Digital Commons Network^™

Educational Priorities For The Future Of Emergency Nursing, Anna Maria Valdez

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how and to what extent current societal and healthcare trends will impact the educational needs of the emergency nurse. Additionally, this study sought to draw upon that information to facilitate the development of expert consensus about the major educational priorities for emergency nurses during the time period of 2008-2018. While there is a limited amount of current research related to the societal and healthcare trends that are impacting emergency nursing, an extensive literature review produced no studies that identified educational priorities in emergency nursing. A mixed methodology, qualitative-then-quantitative study design using a …

Participation In An Online Faculty Development Program To Support Novice Nursing Faculty, Janis Kay Mcmillan

Dissertations

The lack of nursing faculty is negatively impacting the much-needed growth in the number of registered nurses needed in the United States, which is projected to increase alarmingly in the next five to six years. There are fewer programs that exist today to prepare nurses specifically to become nursing faculty so that the Registered Nurses (RNs) who may choose to become nursing faculty are doing so without specific training in education. There is a lack of support and preparation that could assist in the initial transition period, leaving new nursing faculty to struggle. Faculty development via online modules would go …

Chlorhexidine Gluconate Bath Project: A Program Evaluation, Yavesh Crawford

Dissertations

Patients' safety outcomes are a reliable measure of how well a unit performs within any hospital. One of the most impactful patient safety factors is bloodline infections within the hospital. Blood line infections are associated with over 28,000 fatalities in the United States. The cost of central line bloodstream infection (CLABSI) in the United States is over $2 billion annually. Therefore, there is a need for a way to reduce CLABSI rates within care facilities. Considering the possible interventions, this program evaluation chose chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing to reduce infections. To establish the efficacy of the proposed solution, the program …

Rural Older Female Family Caregivers Lived Experiences In The Context Of Caregiving For Those With Ad/Adrd During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Candace Harrington, Cheryl Witt

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

This qualitative study aimed to understand how COVID-19 affects older female caregivers' lived experience, ongoing capacity, and willingness to provide care for their loved one(s) with AD/ADRD.

Voices Of Associate Degree Nursing Rns About The Pursuit Of The Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Degree, Christie M. Candelaria

Dissertations

New developments in health care delivery, changes in the demographics, and the increasing complexity of health problems of the general population require baccalaureate prepared nurses. However, the educational preparation of the majority of nurses in the workforce is the diploma and associate degree level. This project study explored the reasons that hindered the graduates of the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program of a community college in South Texas from pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. ADN-prepared nurses will have to go through a transformation process as they pursue the BSN. Mezirow‟s transformational learning theory served as the …

A Convergent Parallel Mixed Method Study On The Experience Of Coping During High-Risk Pregnancy And Prescribed Bed Rest, Ellen Boyd

Dissertations

Antepartum bed rest and hospitalization is frequently prescribed for high-risk women experiencing pregnancy complications. Bed rest may result in problems for the high-risk mother including isolation, boredom, anxiety, depression, and separation from their families. The aim of this study is to analyze the coping behaviors of high-risk pregnant women hospitalized and prescribed bed rest. Also, to describe the lived experience of high-risk pregnant women hospitalized and prescribed bed rest. A convergent parallel mixed method design was used to analyze the coping behaviors of 40 high-risk pregnant women. A secondary analysis of data from the Brief Cope Scale (Carver, 1997) was …

The Balance We Seek: A Sequential Narrative Analysis Of Childhood Cancer Blogs, Catherine Mcgeehin Heilferty

Dissertations

The research aimed to identify the narratives and themes about the experience of parenting a child with cancer, analyze the social interaction present in illness blogs created by parents of children with cancer and identify the reasons expressed by parents in the blogs for writing and publishing online.

