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Loma Linda Nurse - Vol. 12, No. 01, Loma Linda University School Of Nursing

Loma Linda Nurse

Table of Contents

2 | A message from the dean

4 | Loma Linda NURSE news

11 | LLUSN mentoring program

12 | THE MAKINGS OF A LEADER: a visit with Marilyn Christian Smith Gearing

16 | LLUSN development news

19 | Alumni Association president's letter

20 | Alumni homecoming

27 | The everyday hero feature

28 | Near and far

29 | In memory

The Flame, Spring 2003, Mennonite College Of Nursing

The Flame (1985-present)

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

A Qualitative Study To Analyze The Effectiveness Of A Researcher Designed Tool In Documenting Outcomes Of Caring Encounters, Both Individually And Over Time, Karen S. Ackerman

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Research into the documentation of quality-of-care outcomes is pivotal to developing nursing theory, increasing the knowledge base of nursing, and highlighting nursing accomplishments. This thesis presents a researcher-designed, agency-specific tool as one way of describing and documenting the outcomes of caring encounters. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of a researcher-designed tool in documenting the outcomes of caring encounters both individually and over time. Method: A descriptive research design was used to study the implementation of the tool. Watson's Theory of Human Caring served as the synthesizing framework. Results: Outcome tools applied to 34 …

An Interpretive Exploration Of The Meaning Of Being With Women During Birth For Midwives, Lauren P. Hunter Phd

Dissertations

This study explored the meaning of the phenomenon of the midwife's experience of being present with a woman during childbirth. The value and importance of being with a woman during childbirth, specific and unique to midwifery care, is reflected in midwifery philosophies and models of care. This study looked through the lens of midwives who have written poetry about births they have attended to learn more about the experience of being with a woman. Hermeneutical phenomenology was selected for the philosophical methodology and method because it looked at both the phenomenon and the use of language to describe the phenomenon. …

Justifying Coercion: Nurses' Experiences Medicating Involuntary Psychiatric Patients, Paula K. Vuckovich Phd, Rn

Dissertations

This grounded theory study delineates the process inpatient psychiatric nurses use to respond to the challenging nursing problem of medicating resistant involuntary patients. Since approximately one third of all admissions to psychiatric units in the United States are involuntary (Durham, 1996), caring for involuntary patients is a significant part of psychiatric nursing. Medication administration is a major treatment modality that is expected in caring effectively for psychiatric patients (American Psychiatric Association (APA), 1994; APA, 1997; Patel & Hardy, 2001). The process of getting the involuntary patient to accept medication is a major nursing function in a psychiatric unit that treats …

The Effect Of Professionally-Facilitated Group Support On Psychological Well-Being Among Clients With Cancer, Joann C. Harper Phd, Ms, Rn

Dissertations

Many persons suffer from cancer, some of whom seek psychological relief through group support. Despite the widely held belief that group support helps, its efficacy has not been consistently evident in the scientific literature. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of professionally-facilitated group support on the psychological well-being of clients with cancer between persons who participated in professionally-facilitated group support with those who did not. A comparison design measured effect by the Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB) index. Each study enrollee was diagnosed with a new or recurrent cancer within 18 months of study entry. ANCOVA was …

Evaluation Of The Penn Macy Initiative To Advance Academic Nursing Practice, Lois K. Evans Dnsc, Rn, Faan, Beth Ann Swan Phd, Crnp, Norma E. Lang Phd, Rn, Faan, Frcn

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

In the realm of academic practice, schools of nursing, especially those in research-intensive environments, face a dilemma. These schools are in the best position to shape nursing science through research based in academic practice. Yet they also face formidable challenges to maintaining balance among the three legs of the tripartite mission. The questions of whether and how to commit resources to move forward their academic practice agendas are not answered easily. The Penn Macy Initiative to Advance Academic Nursing Practice aimed to assist such schools in their development of academic practices through a week-long intensive institute and 1 year of …

