Digital Commons Network^™

The Importance Of Holistic Care: The Development And Implementation Of Spiritual Resources For Caregivers And Staff At Joni’S House El Salvador, Chloe Veilleux

Capstone Projects

It is within the occupational therapy (OT) scope of practice to not only address client needs related to mind, body, and spirit, but also those of caregivers as a means of fostering overall improved quality of life. Additionally, when OTs address spirituality and implement spiritual/spirituality-informed interventions, correlations of improved psychosocial factors such as well-being, motivation, and reduced stress have been shown, as well as improved hope and reduced burden for caregivers. There remains, however, a gap in the research and implementation of spiritually informed care and resources specifically as it pertains to caregivers of those with disabilities. To address this …

Enhancing Collaborative Care: A Training Manual For Improving Veterans Affairs Mental Health Chaplaincy, Eddie L. Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) launched a study to investigate the integration of chaplains in mental health care. This research expands on that study by focusing on the critical need for enhanced collaboration between chaplaincy and mental health services at local VA facilities. While existing literature affirms the integral role of chaplains in addressing the spiritual and emotional needs of individuals, significant gaps in awareness and effective collaboration practices were identified at the Marion, IL VA Health Care System (VHCS). This study aimed to assess and address the specific training …

Hospital Organizations’ Obligation To Promote Spiritual Well-Being Among Nurses: Development Of A Normative Ethical Argument, Michael Jordan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents an innovative strategy to promote the support of nurses' spirituality within hospital organizations. By focusing on the spiritual well-being of nurses by hospital organizations, with a natural extension into nursing schools, the approach aims to enhance nurse’s ability to protect their own spirituality, provide comprehensive spiritual care to patients, and increase nurse moral resilience. By investing in nurses' spirituality and spiritual growth, hospitals can potentially increase job satisfaction among nursing staff, improve patient care outcomes, and create a more holistic healing environment for both nurses and patients. As the nursing shortage continues and the number of nurses …

A Phenomenological Study Of Faith In Catholic Persons Living With The Diagnosis Of Cancer, Macrina Reyes

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Background: There were an estimated 1.9 million new cases of cancer diagnosed the United States and over 600,000 deaths from cancer in 2022. Cancer is also known as the 2nd most common cause of death behind heart disease in the US. In 2019, there were an estimated 16.9 million cancer survivors in the US. Furthermore, the number of cancer survivors is expected to increase to 22.2 million by 2030. Unfortunately, the persons' spiritual needs are not being addressed or considered by healthcare practitioners as part of the plan of care, especially Catholics. In order to truly provide person-centered care, healthcare …

The Association Between Pelvic Floor Dysfunction And Mental Health In Natal Females With A Focus On Native American Populations, Lexxie Gramke

Dissertations

Purpose

Over half of natal females in the United States suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD). PFD can increase risk of mental health sequelae; however, no studies have been conducted examining the association between mental health and PFD in the Native American (NA) population. This dissertation aims to evaluate the association between PFD, with a focus on overactive bladder (OAB), and mental health in females with specific attention to NAs.

Methodology

A current state of the science review examined the literature for associations between OAB with depression and anxiety in females. Utilizing this literature review, a theoretical model was constructed …

The Ethical Dilemma Of Whether Or Not To Withhold Life Sustaining Treatments For Newborns, Chloe G. Payne

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

Deeply complex ethical questions can arise when deciding whether to continue or stop life-sustaining treatments for critically ill newborns. Various factors that can influence these decisions are explored, such as the expected quality of life for the newborn, the resources that the family and hospital have at their disposal, and the role of religious beliefs. Emphasis is placed on the importance of striking a balance between the child's best interest, the autonomy of the parents, and the medical facts. The potential psychological and physical consequences for parents who decide to stop treatment, which often results in the loss of their …

