Digital Commons Network^™

The Predictability Of C-Reactive Protein, Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2, And Depression On Later Health Outcomes In Patients Experiencing A First-Time Stroke, Mary King Brethour

All ETDs from UAB

Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the most common cause of neurologic disability for adults in developed nations. Strokes trigger an acute inflammatory response prompted by brain tissue injury at the infarct site and the surrounding ischemic penumbra raising plasma levels of inflammatory markers. C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute-phase inflammatory marker, has been significantly correlated with infarct size and post-stroke complications. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) may also predict long-term cardiovascular risk in the stroke population. In addition to physiologic changes, up to 60% of all stroke survivors are known to experience depression, which may contribute to decreased …

Associations Among Measures Of Engagement With Kp.Org And Clinical Outcomes, Heather J. Sobko

All ETDs from UAB

USING MEASURES OF ENGAGEMENT WITH KP.ORG TO DETERMINE ASSOCIATIONS WITH SELECTED CLINICAL OUTCOMES HEATHER J. SOBKO SCHOOL OF NURSING ABSTRACT Introduction The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to examine patterns of use of an electronic personal health record among adults diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension or hyperlipidemia. Intermediate behavioral measures (medication possession ratios) and physiological measures of metabolic control for diabetes (hemoglobinA1c), hypertension (blood pressure) and hyperlipidemia (low density lipoprotein) were examined. Methods Administrative data from Kaiser Permanente Georgia were analyzed. Adult members of with selected chronic diseases of diabetes, hypertension or hyperlipidemia who used the Kaiser Permanente electronic …

A Study Of The Relationships Among Maternal Caregiver Family Management Behaviors, Childhood Asthma Morbidity, And Asthma Control, Linda M. Gibson

All ETDs from UAB

A STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG MATERNAL CAREGIVER FAMILY MANAGEMENT BEHAVIORS, CHILDHOOD ASTHMA MORBIDITY, AND ASTHMA CONTROL ABSTRACT LINDA GIBSON NURSING Childhood asthma, the most common chronic childhood condition, is associated with high rates of asthma morbidity (emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and school days missed due to asthma). Inadequate asthma control accounts for $1.9 billion annual health expenditures. Numerous studies have identified the relationship of the family caregiver's perception regarding asthma management and the child's asthma outcomes; though few have examined family caregiver asthma management behaviors. Knafl and colleagues (2003) defined family management behaviors as accommodations that family members use …

Community Assessment Of Cardiovascular Health And Risk Among People Of Mexican Descent In Berwyn, Illinois, Karen Ann Larimer

Dissertations

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one cause of death in the United States and affects persons of all races and ethnicities. The number of persons of Mexican ethnicity has increased significantly in the United States, notably in the community of Berwyn, a suburb of Chicago, IL where according to the U.S. 2010 census 60% of the community is now of Mexican descent. The factors that contribute to CVD risk in persons of Mexican decent within this community must be understood before culturally appropriate risk reduction strategies are designed and implemented.

Purpose: The purpose of this community-based study is …

Study Of Stress, Housing Program Use, And Nursing Usage Among Homeless In Chicago, Henry Christian Cheung

Dissertations

Homelessness places people at risk of stressors that translate into stress and subsequently affect their health. Using Neuman Systems Model as a framework to identify modalities for nursing intervention among stressors and health problems of homeless people, this study compared stress levels among homeless people from three different homeless housing program types, investigated variables that predict the presence of stress among homeless, identified the degree of self-reported contact homeless people had with nurses, and measured to what extent nurses are preferred as health care providers by homeless people. This was accomplished through a cross-sectional, secondary data analysis of data from …

Coping Strategies Of Family Members Of Hospitalized Psychiatric Patients, Phyllis M. Eaton, Bertha L. Davis, Pamela V. Hammond, Esther H. Condon, Zina T. Mcgee

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

This exploratory research paper investigated the coping strategies of families of hospitalized psychiatric patients and identified their positive and negative coping strategies. In this paper, the coping strategies of 45 family members were examined using a descriptive, correlational, mixed method research approach. Guided by the Neuman Systems Model and using the Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales and semistructured interviews, this paper found that these family members used more emotion-focused coping strategies than problem-focused coping strategies. The common coping strategies used by family members were communicating with immediate family, acceptance of their situation, passive appraisal, avoidance, and spirituality. The …

Connective Leadership: The Chief Nursing Officers' Relationship With Staff Nurses, Mary Ellen Clyne

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

"Out Of The Mouths Of Sibs"... A Phenomenological Study Of The Experience Of Being A Well School-Age Sibling Of A Child With A Traumatic Injury, Mary Jo Bugel

