Digital Commons Network^™

Incidence And Clinical Predictors Of Risk Factors For Inappropriate Shock In Patients With Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators, Shu-Ling Lo Phd

Dissertations

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a major unresolved medical problem worldwide. Although Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators (ICD) are highly effective in diagnosing and treating life threatening arrhythmias, inappropriate shock therapy (IST) occurs in approximately 5-20% of ICD recipients. IST results in pain, anxiety, induction of ventricular arrhythmias, decreased battery longevity, and even death. Researchers studying clinical predictors of IST have drawn findings based on single case studies with small samples or with outdated data. This study filled this gap by describing the incidence and co-existing clinical predictors of IST. Methodology This descriptive, retrospective study analyzed the incidence and clinical predictors of IST …

An Exploratory Study Of Functional Status In Post Cardiac Arrest Survivors Discharged To Home, John J. Whitcomb Phd

Dissertations

Cardiopulmonary arrest is a major health problem, claiming 350,000 to 450,000 lives per year in the United States, but survival has increased to 49% from the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) by lay personnel. Leidy's work on functional status is a comprehensive framework to describe functional status and has not been used in this population. The specific aims of the project were to describe perceived functional capacity, physical functional performance, mental health, symptom distress, and demographic factors in survivors of cardiopulmonary arrest after discharge to home and to examine the relationship among perceived functional capacity, mental health and physical …

Screening Of Postpartum Depression Among Chinese Immigrants, Beahwa Yeoh

Master's Projects

Postpartum depression among the Chinese population in the United States has been understudied even though the Chinese community continues to rapidly increase in numbers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence of postpartum depression among Chinese immigrants using the "Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale," a self-report questionnaire. This study also reports demographics obtained from participants and explores the practice of "zuo ye zi" among Chinese immigrants. In the spring of 2005, twenty-eight postpartum Chinese women, all first generation immigrants, were asked to participate in this study during home visits conducted by public health nurses in Alameda County, CA. …

Adult Suicide Attempts In Relationship To Life Experiences And Familial Tendencies, Laura S. Ford

Graduate Research Projects

The purpose of this project was to describe the variables age, gender, child or adult abuse, educational level, family history of suicide, depression, economic level as factors related to adult attempted suicides. The Lazarus framework was used to examine factors contributing to adult attempted suicide. A suicide prevention community education project was developed with Lazarus’s theory of cognition and unconscious processes in mind. Lazarus’s theory focuses on the relationship between development of coping skills learned during childhood and how a person will respond using those skills as an adult. This project explored links between child and adult abuse, education or …

Uab Nurse Scientist - Summer 2005, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

UAB Nursing magazine

No abstract provided.

Managing Susceptibility To Hereditary Breast And Ovarian Cancer, Cynthia E. Perry Phd, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

The recent identification of Breast Cancer 1 (BRCA1) and BRCA2 genes offers an opportunity for high-risk individuals to learn whether they may be genetically predisposed to develop breast and/or ovarian cancer. The purpose of this study was to examine how unaffected women, identified as BRCA positive and variant of uncertain significance (VUS) mutation carriers, managed their susceptibility to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). Thirty North American women ranging in age from 22 to 60 years responded to open-ended interviews. These interviews were analyzed using constant comparative method to generate a grounded theory. Managing Susceptibility was identified as the basic …

Workplace Empowerment And Job Satisfaction In Primary Care Nurse Practitioners In Southeast Kansas, Karen Zafuta Johnson

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The purpose guiding this study was to identify perceptions of workplace empowerment and levels of job satisfaction in a group of primary care nurse practitioners in the southeast Kansas area. A quantitative study was conducted and examined as to what background variables are significant for empowerment to be fully realized. This will add knowledge to other studies that have been done on nurse practitioner's job satisfaction so that more will be known about this vital and growing profession.

The population for this study included 30 nurse practitioners that currently work in a primary care setting in the southeast Kansas area …

The Flame, Summer 2005, Mennonite College Of Nursing

The Flame (1985-present)

The Flame is a newsletter of Illinois State University's Mennonite College of Nursing

Aiming For Zero Errors: Clarian’S Safe Passage Program Improves Infusion Safety, Dawn Daniels, Kathryn Rapala

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Few issues command as much attention in the healthcare industry as patient safety. As healthcare professionals and hospital administrators know, nurses are key players in patient safety programs. Nurses are at the best vantage point to see, report, and fix errors before they occur, and the high-touch nature of their jobs puts nurses in the best seat to advocate for a patient and address looming safety issues.