Compassion Fatigue: The Effects Of Secondary Traumatic Stress And Vicarious Traumatization Among Baltimore Police Department Community Chaplains, Angela Teresa Jones-Ramirez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Baltimore is plagued with a history of high crime, violence, and murder resulting in trauma. The purpose of the Doctor of Ministry action research project was to educate Baltimore Police Department (BPD) Community Chaplains concerning compassion fatigue while maintaining effective quality care. A two-day workshop was developed as an intervention to address the problem. Pretest and posttest surveys were administered using the Professional Quality of Life Scale, Version 5, and the Skovholt Professional Practitioner Resiliency and Self-Care Inventory. Data in the form of surveys, group notes, field notes, recorded testimonials, and stories were collected and analyzed. Results of the data …

Loneliness, Social Isolation, And Their Connection To Overall Health Across The Lifespan, Paige Miller

Senior Honors Theses

Due to recent circumstances, the incidence of loneliness and social isolation has skyrocketed. Fortunately, there have already been countless studies examining the longer-term implications of these two factors on health. Loneliness and social isolation have been found to impact cardiovascular health, stress response, immune function, resilience, mental health, attachment, spiritual health, and many other determinants of health. A variety of research was examined outlining the psychological implications of loneliness and social isolation. These factors also influence physiological processes and can exacerbate a variety of diseases. After presentation of this evidence, a collection of possible interventions will be discussed, and their …

Michigan Physician Orders For Scope Of Treatment: Development Of A Nationally Recognized Program, Megan Owens

Doctoral Projects

Background: Advance directives are well intentioned, but fail to promote patient autonomy in emergent situations.

Objective: To develop a sustainable portable medical order program consistent with national standards through an evidence-based toolkit.

Methods: A literature review and policy analysis were conducted to develop toolkit. Interviews were conducted with content experts to validate toolkit.

Results: The final toolkit consisted of five components: educational materials for healthcare providers, a policy brief, strategies for fund development, strategies for quality monitoring, and a cost savings exemplar.

Conclusions: An evidence-based toolkit tailored to state-specific barriers is critical to development of a portable medical order program.

How Providing Care For Individuals With Dementia Affects How A Caregiver Changes Their Lifestyle: A Focus On The Positives, Veronica Joy Vodola

Senior Theses

Background/significance Caregivers of individuals with dementia (e.g. Alzheimer’s Disease) may change their day-to-day life, especially self-care, to meet the needs of the person with dementia, which can be detrimental to their health. Caregivers for individuals with dementia experience both primarily negative and primarily positive effects on physical and mental health through exposure to the effects of dementia. Caregivers often report substandard self-care practices and unpleasant impacts on mental health. Others report notable beneficial influences within different aspects of their life. The positive effects have not been widely researched in literature.

Purpose The objective of this research study is to understand …

Use Of The Spiritual Development Framework In Conducting Spirituality And Health Research With Adolescents, Dora L. Clayton-Jones, Kristin Haglund, Jame Schaefer, Harold C. Koenig, Safiya George Dalmida

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Spirituality is considered a universal phenomenon, but research addressing the spiritual needs of adolescents in the context of health and illness is limited. The aim of this article is to provide a description of how the spiritual development framework (SDF) was used in conducting research with adolescents. An exemplar of a qualitative descriptive study is provided to demonstrate applicability of the SDF. The SDF was used as a guiding theoretical framework in conducting research with adolescents living with sickle cell disease. The SDF is culturally applicable and methodologically appropriate. Additional research applying the SDF is warranted.