Re-Linkage To Hiv Care Among Persons Living With Hiv (Plwh) With A Gap In Care Of Six Months Or More, Jamie Lynn Mignano

Dissertations

Despite widespread attention to the HIV care continuum over the past several years, little attention has focused on the 45% of PLWH that are not retained in care who are responsible for more than 60% of new HIV infections. The gaps in the HIV care continuum are further compounded by the disproportionate burden of HIV among individuals affected by social and economic disparities. The purpose of the study was to identify potential community level and individual level characteristics of re-linkage to HIV care among out of care people living with HIV (PLWH). Andersen's Behavioral Model (ABM), a health services research …

A Study Of The Socialization Of Accelerated Bsn Graduates, Linda Eileen Wolf

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the socialization of accelerated BSN graduates who had been employed in the workforce for 2 to 3 years. Socialization was examined as a calling, not in terms of job socialization, which is the focus of research on socialization in the literature. Eight interviews with open-ended questions were conducted with graduates of a school of nursing at an urban university in Northeast Ohio. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's (1978) procedural steps. The following assertions emerged: Assertion 1: The feeling of being a nurse, an attribute of professional identity, coincided with the occurrence …

The Lived Experience Of Aging: Listening To The Oldest-Old, Julia A. Pusztai

Dissertations

Although embraced as desirable by most, living into very old age is largely unexplored as a distinct season of life, with increased, varied, and cumulative changes during a unique time of vulnerability and frailty. The purpose of this study was to listen to the oldest-old, and to explore their lived experience of growing old. This hermeneutic phenomenology study examines the experience of finding meaning and living with losses and gains in advanced old age.

This study design included three separate interviews one month apart with participants over 85 years of age. Purposive sampling resulted in 13 participants, 5 being male …

Effect Of A Tailored Technology-Enhanced Home-Based Exercise Program On Dna Methylation Change Among Cancer Survivors With Multiple Chronic Conditions, Jongmin Park, Nada Lukkahatai

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

This study aims to (1) examine the pre-and-post tailored home-based exercise (iHBE) program epigenetic changes (2) examine the associations of changes in DNA methylation age with symptoms (pain, fatigue, cognitive function) and resilience at completion (12-week) compared to baseline data collected from cancer survivors living with multiple chronic conditions.

Stigmatization Experiences Of Hiv Infected Women: A Focused Ethnography, Marsha J. Bennett

Dissertations

Few studies address the multiplicity of psychological, social, and cultural influences on women's behavior as a result of their HIV infection. The purpose of this study was to analyze: (a) women's experiences of living with HIV disease from the perspective of the women's stigmatized status, and (b) a subculture of HIV infected women with a set of relationships, behaviors, events, and rituals that imparted meaning into being a woman infected with HIV in this society. Adult women were referred from their primary care providers and nurses, and consented for participation. A focused ethnography using individual interviews, group interviews, and participant …

The Meaning For Elders Of Receiving Family Care, Janice D. Crist

Dissertations

This dissertation reports findings from an interpretive phenomenological study which addressed the question, ";How central, for elders, in their everyday concerns and practices, is the experience of receiving family care?"; The investigator collected data using interviews, observations and questionnaires with a purposive sample of nine elders in their. homes. Data were collected from each elder two to five times.

Findings were that eight of nine elders (1) incorporated both their illness and help from family members comfortably into their lives while still viewing themselves as autonomous; (2) had positive relationships with their family carers; (3) viewed the acceptability of receiving …

A Descriptive Mixed-Methods Study Examining Resilience And Transitioning To Adulthood Among Emerging Adults With Disabilities, Jennifer Emilie Mannino

Dissertations

Transitioning to adulthood is not without challenges. The move away from family influence towards independence and self-determination is filled with uncertainty. Increased challenges and vulnerabilities in transitioning are evident among emerging adults with disabilities because they face additional challenges related to their disability over and above what others of this developmental stage experience.

The Attraction Of Nursing Academia To Practicing Nurses: A Phenomenological Study, Edna R. Magpantay-Monroe

Dissertations

Nursing faculty shortage is a critical issue that required investigating because the demand for producing nurses is increasing. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the phenomenon of why nursing academia is attractive to practicing nurses. Using a phenomenological research design, the study focused on exploring the lived experiences of 20 practicing nurses in the teaching profession. Written reflections and semi-structured interviews were used to gather the data. The major findings of the study provided insights into the participants' passion for teaching and continuous learning. The themes that emerged as viable and sustainable recruitment and retention strategies are: …

Annotation In Nurse Education: Towards A Hermeneutic Understanding, Paul J. Regan

Dissertations

To explore the meaning of annotation in nurse education within higher education.