Hospitals across the country are recognizing nurses’ critical role in patient safety, and as a result, more nurses are being placed in pivotal care roles. Clarian Health Partners, a hospital system based in …

Patient Safety. From Metaphor To Model: The Clarian Safe Passage Program, Kathryn Rapala, Karlene M. Kerfoot

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The most important stakeholders in patient safety are alert and mobilized frontline health care staff. At Clarian Health Partners, Indianapolis, IN, clinicians in the Safe Passage Program work jointly with unit staff, physicians, and other departments to continuously improve the level of patient, employee, and visitor safety. Medical error reporting at Clarian has tripled. The enthusiasm and passion of Safe Passage clinicians is both inspiring and energizing.

Beyond The Patient: Nursing Presence With Families During The Perioperative Period, Joyce P. Miller

Theses and Graduate Projects

Nurses have used the intervention of caring for many years, but little attention has been given to describing the phenomenon of nursing presence in the perioperative setting. The purpose of this research was to learn more about the experience of the connection of the family to the nurse who kept them informed during the perioperative period. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was utilized to identify patterns of caring, connecting, and transpersonal nursing presence described by the family of surgical patients. Five women were interviewed for this study. Transcribed interviews became the phenomenological texts for my hermeneutic analysis. Essential themes were uncovered …

Culture Brokering: A Case Study Resolving Conflict In A Health Care Setting, Katherine A. Baumgartner

Theses and Graduate Projects

This paper describes the application of a culture brokering model developed by Mary Ann Jezewski to a cultural conflict within a pediatric clinic. The purpose of the case study was to explore the usefulness of the culture brokering model as a tool in resolving conflict as well as a process to expand cross-cultural understanding and promote connectedness of the patient in the health care system. A practice model for the advanced practice nurse is discussed which combines the cultural brokering model and places it within the framework of Leininger's Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality. The cultural conflict in …

Unintended Pregnancy Prevention And Active Duty Women, Min S. Chung-Park Phd, Msn, Whnp

Dissertations

Studies have shown that a structured education program for women decreases risky sexual behavior identified as vulnerable for AIDS. However, the outcomes from a structured, repeated, educational intervention in reducing the rates of unintended pregnancies have not been studied in military females who are considered as a high risk. The purpose of this quasi-experimental longitudinal study was to implement and evaluate the effects of a reproductive health educational program regarding knowledge, attitudes, decisional balance, self-efficacy, stages of change, and contraceptive use, and to identify independent variables most likely to predict behavior change in the use of contraceptives among single, active …

Commencement Program 2005, Loma Linda University

Commencement Programs

CONTENTS

2 | 2005 Events of Commencement

3 | President's Welcome

5 | Celebrating Our Centennial of Global Service

7 | Path of History: Loma Linda University Historical Sites

11 | The Academic Procession

12 | Significance of Academic Regalia

13 | The Speakers

20 | The University Honorees

25 | The School Honorees

35 | The Programs

• School of Medicine, 36
• School of Dentistry, 43
• Graduate School, 52
• School of Nursing, 62
• School of Allied Health Professions - Physical Therapy, 67
• School of Allied Health Professions, 73
• School of Public Health, 81

Mentoring Staff Members As Patient Safety Leaders: The Clarian Safe Passage Program, Kathryn Rapala

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

We are at a crossroad in patient safety. Patient safety definitions, research, products, and implementation strategies have become as complex as health care itself. Almost every professional and regulatory organization now has a position or strategy to address the estimated 44,000 to 98,000 deaths per year due to health care error[1]. Memorizing and implementing the Joint Commission for Accreditation National Patient Safety Goals is not enough to establish and maintain a culture of safety. Patient safety literature offers few practical solutions on the implementation of an integrated, system wide application of patient safety approaches to clinical practice. It is our …

Nurses Perceptions Of Barriers And Facilitators To Research Utilization In Their Nursing Practice, David Ray Renfro

Master's Projects

Today in nursing we are driven in the direction of evidence based practices. The nursing profession must continue to encourage nurses to ask "Why" when providing interventions. We must ensure that the interventions provided are both warranted, and the most efficacious intervention achievable. As a profession, we can no longer stand on our methods of practice simply because it is the way we have always practiced. It is a challenge for nursing leaders to implement a culture of evidence based practice, and to promote research utilization. The purpose of this study was to identify nurse's perceptions of barriers and facilitators …

