Digital Commons Network^™

Tobacco Cessation In Older Adults, Lana M. Brown

Dissertations

This study explored (a) motivators, facilitators, and barriers to achieving successful tobacco cessation in older adults, and (b) motivators, facilitators, and barriers to maintaining prolonged tobacco cessation in older adults.

Predictors Of Quality Of Life Of Elderly End-Stage Renal Disease Patients: An Application Of Roy's Model, Celia G. Hay

Dissertations

There is increasing recognition that what matters most to chronically ill patients is how well they are able to function and how they evaluate the quality of day-to-life. Understanding the impact of chronic illness and associated treatment on functioning and well-being in the physical and psychosocial dimensions of older people's lives is essential. In 2004, over half of all new patients starting dialysis were 65 years of age or older (USRDS, 2004). The physical and psychosocial impact of end-stage renal disease may lead older hemodialysis patients to withdraw from treatment and die from uremia, rather than live with seriously diminished …

The Effects Of Resiliency On Adaptation Of African-American Caregivers Of Chronically Ill Elderly, Cheryl P. Franklin

Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to determine relationships among family demands, established patterns of functioning, family resources, situational appraisal, family problem solving and coping skills and adaptation of African American caregivers of chronically ill elderly. Secondly, this study was designed to determine the validity of the Adaptation Phase of the Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment, Adaptation and the Relational Processes of Balance and Harmony (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1996) in African American caregivers who manage chronically ill elderly. A convenience sample of 104 subjects completed a demographic questionnaire. Caregiver resiliency was measured using The Family Index of …

The Effect Of Social, Family And Individual Conditioning Factors On Self-Care Agency And Self-Care Of Adult Mexican Women, Esther C. Gallegos

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to test the theoretical relationships between the self-care agency (SCA) and self-care (SC); and the influence of selected basic conditioning factors (BCFs) on women's self-care agency, and self-care actions. The Self-care Deficit Theory (SCDT) of Nursing (Orem, 1995) was the conceptual framework for this theory testing research. Both theoretical and practical relevance were achieved by testing the relationships among factors explaining adult women's preventive and health promotion behaviors. A cross-sectional, correlational design was used to test 12 hypotheses and four research questions, with a random sample of well adult Mexican women (18 to 85 …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Among Social Support, Motivation, Perceived Competence, And Pursuit Of A Baccalaureate Degree Among Associate Degree Nurse Graduates, Margaret Joyce Reilly

Dissertations

The Institute of Medicine Reports of the last ten years highlight the increased complexity of health care and the need for new ways for health providers to respond. While other professional programs have adapted to the growing complexity of the healthcare system and implemented increased educational requirements for entry to practice, notably pharmacy and physical therapy, nursing has not, and remains the least educated among health professionals. The growing trend towards a two year Associate Degree as the initial nursing education degree is increasing at the same time that patient needs are becoming more complicated and health care is becoming …

Patients' Perceptions Of Patient Education As Enablement, Lynnette Leeseberg Stamler

Dissertations

The efficacy of nursing interventions such as patient education from the recipient's or participant's viewpoint has been studied infrequently. This qualitative study examines perceptions of participants in childbirth classes, represented by Lamaze classes. Semi-structured interviews are conducted at three points during the pregnancy/birth/recovery process. The seven participants were asked questions intended to elicit responses to the following research questions: (1) what are the reasons given for selecting and attending Lamaze classes when interviewed prior to attending; (2) what are the reasons given for selecting and attending Lamaze classes when interviewed after attending one or two classes; (3) what are the …

An Investigation Of Suffering Through The Examination Of The Lived Experiences Of Hospice Patients, Junko M. Mills

Dissertations

Although there is a historical and philosophical link between nursing and the suffering of people, a review of literature revealed that there are only a limited number of articles treating suffering conceptually or analytically, and the experience of suffering is under-analyzed. Further, a review of literature also revealed that the lived experiences of hospice patients, which were identified to be an appropriate place to begin an investigation of suffering, have not been well investigated. Accordingly, the two aims of this study were to describe the lived experiences of hospice patients, and to understand what their experiences can inform us about …

The Quality Of Care In Residential Care Facilities For The Elderly, Cristina M. Flores

Dissertations

This dissertation research examines Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs), often referred to as Assisted Living (AL), by considering policy and regulation, state licensing and monitoring systems and concerns regarding quality of care.

