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Are Unhygienic Practices During The Menstrual, Partum And Postpartum Periods Risk Factors For Secondary Infertility?, Tazeen S. Ali, Neelofar Sami, Ali Khan Khuwaja

School of Nursing & Midwifery

This study was aimed at identifying practices during the menstrual, partum and postpartum periods posing possible risk factors contributing towards secondary infertility in women of a selected population in Karachi, Pakistan. A matched case-control study was conducted from April 2003 to March 2004. Four hundred cases were selected from five infertility clinics affiliated with tertiary-care hospitals, and 400 age-matched controls were recruited from the neighbourhood of each case. After taking written consents, trained interviewers conducted interviews using a pretested structured questionnaire. Factors found to be independently associated with secondary infertility were: previous delivery at an unclean place (adjusted odds ratio …

Mennonite College Of Nursing Annual Report, 2006-2007, Mennonite College Of Nursing

Annual Reports - Mennonite College of Nursing

Annual report of the Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University

Nutrient Intake In College Students In A Midwestern Regional University Compared To The Recommended Dietary Guidelines, Rukmini Sen

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The prevalence of obesity is problematic in the United States. The objectives of the present study were to determine the extent of obesity in students studying at Eastern Michigan University and to evaluate their diet quality. Body Mass Index (BMI) of students (19-30 years, n=100) was measured from self-reported heights and weights as a benchmark of their weight category. Intakes of total energy (kilocalories), macronutrients and key micronutrients were assessed from three-day food diaries maintained by participants and compared with the Dietary Reference Intake Standards. Results indicated that 4% of EMU students were underweight, 52% were within a normal weight …

Diabetes Self-Management In The Migrant Latino Population, Dawn Weiler, Janice D. Crist

Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article will present an in-depth exploration and synthesis of current literature that informs nursing knowledge of diabetes self-management for the migrant Latino population. Extensive research in diabetes care has been conducted, however, there is a significant knowledge gap related to the factors that influence the achievement of glycemic control and self-management practices of the Latino population. Based on well-documented disparities in complications and health outcomes among Latinos when compared with White Americans, there is sufficient evidence to question whether traditional White beliefs about self-management are successful or appropriate for the Latino population in general and migrants specifically. Traditional models …

The Impact Of Music On Postoperative Pain And Anxiety, Kelly Dixon Allred

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The objective of this study was to add to the body of knowledge about the impact of music on postoperative pain and anxiety. The specific purpose of this research study was to determine if listening to music and/or having a quiet rest period just prior to and just after the first ambulation on postoperative day 1 can reduce pain and/or anxiety, or impact mean arterial pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and/or oxygen saturation in patients following a total knee arthroplasty. Methods: An experimental repeated measures design was used. Setting: A postoperative orthopedic unit in a 300-bed community hospital in …

The Prevalence Of High Risk Sexually Transmitted Disease Behaviors Among Homosexual College Students, Teofanes Q. Natavio

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Frameworks For Patient Safety In The Nursing Curriculum, Theresa Maria Chenot

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Patient safety (i.e., the degree to which patients are free from accidental injury) has received a great deal of media coverage during the past few years. Professional and regulatory agencies have indicated that patient safety education should be provided to healthcare workers to improve health outcomes. The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to gain a better understanding of the current status of patient safety awareness among pre-licensure nursing students. To this end, six research questions guided the study:

1. Will interpretable item constructs be identified when responses to the Healthcare Professional Patient Safety Assessment Curriculum Survey (HPPSACS) are …

Academic - Practice Bridges: Implications For Lecturers When The Complexities Of Change Meets The Higher Education And Nurse Education Systems, Adrianne Jones

Theses : Honours

Government, industry, enterprises and the community expect the Vocational and Educational Training (VET) system to provide up-to-date educational programs that provide pathways from school-based learning to the higher education facilities such as universities and to employment opportunities. Reforms in the VET sector over the past ten years have had a significant impact on the work of staff employed in the area. Educators now operate in more competitive markets and face increased demands for higher quality and more relevant training programs from clients. Understanding and keeping up with the changes and working in new and more flexible ways have been major …

Understanding Personal Carers' Experiences Of Caring For Older People In Pain, Kristi Holloway

Theses : Honours

Pain is a complex phenomenon that can be challenging for staff working in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) (Fisher et al., 2002; Twycross, 2002). A high prevalence of pain reported by older individuals has been reported and suggests that further study in this area is warranted (Higgins, Madjar & Walton, 2004). Research suggests that a significant barrier to effective pain management in the elderly is the provision of primary care by care staff who have little or no education about pain, pain assessment or pain management (Allcock, McGarry & Elkan, 2002). Studies have identified personal carers as being in a …