Understanding Parents' Disease-Managing Strategies For Children With Sickle Cell Disease, Michelle Noble Mackey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most difficult and stressful chronic diseases for parents of afflicted children to manage. Managing SCD can be traumatic for parents particularly if they have no specific coping strategies for managing the disease or ensuring the child visits the doctor as scheduled. The use of certain coping strategies may affect the parents' and patients' perceptions of the illness and influence their decisions regarding treatment, which can have a lasting impact on their lives. Effective parental strategies such as positive thinking can aid in disease management, but there is limited research on the coping …

Evaluating The Impact Of Key Phrases And Caring Behaviors© On Nursing Students’ Perception Of Competence And Confidence In Providing Spiritual Care, Joan Marie Connors

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Spirituality in nursing involves caring holistically for patients. Attention to the mind, body, and spirit, is a professional standard of care for nurses. Regulating agencies in the healthcare industry as well as professional code of conduct mandate that spiritual care will be addressed. While this in not a new concept to nursing, research revealed that lack of education was one obstacle nurses identified that limited their ability to provide spiritual care. There is a lack of teaching resources to educate nurses on spiritual care. A previous study conducted by Connors, Good, and Gollery (2017), introduced the instrument Key Phrases and …

“Life Within The Person Comes To The Fore”: Pastoral Workers’ Practice Wisdom On Using Arts In Palliative Care, Clare O'Callaghan, Libby Byrne, Eleni Cokalis, David Glenister, Margaret Santilli, Rose Clark, Therese Mccarthy, Natasha Michael

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Pastoral care (also chaplaincy, spiritual care) assists people to find meaning, personal resources, and connection with self, others, and/or a higher power. Although essential in palliative care, there remains limited examination of what pastoral workers do. This study examined how pastoral workers use and consider the usefulness of art-based modalities.

Methods: Qualitative research was used to examine the practice wisdom (tacit practice knowledge) of pastoral workers experienced in using visual arts and music in palliative care. Two focus groups were conducted. Thematic analysis was informed by grounded theory.

Results: Six pastoral workers shared information. Three themes emerged. First, pastoral …

Worlds Of Connection: A Hermeneutic Formulation Of The Interdisciplinary Relational Model Of Care, Susana Lauraine Mccune

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Despite a general agreement across health care disciplines that Advanced Care Planning (ACP) and Advanced Directives (ADs) add important elements to a patient's end-of-life care desires, and can inform their loved ones and advocates, help create ease of mind, and enhance quality of care, they continue to remain significantly underused. More than half of Americans transition to chronic and terminal illness without having completed them. The aim of this study was to increase the frequency and enhance the quality of communication about Advance Directives and Advance Care Planning within the clinical relationship. The resulting Interdisciplinary Relational Model of Care (IRMOC) …

Emotional Intelligence And Spiritual Well-Being, Audrey M. Beauvais, Julie G. Stewart, Susan M. Denisco

Nursing Faculty Publications

Understanding factors that influence spiritual well-being may improve nurses’ spiritual caregiving. This study examined relationships between emotional intelligence (EI) and spiritual well-being (SWB) in undergraduate and graduate nursing students. Using the Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS), relationships were found between managing emotion and spiritual well-being, and managing emotion and existential well-being. Implications for education and practice are discussed.

The Role Of Faith And Spirituality In The Work Of End-Of-Life Caregivers, Edward P. Stannard

Master of Arts in Religious Studies (M.A.R.S. Theses)

Nurses, certified nursing assistants and other healthcare workers who care for those who are terminally ill face issues of mortality and even existential questions every day on the job. These professionals, who have intimate contact with their patients daily, must find an inner source of strength and perseverance in order to face people who are at the end of their lives, who may be in pain, and who frequently are alone in their rooms aside from the institution’s staff. This study asks whether an inner sense of religious faith or spirituality helps end-of-life healthcare workers conduct their daily tasks and …

Adult Children's Perceptions Of Critical Caregiving Conversations With Their Aging Parents: A Pilot Study, Wendy S. Cregg

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this qualitative pilot study was to describe adult children's perceptions of critical caregiving conversations between themselves and their aging parents; barriers to these conversations; factors that facilitate these conversations; and the support from health care providers that adult children believe would help facilitate critical caregiving conversations between themselves and their aging parents. The overall purpose was to increase understanding of family communication processes that promote health as families age. Focus group interviews using a semi-structured interview guide were conducted with 16 adult children with caregiving experience of their aging parents. Data analysis was conducted utilizing Leininger's phases …

