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Revalidation Of The Hung Postpartum Stress Scale, Chich-Hsiu Hung

Dissertations

The postpartum period, or puerperium, is a transitional and potentially stressful time during which women need to face both the new tasks of the maternal role and physiological changes in their bodies. Along with these adjustments are changes in the quality of social support needed by new mothers. These changes may trigger postpartum stress, which it may make it difficult for postpartum women to function effectively in their new maternal roles. Postpartum stress may also affect maternal health adversely during the postpartum period. The ability to identify postpartum stressors early in the course of childbearing could facilitate the development of …

Emergence Delirium In U.S. Military Combat Veterans, Jason M. Mcguire

Dissertations

This dissertation study examined the phenomenon of emergence delirium in U.S. military combat veterans. Emergence delirium is a post-anesthetic phenomenon that occurs immediately following emergence from general anesthesia and is characterized by agitation, confusion, and violent physical and/or verbal behavior. Clinical evidence suggests that emergence delirium is occurring with greater frequency among military personnel returning from conflict in the Middle East. This body of work is a culmination of three distinctive phases and is presented in three individual manuscripts.

Moral Development And Public Health Nursing, Margaret Avila

Dissertations

Public health nurses (PHNs) have the opportunity and professional obligation to be at the forefront of the fight to eliminate health disparities based on the practice principle of social justice. The overall purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the stage of the moral development in a convenience sample of practicing public health nurses (PHNs) and the differences in moral development stage across selected demographic variables (age, gender, race/ethnicity, level of entry into professional nursing, highest level of education, years practicing as an RN, years practicing in a public health department, self-identified political views, primary language, and region of …

The Relationships Between Patients' Perceptions Of Nurse Caring Behaviors, Nurses' Perceptions Of Nurse Caring Behaviors And Patient Satisfaction In The Emergency Department, Theresa Bucco

Dissertations

Approximately 100 million people seek care in Emergency Departments yearly, which can be overwhelming for many Emergency Department (ED) nurses. Thus, caring for these patients and meeting their needs is challenging for ED nurses. It is the patients' perceptions of the first caring encounters in the ED that can have a significant impact on patient satisfaction.

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationships between patients' perceptions of nurse caring behaviors, nurses' perceptions of nurse caring behaviors, and patient satisfaction in the ED.

The Experience Of Being Discharged From Hospice Alive As Perceived By Patients, Their Spouses, And Adult Children, Rebeka Bianca Campbell

Dissertations

Approximately 1.56 million patients received hospice care in 2009, and 243,000 individuals were discharged alive (NHPCO, 2010). There is a paucity of research describing the experiences of individuals discharged from hospice alive. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of adult individuals with a life-limiting condition who were discharged from a hospice program due to decertification related to ineligibility or extended prognosis from the perspective of the individual and his or her adult family members. The study's research questions were: (a) how do participants perceive and describe the experience of being discharged alive from hospice, …

The Lived Experience Of Adolescent Females With Diabetes: A Phenomenological Approach, Jane K. Dickinson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of what it means for adolescent females to live with type 1 diabetes. The following research question was investigated: What is it like for adolescent females to live with type 1 diabetes?

The Experience Of Viewing Self In The Mirror After A Mastectomy, Wyona M. Freysteinson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to talk with women who have had a mastectomy in order to discern the experience of viewing self in a mirror post-operatively. More specifically, the study sought to describe the experience from both a structural and a phenomenological perspective. The question guiding the study was: What is the experience of viewing self in the mirror after a mastectomy? Twelve women, who had a mastectomy 3-12 months prior to participation in the study, discussed their experiences of viewing self in mirror in audio-taped conversational interviews. A structural analysis was performed on each transcript, followed by …

The Biopsychosocial Model Of Metabolic Syndrome Among U.S. Adults, Jennifer L. Saylor

Dissertations

The Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of medical disorders (obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and insulin/resistance/glucose intolerance) that characteristically occur together in individuals. The prevalence of MetS continues to increase in the U.S. and increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and mortality. Little research uses a theoretical model to identify direct or indirect contributions to MetS and predictors to MetS. Identifying the factors that influence MetS in a national sample is necessary to understand targets for intervention to prevent the MetS and its sequelae.