Functional Health Literacy In An Urban Primary Care Clinic, Nancy Trygar Artinian, M. Patricia Lange, Thomas Templin, Lynda G Stallwood, Christopher E. Hermann

Nursing Faculty Research Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of functional health literacy in a sample of patients treated in 1of our 5 primary care clinics. A total of 92 randomly selected adults (mean age = 59 years) completed the TOFHLA while waiting for a scheduled appointment. Twenty eight percent of the sample had less than adequate levels of functional health literacy. Income, car ownership and education were significant and independent predictors of literacy level in this sample. Low levels of functional health literacy limit a patient's ability to read, understand and act on health information. It is essential …

Patients’ Perceptions Of Nurse Caring Behaviors In An Emergency Department, Lynn Kimble

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to (a) determine which caring behaviors of the nurse do patients’ perceive as being the most and the least important, (b) examine patients’ perceptions of nurse caring behaviors in relationship to their age and perception of illness; and (c) compare and contrast responses between patients and parents of children who are patients. Data for this questionnaire (N = 59) were collected over a two-month period at a not-for-profit, teaching hospital, which specializes in the care of women and children in an Appalachian state located in the southeastern United States. The Caring Behaviors Assessment instrument …

Parental Satisfaction In A Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Victoria S. Koontz

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify if the factors which indicate parental satisfaction of parents who have children admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) were being attained. The research questions were: 1) Was there a relationship between healthcare environment and parent satisfaction; 2) Was there a relationship between patient care and parent satisfaction; 3) Was there a relationship between communication and parent satisfaction? Parental satisfaction will be defined as meeting the parent’s perceived needs of the child and family during admission to the PICU (McPherson, 1999). This study used McPherson’s Parental Satisfaction Survey (PSS). The …

A Rural Hospital's Organ Donation Referral Pattern : A Pilot Study, Chris F. Carter

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

It is unclear if hospitals correctly refer all potential organ donors to Organ Procurement Organizations. Unidentified or mis-referred patients may be present in rural acute care Appalachian hospitals. A one-year nonexperimental retrospective descriptive study was used to review medical records in one rural Appalachian hospital. Data from the chart review indicated that of the total (n = 34) patients, sixty-eight percent (n = 23) were properly referred as cardiac standstill and six percent (n = 2) were properly reported as brain dead. However, nine percent (n = 3) were not referred to the OPO (unidentified). Eighteen percent (n = 6) …

Health Professions Division Catalog 2003-2004, Nova Southeastern University

Health Professions Divisions Course Catalogs and Course Descriptions

No abstract provided.

Identification Of The Spiritual Nursing Care Practices Of Volunteer Parish Nurses, Lynne Denise Roy

Theses Digitization Project

Parish nursing, a specialty nursing practice which includes the spiritual component of integration of faith and health, has been growing rapidly over the last decade. Standards of Parish Nursing Practice developed in 1998 are consistent with the nursing process and include the spiritual dimension.

Educator's Perceptions Of Priority School Nursing Activities And Influencing Factors, Julie Marie Berg

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to compare the relative priority rankings assigned by educators and practiontioners of activities performed by school nurses. It examines the factors that under lies the differences in priorities assigned.

Ethical Curriculum Development And Teaching, Mary Eunice Mcbean

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project is to develop a curriculum, which will examine the ethical methods or practices used by nurses in resolving ethical dilemmas in clinical practice utilizing the Moral Decision-Making Model for staff nurses at St.Bernardine Medical Center, Five Tower North.

The Effect Of Mirthful Laughter On Stress And Natural Killer Cell Activity, Mary P. Bennett, Janice M. Zeller, Lisa Rosenberg, Judith Mccann

Nursing Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Advanced Practice Nursing Health Care Needs Assessment In An Underserved Community, Michael Dean Conrad, Anna Kampanartsanyakorn

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to gain information about the community health care needs through a comprehensive assessment. This information will allow providers to identify services and groups of people where the biggest gap exists in receiving needed health care services. This may provide the basis for the design of an advanced practice preventative health intervention for the community.