“So I Just Took Over”: African American Daughters Caregiving For Parents With Heart Failure, Nancy Thornton, Faith Pratt Hopp

Social Work Faculty Publications

This article examines the experiences of African American women who are caring for a parent with heart failure. Seven adult daughter caregivers completed in-depth, qualitative interviews, and a phenomenological approach was used for data analysis. Results suggest the presence of caregiving stressors, including heart failure symptoms and comorbidity, caregiving duties, social–emotional stressors, and distrust of the health system. Relevant coping strategies included valuing the caregiving role, coordinating care with siblings, taking charge, and spirituality. Social workers can play a critical role in supporting and advocating for caregivers of persons with heart failure, helping them to cope with stressors associated with …

Spiritual Care In Advanced Practice Nursing, Barbara Baele Vincensi

Dissertations

Spiritual care has the potential to improve clients' health and quality of life. Since clients desire spiritual care from their health care providers as they age or as their health worsens, geriatric nurse practitioners (GNPs) were chosen to participate in this study. This cross-sectional, descriptive, survey design investigates the relationships and differences between practicing GNPs spiritual perspectives and their ability to assess clients' spiritual care needs (SCN) and provide specific spiritual care interventions (SCI). Differences and relationships were also investigated based on demographic variables of the GNPs. In addition, participants were asked to define spirituality in an open ended question. …

What The Spiritual Caregiver Should Know While Dealing With Survivors Of Ethnic Violence, Nazila Isgandarova

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Ethnic cleansing and genocide are different terms but both involve violence as a main tool, and many women and girls suffer from this kind of violence. The challenge for the spiritual caregiver is to define the major emotional turmoil of the patient and offer a helping hand. The main terminology involves the words „ethnic cleansing‟, „genocide‟ and „violence.‟ The case study is the Khojali genocide, which was recognized in the US Congress as the “biggest tragedy of the year” (Extensions of Remarks from Congressional Record E463). The paper discusses the role of spirituality and the major spiritual challenges of the …

Initiating A Faith Community Nurse Program In The Latino Community: Addressing The Health Care Disparity Of Increased Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes, Helen Jones

Theses and Graduate Projects

There are several related health concerns in the Latino community. These concerns include increased rates of obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. The [MDH] Minnesota Department of Health reports some startling statistics regarding the costs to the community as well as the cost of care. A review of the literature reveals that the costs are staggering, and that several approaches can be helpful in addressing the health care disparity of increased rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes in the Latino population. Some approaches include the promotore model, a collaborative approach, and education of clergy and lay boards regarding the [FCN] …

The Lived Experience Of Faith Community Nurses Living The Call To Health Ministry, Deborah Mobley

Theses and Dissertations

Faith community nursing is one of the newest specialized practices of professional nursing. A faith community nurse is an actively registered professional nurse, who serves as a paid or volunteer staff member in a faith community. The faith community nurse promotes health and wholism of the faith community, its groups, families, and individual members. A faith community, as in a church, synagogue or mosque, is an organization of individuals and families who share common beliefs, values, religious doctrine, and faith practices that influence their lives. The faith community functions as a client system for the faith community nurse. The purpose …

Today - February 17, 2010, Loma Linda University

TODAY

Inside this issue:

-- ‘Got Heart!’ 17th annual Foundation Gala, to celebrate 25 years of life-saving infant heart transplantation
-- Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, in Hangzhou, China, receives second Joint Commission International accreditation
-- LLU Medical Center to sponsor lifestyle conference
-- School of Public Health sends team to Haiti
-- Spiritual life leadership award spotlights department of employee spiritual care
-- LLU School of Public Health influence felt in Malaysia
-- Everybody loves a LOV story
-- A personal invitation to APC 2010
-- Awards luncheon honors those who work diligently behind the scenes to ensure employee safety …