Annotation is a common practice in higher education pedagogy aimed at communicating the lecturer's comments about an assignment back to the student. A literature review identified a dearth of research available to inform annotation and its use in nurse education was generally inductive and learnt from experiences of giving and receiving annotation feedback.

Irritable Infants: Their Childhood Characteristics, Madalynn M. Neu

Dissertations

Although 16% to 26% of infants are irritable or colicky, little is known about their behavior as children. The purpose of this study was to compare the sequelae of six to eight year old children who had infant colic with those who did not. Characteristics of children were compared in terms of temperament, problem behavior, intelligence, executive function, and parent stress.

Examination Of Gaming In Nursing Education And The Effects On Learning And Retention, Tracey L. Hodges

Dissertations

The college environment brings together adult learners from diverse backgrounds who have different goals, personal and work experiences, and learning styles. These learners have the ability to learn in as many ways as educators have ways to teach them and learn better when actively engaged in the learning process. This reality makes it important for adult educators to incorporate a variety of teaching methods in their courses to meet the needs of these learners. Gaming is one such teaching method, with the potential to reach a wide and diverse population of adult learners.

The primary purpose of this study was …

Predictors Of Retention And Passing National Council Licensure Examination For Registered Nurses, Nancy Susan Elkins

Dissertations

The current nursing shortage has challenged colleges to educate nurses at a faster pace than in previous times. Successful completion of the nursing programs and passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) exam is important for the students, faculty, and nursing programs. The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the possible predictors of completing the baccalaureate nursing program at a college in the eastern part of the United States and passing the NCLEX-RN licensure exam. Using Spearman's classical test theory and Seidman's retention formula as theoretical foundations, this study investigated historical data from 2 graduating …

Silenced In History: A Historical Study Of Mary Seacole, Bonnie M. Harmer

Dissertations

This study sought to uncover the factors that contributed to the historical disappearance of Mary Seacole from the literature from 1900 through to the 1980s. By the late 1990s she was celebrated as a nursing pioneer and the first nurse practitioner. Seacole, a Creole woman from Jamaica with outstanding clinical skills, was refused the opportunity to join the nurses who Nightingale recruited for the Crimean War campaign. Undaunted by the rejection, Seacole paid for her own voyage and established a boarding house and clinic near the front lines. Her courage and positive patient outcomes were recognized by the military officers. …

The Lived Experience Of Associate Degree Nursing Education: Conditions And Barriers In The Learning Environment That Shaped Students' Learning, Identity Development, And Success, Darlene M. Del Prato

Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how 13 students, from 3 ADN programs, experienced nursing education. Students' constructed the formal curriculum in three central ways: knowledge acquisition as privileged, disconnect between teaching, learning, and assessment, and clinical learning as evaluation. Participants' perspectives about the informal curriculum revealed two themes: supportive relationships with faculty as a critical condition of learning and development, and faculty incivility as a barrier to learning, development, and professional identity. In addition, students' felt a need to identify and enact unspoken norms of an ideal nurse. Faculty were key in promoting or hindering students' learning, development, and successful navigation …

Pap Smear Guideline Adherence Among Non-Immigrant Hispanic Women Of Mexican Origin, Dulce M. Warren

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to add to the body of knowledge about the high rates of cervical cancer among non-immigrant Hispanic women of Mexican origin (NIHWMO). This problem was studied by investigating predictors of Pap smear guideline adherence. The specific aims of this study were to 1) to investigate the effect of acculturation, familism, fatalism, provider trust, cultural congruence, HPV knowledge, and generational level on Pap smear guideline adherence, 2) investigate the moderating effects of acculturation on familism, fatalism, provider trust, cultural congruence, HPV knowledge, and generational level on Pap smear guideline adherence, 3) examine the characteristics of …

Development Of Antepartal Data Set Elements For Nurse-Midwifery Care, Amy J. Levi

Dissertations

The use of minimum data sets (MDS) has become integral to managing information in health care. The American College of Nurse-Midwives is redesigning the Nurse-Midwifery Clinical Data Set to function as a MDS to improve efficiency of data management and aggregation of data for all types of nurse-midwifery practices. The purpose of this study was to identify the processes of care used by certified nurse-midwives (CNM) providing antenatal care to assist with the construction of the antepartal portion of the Midwifery MDS. Donabedian's (1980) conceptual model for quality in health care guided the study.

