Digital Commons Network^™

A Study Of Adolescent Depression Among Middle School Students, Cristina Lee

Master's Projects

Adolescent depression and teenage suicide should not be neglected and underestimated. While mental health is one of the ten health indicators that Healthy People 20 I 0 is focused on, and there are goals for the health community to work on, statistics are showing that teenagers in a county in Northern California were at high risk for mental health problem. This study was an introductory screening of the depression level of 7th graders attending middle school, and explored sources of adolescent perceived stress and routes of assistance. Results of the study show that almost one in every five 7th graders …

The Influence Of Staff Nurse Ethnicity On Perceptions Of The Work Environment, Silvia Helena Martins

Master's Projects

This study investigated the relationship among Registered Nurses (RNs) from different ethnic groups and their perceptions of the work environment in a community hospital in California. Moos' Work Environment Scale (WES) was used to examine three Dimensions of the work climate. Statistically significant differences were found in the way Caucasian and non-Caucasian RNs perceived Peer Cohesion and Work Pressure. These findings have implications for nurse leaders interested in transforming the work environment as perceptions of Peer Cohesion and Work Pressure are important factors influencing RN retention and quality of patient care.

Cultural Identity Of Labor And Delivery Nurses In The Assessment Of Pregnant Patients For Interpersonal Violence, Ramona Nichols Smith

Master's Projects

Objective: Identification of barriers to assessment of interpersonal violence (IPV) in pregnant women. Design: An exploratory descriptive study Setting: The labor and delivery department of a public county hospital Participants: 34 nurses, representing 8 cultures and 13 native languages, completed the survey, and 34 laboring patient's medical records were reviewed. Main Outcome Measures: Any specific barriers, identified by nurses, to assessing for IPV in laboring patients Results: Medical record review revealed 50% assessment rate in labor triage patients. Survey results revealed that cultural identity (85 %) was not a significant barrier. Approximately 65% of nurses agreed that in their culture …

Nurse Practitioners' Attitudes Toward Obesity, Teresa Cueba Dionne

Master's Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore if negative attitudes exist among nurse practitioners toward obese clients. Data Sources: Data sources included responses to a 23 item questionnaire and a 7 item demographic survey completed anonymously through the mail. 104 Nurse practitioner members of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (21% response rate) participated in the study. Participants were asked to respond to questions related to attitudes about obese persons and weight management.

Exercise Self-Efficacy, Stages Of Exercise Change, Health Promotion Behaviors, And Physical Activity In Postmenopausal Hispanic Women, Pamela Wolfe Kohlbry Phd

Dissertations

The purpose of this correlational research is to understand the relationships among the variables of exercise self-efficacy, stages of exercise change, health promotion behaviors, body mass index (BMI), health problems, and the level of physical activity in postmenopausal Hispanic women. The significance of this study is to contribute research that enhances the understanding of the relationship of psychosocial and health promotion correlates and physical activity in postmenopausal Hispanic women. On a national level, this is important because Hispanic women make up one of the fastest growing minority populations and they experience the second highest level of obesity. This research is …

Creativity Fostering Behaviors In The Nurse Educator, Barbara Neher Taylor Phd

Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive study of 93 BSN nurse educators in the State of California was to examine the relationship between creativity fostering behaviors in the nurse educator and intrinsic motivation, creativity fostering behaviors and the teaching/learning goals, and creativity fostering behaviors and class size, number of years teaching, and university type. This sample included 93 participants, 93% were female, Caucasian (91%), with a mean age of 53 and worked in a public university (65%). Medical/surgical was the most common clinical specialty (26%), with a mean of 29.15 years in nursing practice, and 15 years as a nurse educator. …

Variability In The Phases Of The Menstrual Cycle, Richard J. Fehring, Mary Schneider, Kathleen Raviele

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: To determine variability in the phases of the menstrual cycle among healthy, regularly cycling women. Design: A prospective descriptive study of a new data set with biological markers to estimate parameters of the menstrual cycles. Participants: One hundred forty one healthy women (mean age 29 years) who monitored 3 to 13 menstrual cycles with an electronic fertility monitor and produced 1,060 usable cycles of data. Measures and Outcomes: Variability in the length of the menstrual cycle and of the follicular, fertile, and luteal phases, and menses. The estimated day of ovulation and end of the fertile phase was the …

Girls On The Move Program To Increase Physical Activity Participation, Lorraine B. Robbins, Kimberlee A. Gretebeck, Anamaria S. Kazanis, Nola J. Pender

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background:

Because physical inactivity poses serious health risks, interventions are urgently needed to reverse the increasingly sedentary lifestyles of adolescent girls.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of "Girls on the Move," an individually tailored computerized physical activity (PA) program plus nurse counseling intervention, in increasing PA.