Self-Efficacy And Sexual Transmitted Disease Prevention Among College Women, Dominique M. Ly

Master's Projects

According to the Center of Disease Control (2002), sexual transmitted diseases (STDs) are on the rise, especially among women. By far, women bear the greatest burden of STDs because they suffer more frequently and develop more serious complications than men. This study explored the relationship between self-efficacy and safe sex behaviors among college women. The data was collected by using questionnaires from the General Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale (GPSE) and the Condom Use Self-Efficacy Scale(CUSES). The sample was composed of 38 unmarried female college students between the ages of 18 and 25 years-of-age who had been sexually active within the last …

Neurobehavioral Functioning And Breastfeeding Behavior In The Newborn, Sharon Radzyminski

Nursing Faculty Publications

Objective: To determine whether central nervous system functioning has an effect on the normal, term infant's ability to breastfeed in the first day following birth. Design: Breastfeeding behaviors and neurobehaviors were evaluated at birth and at 24 hrs of age in two groups of neonates. One group of neonates was born to mothers who received epidural analgesia during labor, and one group was born to mothers who received no pain medication. Breastfeeding behavior was evaluated using the Preterm Infant Breastfeeding Behavior Scale, and the infant's neurobehaviors were evaluated using the Neurologic and Adaptive Capacity Score. Participants: Fifty-six breastfeeding mother-newborn dyads. …

Navigating The Change Of Life: The Menopausal Transition Of Thai Immigrant Women, Bulaporn Natipagon-Shah Phd, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

Given that women continue to live more than three decades after menopause and their health and well-being in later life are determined by quality of health during the menopausal transition, menopause has become an important issue in the healthcare arena. The growing number of immigrant women in the United States signifies a need for healthcare providers to develop cultural knowledge and sensitivity toward each immigrant group regarding the issue of menopause. The purpose of this qualitative study was to build a substantive grounded theory of the experiences of menopausal transition among Thai immigrant women in the United States. Data collection …

From Presence To “E-Presence” In Online Nursing Education, Lisa M. Kaiser Phd, Msn, Bsn, Rn

Dissertations

Online web-based course offerings are now common in many institutions of higher education In response to the current and severe nursing shortage, estimated to represent a 20% vacancy rate by the year 2015, (Tarkin, 2003) many more universities have created online nursing courses for registered nurses wishing to continue their education in nursing. The National League for Nursing (NLN) set research priorities that urged exploration of the impact that technology has on the content and nature of teaching and learning in nursing education (1999). Using a series of separate synchronous, online focus groups and 1:1 interviews with nurse educator experts …

Perceived Social Support Among Chinese American Hemodialysis Patients, Kaklam Wong

Master's Projects

Social support is linked to improved health outcomes both in Western and Asian societies and is a vital factor in a patient's adjustment to end-stage renal disease and its treatment regimen. This study explored perceived social support among 46 Chinese American hemodialysis patients in San Francisco's Chinatown using the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire plus open-ended questions. Findings unexpectedly revealed low levels of perceived social support and lack of tangible support especially in elder patients. We can no longer assume that traditional family cultural values are providing adequate social support for this population.

Practice Patterns Contributing To Positive Patient Outcomes By Nurse Practitioners, Kandice Bandy

Master's Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify NP practice patterns most important for positive patient outcomes. Data Sources: A convenience sample (n = 93) of Nurse Practitioners attending the 2005 California Association for Nurse Practitioners Conference (N = 535) completed the survey. Conclusions: The most important practice patterns identified were associated with patient-centered care. When analyzed with years in practice, patient-centered practice patterns continued to be the most important. This study suggests that patient-centered practice patterns are most important to positive patient outcomes for NPs. Implications for practice: Identifying the practice patterns that are most important to positive …

The Relationship Between Student Perceptions Of Faculty Support And Student Perceptions Of Clinical Competency, Linda Clark

