Digital Commons Network^™

Using A 0-10 Scale For Assessment Of Anxiety In Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction, Maria J. De Jong, Kyungeh An, Sharon Mckinley, Bonnie J. Garvin, Lynne A. Hall, Debra K. Moser

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background: Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) often experience anxiety, an emotion that predicts adverse physiologic outcomes. Critical care clinicians have not adopted an anxiety assessment instrument for widespread use, due in part to the unavailability of an easy to administer anxiety instrument that is not burdensome to either clinicians or critically ill patients. Objectives: To determine whether a single-item anxiety assessment instrument, the Anxiety Level Index (ALI), is a valid alternative to the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) or the anxiety subscale of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) in assessing state anxiety for patients with AMI. Methods: In this prospective …

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 …

Changes In Nursing Student Attitudes Toward Mental Illness, Jared Rogge

Honors Theses

People who suffer from mental illness comprise a highly vulnerable population, and encounter adversity from two directions. Not only do they have to contend with their illness and the management of its symptoms, but they also have to brace themselves against the societal backlash and devaluation produced by the stigma that accompanies mental illness. Stigmatization can drastically alter the life chances of individuals with mental illness and have negative outcomes in regards to employment, income (Markowitz, 1998), social integration(Chan, 2004), self esteem(Blankertz, 2001), health care, insurance, and access to justice (Sayce, 1998.)

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.

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 …

Determinants Of Physical Activity And Low-Fat Diet Among Low Income African American And Hispanic Middle School Students, Marilyn Frenn, Shelly Malin, Antonia M. Villarruel, Kimberly Slaikeu, Stephanie Mccarthy, Joan Freeman, Erinn Nee

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

African Americans, Hispanics, and those with low income experience disproportionate health problems that can be prevented by physical activity and a lower fat diet. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, antecedents of diet and exercise within the Health Promotion/Transtheoretical Model were examined among low-income African American and Hispanic seventh-grade students (n = 127). Total support was associated with higher physical activity for girls. African Americans perceived greater social support for activity than Hispanics. Family models and support for physical activity and low-fat diet were greater as family income increased. However, higher family role models and lower dietary fat were found …

Promoting Healthful Diets And Exercise: Efficacy Of A 12-Week After-School Program In Urban African Americans, Hermann-J. Engels, Randall J. Gretebeck, Kimberlee A. Gretebeck, Linda Jimenez

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

This study examined the effectiveness of a unique extracurricular after-school initiative designed to promote healthy diets and exercise in urban African Americans. The Students and Parents Actively Involved in Being Fit after-school program was offered for 12 weeks to students and their parents/guardians at an urban middle school. Specific aims of the intervention were to increase participants’ vegetable and fruit intake by using established 5 A Day for Better Health educational resource materials/activities and to affect their health-related fitness through dance, games, and fitness activities. Fifty-six children and 25 parents/guardians completed a standard battery of evaluations before and after the …

Hair Nicotine As A Biomarker For Exposure To Secondhand Smoke, Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli, Ellen J. Hahn, Lynne A. Hall, Mary Kay Rayens

Nursing Presentations

Purpose

To assess the validity of hair nicotine as a biomarker of tobacco smoke exposure, particularly Secondhand Smoke (SHS), among a sample of bar and restaurant workers, using a self-reported questionnaire

Specific Aims

• To assess the ability of hair nicotine to distinguish between smoking status of participants

• Assess the convergent validity of hair nicotine as a measure of SHS exposure

• How well hair nicotine levels correlates to SHS items

• How well hair nicotine levels are representative of number of sources of SHS exposure

Changing The Tide: An Internet/Video Exercise And Low Fat Diet Intervention With Middle School Students, Marilyn Frenn, Shelly Malin, Roger L. Brown, Yvonne Greer, Jaime Fox, Jennifer Greer, Sarah Smyczek

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The rising tide of obesity erodes the health of youths and many times results in adult obesity. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effectiveness of an eight-session health promotion/transtheoretical model Internet/video-delivered intervention to increase physical activity and reduce dietary fat among low-income, culturally diverse, seventh-grade students. Those who completed more than half the sessions increased exercise, t(103) = −1.99, p = .05, and decreased the percentage of dietary fat, t(87) = 2.73, p = .008. Responses to the intervention by stage of change, race, and income are examined.

2005, Kathe Gable

UNISON

No abstract provided.

Discovering The Barriers To Health-Promoting Lifestyles Among Appalachian Veterans With Uncontrolled Hypertension, Tara L. Porter

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to discover the barriers to health promoting lifestyles among the Appalachian veteran population with uncontrolled hypertension.