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Bone Marrow Transplant Nurses' Attitudes About Caring For Patients Who Are Near The End Of Life: A Quality Improvement Project, Leslie Lauersdorf

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In oncology setting, there is a range of emotions felt by patients and nurses alike such as helplessness, anger, sadness and anxiety; and this is especially the case as patients near the end of life. The literature shows there is an interest in nurses' attitudes toward caring for patients who are near the end of life. This project examines the overall attitude of Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) nurses' attitudes toward caring for patients who are near the end of life using the Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale (FATCOD) and a Demographic Data Sheet. This project investigated the …

Nurse Manager Emotional Intelligence As A Predictor To Registered Nurse Job Satisfaction And Rn Perceptions Of The Practice Environment And The Relationship To Patient, Nursing And Hospital Outcomes, Jacqueline Cecilia Munro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the level of Nurse Manager (NM) emotional intelligence (EI) predicted registered nurse (RN) job satisfaction and RN perceptions of the practice environment. In addition, relationships to patient, nursing, and hospital outcomes were explored. Participants included RNs (N=659) and NMs (N=38) from 53 nursing units at eight hospitals located in the southeast region of the United States. A cross-sectional, correlational research design was used to test the hypotheses. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, simple linear and multiple regression statistics were conducted to analyze the data. Level of NM EI had a positive, not …

Implementation Effectiveness Of Campus Tobacco-Free Policies, Amanda Fallin

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure are leading causes of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States. Outdoor tobacco smoke exposure conveys many of the same risks as indoor secondhand smoke exposure. Tobacco-free campuses policies are an intervention to promote a positive social norm that encourages smoking cessation, as well as reduces exposure to outdoor tobacco smoke. This dissertation contains a review of the policy implementation literature; findings from a psychometric analysis of the newly developed Tobacco-free Compliance Assessment Tool (TF-CAT) to assess compliance with tobacco-free campus policies; and results of a campus intervention study to promote compliance. The …

African American Males Diagnosed With Schizophrenia: A Phenomenological Study, Lorraine Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Little is known about how African American men with schizophrenia experience their every day existence. Through applying interpretive phenomenology and using a methodological structure designed by van Manen (1990, 1997), this research aimed to enrich the understanding of living with schizophrenia for these African American males. In this study, five men ranging in age from 21 to 57 described their lives within the context of existing with the diagnosis of schizophrenia. The lived experiences across the interviews revealed four overarching themes: They know that they are mentally ill; they make a special effort to test reality; they assert their …

The Effect Of Curricular Sequencing Of Human Patient Simulation Learning Experiences On Students’ Self-Perceptions Of Clinical Reasoning Abilities, Rebecca Jensen Phd, Rn

Nursing Publications, Posters, & Presentations

It is unknown whether timing of human patient simulation (HPS) in a semester, demographic (age, gender, and ethnicity), and situational (type of program and previous baccalaureate degree and experience in healthcare) variables affects students‘ perceptions of their clinical reasoning abilities. Nursing students were divided into two groups, mid and end of semester HPS experiences. Students‘ perceptions of clinical reasoning abilities were measured at Baseline (beginning of semester) and Time 2 (end of semester), along with demographic and situational variables. Dependent variable was Difference scores where Baseline scores were subtracted from Time 2 scores to reveal changes in students‘ perceptions of …

Developing A Multidisciplinary Perioperative Safety Course, William Bond Md, Ms, Hope L. Johnson Msn, Rn, Cnor, Michael Pasquale Md, Facs, Fccm, Melissa B. Walsh Bs, Deborah Arnold Msn, Rn, Cmsrn, Matthew W. Leclair, Kelly L. Lago Ms, Jeanne P. Luke Msn, Rn, Cnor

Department of Emergency Medicine

No abstract provided.

Dermoscopy: An Evidence-Based Approach For The Early Detection Of Melanoma, Angela Armstrong

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a practice-based dermoscopy training program for dermatology healthcare providers in order to improve their technique of performing clinical skin exams for the early detection of melanomas.

The overall incidence of melanoma continues to rise. More than 75% of all skin cancer deaths are from melanoma. Advanced melanoma spreads to lymph nodes and internal organs and can result in death. One American dies from melanoma almost every hour (American Cancer Society [ACS], 2009). Early diagnosis and excision are essential to reduce morbidity and to improve patient survival.

