Digital Commons Network^™

Dietary Influences And Exposure To Cigarette Smoke On Myringotomy Rates Of Infants, Melanie Eller Thompson

MSN Research Projects

Breastfeeding has been identified as a protective measure to defend against infection, while cigarette smoking is linked with increasing the risk of infection. The purpose of this research was to determine if there is a relationship between dietary influences and exposure to cigarette smoke on myringotomy rates of infants. The Betty Neuman Systems Model was the theoretical framework which guided the study. The researcher, using a correlational ex post facto study design, sought an answer to the question: Is there a relationship between dietary influences and exposure to cigarette smoke on myringotomy rates of infants? A convenience sampling of 128 …

Job Satisfaction Of Emergency Nurses In Tennessee, Breezie Caudle Finley

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Emergency departments seem to attract highly motivated nurses who are challenged by this unique specialty area of nursing practice. Emergency nurses have initial contact with patients, making assessments and directing patients to the appropriate resources for health care. Skilled emergency nurses need to remain motivated to have job satisfaction and productivity for quality patient care. The purpose of this study was to identify intrinsic and extrinsic factors that contributed to job satisfaction and dissatisfaction among emergency nurses, to determine if there was a relationship between emergency nurses' years of experience and job satisfaction, and to ascertain if there was a …

Children With Hiv: How They Feel About What Parents Say, Susan Pease Instone Dnsc, Msn, Cpnp

Dissertations

With improvements in diagnosis and care, children with HIV infection are living long enough to reach school age, a stage when they are capable of perceiving the stigmatizing, life-threatening nature of their illness. Many parents desire to protect them from this knowledge by avoiding an open dialogue about their disease, even though pediatric professionals advocate disclosure. Research-based guidelines about the risks and benefits of telling, however, have not been available in the literature. Using an innovative, qualitative approach through the use of grounded theory and projective drawing techniques, this investigation sought to explore what parents said about the illness and …

The Incidence Of Congenital Anomalies Amongst Infants Born Between January 1992 And April 1996 In Lowndes County Mississippi, Sandra Lanell Faulkner

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of congenital anomalies occurring between January 1992 and April 1996 in Lowndes County Mississippi.

Chronic Pain: Nurse Practitioners' Attitudes And Interventions In Primary Care, Brenda Kay Thornton Coggins

MSN Research Projects

Chronic pain is a widespread problem affecting millions of people. Research has shown that attitudes and beliefs toward pain influence actions and reactions of both the person experiencing pain and the health care provider. Research has also shown that some health care providers have negative attitudes and erroneous beliefs about pain. This descriptive study was undertaken to explore and describe attitudes of nurse practitioners in primary care settings in Mississippi toward chronic pain and their subsequent interventions for chronic pain. Travelbee's Human-to-Human Model was utilized as the theoretical framework for this study. The two research questions asked in this study …

Update - July 1996, Loma Linda University Center For Christian Bioethics

Update

In this issue:

-- Stress and Distress in Pediatric Nurses: The Hidden Tragedy of Baby K
-- Ethics Grand Rounds: The Year in Review
-- CEJA Reverses Its Stance on Using Anencephalic Neonates as Live Organ Donors
-- AMA Council's Ethics Overwhelmed by Public Sentiment

The Flame, Summer-Fall 1996, Mennonite College Of Nursing

The Flame (1985-present)

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

Commencement Program 1996, Loma Linda University

Commencement Programs

CONTENTS

2 | 1996 Events of Commencement

3 | Academic Procession

4 | The Speakers

7 | The Honorees

14 | The Zapara Award

Order of Programs

• School of Medicine, 16
• School of Dentistry, 23
• Graduate School, 31
• School of Nursing, 39
• School of Public Health, 43
• School of Allied Health Professions, 51
• School of Allied Health Professions (Physical Therapy), 58