This study tested a hypothesized conceptual model of the biopsychosocial factors associated with …

Perceived Risk For Cardiovascular Disease Among Japanese Adults, Satomi Hayashi

Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) including coronary artery disease and stroke is a significant health problem in Japan regardless of well established health care and insurance system and various public campaigns and exhibitions in the contemporary Japanese society. Higher and increasing prevalence and incidence of well-known risk factor of CVD may contribute to increasing mortality and morbidity of CVD in the future. However, limited knowledge was available for understanding perceptions of risk for CVD among Japanese adults. This grounded theory study aimed to explore social psychological process in perception of risk for CVD among Japanese adults.

The Experience Of African Students Studying Nursing In The United States In Relation To Their Use Of Critical Thinking, Donald L. Tyson

Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the critical thinking experiences of African nursing students enrolled in several universities in the U.S. Using a semi-structured interview approach, twelve African students discussed their experiences using and learning a western critical thinking approach, as well as described their educational experiences in Africa. Three major frameworks guided the study including van Manen's interpretive hermeneutical approach to qualitative research, the conceptual models of critical thinking described by Scheffer and Rubenfeld's (2000) nursing consensus statement and Barnett's (1997) description of criticality, and the African concept of Ubuntu.

The Effects Of Therapeutic Back Massage On Psychophysiologic Variables And Immune Function In Spouses Of Cancer Patients, Linda M. Goodfellow-Kruth

Dissertations

Scant attention has been given to help spouses of cancer patients reduce stress associated with their partner's illness. Stress-induced immune function change may be the link between stress and illness. A significant decrease in natural killer cell activity (NKCA) and a high incidence of stress-related disorders, depression, loneliness, and marital disruption have been reported in spouses of cancer patients. Therapeutic back massage (TBM) is an intervention that may be beneficial in reducing stress in spouses of cancer patients. TBM is a systematic form of touch that manipulates soft tissues of the body to promote relaxation. Interventions that induce relaxation have …

The Lived Experience Of Chronic Pain In Nurse Educators, Moniaree Parker Jones

Dissertations

Pain is associated with a wide range of disease and injury, and is sometimes the disease itself. Millions suffer from chronic pain every year and the effects of pain lead to tremendous costs for healthcare, rehabilitation, and lost worker productivity, as well as the emotional, psychological, and financial burden it places on patients and their families. The nurse has a key role in effective pain management with the need for accurate assessment, prompt intervention, and evaluation of pain relief measures for positive patient outcomes. The purpose of the study was to explore the lived experience of chronic pain in nurse …

The Life History Of Colice Caulfield Sayer And The Effects Of Generational Loss, Melissa Mcintire Sherrod

Dissertations

The study of the life history of Colice Caulfield Sayer explored the ways in which Colice's experiences changed the lives of her family and what was meaningful to them about these events. The purposes of the study were to provide an understanding of the effects of family experiences, to gain insight into the meaning of family loss and to demonstrate the use of qualitative interviewing to promote a deeper understanding of human behavior. Audiotaped, open-ended qualitative interviews with Colice's children and grandchildren provided individual interpretations of the generational effects of family loss. Through the inclusion of personal notes and poetry, …

Environmental And Personal Predictors Of Professional Behaviors Among Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Kae Rivers Livsey

Dissertations

This non-experimental, explanatory study utilized a comparative survey design to test a conceptual model developed by Milisa Manojlovich (2003), to examine whether proposed relationships between environmental and personal factors contributing to professional nursing practice behaviors are supported in baccalaureate nursing program settings.

Qualitative Study: Understanding Mexican American Women's Experience In Intimate Partner Violence, Nora Montalvo-Liendo

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain an understanding of the experiences of Mexican American women living with intimate partner abuse relevant to the process of disclosure of abuse. Limited research exists on the experiences of women who are of Mexican descent living with intimate partner abuse and their disclosure of abuse. Factors that influence disclosure for other populations are well articulated in the literature however, these factors have not been adequately verified in persons of Mexican descent.