Methods:

A pretest-posttest control group design was used with 77 racially diverse sedentary girls in Grades 6, 7, and 8 from two middle schools. Each of the instructional grades was randomly assigned to either an intervention or control condition. After completing computerized questionnaires, each girl in the control …

The Creativity And Aging Study: The Impact Of Professionally Conducted Cultural Programs On Older Adults, Gene D. Cohen, The Center On Aging, Health & Humanities, The George Washington University (Gw)

National Collaborative on Aging Faculty Publications

Executive Summary

In 2001, the National Endowment for the Arts developed a cooperative agreement with The George Washington University to conduct a multisite national study with the aim of measuring the impact of professionally conducted community based cultural programs on the general health, mental health, and social activities of older persons, age 65 and older. Referred to as the Creativity and Aging Study, the project’s formal title is “The Impact of Professionally Conducted Cultural Programs on Older Adults”. No previous study of this nature using an experimental design and a control group had been carried out. The study takes place …

Exploring The Relationship Between U.K. Midwives And First-Time Mothers Receiving One-To-One Vs. Standard Midwifery Care During The Postnatal Period, Danielle Matthys

Honors Theses

Initially when researching how to best use the opportunity to travel to the United Kingdom (U.K.) and integrate the exploration of midwifery practice into an honors thesis research project, many ideas emerged. One stood out in particular. As an American nursing student, only one form of U.S. midwifery practice had been observed; namely, where the expectant mother receives care from a multitude of practitioners. This care was observed both in a large tertiary center and smaller community hospitals. Unknown prior to researching the history of midwifery, however, a model of midwifery care called One-to-One began in 1993 in England (Page, …

Perinatal Loss: Its Challenge To Nurses And Educators, Catherine Overson

Inquiry Journal 2006

No abstract provided.

“My Mind Is Like A Dark Storm Cloud”: Observations And Experiences In Norwegian Dementia Care, Cristina Joseph

Inquiry Journal 2006

No abstract provided.

Male Arab-Muslims Health And Health Promotion Perceptions And Practices, Abdel-Raheem O. Yosef Phd, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

The Arab Muslim population is one of the dramatically increasing minorities in the United States. In addition to other factors, gender, religion and cultural background influence individuals' beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes to health and illness. Little is known about Arab American male immigrants, how they perceive illness, how they promote their health, and the stressors they experience and barriers they face in accessing the American health care system. The purpose of this study was to develop knowledge about the male Arab-Muslims' health perceptions and health promotion perceptions and practices. This qualitative exploratory study used a grounded theory approach to gain …

The National Children's Study, Waukesha Country, Wisconsin, Vanguard Center, Jeanne B. Hewitt, Steven R. Leuthner, Marianne E. Weiss, David Whelan, Leslie Athey, Jane A. Mcelroy, Maureen S. Durkin, Christine E. Cronk

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The National Children's Study (NCS) is a large, long-term study designed to detect environmental influences on the health and development of children. Waukesha County, Wisconsin, was selected as 1 of 7 "Vanguard Centers" currently funded to finalize and lead the implementation of the study protocol. The authors provide an overview of key design and planning processes that will be used at all NCS Vanguard locations, the specific approaches to be used in the NCS Waukesha Country Vanguard Center, and information about Wisconsin physicians and other health care professionals can become involved in working with the NCS.

Understanding Sexual Abstinence In African American Teens, Kristin Haglund

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: To explore the perspectives of teenage girls on how life contexts influenced sexuality and sexual abstinence.

Study Design and Methods: A qualitative descriptive study with a convenience sample of 14 sexually abstinent African American adolescent females who were interviewed to obtain their life histories. Narrative analysis was used to identify unique and common experiences and to develop themes.