Evaluation Of An Education Intervention For The Staff On The Head Of The Bed Elevation In The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Randall Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Elevating the head of bed (HOB) reduces risks for aspiration and ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) in the adult population. Educational interventions have resulted in improvements in achieving a target HOB elevation of 30° in adults. Limited research has addressed this intervention in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The aim of this study was to determine if an educational intervention for the PICU staff would result in improvement in the HOB elevation in the PICU. Four research questions were studied: 1) What is the common practice related to the elevation of the HOB in the PICU? 2) Is there a …

Quality Of Life In Older Breast Cancer Survivors, Victoria Loerzel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Quality of life (QoL) in cancer survivors is an important area of research. While data are available about QoL and breast cancer, there is a paucity of research regarding older breast cancer survivors. The purpose of this research was to examine QoL in older women with early stage breast cancer, within the first year of post-treatment survivorship. The specific aims of this study were to: 1) Describe the changes in overall QoL and the four QoL domains of Physical, Psychological, Social, and Spiritual well-being; 2) Examine the effects of a psychoeducational support intervention on QoL outcomes in older women; and …

Evaluating Neonatal Facial Pain Expression: Is There A Primal Face Of Pain?, Martin Schiavenato

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pain assessment continues to be poorly managed in the clinical arena. A review of the communication process in pain assessment is carried out and the hierarchical approach often recommended in the literature -with self-report as its "gold-standard," is criticized as limited and simplistic. A comprehensive approach to pain assessment is recommended and a model that conceptualizes pain assessment as a complex transaction with various patient and clinician dependant factors is proposed. Attention is then focused on the pediatric patient whose pain assessment is often dependent on nonverbal communicative action. The clinical approaches to pain assessment in this population -mainly the …

Practical Approaches To Treating Patients With Bipolar Disorder, Jane E. Neu, Susan M. Denisco

Nursing Faculty Publications

Many patients present to a primary care setting with symptoms of a mood disorder. These symptoms may be indicative of an anxiety disorder or a depressive disorder, but they may also represent bipolar disorder, which is more common than many practitioners think. Correctly diagnosing bipolar disorder can be complex, because patients tend to seek treatment when they are experiencing the symptoms of depression or anxiety rather than mania or hypomania. Comorbid disorders such as substance abuse and anxiety disorders may complicate the clinical presentation. Failing to correctly diagnose bipolar disorder can have serious consequences in terms of patients' morbidity and …

Behavioral Management Of Command Hallucinations To Harm In Schizophrenia, Robin Buccheri, L Trygstad, G Dowling

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

The study objective was to evaluate changes in prevalence of command hallucinations to harm self or others, characteristics and intensity of auditory hallucinations, and levels of anxiety and depression after attendance at a 10-session course teaching behavioral strategies for managing persistent auditory hallucinations to adult outpatients with schizophrenia. Prevalence of command hallucinations to harm self or others was measured at baseline, end of course, and 1-year post-course. Pre-course scores on the Characteristics of Auditory Hallucinations Questionnaire, Unpleasant Voices Scale, tension-anxiety subscale of Profile of Mood States, and Beck Depression Inventory-II were compared with scores immediately post-course and 1 year later. …

A Grounded Theory Study: Hispanic Adolescents' Experience Of Being Overweight, Wilma Powell Stuart

All ETDs from UAB

The number of overweight adolescents worldwide has continued to increase over the past several decades. Intervention studies for weight management with overweight adolescents are challenged by high rates of attrition and have failed to achieve sustained outcomes. Hispanic adolescents have a higher risk of being overweight than their African American and White peers do. However, Hispanic overweight adolescents have been poorly represented in intervention studies with overweight adolescents. The factors that influence the Hispanic overweight adolescents’ perceptions of weight and weight loss management are not known. This qualitative study used ground theory methodology to identify the factors that influence perceptions …

The Recovery Experience For Persons With A Myocardial Infarction And Their Spouses/Partners, Vicki Lynnette Bingham

All ETDs from UAB

Coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in Americans today, affects both genders in numerous ethnic populations. This life-threatening event causes both physical and emotional distress for persons with a myocardial infarction (MI), as well as for their spouses or partners and thus possibly forces them on a spiritual journey. The purpose of this study was to increase the understanding of the ways in which spirituality is defined and experienced by both persons with an MI and their spouses/partners during the recovery process. The method utilized in this study was a qualitative approach using interpretative phenomenology from a Heideggerian …

The Impact Of Stress Management On Nurse Productivity And Retention, Tammi F. Milliken, Paul T. Clements, Harry J. Tillman

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Throughout the history of nursing there is a seeming legacy of personnel shortage, lack of funds, and, based on the nature of the role and related services, heightened levels of stress involved in patient care.