Pediatric Intensive Care Nurses : Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-Like Symptoms, Juanita J. Allen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Medical personnel are not only exposed to routine pressures of demanding roles, but research reveals that they can suffer from severe stress related to exposure to critical incidents. These events can overwhelm an individual's ability for emotional adjustment leading to negative symptoms such as emotional numbing, mood changes, estrangement from friends or family, decreased ability to perform or function on the job, development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, loss of work through attrition, and depression. Contact with seriously injured children or children who have died has been shown to constitute just such a critical incident for pre-hospital care personnel …

Explication Of The Construct Of Shared Care And The Prevention Of Pressure Ulcers In Home Health Care, Margaret Sebern

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this investigation was to render a more complete understanding of subjective perceptions of pressure ulcers from the perspective of family dyads, and to study the effect of these subjective experiences on preventive behaviors and pressure ulcer outcomes. A naturalistic inquiry, combined with objective measures, was used. Twenty-one dyads participated in four in-depth interviews to explore how they mentally represented and responded to the risk of pressure ulcers. Through the process of concept development, a lay representation of pressure ulcers was developed. This process produced a new concept, identified as “shared care,” that explained how the dyads interaction …

Can Target Volume Breathing Exercises Taught Preoperatively Decrease Postoperative Pulmonary Complications For Cardiac Surgery Patients?, Lea Sol Lopez-Fagin

Theses & Dissertations

Postoperative pulmonary complications and management are recognized as major problems following coronary artery bypass graft and valve repair surgery. Pulmonary complications include hypoxemia, reduction in air volume capacity, atelectasis, fever, tachycardia, tachypnea, and pneumonia. However, little is known about specific therapeutic interventions in nursing related to the amelioration of postoperative pulmonary complications in cardiac surgical patients. The study evaluated the outcomes of preoperative teaching of target volume breathing exercises in the prevention of hypoxemia and reduction of lung volume capacity for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and valve repair patients. Thirty-four patients aged 50-77 years undergoing CABG or valve repair …

The Effect Of Written Information And Reassurance On Patient Satisfaction, Anxiety, And Intent To Return For Emergency Care, June Andrea Dnsc

Dissertations

Patients' satisfaction is one of the primary goals of emergency department (ED) providers today. As emergency departments are overcrowded, stressful environments, anxious patients want to be kept informed. Nurses have the opportunity to meet these needs and possibly influence the patients' perception of the experience and intent to return for future care. This study examined the effects of providing written information and reassurance on patient satisfaction, anxiety, and intent to return for emergency care. The design was a posttest design involving a comparison between the control and three experimental groups. Two hundred and forty patients participated in the study, approximately …

Ethical Decision-Making Among Critical Care Unit Nurses, Mary Ellen Bowen Dnsc, Mn, Rn, Cnaa

Dissertations

The health care business has created complex relationships between consumers and health care institutions. Rising health costs, rationing of health care and medical technology have put critical care unit (CCU) nurses in complex environments where they must face ethical conflict. CCU nurses find themselves ill equipped to make sound decisions concerning ethical dilemmas. Nurses must ensure the patient's choices are respected and honored due to the duties inherent in the nurse-patient relationship. The purpose of this study was to explore the process of ethical decision making (EDM) as it is experienced by CCU nurses. Gaining an understanding of this process …

The Journey From Nonexerciser To Exerciser: A Grounded Theory Study, Keri Kuniyoshi Medina Dnsc, Ms, Rn

Dissertations

The physiological and psychological health benefits of regular physical exercise are well-documented; however, drop-out rates from both supervised and unsupervised exercise remain high. Many potential influences on exercise behavior have been studied, but with largely inconsistent results, making it difficult to identify key targets for intervention. The purpose of this study was to explore the process through which nonexercisers become exercisers, and the contextual factors which affect movement through this process, in order to enable nurses to more successfully assist clients to incorporate exercise into their lifestyles. The exercise experiences of 22 individuals who had successfully made the transition from …

Adolescent Tobacco Use : A Generation Up In Smoke, Kay L. Provo

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent tobacco use is on the rise in the United States. It is a significant health problem. In spite of the fact that adult smoking has decreased dramatically since 1964, the number of adolescent smokers remains high and has not decreased for the last 7 years (Winkelstein, 1992). The purpose of this study was to investigate adolescent tobacco use among ninth-grade students in five rural communities. Specifically, the following questions were addressed:

1. What is the incidence of tobacco use among ninth graders in rural communities?

2. Which variables influence rural adolescents' tobacco use?

3. Where and from whom do …

Nursing Faculty Connecting With Students: A Heideggerian Hermenteutical Study, Debra I. Craig Dnsc, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

This study sought to gain an insight into the phenomenon of nursing faculty members connecting with students. Caring has been espoused as a key component of nursing education for many decades. In the last 10 years the terms caring and connecting are commonly found associated with each other, and yet there is no clear definition of connecting. It is important to understand a phenomenon from the point of view of those who are experiencing it. Therefore, a study which asked nursing educators to tell stories of the times they had connected with students was undertaken. Ten nurse educators in the …

Exploring The Boundaries Of Pediatric Practice: Nurse Stories Related To Relationships, Joan P. Totka

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Pediatric nurses struggle to find the right level of involvement with children and families. The purpose of this study was to illuminate nurses' struggles and insights as they learned to find the interpersonal boundaries of their own practice. The phenomenological method of Heideggerian hermeneutics was used to analyze data from audiotaped and transcribed single interviews of five pediatric nurses. The analysis of the transcriptions involved multiple stages of interpretation using a research team. The themes that emerged from the data were: (a) pediatric nurse as family caregiver: (b) finding the right level of care: over-involvement vs. crossing the line; (c) …

Multidimensional Factors Affecting Well-Being: A Pni Based Model For Therapeutic Nursing Intervention., Mary P. Bennett

Nursing Faculty Publications

This paper is posted to assist graduate nursing students and others who are interested in my early PNI theory development work. The paper documents development and initial testing of a midrange theory of the effects of various nursing interventions on the psychoneuroimmunological (PNI) network. The hypothesized effects of interventions on various immune factors and subsequent health outcomes are explored, with special interest given to the use of PNI theory in nursing. More traditional nursing theory design principles are imbedded in this theory, including a definition of nursing and nursing intervention, as well as outlining how nurses educated at various levels …

Basics Of Research (Part 5): Ethics And Human Rights, Eric Davis, Edward A. Panacek, Cheryl Thompson

Journal Articles: College of Nursing

No abstract provided.

Weathering The Storm Persevering Through A Difficult Time, Lynn Allchin-Petardi

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Pain Management: South Dakota Advanced Prepared Nurses' And Physicians' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Perceived Barriers, Rebecca B. Reed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The most common reason patients seek health care is for the relief of pain. One of the most important roles health care providers serve is to assist patients in achieving comfort. The literature documents pain is inadequately managed as a result of inadequate knowledge, attitudes, and potential barriers. Advanced prepared nurses (APNs) and physicians engage in professions that demand safeguarding and protecting the health of patients. APNs and physicians have an ethical duty to provide collaborative, interdisciplinary pain management to patients.
This study described the knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers of South Dakota APNs and physicians in regard to selected …

The Relationship Between Spirituality And Depression In Family Caregivers Of The Elderly, Mary Jean Chappel

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between spirituality and depression in family caregivers of the elderly. This study sought to test the following hypothesis: The level of spirituality will be negatively correlated with the level of depression for family caregivers of the elderly. A descriptive, correlational design utilizing Neuman's wholistic system theory was used with a convenience sample of 44 family caregivers aged between 32 and 88 years. Self-reporting questionnaires were mailed to clients (identified as caregivers) of a home care agency, a caregiver respite program, and a Parkinson's support group all providing services in Northern …

Graduate Bulletin, 1996-1998 (1996), Moorhead State University

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

Differences Between The Attitudes And Behaviors Of Oncology Nurses: Inclusion Of Sexuality Concerns As A Component Of Care, Mary Diane Ashley