The Influence Of Organizational And Personal Factors On U.S. Army Nurse Corps Officers' Intent To Leave The Army, Linda Wiley Fisher

Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to present the dissertation research that compared the influence of personal and organizational factors on two groups' (US Army and civilian registered nurses-RN) intent to leave their employers. This study is the baseline study of a program of research on military nurse retention and is intended to lead to a longitudinal study comparing the two groups again in one year. Chapter I identifies why nurse retention is important, provides background/history about the problem of nurse retention, describes the special case of US Army nursing, introduces the topic of household economic influences on nurse retention, …

The Utilization And Effectiveness Of The Hesi E (Square) Exit Exam As A Graduation Requirement Toward Increasing Nclex-Rn® Pass Rates In Baccalaureate Nursing Programs, Debra Henline Sullivan

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was threefold. The first purpose compared the NCLEX-RN® first-time pass rates of BSN students in nursing programs that use the HESI E2 exit exam with other computerized exit exams, and those using no exit exam. NCLEX-RN® first-time pass rates for students taking HESI E2 did not show a statistically significant increase compared to students that took no exit exam. A second purpose, compared NCLEX-RN® first-time pass rates of BSN students in nursing programs utilizing the E2 that require a minimum benchmark score as a graduation requirement with those BSN students that use HESI E2 but …

The Effect Of High-Fidelity Simulation And Traditional Didactic Lecture On First Semester Junior Baccalaureate Nursing Students' Knowledge Acquisition, And Self-Confidence Using The Solomon-Four Group Research Design, Trudy Williams

Dissertations

Nurse educators are challenged with preparing nurses to practice in complex Health care settings. Nursing graduates often feel unprepared to meet the performance expectations placed on them by the Health care industry, displaying a lack of self-confidence and knowledge. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of high-fidelity simulation (HFS) as a teaching pedagogy on first semester, junior baccalaureate nursing students (N = 98) enrolled at an HBCU in southeast Louisiana. More specifically, this study examined the effect of the independent variables, traditional didactic lecture and (an HFS-focused respiratory physical assessment scenario) intervention, on the dependent variables, …

Perceptions Of Future And Advance Care Planning For Japanese Women With Early Stage Gynecological And Breast Cancer, Yuki Asakura

Dissertations

Advance care planning (ACP) is the process that allows individuals to choose a path of care in the event that they are unable to make a decision for themselves. The concept of advance care planning is much broader than merely putting wishes in writing; however, misconceptions exist. The purpose of this study was to gain understanding of perceptions of Japanese women with early stage cancer about ACP. A theoretical model for ACP was developed from review of current knowledge. This study was significant to developing culturally sensitive intervention in supporting ACP in this Asian population. This study utilized ethnography guided …

The Cultivation And Practice Of Spiritual Care Expertise In An Inpatient Palliative Care Setting, Gail E. Simmons Pittroff

Dissertations

Caregivers involved in palliative care seek to understand problems and challenges at end of life through research to determine the best care for patients and their families. Spiritual care is a key component of quality end of life care, yet there is a paucity of research on spiritual care in inpatient settings at end of life in nursing literature. The purpose of this study was to examine the personhood and spiritual care practices of inpatient palliative nurse consultants. This study describes expert nurse's experience of delivering spiritual care for patients and families at end of life in inpatient palliative care …

Emergence Of Informal Clinical Leadership Among Bedside Nurses In The Acute Care Clinical Setting: A Mixed Methods Study, Darlene M. Rogers

Dissertations

Quality and safety initiatives direct all nurses to lead practice change. Existing nurse leadership research predominantly focuses on formal nursing leaders and overlooks a critical resource pool: informal leaders at the point of care. This study explored influences on the emergence of informal clinical leadership among bedside nurses in the acute care hospital setting. Nurse personal attributes (demographic characteristics, professional experience, and psychological capital) and situational context in the acute care workplace setting were examined as predictors of clinical leadership behavior. The study used a convergent parallel mixed methods design with an exploratory correlational quantitative strand and a descriptive qualitative …

Development And Evaluation Of A Computer-Interpretable Guideline For Depression Screening And Initial Management In Primary Care, Jeeyae Choi

Dissertations

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are designed to improve the quality of care by promoting proven interventions and consistency of care. The overall goal of this study was to develop a web-based decision support system (DSS) for depression screening and initial management that would be perceived as easy to use and potentially useful by system end-users (Advance Practice Nurses [APNs]). Translation of a CPG into a computer-interpretable guideline (CIG) is an essential step.

