knowledge of pain assessment and management would increase after a workshop on the subject and be retained over …

The Effect Of 'Environmental Manipulation' On Agitation And 24-Hour Sleep In Dementia Sufferers In An Institutional Setting, Ernest A. Matthews

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Living in an institutional setting places on residents certain constraints in relation to freedom of choice as to when, where, and how they conduct activities of daily living, such as, sleeping eating, attending to hygiene needs. Studies indicate this loss of control over the environment contributes to loss of self-esteem, leads to stress, and at times precipitates agitation among nursing home residents. Cognitive impairment may render dementia sufferers more vulnerable to loss of control over their control over their environment and result in agitation, which may in turn influence sleep. The study therefore, investigated if ‘environmental manipulation’ as in introducing …

A Comparison Of Three Midwifery Interventions On The Continuity And Knowledge Of Breast Feeding, Athalie Johnston

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Although it is widely recognised that breast milk is biologically perfect to provide nutrition for the newborn infant many new mothers do not continue to breast feed throughout the postpartum period. A possible influencing factor is the decreased length of hospital stay, whereby new mothers are discharged home away from the supportive-educative role of the midwife before they are ready to learn the art of breast feeding. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of three midwifery interventions on the continuity and knowledge of first time breast feeding mothers at 6 weeks postpartum. A convenience sample of …