The Creation Of Rice County District One Hospital Intensive Care Unit, Rae S. Ormsby

Theses and Graduate Projects

Based on social history and idealist constructs, this study explores the creation of one intensive care unit (ICU) in the setting of its conrmunity's economic, political, and cultural background. The social history describes the social forces that facilitated the ICU's creation. From an idealist construct the study attempts to understand the thinking of the decision-makers involved as well as the community's response. The work is based largely on personal interviews and archival data from the records of the hospital board. Background material to explain the community context comes from such sources as local daily newspapers and the archives of the …

Retaining Intensive Care Nurses In Las Vegas: The Importance Of Nurse Manager Leadership, Megan Vendetti

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In today's healthcare climate, retaining staff nurses is desirable and may be a more permanent solution to improve the nursing shortage. Employing a leadership style that is conducive to staff nurse job satisfaction may be needed to achieve that goal. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of the unit manager leadership style with job satisfaction and intent to stay in the intensive care setting. Staff nurses in two Las Vegas hospitals, one private and one public, were surveyed. A questionnaire was developed and voluntarily completed by 125 registered nurses employed in adult and pediatric intensive care …

Nurses' Work Environment Perceptions: Key Elements To Retention, Karen De La Cuesta

Master's Projects

A study of work environment perceptions among today's multi-generational registered nursing workforce provides suggestions to enhance job satisfaction and improve retention.

Stories Of Mothers Of Medically Vulnerable Infants, Sarah E. Davis

Master's Projects

As with any new baby, a medically vulnerable infant must be incorporated into the life of the family. The work of this transition is principally the work of the mother as primary caretaker. The mother considers what it will mean to have this infant in the family, how he will fit in, and what things will change. The mother wonders about how his personality will unfold and what his future will bring. She thinks about her role as a mother and how to best meet her child's special needs. With a medically vulnerable infant, a mother also has to consider …

Public Health Nurse Interventions For Women In Dependency Drug Court, Ann Somervell

Master's Projects

There are an increasing number of children placed into foster care due to abuse and neglect. Parents of these children often have difficult drug abuse problems leading to the removal of their children. The cost of caring for these children is staggering reaching billions dollars. One program in Santa Clara County that has been created to assist parents is dependency drug court. This court utilizes many disciplines including nursing in its efforts to stabilize and reunify the children. Previous research has shown that home visitations by the public health nurse using interventions based on support of the family has aided …

Perceptions Of Nursing Academic Administrators And Faculty Related To The Pursuit Of Upper-Level Administrative Careers, Lavonne M. Adams

Dissertations

Problem. To address the shortage of qualified candidates interested in academic administration, this study explored factors related to recruitment of nursing academic administrators, including leadership practices of current administrators, career aspirations of potential administrators, and perceptions of both groups toward a career in academic administration.

Method. Nursing academic administrators and full-time faculty from randomly selected National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC)-accredited nursing programs in private colleges or universities in the United States participated in the study. Administrators completed the Leadership Practices Inventory-Self (LPI-Self) and an investigator-designed Recruitment Questionnaire. Faculty completed the Leadership Practices Inventory-Observer (LPI-Observer) and an investigator-designed Career …

Coping And Social Support For Parents Of Children With Autism, Edith H. Luther

Master's Projects

The increased incidence of autism in children impacts families, educators, and health professionals. A descriptive survey design was used to obtain responses from parents of autistic children in public schools. Data collection instruments included The Social Support Index, SSI (McCubbin, Patterson, and Glynn, 1982), and The Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale, F-COPES (McCubbin, Olson, and Larsen, 1981 ). The majority of parents of autistic children perceived that they had support within their families and communities. One half of the families identified serious stressors in addition to autism. Acquiring social support and reframing were the coping strategies used most frequently. …