Development Of A Program Proposal For A Nitrous Oxide Program In Pediatrics, Sarah Ann Oleson

Dissertations

When pediatric patients are admitted to the inpatient or outpatient hospital setting they potentially have to endure procedures that cause pain, fear, and anxiety which can have a lifelong impact on the child's response to future healthcare needs. The purpose of this project was to create a comprehensive program proposal for a nitrous oxide sedation program to minimize those perceptions towards medical procedures. The project utilized a systematic review of literature and secondary data to address the most important indicators for developing a comprehensive program proposal to present to the pediatric leadership team. Multiple studies have shown nitrous oxide having …

Ptsd Symptom Interaction Among Victims Of Interpersonal Violence: A Network Analysis, Robert Graziano

Dissertations

Along with numerous combinations of symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to high dropout and non-response rates in treatment. Poor treatment response may be due to an inaccurate conceptualization of PTSD. One newer approach to the conceptualization of psychopathology is network theory. Network theory posits that symptoms both directly and indirectly reinforce each other, with connections between symptoms varying in strength. Previous studies of network theory and PTSD have found intrusive symptoms to be highly central, but have not included samples of individuals traumatized by interpersonal violence. Because trauma type has been shown to predict symptom presentations, this represents …

Impulsivity As A Trait Predictor In Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Jennifer Bertucci

Dissertations

Impulsive personality traits have been linked to pathological decision making in individuals who possess the trait. Impulsive pathological decision making may include acts of aggression, divergence, risky behavior, lack of self-care, etc. The purpose of this study was to examine impulsive personality traits among nursing students. Traditional students are defined by the following characteristics: earns a high school diploma, enrolls full time immediately after finishing high school, are financially dependent on parents, and either do not work during the school year or works part-time (the exception to the rule) (Choy, 2002). A non-traditional nursing student is defined as students who …

Discipline-Culture And Instructional Practices: An Integrated Leader's Role, Joe L. Griffin

Dissertations

The goal of this study was to identify the extent to which integrated leadership is present in schools, according to secondary teachers. Second, the study sought to measure the discipline-culture of schools. Discipline-culture is defined as the way discipline is administered daily in a school and how it contributes to the instructional practices that teacher’s use. Finally, integrated leadership, coined by Marks and Printy (2003), was examined relative to discipline-culture and instructional practices with this study. Leadership has been studied in multiple countries across various grade levels, but integrated leadership's influence on discipline-culture and instructional practices has not been researched. …

Framing Death And Suffering: An Examination Of Photographs Of Dead And Dying During The U. S. Civil War, World War Ii, And The Vietnam War, Richard Anthony Lewis

Dissertations

The dissertation analyzes photographic images of dead bodies that appeared in news settings related to warfare in the United States in three distinct eras – the 1860s, the 1940s, and the 1960s. The primary subject of the analysis are photographs of corpses created in the context of the American Civil War (1861-1865), World War II including the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust (1939-1946), and conflict and war in Vietnam (1950-1975). While the sample represents a partial catalogue of images of the dead in the context of warfare since photography emerged in the 1840s as a medium for disseminating news, the …

The Relationship Between The Perceived Value Of Professional Development, Job Satisfaction, And Intent To Leave, Wendy Marie Wells

Dissertations

Organizations striving to remain competitive compete in the war for talent in order to recruit and retain employees. Studies assessing intent to leave and turnover suggest numerous strategies to mitigate the revolving door of employees quitting jobs (Allen, 2008; Allen, Bryant, & Vardaman 2010; Lee, Hom, Eberly, & Li, 2018). This study assesses the relationship between the perceived value of professional development, job satisfaction, and intent to leave. Results of the study reveal as one finds professional development, valuable job satisfaction increases. In assessing the relationship between professional development and intent to leave, the results of the study suggest that …

A Post Implementation Review Of Transformational Change Initiatives In Higher Education, Allison Gillespie

Dissertations

“Change is messy, no matter how much you plan for it.” The purpose of the study was to document the theoretical framework and strategies used in the planning and implementation process of transformational change in two higher education institutions. Semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used in the qualitative multi-site case study. The focus on the “how” of change examines the impact of the strategies and process on the campus community. The central question guiding this study was what were effective and ineffective strategies used in the planning and implementation process? This study documented the process and the strategies used …

Technology Effectiveness In Teaching Statistics: Best-Evidence Meta-Analysis, Zita Tiamuh

Dissertations

Evidence about technology effectiveness in supporting post-secondary students’ learning of introductory statistics concepts is inconclusive. Lacking in current investigations are considerations of the synergies between technology, content, and pedagogy that influence learning outcomes in statistics education. The current study used meta-analytic procedures to address the gap between theory and practice related to the best evidence of effective instructional practices in technology-enhanced introductory statistics classrooms. A conceptual framework based on the ADDIE model, TPACK, and constructivism guided the investigation of substantive study characteristics related to instructional design.

Findings were based on 32 studies published between 1998-2018 that used quasi-experimental or experimental …