Results: For these participants, being abstinent was a way to demonstrate their emerging identities as adult women. They described themselves as faithful, unique persons who defied negative stereotypes, avoided risky situations, wanted to be strong women like their …

The Use Of Contract Licensed Nursing Staff In U.S. Nursing Homes., Meg Bourbonniere, Zhanlian Feng, Orna Intrator, Joseph Angelelli, Vincent Mor, Jacqueline S. Zinn

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

The extent to which nursing homes rely on the use of contracted licensed staff, factors associated with this staffing practice, and the resultant effect on the quality of resident care has received little public attention. Merging the On-line Survey Certification and Reporting System database with the Area Resource File from 1992 through 2002, the authors regressed organizational and market-level variables on the use of 5 percent or more contract full-time equivalent registered nurses and licensed practical nurses. Since 1997, the proportion of facilities using 5 percent or more contract licensed staff more than tripled. Use of contract nurses was associated …

Technology Brief: Digital Pen And Paper: A Review Of The Technology And Its Potential Application In Healthcare, Martin Schiavenato

Nursing Faculty Scholarship

Electronic medical records (EMR) are a priority in the landscape of US healthcare. Digital pen and paper systems offer an expedient and innovative way of adapting the familiar handwriting medium into the EMR. The technology of the digital pen and paper and its components is reviewed and critically evaluated as to its potential advantages, disadvantages, and implications to patient care. In addition, field testing of a commercial digital pen and paper system was carried out in an informal educational setting by a panel of expert clinicians and educators. Potential nursing and healthcare applications and implications are listed and discussed.

Navigating The Rules Of Clinical Practicum Work: An Interpretive Study Of The Experiences Of Associate Degree Nursing Students, Leonie L. Sutherland Phd

Dissertations

Responding to changes in technology, economics, and the demographics of society, nurse leaders incorporate new ideas and systems into clinical practice. Nurse educators are challenged to adopt these ideas and systems and make them part of the nursing curriculum. Educators develop tools and strategies to help students gain knowledge and skills to work with patients in the clinical setting. The ways in which students use these tools and perceive and manage their clinical work is not understood. The dearth of research related to what students actually do in clinical practicum settings provided the backdrop for this study. This is a …

Humor And Laughter May Influence Health: [Part] Ii. Complementary Therapies And Humor In A Clinical Population, Mary Payne Bennett, Cecile Lengacher

Nursing Faculty Publications

Our results support a connection between sense of humor and self-reported physical health, however, it is difficult to determine the relationship to any specific disease process. Whereas relationships between sense of humor and self-reported measures of physical well-being appear to be supported, more research is required to determine interrelationships between sense of humor and well-being.

Humor And Laughter May Influence Health. [Part] I. History And Background, Mary Payne Bennett, Cecile A. Lengacher

Nursing Faculty Publications

Articles in both the lay and professional literature have extolled the virtues of humor, many giving the mpression that the health benefits of humor are well documented by the scientific and medical community.The concept that humor or laughter can be therapeutic goes back to biblical times and this belief has received varying levels of support from the scientific community at different points in its history. urrent research indicates that using humor is well accepted by the public and is frequently used as a oping mechanism. However, the scientific evidence of the benefits of using humor on various health related outcomes …

Caring Minds, University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston School Of Nursing

Caring Minds

• Welcome from Dean Patricia Starck
• The Face of Health Care
• Leading Technology
• School of Nursing Collaborates to Initiate Texas Medical Center’s First Digital Repository
• Nursing Research, A Growing Field
• Nursing in the Wake of the Storm
• Profile: Huaping Liu, RN, PhD, Dean and Associate Professor, School of Nursing at Peking Union Medical College
• Newsbrief: Planning for the Future with a New Doctor of Nursing Practice Program in Fall 2006
• Newsbrief: Fast Track Nursing Program Gives Students a Speedy Start
• Profile: Susan Bankston, RN, BSN, Psychiatric Nursing, Currently enrolled in the MSN to DSN track
• Newsbrief: University of Texas Health Services …

Perspectives Of Women With Dementia Receiving Care From Their Adult Daughters, Catherine Ward-Griffin, Nancy Bol, Abram Oudshoorn

Nursing Publications

(Article in English)

Le vécu inhérent à la prestation des soins aux personnes atteintes d’Alzheimer est relativement bien documenté.Toutefois,peu de recherches ont été réalisées du point de vue de la personne souffrant de démence.L’objectif de cette étude, qui s’inscrit dans une recherche qualitative sur les relations mères-filles en contexte de démence,notamment sur le processus de soins,est de recueillir les perceptions et les expériences des mères soignées par leur fille adulte.Guidés par des perspectives féministes et axées sur les étapes de vie,les chercheurs ont mené des entrevues en profondeur et semi-structurées auprès d’un échantillonnage diversifié de 10 femmes non-institutionnalisées et atteintes …