Leading For Excellence, Atikah S. Osman

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed-methods study was to determine the degree of importance for the 12-step principles proposed by Harvey, Drolet, and Devore (2014) to create a K-12 school environment that fosters high student achievement as perceived by public high school principals. A secondary purpose was to explore and describe the leadership strategies for implementing the 12-step principles proposed by Harvey et al. to create a K-12 school environment that fosters high student achievement as perceived by public high school principals.

Methodology: The researcher used sequential explanatory mixed methods for this study. The researcher worked with a thematic …

Leading For Excellence: Behaviors And Strategies Of Assistant Superintendents Of Curriculum And Instruction That Support A High-Achieving School Environment, Robert Sherlock

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed-methods study was to determine the degree of importance for the 12-step principles proposed by Harvey et al. (2014) to create a K-12 school environment that fosters high student achievement as perceived by public school assistant superintendents of curriculum and instruction (ASCIs). A secondary purpose was to explore and describe the leadership strategies for implementing the 12-step principles proposed by Harvey et al. (2014) to create a K-12 school environment that fosters high student achievement as perceived by public school ASCIs.

Methodology: This explanatory mixed-methods research design used qualitative and quantitative data to analyze …

Patient Satisfaction With Postpartum Teaching Methods Used By Nurses, Debra L. Wagner

Dissertations

Background. Maternity nurses have a responsibility to provide extensive teaching to new mothers after they deliver their babies prior to discharge from the hospital. Since patient satisfaction is an important indicator of nursing care quality, it is incumbent upon nurses to know which method of discharge teaching enhances satisfaction.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between new mothers' interaction with nurses using different methods to provide postpartum discharge teaching and their satisfaction with nursing care. The relationship between new mothers' background variables and the level of their satisfaction with nurses' teaching methods was also explored. …

Clinical Nurses' Perceptions Of Nursing Informatics Competencies, Steven D. Hobbs

Dissertations

This is a descriptive study undertaken to identify competencies and supporting knowledge and skills in informatics perceived to be necessary by nurses for nurses engaged in clinical practice. This study applied a non-experimental, descriptive research design to a quantitative survey performed through web-based technology. Based upon the foundational work of Staggers, Gassert, and Curran (2001, 2002), the goal was to substantiate with clinical nurses and their direct nurse supervisors the clinical competencies that Staggers' identified for Beginning and Experienced clinical nurses through a Delphi methodology of nursing experts. All study facility Registered Nurses received an e-mail inviting their participation. Respondents …

Predictors Of Overall Perceived Health In Patients With Heart Failure, Beverly A. Carlson

Dissertations

Overall perceived health (OPH) is a powerful and independent predictor of negative health outcomes and low health-related quality of life and is conspicuously low in patients with HF (HF).

The purpose of this study was to determine the key variables associated with OPH in persons with HF and to evaluate the variability in OPH attributable to each.

The Process Of Adoptive Parenting, Julie A. Luetschwager

Dissertations

Nurses assist families as they shift and change over their lifecycle. Maternity nurses work closely with biological families as they integrate the infant into the family unit; however, the nurse's role with adoptive families focuses on caring separately for the birth mother and the infant being relinquished for adoption. This study seeks to describe the process of adoptive parenting from the perspective of the adoptive parent. An exploratory field design based on grounded theory methodology was used.