This one-group before-and-after …

Impact Of Group Medical Visits For Adult Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Theresa Pye

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes is a condition that is primarily self-managed and lifestyle modifications such as diet, exercise, and weight management are necessary to reduce morbidity and mortality. Motivation to implement lifestyle modifications through self management is an integral part of disease management and studies have shown group medical visits are more effective than individual appointments in this patient population. The purpose of this project was to develop, implement and evaluate an evidencebased group medical visit program for up to a maximum of 8 adult patients with type 2 diabetes in a family practice setting for six months. Seven participants with abnormal A1C …

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Carers' Perceptions Of The Cultural Appropriateness Of Carer Support Services: An Exploratory Study, Andrea Creado

Theses : Honours

Research on service utilisation by primary family carers has highlighted that carers from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds face specific barriers in accessing services, such as lack of culturally appropriate services, communication issues, prejudice, feelings of failure and misunderstanding of mental illness. However, little is known about how to best overcome these factors from the carers' perspective. The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions CALD carers had of the cultural appropriateness of carers' support services available in Perth. Ten primary family carers from CALD backgrounds participated in a semi-structured interview to explore their perceptions of existing …

The Relationship Of Financial Performance, Quality Indicators, And The Role Of Nurse Executives In Virginia Nursing Homes, Jeany V. Murphy

Health Services Research Dissertations

Problem statement. The dynamic nature of the healthcare industry has triggered changes in nurse executive functions. The job has expanded into entrepreneurial roles to be able to provide the most cost effective services while maintaining good quality outcomes for the residents. The new responsibility requires a different set of knowledge and competencies that is usually achieved through advanced education. It is not known whether nurse executives in long term care in Virginia possess the skills to influence both the financial and quality outcomes of the facility.

Methods. This descriptive research study examined the relationship of the nurse executives' technical, human, …

Integrating Education, Group Support, And Case Management For Diabetic Hispanics, Sharon A. Brown, Alexandra A. García, Mary Winter, Lita Silva, Adama Brown, Craig Hanis

School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Objectives: Culturally tailored diabetes self-management education (DSME) improves glycemic control and other health outcomes in Mexican Americans but sociocultural barriers to health improvements remain. This study explored the feasibility of adding a nurse case manager (NCM) to DSME to foster DSME attendance and increase utilization of other available health care services.

Design, setting and participants: The setting was a rural community on the Texas-Mexico border in one of the poorest counties in the United States. Using a repeated measures pretest, post-test control group design, we enrolled 165 Mexican American adults into: 1) an experimental group that received a DSME intervention …

Access To Adequate Outpatient Depression Care For Mothers In The Usa: A Nationally Representative Population-Based Study, Whitney P. Witt, Abiola O. Keller, Carrisa Gottlieb, Kristin Litzelman, John Hampton, Jonathan Maguire, Erika W. Hagen

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Maternal depression is often untreated, resulting in serious consequences for mothers and their children. Factors associated with receipt of adequate treatment for depression were examined in a population-based sample of 2,130 mothers in the USA with depression using data from the 1996–2005 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Chi-squared analyses were used to evaluate differences in sociodemographic and health characteristics by maternal depression treatment status (none, some, and adequate). Multivariate regression was used to model the odds of receiving some or adequate treatment, compared to none. Results indicated that only 34.8% of mothers in the USA with depression received adequate treatment. Mothers …

Attention To Clinical Processes Proves To Increase Patient Satisfaction, Greta L. Strauss Bs, Rdms, Michele Brown Rn, Bsn, Ocn, Jackie Kobeski Bs, Rt(M), Tamina L. Tannous Bsba

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Factors Affecting The Job Satisfaction Of Registered Nurses Working In The United States, Ann Marie Huffenberger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the health care sector in the United States undergoes transformation, job dissatisfaction has become a problem that is confounded by the challenge that nurse executives encounter in understanding the aspirations of an increasingly diverse workforce. A quantitative survey was conducted online using a representative sample of registered nurses (RNs) nationwide. Approximately 127,000 RNs from across the nation received an invitation, and 272 RNs participated. Factorial ANOVAs were performed to answer the research questions of whether aspects of job satisfaction differ across the demographic factors of a diverse RN workforce. No differences exist in personal satisfaction or satisfaction with workload …

Nurses' Knowledge And Perceptions Of Rapid Response Teams In A Psychiatric Facility, Kimberly Cecil-Riddle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychiatric illnesses can sometimes lead to behavioral outbursts that need to be addressed quickly to deescalate potentially explosive situations. Nurses are in a unique position to respond to such outbursts by calling for a rapid response team. Nurses who are part of the rapid response team should be well-informed of their roles and responsibilities in managing aggressive and violent behavior. The purpose of this project was to explore RN's and LPN's knowledge and perceptions of a rapid response team in a psychiatric facility. The Iowa model of evidence-based practice provided the framework to integrate theory into practice to improve care. …