On Vs. Off: Coronary Bypass Surgery From A Patient's Perspective, Ann Steele

Honors Projects

Throughout the years, technological advances have changed the face of cardiac surgery, but at times, it is a return to a previous technique, which proves beneficial. Prior to the introduction of cardiopulmonary bypass, cardiac surgery was performed on a beating heart, but due to the lack of an appropriate immobilizing device, the surgery was extremely complicated. With the introduction of new stabilization devices, immobilization of the heart has become easier and beating heart surgery has gained popularity once again. Multiple studies have been done which discuss the benefits of off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB), but none of the studies …

Adolescents With Epilepsy: The Relationship Between Perceptions Of Parenting, Self-Concept, And Self-Assessment Scores Of Depression, Alison Z. D. Hofheinz

Masters Theses

Adolescents with chronic diseases must accomplish the management of their healthcare decisions and practices; those with epilepsy also deal with the uncertainty of seizure disorders and the stigma linked to this disease. This secondary analysis of data examined psychosocial variables for adolescents with epilepsy within the developmental-contextual framework proposed by Hohnbeck and Shapera (1999). No statistically significant differences were found between the mean Piers-Harris scores, self-assessment scores on the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) or the Revised Family APGAR for the subgroups of males, females, younger (9 to 11.44 years) or older (11.45 to 14 years) adolescents. Perceptions of parenting, length …

A Phenomenological Study Of Partners Of People With Parkinson's Disease Who Demonstrate Communication Changes, Elsie Janet Doherty

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Parkinson's disease is a common progressive neurological illness for which there is no known cure. While the cardinal signs are tremor, bradykinesia or slowness of movement, muscle rigidity and postural instability (Jahanshahi & Marsden, 1998, p.3) the patient may face an extended number of years experiencing all, or any combination of, the many other manifestations of the disease process. These manifestations include changes to various aspects of communication including loss of voice volume, diminished body language and loss of facial expression. All of these affect both verbal and non verbal communication. Given the progressive nature of Parkinson's disease the patient …

The Evolution And Experience Of Stomal Therapy Nurses In Australia 1959-2000, Keryln Carville

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In Australia, stomal therapy nurses are registered nurses who have undertaken an educational programme in the care, counselling and rehabilitation of persons-who have, or who could potentially have, a wound, an ostomy (that is an artificial opening into a body cavity) or incontinence of bodily waste. The genesis of stomal therapy nurses in Australia as a specialty group within the broader nursing profession was in 1971, when 11 founding members established an association for registered nurses with an interest in the care of patients with stomas. However, the serendipitous event that pre-empted the formation of this special interest group, can …

Fall Risk Assessment : A Prospective Investigation Of Nurses' Clinical Judgement And Risk Assessment Tools In Predicting Patient Falls In An Acute Care Setting, Helen Myers

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Falls are a significant problem in acute care, hospital settings, and can have serious consequences, especially for older patients. Fall prevention has therefore been recognised as an important area for research and intervention. In order to target interventions and use resources effectively, a major strategy of many fall prevention programmes has been the development and/or use of risk assessment tools to identify patients who are at high risk of falling. Although many tools have been developed, few have been rigorously tested, and there is currently no evidence to support the clinical utility of fall risk assessment tools. There is a …

Te Contaria Mi Vida: I Would Tell You My Life, If Only You Would Ask, Ruth Ann Belknap, Pilar Sayeed

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Universal screening for domestic violence is recommended in many health care settings. This qualitative study was undertaken to explore the thoughts and feelings of Mexican American women regarding being asked questions about domestic violence by a health care provider. We wanted to further explore what characteristics about a nurse, or other health care provider, would give a woman confianza, the trust necessary to discuss this issue. Seven women, who self identified as abused or formerly abused, were recruited from a pool of Spanish-speaking women receiving services from a rural domestic violence agency in the midwestern United States. The researchers …