Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Computer Anxiety And Nursing Informatics Needs Of Graduate Nursing Students, Margot Elizabeth Clark

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The impact of technology in today's society affects every aspect of life. This study focused on exploring the extent of computer anxiety among graduate nursing students using the Oetting's computer anxiety scale. Computer and information seeking skills required for both education and advanced nursing practice were also assessed using a survey by Jacobs and dela Cruz. Special emphasis was placed on retrieval of information from large data-bases. The conceptual framework was based on Roy's Adaptation Model.

The sample consisted of 28 students enrolled in a nursing informatics class in a south Florida university. Frequency distribution, and t-tests were used to …

An Investigation Into The Lived Experiences Of Racism Among African -American Nurses, Paula Alexander-Delpech

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the lived experience of racism among African-American nurses. Utilizing a qualitative phenomenological approach, data were collected by interviewing 10 African-American nurses currently practicing in Dade county. The interviews were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using the seven step method of Colaizzi (1978).

The findings of this study indicate that racism encompasses attitudes and beliefs which generate behaviors reflecting ethnocentric ideations. The process of racism creates glass ceilings that hinder the career advancement of African-American nurses. Internalizing these experiences of racism engenders feelings of betrayal and erodes unity and cohesion …

A Phenomenological Study Of Self-Disclosure Of Male's Hiv Seropositivity To Another Person, Elaine A. Diveronica

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study described the fundamental structure of what it was like for men to tell someone of their HIV-positive status. Nineteen men participated in interviews to describe their experiences of self-disclosing their HIV-positive status to lovers, families, and friends. The data were analyzed first by using the phenomenological approach of Colaizzi. Data were then further analyzed using an approach by Van Manen, in which the lifeworld existentials of spatiality, temporality, and relationality provided an even clearer understanding of the phenomenon. The findings from both analyses revealed that the participants felt emotions such as rejection, denial, and lost tomorrows; as …

The Lived Experience Of Healing Touch With Cancer Patients, Charlene Ann Christiano

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The recent use of complementary therapies by cancer patients has prompted the study of the use of Healing Touch, an energy based therapy, to learn the meaning of the experience. By using Ray's Caring Inquiry, a phenomenologic-hermeneutic process, the lived experience of receiving Healing Touch was elicited from three cancer patients. Through the interactions of the Healing Touch practitioners, the cancer patient participants, and the energy in and around them, specific themes were expressed: body-physical, emotion-feeling, mental-knowing, and spirit-essence. Further abstracting lead to the metathemes sensation and perception. Through a change in consciousness, a oneness/wholeness was experienced. The unity of …

An Investigation Of The Relationships Among Self-Care Behaviors, Health Beliefs, And Metabolic Control In The Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetic Adult, Sonia R. Anglin

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Self-care and health beliefs have been found to be important concepts in the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus. Poor metabolic control has been associated with a higher incidence of complications in diabetic patients. This study sought to explore any relationships among perceptions of self-care behaviors, health beliefs and metabolic control.

The sample consisted of 52 outpatients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes from a large teaching medical center. Interviews were done to obtain the patients' perceptions of their self-care behaviors, and their health beliefs concerning diabetes. Results of glycosylated hemoglobin and/or serum glucose levels were obtained from the medical records. …