Hospice Africa Uganda: End-Of-Project Evaluation Of Palliative Care Services, Annette Bongiovanni, Mary Alexis Greenan

HIV and AIDS

Hospice Africa Uganda (HAU) is a nongovernmental organization that provides palliative care services to people living with HIV/AIDS (PHA) and cancer. Based in Kampala, HAU aims to scale-up palliative care within and beyond the nation’s borders. From 2005–08, HAU sought to achieve the following objectives: 1) Increase coverage and scope of palliative care services available to PHA and their families; 2) Train health workers and other HIV/AIDS care providers to integrate pain management, symptom control, and end-of-life care into their existing HIV/AIDS support programs; 3) Build the capacity of families, communities, and community-based organizations in palliative care provision; 4) Integrate …

Loma Linda Nurse - Vol. 14, No. 01, Loma Linda University School Of Nursing

Loma Linda Nurse

Contents

2 | A message from the dean

4 | Loma Linda NURSE news

6 | The First 100 Years: how providence started our first century

12 | LLUSN development report

19 | Letter from the alumni president

20 | Alumni Homecoming

26 | Centennial Research Conference

27 | Near and far

29 | In memory

30 | Special event planned

Investigating The Correlation Between Nurses' Spiritual Well-Being And Spiritual Care Perspectives, Marion Lieber Reyes

Master's Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between nurses' spiritual well-being (using the JAREL Spiritual-Well Being Scale) and their perspectives of spiritual care (using the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale). Both instruments use Likert-scale ratings. An additional survey obtained general demographic information including an item regarding spirituality in nursing in-service participation. A total of 130 registered nurses (23%) participated in the study. The data was analyzed using SPSS in which a Pearson's r correlation was performed on the JAREL and SSCRS scores. The results were statistically significant for a positive correlation between nurses' spiritual well-being and …

An Investigation Of Pre-Nursing And Second-Year Baccalaureate Nursing Students' Perception Of Spirituality, Jacquelyn Kay R. Williams

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This pilot study investigated whether spiritual care education is a part of the baccalaureate nursing curriculum at a south Texas university. This study used two standardized scales to compare the pre-nursing students' and senior baccalaureate nursing students' attitude about spirituality at different levels in the nursing program. Two quantitative questionnaires were used to investigate the nursing students' personal spiritual involvement and beliefs and their opinions about the spiritual role of the nurse in meeting patient spiritual needs. No statistically significant differences in the two group's personal spiritual involvement and beliefs were found. Statistically significant differences were found in the opinions …

Anticipatory Mourning In Caregivers With Children Who Die In The Hospital, Annie Rini

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The death of a child has tremendous impact on a caregiver. Even when prognosis is poor and death appears imminent, care of the dying child typically focuses on achieving cure. Consequently, caregivers are often ill prepared to cope with the grief they experience as their child is dying. Anticipatory mourning allows caregivers time to begin grief work prior to the death of a loved one. Literature suggests that those who experience anticipatory mourning have a less complicated bereavement period. The purpose of this qualitative study is to (a) describe the presence (or absence) and role of anticipatory mourning in caregivers …

The Relationship Between Perspectives Ofspiritual Care And Organizational Climate In Seventh-Day Adventist Baccalaureate Nursing Programs In North America, Edelweiss Ramal

Dissertations

Problem

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between perspectives of spiritual care held by students and faculty in Seventh-day Adventist baccalaureate nursing programs and their perception of the school climate and compare these between faculty and students, Seventh-day Adventists and non-Seventh-day Adventists, and males and females.

Methodology

The University Version of the Kettering School Climate scale and the Role of Spiritual Care in Nursing Subscale answered by 49 faculty and 159 students of nine Seventh-day Adventist baccalaureate nursing programs provided the data. Pearson correlation, one-way analysis of variance, and t tests at a .05 level of …