Design: A quantitative research study was conducted over five months using a non-experimental, descriptive research design. Pender’s Health Promotion Model served as the study’s framework. Subjects were recruited from a primary care setting through advertisement within the hospital. A convenience sample of thirty-two subjects was obtained.

Method: The Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) II survey assessed for barriers to controlled hypertension in the following areas: health-promoting lifestyle, health responsibility, stress management, spiritual growth, interpersonal relationships, nutrition, and …

Parental Perceptions Of Their Child's Weight And Health, Julie Vy Pham

Theses Digitization Project

Childhood obesity is a major health problem facing children in the United States. How parents view their children's weight is an important consideration for health care professionals. The purpose of this study was to explore parental perceptions of their children's weight and health.

Educational Curriculum For Obesity In School Aged Youth, Carmen Vieyra Kemp, Melody Ann Mendiola

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project was to develop an educational program to assist educators in keeping school children healthy. This program is designed to support professionals who are working to reduce the problem of oobesity in children and adolescents in elementary and middle school setting.

The Potential Use Of "Biogs" In Nursing Education, Margaret M. Hansen Edd, Msn, Rn

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Web logs, also known as “blogs,” are an emerging writing tool that are easy to use, are Internet-based, and can enhance health professionals' writing, communication, collaboration, reading, and information-gathering skills. Students from different disciplines, such as medicine, public health, business, library science, and journalism, garner knowledge from blogs as innovative educational tools. Healthcare professionals are expected to be competent in the use of information technology to be able to effectively communicate, manage information, diminish medical error, and support decision making. However, the use of blogs, as an interactive and effective educational method, has not been well documented by nurse educators.

As Two Become One : The Lived Experience Of A Twinless Twin, Jody Ness

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Twins enter life as a pair and are often viewed so in later life. After the death of a co-twin, twins feel like they have lost part of themselves, leaving them alone, often without professional help. No nursing research has provided insight into the experience of a twin who has lost their co-twin. The purpose of this research was to explore and describe the lived experience of a twin who has lost their co-twin. The aim was to generate an understanding of the unique bond and sense of loss experienced by twinless twins. Phenomenology and Attachment Theory were utilized to …

Narratives Of Adolescent Students: The Integration Of Health And Learning Through Application Of Nursing Theory, Marjean Huber

Dissertations

Problem. There are few resources to show educators how to help students improve learning by improving health and mental well-being. There is a lack of integration in the literature in terms of how practitioners can reach these students in order to help them learn effectively and develop into successful, productive adults with meaningful lives. This study has three major sections. First, I examine my experiences within education to determine what values, truths, and principles mold my practice. Second, I identify my teaching practice in relationship to nursing theory integrating it with learning theory, thus highlighting the relationship between the health …

The Lived Experience Of Rural Mental Health Nurses, Vicki Drury, Karen Francis, Geoffery Dulhunty

Research outputs pre 2011

The lived experiences of five registered mental health nurses employed in community settings in the southwest region of Western Australia were examined in this study. The study was generated in response to concerns of clinicians working in the area about their scope of practice. Study participants were interviewed concerning their everyday “lived experience.” Interviews were audio taped, transcribed and coded numerically to ensure participant confidentiality. Data was analysed using van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Five essential themes were identified. They were holistic care of clients; isolation, autonomy and advanced practice; professional development and status recognition; educational support; and caseload numbers …

Beyond 'Hot Lips' And 'Big Nurse': Creative Writing And Nursing, Sandra Young

English Faculty Publications

This essay describes a special topics creative writing course designed for nursing students, and argues that creative writing strategies work to improve nurses' compositional skills. Also discussed are other potential benefits from creatively writing patients' lives, notably, the blending of arts and sciences, and the ways in which medical schools are encouraging their students to study the humanities, especially literature and creative writing. The essay includes student creative writing samples.

The essay also discusses the depiction of nurses in popular culture. M*A*S*H*, Richard Hooker’s black comedy about the antics of doctors and nurses during the Korean War, gave us “Hot …

Enhancing The Geriatric Competence Of Urologic Nurses, Karen A. Karlowicz

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Editorial. Provides strategies for enhancing the geriatric competence of urologic nurses. Improvements in nursing practice and in other health care professions; Considerations in caring for older adults; Implications for nursing practice.