Detecting Suicide Risk In Adolescents In An Emergency Department: An Implementation Study, Rebecca L. Hahn

Honors Projects

A study was conducted to detect suicide risk in adolescents and adults seeking treatment in an Emergency Department (ED) in the Midwest, as well as to test the reliability, validity, and inter-rater reliability of the 4-item Risk of Suicide Questionnaire (RSQ) developed by Horowitz et al. (2001). The feasibility and need for the ED staff to conduct suicide screening of all patients who present to the ED was also assessed. This study expanded the implementation of the RSQ beyond its initial use with children and adolescents with psychiatric symptoms seeking treatment in a pediatric ED to include adolescent, adult, and …

Relief Of Symptoms, Side Effects, And Psychological Distress Through Use Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine In Women With Breast Cancer, Cecile A. Lengacher, Mary P. Bennett, Kevin E. Kip, Lois Gonzalez, Paul Jacobsen, Charles E. Cox

Nursing Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Efficacy Of Self Breast Examination For Breast Cancer Prevention: A Cost Effective Screening Tool, Sanah Baig, Tazeen S. Ali

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Breast cancer is the most prevalent neoplasm among females and every year the number of associated deaths increases so that there is a dire need for implementation of cancer screening and early detection. A survey conducted by various locally organised cancer registries indicated breast cancer to be the most prevalent cancer among females and the second most common cause of cancer deaths among Pakistani women. Since Pakistani females do not generally engage in screening practices we argue that nurses and lady health workers should team up to educate women for the possible early detection of cancer using Self Breast Examination …

Health Professions Division Catalog 2006-2007, Nova Southeastern University

Health Professions Divisions Course Catalogs and Course Descriptions

No abstract provided.

Health Seeking Behavior Of Couples With Secondary Infertility, Neelofar Sami, Tazeen S. Ali

School of Nursing & Midwifery

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors affecting the health-seeking behavior of couples with secondary infertility in Karachi. DESIGN: A descriptive case series.
PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The data was collected from women attending infertility clinics in five tertiary care hospitals in Karachi from March to June 2003. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All currently married women, between the age of 15-35 years, with at least one previous conception, irrespective of outcome, attending an infertility clinic and consenting to participate in the study, were included. Women with corrective surgery on vagina and uterus, and cases of primary infertility, were excluded. Multiple …

Evaluation Of A Cancer Awareness Campaign: Experience With A Selected Population In Karachi, Tazeen S. Ali, Sanah Baig

School of Nursing & Midwifery

The incidence and prevalence of cancer is rapidly increasing in both developed and developing countries. The most common cancers reported in Pakistan are breast and cervical cancers in females, and lung and oral cancers in males. Public awareness of cancer can play a vital role in its prevention, early diagnosis and treatment. A pilot survey conducted by the Cancer Support Group (CSG) of Aga Khan University Hospital from 2001 till 2004 to gauge the public awareness of cancer in Pakistan revealed that people were afraid of cancer and had little knowledge about its prevention and early detection. The survey also …

Understanding Of Puberty And Related Health Problems Among Female Adolescents In Karachi, Pakistan, Tazeen S. Ali, Parveen Azam Ali, Humaira Waheed, Azam Ali Memon

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Objectives: To understand the level of knowledge, a community based study conducted with the objectives as follows: To estimate the proportion of common facilities available and accessible and frequency of utilizing of it. To estimate the proportion of female adolescent utilizing the availability of facilities. To assess the level of understanding related to puberty and related health problems among female adolescents.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the understanding and level of knowledge related to puberty and related health problems among female adolescents of Karachi, Pakistan. Data was collected from 150 female adolescents between 10-19 years …

Frequency And Determinants Of Vaginal Infection In Postpartum Period: A Cross Sectional Survey From Low Socioeconomic Settlements, Karachi, Pakistan, Tazeen S. Ali, Fariyal F. Fikree, Mohammad H. Rahbar, Sadia Mahmud

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Objective: To determine the frequency and factors associated with perceived vaginal infections among married women in their postpartum period.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2000 to October 2000 in five squatter settlements of Karachi, Pakistan. These squatter settlements were selected on the basis of an existing surveillance system run by female community health workers for maternal and child healthcare which identified women who had delivered 42-56 days prior to the date of interview. Vaginal infection was considered present when a mother perceived foul smelling vaginal discharge during the postpartum period. Mothers were interviewed to gain …