The future of the profession and more imminently, patient care and the health of nurses, may be significantly impacted by repeated challenges where current levels of stress and burnout are contributing to organizational problems, burnout, and attrition.

Employee stress and burn out commonly lead to myriad health-related problems that result in significant organizational consequences.

There are many methods of stress management, and sometimes the best …

Approaches To Studying And Study Tactics Of Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Lisa D. Brodersen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research was designed to describe study approaches and study tactics used by baccalaureate nursing students. Previous inquiry indicates that students will take a Deep, Strategic, or Surface approach to studying and will use specific study tactics to meet the demands of their learning contexts.

The Approaches to Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) was administered to 174 students in Anatomy and Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Nursing Care of the Adult Client. Failing students were less likely to participate. The ASSIST bad acceptable internal consistency reliability and construct validity. A majority (55%) of students took a Strategic approach to studying; smaller …

The Influence Of Religiosity On Contraceptive Use And Abortion In The United States, Richard J. Fehring, Jennifer Ohlendorf

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The CDC has conducted the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) every three to seven years between 1973 and 2002 to describe contraceptive use among women in the U.S. The data from these surveys are available to researchers to examine trends in contraceptive use and sexual behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine data from the 2002 NSFG in order to determine the influence of religiosity on abortion and abortifacient contraceptive use, i.e., the use of the oral contraceptive pill (OC), the injected hormone Depoprovera (IC), the IUD, and hormonal emergency contraception (EC), among American women between the …

The Bath Environment, The Bathing Task, And The Older Adult: A Review And Future Directions For Bathing Disability Research, Susan L. Murphy, Kimberlee A. Gretebeck, Neil B. Alexander

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose. To review existing research studies to identify optimal intervention strategies for remediation and prevention of bathing disability and future directions for bathing disability research.

Method. Bathing disability, defined as problems in the interaction between the person and the environment during bathing performance, is examined through a comprehensive, narrative literature review.

Results. Most studies focus on the relationship between the person and the environment (such as assistive device use and environmental hazards) while fewer studies focus on analysis of the bathing task or the interaction of the person, environment, and bathing task. Of intervention studies, most do …

Effects Of Teaching Resourcefulness And Acceptance On Affect, Behavior, And Cognition Of Chronically Ill Elders, Jaclene Zauszniewski, Abir K. Bekhet, Chien-Yu Lai, Patricia Mcdonald, Carol M. Musil

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

This clinical trial examined changes in affect, behavior, and cognition in 176 chronically ill elders who were randomly assigned to Resourcefulness Training (RT), Acceptance Training (AT), or Diversional Activities (DA). The RT group improved on affect (t(1,42) = 4.91; p < .001) and cognition (t(1,42) = 2.03; p< .05) and these effects lasted 12 weeks. The AT group improved on affect (t(1,36) = 3.08; p < .01), but this improvement did not persist. The RT and AT groups both showed positive behavior changes after six weeks. There were no changes in the DA group. The findings suggest that teaching elders resourcefulness and acceptance of chronic conditions may promote healthy functioning and improve their quality of life.

Resilience And Depressive Symptoms In Midlife Women, Keverne L. Lehman

Masters Theses

Rates of depression are increasing throughout the world, with women experiencing depression twice as often as men. This study utilized the Neuman Systems Model to examine the relationship in midlife women between depressive symptoms and resilience. Women ages 35-55, selected from four health care settings, completed written surveys on demographic information, life events, depression, and resilience. Results supported depressive symptoms as a health concern for mid-life women: 32% reporting current or previous treatment for depression, and 24% screening positive for depression. Resilience, measured by the Polk Resilience Patterns Scale, was related to education, perceived health, conflict in the living situation, …

Patient Handling Safety For Nursing Staff, Don Nielsen

Dissertations

The effectiveness of video scoring and feedback about the scoring of the components of safe patient transfers was observed among eight nursing staff members in a skilled nursing department within an acute care hospital.