The Experience Of Decision-Making Among Telephone Advice/Triage Nurses, Ann M. Mayo

Dissertations

The role of the telephone advice/triage nurse is both complex and demanding. All decisions are made while assessing patients without seeing or touching patients. In addition, the role is often developed to decrease health care costs which can be perceived by nurses as being in conflict with their nursing beliefs. The ambiguous nature of the role makes these nurses' daily experiences with decision-making a challenge. Using a phenomenological method, the lived experience of decision-making among telephone advice/triage nurses was explored by conducting multiple interviews with ten nurses.

Psychoimmunological Outcomes Of A Dementia Caregiver Intervention: The Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold, Linda J. Garand

Dissertations

The goal of this study was to evaluate mood and immune outcomes of a community-based psychoeducational intervention (the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold, PLST Model) designed to teach family caregivers to manage behavioral problems of persons with dementia. A randomized, repeated measures, experimental design was used to evaluate immune and mood outcomes of teaching the PLST model to family caregivers.

The Mirror Behind The Mask: Experiences Of Five People Living With Hiv/Aids Who Practice Santeria, Theresa A. Varela

Dissertations

This qualitative study was an exploration of the experiences of five persons living with HIV/AIDS who practice Santería. Santería is an Afro-Cuban religion derived from the Yoruba tradition in which African orishas (deities) are syncretized with Catholic saints for worship. Spirituality and religion have been described as essential to the well being and healing processes of people living with HIV/AIDS. Historically, persons with HIV/AIDS and practitioners of Santería, have experienced stigmatizing public reactions. Three areas explored were: how do persons with HIV/AIDS manage living with their disease, what role does the religion of Santería play in their experiences, and what …

The Relationship Of Stroke Patients' Functional And Cognitive Status And Caregivers' Resilience To Caregiver Burden, Margaret D. Nolan

Dissertations

Currently it is estimated that 795,000 persons experience a stroke every year. Of that number up to one-third of survivors will be permanently disabled. It is neither financially feasible nor desirable to place these disabled stroke survivors in long-term care facilities to provide them with the needed assistance if they can be cared for at home. Frequently, the care of these patients is assumed by family members or friends. However, providing care has been shown to be burdensome for some caregivers of stroke patients (Johnson, 1998; Scholte op Reimer, deHaan, Pijnenborg, Limburg, & van den Bos, 1998a; Van Puymbroeck, Hinojosa, …

Comparison Of Three Teaching Methods On Four-Through-Seven Year Old Children's Understanding Of The Lungs In Relation To A Peak Flow Meter In The Management Of Asthma: A Pilot Study, Cheryl K. Schmidt

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of three teaching methods on 4-through-7-year-old children's understanding of the lungs in relation to a peak flow meter in the management of asthma.

Factors That Influence Health-Related Quality Of Life And Satisfaction With Care Among Adults At A Community-Based Aids Service Organization, Robert T. Dodge

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was two-fold: (a) to describe health-related quality of life and satisfaction with care among adults at a community-based AIDS service organization, and (b) to identify the socio-demographic variables that influence health-related quality of life and satisfaction with care. The theoretical frameworks that guided this study were the Wilson and Cleary's (1995) health-related quality of life conceptual model of patient outcomes and Ware's (1978) taxonomy of patient satisfaction. The research design consisted of a nonexperimental, descriptive and correlational study that was designed to describe health-related quality of life and satisfaction with care among adults at a …

The Lived Experience Of The Primary Family Caregiver For A Person With Head And Neck Cancer, Ann E. Fronczek

Dissertations

Family caregivers are crucial persons in the successful rehabilitation of persons with head and neck cancer, as they are often providing needed physical and emotional care that these persons will require. Caregiving for a person with head and neck cancer is an experience that touches upon many potential physical, emotional, social and economic issues. The purpose of this study was to describe and understand the lived experience of primary family caregivers for persons with head and neck cancer. A qualitative, phenomenological study using van Manen's human science approach was conducted.