The Experience Of Decision Making In Adolescent Females And Young Women With Mobility Limiting Disorders, Bernice Balzer Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Young women with mobility limiting disorders face many challenges as they move through adolescence into young adulthood. In addition to the challenges of this developmental period, they must consider their disability as they manage their lives. Competent decision making is a foundational skill for self-management and for transition in adulthood. It is also a protective factor for resilience.There is little research on decision making in adolescents with disabilities. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the decision making experiences of female adolescents and young women with mobility limiting disorders. Theoretical underpinnings for the study included Resilience Theory …

Attitudes, Intentions, And Ethical Stance Of Advanced Practice Nursing Students Toward Abortion Provision: Part One B Quantitative Findings, Richard J. Fehring

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The availability of pre-implantation abortion pills has increased the probability that advanced practice nurses (i.e., nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives) will be instrumental in providing abortion services in the United States. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the attitudes, intentions, and ethical stance of advanced practice nursing students towards the provision of abortion services. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey of 53 advanced practice nursing students at a private Midwestern Catholic university. A multi-item abortion attitude survey was administered to students in three required courses. The survey included a section on ethical principles and open-ended …

New Low- And High-Tech Calendar Methods Of Family Planning, Richard J. Fehring

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Calendar-based methods are not usually considered effective or useful methods of family planning among health professionals. However, new “high-” and “low”-tech calendar methods have been developed, which are easy to teach, to use, and may be useful in helping couples avoid pregnancy. The low-tech models are based on a fixed-day calendar system. The high-tech models are based on monitoring urinary metabolites of female reproductive hormones. Both systems have high levels of satisfaction. This article describes these new models of family planning and the research on their effectiveness. The author proposes a new algorithm for determining the fertile phase of the …

Nurses' Perceptions Of The Pharmacological Management Of Acute Pain Experienced By Patients Hospitalised In The General Ward Setting, Susan Slatyer

Theses : Honours

This study explored and described the experiences and perceptions of nurses managing acute pain in a Western Australian public hospital. The focus was nurses practising in the general ward setting and using current prescribing guidelines. The aim of this research was to explore nurses' attitudes, beliefs and knowledge about pain and pain pharmacology and how this practice setting influences efficient pain management. Qualitative methodology was selected for its ability to explore complex issues in order to build nursing knowledge and guide nursing practice. This study used a descriptive, exploratory design based on a phenomenological approach. The sample comprised ten Registered …

Transition From Advanced Beginner To Competent Nurse In The Labor And Delivery Unit, Janice Mcmillin

Master's Theses

Digitized thesis

Medical Students' Knowledge Of Midwifery Practice After Didactic And Clinical Exposure, Lisa Hanson, Jackie Tillett, Russell S. Kirby

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Information concerning the student outcomes of interdisciplinary education is limited. The purpose of this study was to identify the knowledge of third‐year medical students regarding the practice of certified nurse‐midwives (CNMs). A 1‐page survey instrument was developed and pretested. The instrument was administered as a pre‐ and posttest at the beginning and end of 7 Obstetrics and Gynecology rotations at 2 medical school clinical campuses of a large Midwestern medical school. Direct interaction with CNMs improved knowledge of collaborative practice arrangements and roles. This was particularly evident in knowledge areas related to CNM prescriptive authority. The medical students who had …

Access To Care: A Hospice Model Of Access To Care For The Homeless, Mary Ann Bridget Kinney

Theses and Graduate Projects

Access to Hospice for the terminally ill patient is a monumental problem for the disenfranchised person. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) in Washington D.C. there is an estimate of 3.5 million people who experience homelessness in a year (2003). The homeless face many health care service gaps including the vital service of end- of- life nursing care, which allows for death with dignity. The following paper will discuss the author's experience with the homeless, the need of access to Hospice Care for the homeless, and a review of literature regarding access to Hospice for the homeless. …

Nursing Students' Self-Efficacy And Attitude: Examining The Influence Ofthe Omaha System In Nurse Managed Centers, Cherie Mooy

Master's Projects

Self-efficacy, or confidence, as an outcome behavior has been identified as influencing nursing job satisfaction and retention. Clinical learning environments and teaching strategies that build and support perceived self-efficacy are critical aspects of preparing new nurses for their entry and continuing role as professional nurses in today's information-intensive data-management healthcare environment. The purpose of this pre-test post-test study is to measure, using the C-scale (Grundy, 1992), nursing students' self-efficacy to perform patient assessment in Nurse Managed Centers (NMC) after one semester of using the Omaha System documentation framework. Nursing students' attitudes of preparation for using Standardized Nursing Languages (SNL) in …

Fostering Clinical Judgment During Preceptorship, Susan Mcniesh

Master's Projects

The role transition from student nurse to new graduate nurse commonly includes a preceptor relationship. Preceptorships are often the culminating nursing education experience for senior baccalaureate nurses and are used as well for orienting new graduates as they begin their staff nurse role in the hospital setting. The preceptee is paired with an experienced nurse who is charged with supporting, teaching, and exemplifying safe and competent patient care. In many cases preceptors are ascribed the task of independently validating the preceptee's ability to exercise clinical judgment. Today's health care environment requires nurses to be proficient critical thinkers. Patients need more …