Masters Theses

This was an exploratory descriptive study. The "Wilson and Williams Sexuality Survey" (1988) was used with revisions to include a definition of sexuality. The sample consisted of 109 oncology nurses who care for adult oncology clients from five Midwestern institutions. There was a significant difference in attitudes and behaviors of oncology nurses regarding sexuality as a component of care (t = -.53.96; d.f. = 109; p =0.00). It was expected that positive attitudes would yield more behaviors, this was not the case. However, a moderately strong relationship was found between the attitudes and behaviors (r = .6088; p = 0.00). …

Vocational Interest Profiles Of Critical Care Registered Nurses, Julene Beth Hannink

Masters Theses

The purpose o f this investigation was to obtain descriptive data regarding the vocational interest profiles o f a population o f currently employed critical care registered nurses. John L. Holland’s Theory o f Careers, which was used as the theoretical fi’amework, describes six major types or characteristics o f vocational personalities: Realistic (R), Investigative (I), Artistic (A), Social (S), Enterprising (E) and Conventional (C). A vocational interest assessment tool, the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) was used to determine a given individual’s vocational interests, with results recorded as a three letter profile.

A convenience sample was obtained from the critical …

Contributing Factors In Medication Nonadherence In Schizophrenic Clients: A Descriptive Study, Sharron E. Howarth

Masters Theses

Medication nonadherence in schizophrenic clients is a major issue for psychiatric nurses. The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore factors identified by the schizophrenic client and the client's primary nurse that contribute to medication nonadherence. The Health Belief Model and Peplau's Model were the theoretical frameworks used. The sample included 20 schizophrenic clients with a history of medication nonadherence and 20 primary psychiatric registered nurses.; Face-to-face interviews using the Compliance Interview Questionnaire were conducted with the psychiatric client and the primary nurse. Results indicated a difference between nurses' and clients' perceptions of the reasons for medication nonadherence. Most …

Knowledge, Sources Used And Factors Considered In The Surgical Treatment Decisions Of Women With Breast Cancer, Debra J. Bisel

Masters Theses

The purpose of this replication study was to examine how women with breast cancer reached their decision for surgical treatment (Ward, Heidrich and Wolberg 1989). Twenty-one women who met the surgical criteria, i.e. option for Breast Conserving surgery or Modified Radical Mastectomy, completed four surveys 1 to 7 days post operatively. The women were divided into two groups, 13 who had Breast Conserving surgery and 8 who had Modified Radical Mastectomy. The surveys assessed demographic characteristics of the groups, the level of knowledge regarding breast cancer, factors considered important in reaching the decision for surgery and the sources of information …

Intuition And The Decision Making Process Of Expert Critical Care Nurses, Kelley A. Hempsall

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of intuition and the decision making process of expert critical care nurses in providing health care for hospitalized patients. A descriptive correlational design was employed using a non-probability convenience sample of 172 registered nurses working in critical care areas. Data were obtained by a questionnaire developed by the researcher. Ninety five nurses (55.2%) responded. Data analysis included a comparison of the relationship of expert nurses' (n = 49) total scores and the total scores of the non-expert nurses (n = 46). No statistically significant difference was found in either the …

Role Clarification And The Myocardial Infarction Patient's Primary Support Person, Susan L. Dunn

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of role clarification in reducing anxiety of the myocardial infarction patient's primary support person (PSP). A quasi-experimental design was utilized. A nonprobability convenience sampling method produced a sample of 31 experimental and 38 comparison subjects. During the patient's hospitalization a pretest was given and the experimental group attended a role clarification session. Posttesting was done three weeks later. Both groups had higher trait and state anxiety levels than the norm at pretest and posttest. It was hypothesized that the experimental group would have lower posttest state anxiety levels. This was …

Relationships Among Role Strain, Hardiness, And Academic Achievement, Evelyn Clare Rutlin

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative importance of role strain versus that of hardiness in predicting academic achievement in first semester female ADN students. A convenience sample of 61 students from Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, Michigan, participated in the study.; The Lengacher Role Strain Inventory and the Cognitive Hardiness Scale were used to assess role strain and hardiness. Academic achievement was determined by the grade received in the nursing fundamentals course.; Correlation coefficients were used to determine correlation among the variables. Multiple regression analysis was used to explain the variance. Neither role strain nor …