Revisiting Rural Crime: The Contributions Of Labor Markets And Interdependency, Kristina J. Thompson

Dissertations

Although rural communities – which are home to nearly 20 percent of the U.S. – have experienced disruptive labor market restructuring, few studies examine how such events influence rural crime. Moreover, general methodological approaches to rural crime treat rural places as isolated and unaffected by the broader labor market conditions around them, despite a growing body of sociological literature which suggests that urban and rural communities have varying degrees of interdependence. Drawing from urban crime theories emphasizing the importance of place and systemic relations, this dissertation explores how shifting labor market conditions and extra-local labor market opportunities influenced crime in …

Taxonomy Of Nursing Clinical Credibility As Described By Nurses And Physicians, Claudia Disabatino Smith

Dissertations

Nursing clinical credibility, a complex, abstract concept is rarely mentioned in the clinical setting, but is implicitly understood by nurses and physicians. The concept has neither been defined nor explored, despite its repeated use in literature. A review of the extant literature formed the basis for a concept analysis of nursing clinical credibility, which is currently under review for publication.

Health-Promoting Behaviors Of The Rural Well Older Adult, Shirley May Newberry

Dissertations

One of the greatest challenges facing nursing in the future will be promoting wellness among the increasing number of older adults, many of whom live in rural areas where they are isolated from access to medical facilities and information about health promotion. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived health status and the health promoting behaviors of the well older adult living in the rural setting. In addition, demographic variables were examined in relationship to the health promoting behaviors and self-perceived health status. A non-experimental research design using survey methods was utilized to explore the …

Patient Satisfaction With Nurse Practitioner Care In Retail Health Clinics, Laura J. Tucco

Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to determine if patients treated in retail health clinics reported satisfaction with nurse practitioner care measured with the Nurse Practitioner Satisfaction Survey Retail Health Care (NPSS-RHC), if there was a correlation between demographic characteristics or brand of retail health clinic system and level of satisfaction reported, and if the NPSS-RHC is a reliable and valid measure of patient satisfaction.

The Process Of Nursing Partnership In Family Health, Merian C. Litchfield

Dissertations

The study was an exploration of the nature of nursing practice with families with young children in complex circumstances. The purpose was to further explicate the health patterning process of nursing partnership through praxis research. The theory of health as expanding consciousness was a priori, where consciousness refers to the informational capacity of the partnership between participants. Expressing a unitary transformative paradigm, a hermeneutic dialectic methodology was used. The form of research took the form of practice and the researcher was as if practitioner.

Impact Of A Standardized Asthma Education Program For Children Ages 8-12 Years Old With Moderate To Severe Persistent Asthma On Health Outcomes: A Pilot Study, Felesia Renee Bowen

Dissertations

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood causing significant physical, emotional and financial burden. The purpose of this study was to pilot recruitment strategies, instruments and experimental protocols to determine the feasibility of conducting a larger randomized control trial (RCT) and to evaluate educational, behavioral and physiological health outcomes for children ages 8 to 12 years of age with moderate to severe persistent asthma.

Cultural Discovery In Nursing Practice: The Experience Of Nurses Who Work With Vietnamese, Evelyn Labun

Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to generate a substantive theory of cultural discovery among nurses who work with Vietnamese. A grounded theory approach involving dimensional analysis was employed.

Dietary Risk, Readiness To Change, And Factors Related To Dietary Choices In African-American Women, Ellen Beth Daroszewski

Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of American women with African-American women disproportionately represented in the number of women who die of heart disease every year. High dietary fat consumption is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. This study investigated the dietary risk for the development of cardiovascular disease, readiness to change, and intervention strategies to decrease dietary cardiovascular risk in African-American women.

The Effectiveness And Perceived Effectiveness Of Simple Reminiscence Therapy Involving Photographic Prompts For Determining Life Satisfaction In Noninstitutionalized Elderly Persons, Tommie L. Norris

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness and perceived effectiveness of simple reminiscence therapy using photographic prompts on the life satisfaction of noninstitutionalized elderly persons. The Self-Anchoring-Life Satisfaction Scale (SALSS) was used to measure life satisfaction. Erikson's Developmental Theory and the concept reminiscence formed the theoretical framework for this study.