Master's Projects

This study explored the relationship between student perceptions of faculty support and student perceptions of clinical competency in beginning and senior level nursing students. A total of 91 ethnically diverse, generic baccalaureate nursing students from a state funded university participated in the study. The participants completed Mozingo, Thomas, and Brooks' (1995) Perceived Competency Scale (PCS), Shelton's (2003) Perceived Faculty Support Scales (PFSS), and a demographic questionnaire. An independent t test determined that the observed mean difference between perceived competency scores in 46 beginning students (M=32.02) and 45 senior students (M=27.36) was statistically significant (t (89) =3.25,p<.05). The students demonstrated high scores of perceived faculty support and demonstrated no difference between the beginning (M=94.82) and the senior (M=95.61) nursing students (t (87) =-.25,p>.05). No statistically significant …

A Replication Study For Comparative Purposes Of Evidence-Based Practice Activities In Magnet And Non-Magnet Hospitals, Joann F. Bunke

Theses and Graduate Projects

Nursing literature is rich with articles and studies in support of evidence-based practice. Health-care consumers today expect quality and excellence. As McSherry (1997) states, "'Patients', 'consumers'or'clients'are being encouraged to expect no less than a quality service and high standards of patient care from health professionals" (p. 985). The Magnet Recognition Program is one way to publicly recognize excellent nursing service. Using the 2003-2004 Magnet Recognition criteria within Standard Xlll is a way to evaluate the research environment of health-care facilities. The purpose of this study was to examine characteristics of the research environment of nursing departments within hospitals that are …

Advances In Graduate Nursing Education: Beyond The Advanced Practice Nurse, Sharon Radzyminski

Nursing Faculty Publications

Historically, graduate education in nursing has been primarily concerned with the clinical role. In recent years it has been suggested that graduate education needs to consider alternate programs of study that prepare nurses for clinical leadership that are distinct from management and advanced practice roles. Graduate education is needed that focuses on the skills required to coordinate care and implement outcome-based practice and quality improvement strategies. Two models are currently being proposed that meet these objectives. The first is the population health nurse expert that functions on the macrosystems approach and the second is the clinical nurse leader which is …

Active Learning In Nursing Education, Vaunette P. Fay Phd, Nina Selz, Jan Johnson

Center for Education and Information Resources Publications

ALINE is a pedagogical model developed to aid nursing faculty transition from passive to active learning. Based on constructionist theory, ALINE serves as a tool for organizing curriculum for online and classroom based interaction and permits positioning the student as the active player and the instructor, the facilitator to nursing competency.

Rain Rhythms: Spring 2005, College Of Nursing & Professional Disciplines

RAIN Rhythms

No abstract provided.

Reconciling Temporalities: A Substantive Explanation Of The Origins Of Difficulty In The Nurse Patient Encounter, Marilyn Theresa Macdonald Phd

Dissertations

Nurses describe patients as difficult on a regular basis. Nursing research to date has assumed the existence of this phenomenon. Most studies have listed descriptors of the difficult patient and offered interventions for nurses to use to alter patient behavior. Locating of difficulty within the individual and failure to consider the context of the nurse patient encounter is problematic. The practice of locating difficulty in the individual absolves organizations and society of responsibility to work to change factors that contribute to the construction of difficulty. The purpose of this research was to move beyond a focus on the patient as …

Hospital Epidemiological Surveillance During A Major Construction Project, Sherry Sexton

Graduate Research Projects

The purposes ofthis study were: a) to detennine if organism migration occurred from a construction area into other areas of the hospital-especially adjacent operating suites, b) to monitor and evaluate the incidence of construction-related surgical site infections, and c) to monitor the incidence of employee illnesses that could be construction-related. This was a descriptive correlational study and provided epidemiological data to evaluate the effectiveness of infection control measures in preventing employee or patient infections related to construction. The framework for this study was Florence Nightingale's Environmental Adaptation theory which focused on the environment and changes which could affect patient outcomes. …

Healing Model Of Nursing Practice In Nursing Homes, Virginia C. Carlson

Theses and Graduate Projects

The project is a healing practice model designed to advocate for the certified nursing assistants and elders in nursing homes. The Healing Model of Nursing Practice in Nursing Homes was designed to reclaim the inherent "caring-healing" attributes of nursing that have been excluded from nursing and the health systems as posited by Watson's Theory of Human Caring. The model integrates Zen and Reiki into a non-invasive practice, which is a method of healing that has been promoted by nurse theorists Jean Watson and Martha Rogers. The model promotes wholeness. The goal is to move our actions beyond regulatory processes to …