Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Transition From Hospital To Home In Parents Of Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant Recipients, Stacee M. Lerret

Dissertations (1934 -)

Readiness for hospital discharge is an under-investigated topic in pediatric solid organ transplant. The immediate post-operative period and first few weeks after transplant are a critical time period where patients are at high risk for transplant-related complications.

A correlation design framed by Meleis' Transitions Theory were used to determine; (1) the influences of discharge teaching and care coordination on parent readiness for hospital discharge among parents of children who have experienced solid organ transplantation; and (2) the relationship of parent readiness for hospital discharge with coping, adherence difficulty, utilization of healthcare resources, and family impact in the first three weeks …

The Lived Experience Of Hispanic New Graduate Nurses In The United States, Esther Morales

Dissertations (1934 -)

There has been a significant increase in the Hispanic population in the United States that is not mirrored by representation of Hispanic registered nurses in the United States . Hispanic new graduate nurses enter nursing practice with few Hispanic role models and their story is not found in nursing literature. A qualitative study with a phenomenological philosophy and methodology was conducted to investigate the lived experience of seven Mexican American new graduate nurses, a subgroup of Hispanic nurses. Findings of this study were the seven themes: (a) being an employee; (b) an orientation with or without preceptors; (c) a transition; …

The Association Of Spirituality, Religiosity, Depression, Anxiety, And Drug Use Among Persons Undergoing Methadone Maintenance Therapy, Linda B. Piacentine

Dissertations (1934 -)

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimated 22.2 million (9.1 %) of Americans ages 12 and older abused or were dependent on an illicit substance or alcohol in 2005. Substance abuse often leads to addiction, and is damaging to the health of persons, families, and society.

Using Neuman's System Model as the conceptual framework, it was proposed that addiction weakens person's defenses with resultant loss of health. The person with addiction often also suffers from anxiety, depression, or both, increasing the risk for continued substance abuse and its concomitant negative consequences, such as loss of employment, poor finances, …

More Than S.K.I.N. Deep: Decreasing Pressure Ulcer Development In The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Christine A. Schindler

Dissertations (1934 -)

Pressure ulcers are defined as localized areas of tissue destruction that develop when soft tissue is compressed between a bony prominence and an external surface for a prolonged period of time. Although any hospitalized child is at risk for the development of a pressure ulcer, the critically ill child is at increased risk. The critical care environment poses special challenges to preventing the development of pressure ulcers secondary to the high acuity of patients and the highly invasive nature of interventions and therapies those patients receive. The incidence of pediatric pressure ulcer development in the critical care population has been …

Parenting Behaviors And Their Relationship With A Child's Weight Status, Michele L. Polfuss

Dissertations (1934 -)

Pediatric obesity is a critical healthcare problem that has continued to increase in prevalence. It has been well established that pediatric obesity is a multifactorial problem

with no easy solution. Complicating matters has been the fact that there has been a disproportionate increase across ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Parents have been found to play a critical role supporting a child's behavior through environment, role modeling and ongoing parenting practices.

This study utilized a cross sectional correlational study design to determine what the relationship is, if any, between a child's weight status and parenting behaviors. In addition the study examined if …

Pushing Techniques Used By Midwives When Providing Second Stage Labor Care, Kathryn Osborne

Dissertations (1934 -)

A growing body of evidence suggests that spontaneous pushing during the second stage of labor results in better outcomes than directed pushing, which usually involves repeated use of the Valsalva maneuver. However, birth attendants in the United States (U.S.) continue to use directive methods when caring for women in the second stage of labor. This study used quantitative methods with the Theory of Diffusion of Innovations as a framework to identify and describe the practices used by certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives, practicing in the U.S., when caring for women in second stage labor. Data were gathered using a questionnaire …

Associate Degree Nursing Students' Thoughts, Feelings, And Experiences Of Short Study Abroad In A Low-Income Country, Cynthia Foronda

Dissertations (1934 -)

Associate Degree Nursing students are rarely offered opportunities to study abroad. Educational research about nursing students studying abroad is limited but suggests positive outcomes. Prior research has focused on graduate or baccalaureate students in developed and less developed countries, thus, the experience of studying abroad in a low-income country for the associate degree student is unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of associate degree nursing students who participated in a short study abroad course in a low-income country. Ten students participated in phone interviews to share narratives two to six weeks following …

African American Women's Infant Feeding Choices: Analyzing Self-Efficacy And Narratives From A Black Feminist Perspective, Karen Marie Robinson

Dissertations (1934 -)

Breast milk is the optimal form of nutrition for infants up to six months of age. Commercial formula is unequal to breast milk nutritionally, economically, and psychologically. African American women (AAW) continue to breastfeed the least compared to other populations. Few researchers conducting research related AAW's infant feeding preferences have employed the Black Feminist philosophy or the theory of self-efficacy. This philosophy and theory may offer insight into factors that influence AAW's infant feeding choices.

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to examine prenatal breastfeeding self-efficacy (confidence) and actively listen to and analyze AAW's reports of factors influencing their …