Assessment Of Admission Criteria And Selection Process For Nurse Education Programs, Mary Ann Jarmulowicz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Qualified student enrollment to nurse education program is limited by admission criteria predetermined by faculty; however, little is known regarding the development and consistency of selection criteria. The purpose of this study was to examine the admission requirements of nursing programs to better understand the philosophical underpinnings and complexity of selection criteria. The conceptual frameworks of teaching philosophy, complexity, and gatekeeping guided this research. This descriptive correlational study used a cross-sectional design to survey a purposeful sample of full-time faculty teaching in nurse education programs in a southeastern state. Descriptive analyses, independent t test, and a Lambda analyses were employed …

Addressing Limited Clinical Experiences For Nursing Students, Shelly Eisert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This descriptive case study addressed the problem that nursing students at a small community college lacked clinical experiences that promoted identification of their strengths and weaknesses in knowledge and skills expected of nurses. The interest in this individual case and purpose of this study was to understand the clinical learning activities nursing students at this site believed were effective strategies for evaluating their strengths and assessing areas needing improvement in their nursing practice. The theoretical foundation of adult learning formed the basis of this descriptive case study using a survey design to assess the students' perceptions of clinical learning activities …

Patient Adherence To Oral Oncolytics, Holly Sansoucie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Oral oncolytics continue to come to market at an unprecedented pace. Traditionally, chemotherapy was delivered in the controlled environment of the infusion suite; however, with the increasing use of oral oncolytics, the burden of administration and monitoring has shifted to the patients and/or their caregiver. This paradigm shift, from intravenous chemotherapy to oral chemotherapy, has created new challenges in cancer care. Despite the seriousness of their diagnosis, oncology patients are not always adherent to these requirements. Oncology nurses have always taken the lead in patient education, yet that lead has mostly been in the context of intravenous chemotherapy. There is …

Leadership Styles And Nursing Satisfaction Rates, Wilma Lee Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this project was to translate evidence-based literature into policy and practice guidelines in order to improve leadership standards and skills among nurse managers and improve patient outcomes and the quality of care. Guided by the American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Model and Lewin's change theory, which sets the framework for creating exceptional nursing leaders, a literature search was conducted from studies ranging from 2010 to 2012 from several databases. Inclusion criteria were based on the presence of one or more leadership styles discussed in the articles and the impact of leadership style on nursing satisfaction. A total …

Working Together Toward A Common Goal: A Grounded Theory Of Nurse-Physician Collaboration, Lori Lynn Fewster-Thuente

Dissertations

Purpose: Effective collaboration has been identified as essential to quality patient care processes and outcomes. Yet, the conceptual and theoretical basis for understanding and practicing collaboration remains underdeveloped and imprecise. These factors may hamper the study of collaboration and therefore the optimization of care processes and outcomes. The purpose of this study was to understand the social processes associated with collaboration between nurses and physicians, with the intention of theory development.

Background: Collaboration, or a lack thereof, has been shown to impact both provider and patient satisfaction and outcomes. JCAHO now requires proof of collaboration for accreditation. Many organizations state …

Being And Becoming A U.S. Iraq War Veteran: An Exploration Of The Social Construction Of An Emerging Identity, Anna Stachyra

Dissertations

Background: Traditional perspectives of veteran mental health are grounded in physiological and psychological principles of trauma response and recovery. An alternative perspective is needed for the provision of culturally relevant healthcare to our nation's newest veterans. Research Question: Based on the premise that each veteran cohort has a characteristically identifiable cultural form and process of cultural identification and negotiated development, the research question guiding this study was, "What is the culture of the Iraq War veteran?" Study Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe, from social constructivist perspective, Operation Iraqi Freedom [OIF] veteran cultural identity development. Study Design …

Responses Of Successful Latina Students To Academic Challenges Of Prerequisite Nursing Courses, Julie Wiggins Nadeau

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing schools struggle to prepare enough nurses to meet the health care needs of a diverse and aging population in the United States. Many students do not complete their degrees, contributing to the problem. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and describe how successful Latina students experience and respond to the academic challenges of prerequisite nursing courses. The nursing shortage; healthcare needs of Hispanic patients; student outcomes; self-efficacy, achievement goal orientation, and academic help-seeking; and Hispanic cultural values framed the study. Using semistructured private interviews, the researcher explored the lived experiences of 6 successful Latina students when …