An Ethnomethodological Examination Of The Decision-Making Process Psychiatric Nurses Use When Deciding Whether To Use Seclusion, Bonnie M. Harmer

Theses

This replication and expansion of Mason's work on seclusion used an ethnomethodological approach to examine the decision-making process of five Canadian registered nurses. Each nurse read two patient vignettes and then verbally explained whether they would use seclusion and why. The interview data were analyzed in structural, languaing, first-level and second-level analyses. Although all subjects arrived at different decisions, they structured and languaged their responses similarly. The first-level analysis indicated the subjects believed that experience was the most significant factor in their decision-making. However, second-level analysis implied that a desire to gain positive feedback also significantly influenced the subjects. Commonsense …

Exploration Of Patients' Spiritual/Religious Beliefs And Resuscitation Decisions, Elizabeth A. Freitas

Dissertations

The resuscitation decision, which has the potential to reverse a premature death or prolong the dying process, is complex and can be associated with spiritual/religious beliefs, values, and quality of life. The consequences of the resuscitation decision make it imperative that healthcare providers have an understanding of patients' spiritual/religious beliefs and how those beliefs are associated with their resuscitation decisions. The objective of this study was to determine the associations between hospitalized patients' spiritual/religious beliefs and their resuscitation decisions.

Concerns, Coping, And Quality Of Life Of Mexican American Breast Cancer Survivors, Mary M. Lopez

Dissertations

Coping is a challenge for breast cancer survivors and may result in a poor quality of life (QOL). The primary purpose of this mixed method study was to examine the effects of acculturation, optimism, and breast cancer concerns on coping styles and to determine the effect coping styles have on the QOL of Mexican American breast cancer survivors. A 1-group ex post facto, descriptive, correlational design with path analysis was used to determine the direct, indirect, and total effects of the causal antecedents on coping and QOL.

Clinical Nurses Transitioning In A Faculty Role: A Cultural Analysis Of The Nursing Profession, The Academic Discipline Of Nursing, And The Academic Professorate, Cheryl L. Schriner

Dissertations

Nursing faculty are initially socialized into the culture of the nursing profession and then must transition into the culture of the academic discipline of nursing as they assume their new professorial role. This study explored how cultural similarities and differences influenced the transition of clinical nurses into a faculty role. The study was guided by Peterson and Spencer's (1990) model of organizational culture and Schlossberg's (1995) adult transition theory.

Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema And Rural/Small Town Survivors' Return To Work, Allison Brandt Anbari, Yuanlu Sun, Sarah Mccaffrey, Jamie Morton, Jane M. Armer

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

The aim of this study is to describe the interactions between survivors living with BCRL in rural counties and their occupation and work environment.

The Relationship Between The Stage Of Moral Development And The Frequency Of Dishonest Behaviors In The Classroom And Clinical Setting In Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Diann C. Cooper

Dissertations

Nursing is consistently ranked for its honesty and integrity. It is guided by a set of standards for ethical practice. However, nursing students participate in academic dishonesty at rates similar to non-nursing students. In addition, those who participate in academic dishonesty are more likely to be dishonest in the clinical setting. Dishonesty in clinical can directly impact patients and staff putting both at risk of harm. While in their nursing program, decision making is guided by the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics, which is taught during the program. Specifics on the time spent and method used to teach …

Evidence For Human Placental Slc6a4 Dysregulation In Prenatal Opioid And Alcohol Exposure, Sharon Ruyak, Shahani Noor, Melody Sun, Annette Fernandez Oropeza, Jared Didomenico, Dominique Rodriquez, Lidia Enriquez Marquez, Ludmila Bakhireva, Erin Milligan

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

The purpose of this project was to address the convergent effect of POE and PAE on key placental immune and serotonin factors. The central hypothesis was that increased opioid-induced activation of the TLR4 pathway in the placenta results in dysregulated immune cytokine expression and serotonin function and this relationship will be magnified in POE and PAE placental tissue.