An ABCA (and sometimes ABCDA), multiple baseline across individuals design was utilized in the study. The dependent variable under investigation was the percentage of safe lifting components. Following baseline measures, nursing staff participated in an information phase during which they reviewed and discussed components of safe patient transfers. A video scoring phase was introduced, during which, participants viewed and scored a model video of a patienttransfer. …

Recognition Of Depression In Primary Care Settings: The Influence Of Patient Age And Gender On Patient Care, Kelly Marie Monette

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Depression is a common condition that is often poorly detected in primary care medical settings. The elderly often fail to receive appropriate attention to their mental health needs, possibly due to physician's interpretation of physical and emotional changes as part of the normal aging process. The purpose of this study was to explore physicians' identification of depression and to determine whether age-related factors and gender impact recommendations for patient care. The respondents were full-time primary care physicians (N = 46; 63% male) who were randomly selected from a national listing of family medicine practitioners and primary care physicians (family medicine, …

Minority Adolescents At Risk For Obesity: Health Behaviors And Perceptions, Linda D. Jones

Master's Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine behaviors related to nutrition and physical activity of inner-city minority adolescents, and their perception of normal weight and overweight. The research study used a descriptive, non-experimental design which had a convenience sample of thirty-seven 8th grade minority adolescents who attended a chartered urban K-8 grade school in Northern California. There were no statistically significant differences in the results, however, over 50% of the students reported not eating the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Another 68% reported participating more than 30 minutes in exercising or playing sports during physical education class. …

Stress Reduction: A Neighborhood Introduction, Barbara D. Johnson

Master's Projects

Responding to reported health concerns a stress reduction program was developed for residents of an urban Latino neighborhood struggling with poverty, crime, and limited access to healthcare. The revised Health Promotion Model (HPM) was used as a framework (Pender, 1996). A qualitative study testing a 5-week Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention was imbedded into the program 18 months after its implementation. Utilizing a pre/post test design participants were predicted to demonstrate significant reductions in post-intervention mean scores for 3 self-report measures, the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale, General Sleep Disturbance Scale, and a modified Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. A 91% drop …

The Cost Of Negative Perceptions Of The Work Environment Among Intermediate Intensive Care Unit Nurses, Joselyn Peralta

Master's Projects

This descriptive study assessed the perceptions of the work environment and the retention plans among registered nurses (RNs) who worked in the Intermediate Intensive Care Unit at a tertiary university hospital. Results from the Moos Work Environment Scale found that nurses perceived high levels of work pressure and low levels of clarity, coworker cohesion, and supervisor support. Results indicated that the intent to leave the unit was dependent on the nurses having other options in nursing, desiring further education, an undesirable scheduling process and unsafe patient care. The direct and indirect costs to hospitals could be offset by developing strategies …

Depression, Anxiety, Hazardous Drinking, Subjective Burden, And Rewards In Family Caregivers Of Patients With Chronic Liver Disease, Lois Vennesta Bolden

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

This descriptive correlation study had three purposes. The study first described depressive and anxiety symptom levels, prevalence of hazardous drinking, rewards, and subjective burden reported by family caregivers of patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). Second, the investigator compared depressive and anxiety symptom levels, prevalence of hazardous drinking, rewards, and subjective burden reported by African Americans family caregivers with those reported by Caucasian family caregivers of patients with CLD. The third purpose was to determine the predictors of subjective burden and mental health status of family caregivers of persons with CLD.

A convenience sample of 73 caregivers of patients receiving …

The Impact Of Quiet Time On The Sleep Quality Of Cardiothoracic Surgery Patients, Kristina L. Nelson

Graduate Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to observe patients' quality of sleep on a cardiothoracic step-down unit before and after institution of an "undisturbed quiet time" policy from eleven o'clock in the evening until five in the morning. It was hypothesized that these patients have improved sleep quality after institution of the Quiet Time protocol. The comparative group, quasi-experimental study utilized the Verran and Snyder-Halpern Sleep Scale and Factors Influencing Sleep Questionnaire to measure sleep disturbance, effectiveness, and supplementation. Results demonstrated a decrease in sleep disturbance with initiation of the Quiet Time, but no significant change in sleep effectiveness and …

Psychometric Properties Of The Readiness For Hospital Discharge Scale, Marianne E. Weiss, Linda Piacentine

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of the study was to assess the psychometrics properties of the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (RHDS), a 23-item instrument that measures patients' perception of readiness for discharge. Data were obtained from 356 respondents from two urban tertiary medical centers (adult and children's) in the midwestern United States who were participants in a larger study of predictors and outcomes of readiness for hospital discharge. Confirmatory factor analysis, contrasted group comparisons, and predictive validity testing supported the 4-factor structure and construct validity of the instrument. Following deletion of two poorly performing items, Cronbach's alpha for the revised 21item scale …