Digital Commons Network^™

Life Tomorrow: Living Through The Redevelopment Of The Heartside Area, Mackenzi Anne Huyser

Masters Theses

The Heartside area is located in the central city of Grand Rapids and is bounded by the streets of Fulton, Wealthy, Ionia and Lafayette. The neighborhood has seen a number of developmental changes in the last seven years. These changes include structural changes in buildings and a change in the clientele who visit and live in the area. The development of the VanAndel Arena, in 1995, brought many new restaurants and stores into the neighborhood. An area occupied by vacant buildings, homeless shelters, and limited growth, Heartside has seen a rapid, intense period of redevelopment. The current residents in the …

The Effect Of Mutual Goal Setting On Understanding The Diagnosis Of Heart Failure In Adults, Susan V. Watson

Masters Theses

This secondary analysis examined the effect of mutual goal setting (MGS) on perceived understanding of the diagnosis of heart failure (HF). The conceptual framework for this study was King's theory of goal attainment. The sample consisted of clients with a diagnosis of HF from two Southwestern Michigan home care agencies. Subjects were randomly assigned to either a control group or intervention group and received eight weekly visits. Data were collected at baseline, 3 months, and 5 months using the general counseling section of the Self-Management Tool (Lorig et al., 1996). The secondary analysis sought to determine if MGS interventions improved …

Nurse Practitioners' Perceptions And Use Of Nursing Diagnoses, Gay R. Kaashoek

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of nursing diagnoses by nurse practitioners (NPs). Additionally, this study assessed NPs’ perceptions of the advantages and challenges to using nursing diagnoses. Data were collected by questionnaires mailed to a randomly selected national sample of 398 NPs.

Of the 249 participants, 48 NPs indicated that they use nursing diagnoses. No significant differences were found between nursing diagnosis use and selected demographic characteristics or educational preparation. However, the use of nursing diagnoses was significantly higher among participants who were expected to use them as NP students (χ²= 22.012; p …

The Effect Of Mutual Goal Setting On The Self-Efficacy To Manage Heart Failure In Adults, Melanie Ranta

Masters Theses

This study is a secondary analysis of data that examined the effect of mutual goal setting on self-efficacy to manage disease in general. The conceptual frameworks utilized were King’s theory of goal attainment and Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy. The sample consisted of clients who had been admitted to two home care agencies with a primary diagnosis of congestive heart failure. After being randomly were assigned to either the intervention group or a control group, the subjects were visited in their homes over a course of several weeks. Data were collected at baseline and at 3-months using Long, et al. (1996) …

Advanced Practice Nurses' Knowledge And Attitudes On Pain And Pain Management, Joann E. Baar

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge and attitudes of advanced practice nurses regarding pain and pain management, and to determine if a relationship existed between education, experience, clinical specialty, and recent educational sessions on pain management, and scores on the Nurses’ Knowledge and Attitudes Survey. The convenience sample consisted of 78 advanced practice nurses or advanced practice nursing students in west Michigan. Data were collected via the use of mailed questionnaires. Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit theory of nursing provided the theoretical framework for this study.

No significant differences in scores were found among those with different …

Perceived Health Status, Preventive Health Behaviors, Formal Education, And Potential Barriers To Health Care In A Rural Population, Tori Renee Gaultier

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine preventive health behaviors, perceived health status, level of formal education, and potential barriers to health care in a rural northern mid-westem state using Leininger’s Cultural Care Theory. A short questionnaire was designed to identify factors that may influence health for rural residents. The sample consisted of 159 adults. The questionnaires were hand delivered to 299 randomly selected homes. Analysis was performed using descriptive and Chi-square statistics. The results supported an association between fewer preventive health behaviors and more potential barriers to health care (χ₂ = 36.72, p < .001). A higher level of formal education was associated with higher perceived health status (χ₂ = 13.99, p < .001). Potential barriers to health care were not found to be associated with lower perceived health status.

Efficacy Of Zinc Supplementation In Reducing The Incidence Of Recurrent Vaginitis, Bonnie R. Bartz

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of zinc supplementation in reducing the incidence of recurrent bacterial vaginosis (BY) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (W C ). Forty-one subjects were selected from researcher’s patients based on at least two episodes of vaginitis in a six-month period. A control group (placebo) and an experimental group (30 mg zinc gluconate) were randomly formed from this selection.

Evaluation of vaginitis status was accomplished through wet mounts, pH test, and KOH whiff tests at the initial, 3, and 6-month intervals. Subjects sought treatment for vaginitis when symptomatic.

A t-test analysis showed no statistically …

Evaluation Of The Effect Of Home Care Interventions On The Self-Care Agency And Hospital Readmission Rate Of Patients With Congestive Heart Failure, Patricia K. Rau

Masters Theses

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is prevalent and patients with CHF incur costly hospital readmissions. It is crucial to reduce rehospitalizations and improve self-care in these patients. This blind experimental study based on Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit theory evaluated two nursing interventions provided to 49 home care patients with CHF from 42 to 94 years of age in western Michigan. The study results were drawn from a larger longitudinal study in progress by researcher Dr. Kay Setter-KIine, RN. PhD. One group received supportive-educative interventions and the other received placebo interventions. The study sought to determine if supportive-educative nursing interventions improved medication …

The Relationship Between Grandparent Caregiver Reactions And Support Group Participation, Karen F. Rishel

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between support group participation by grandparent caregivers and reactions to their care-giving situation. There were 25 grandparents primarily Caucasian, and from rural areas or small towns. All were high school graduates and nearly half attended college. A descriptive correlational design was used, and the conceptual framework was Dowdell's adaptation of Given's model on caregiver strain.

No correlations were found that were statistically significant between the number of groups attended and the sub-scales of Given's Caregiver Reaction Assessment. This may have been related to the sample size. Although …

Relationship Of Osteoporosis Knowledge And Perceived Susceptibility To Osteoporosis Among Hispanic Women, Johannie M. Troncoso

Masters Theses

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the relationship of osteoporosis knowledge to perceived susceptibility to osteoporosis among Hispanic women. The Health Belief Model (Rosenstock, Strecker, & Becker, 1994) was the theoretical framework for the study. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 54 Hispanic women, ages 18 years and older, from two different areas in a Mid-Western state. The final sample, based on the inclusion criteria, constituted 41 subjects. The participants completed the Osteoporosis Knowledge Test (OKT) developed by Kim, Horan, and Gendler (1991) and the Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale (OHBS) also developed in 1991 by …

The Effects Of Collaboration Versus Traditional Service Delivery On Reading And Listening Comprehension With School-Aged Students, Megan E. Grimaldi

Masters Theses

This study investigated improvement of reading comprehension and listening comprehension in school-aged students in first through third grades at two different elementary schools. Approximately half of the students at each school received collaborative classroom-based language lessons from the teacher and speech-language pathologist. The other half of the students at each school received regular instruction from the classroom teacher without input from the speech-language pathologist. The speech-language pathologist provided services to the students with speech or language IEP goals in the collaborative classrooms primarily in the classroom during these language lessons. The students who received speech or language services in the …

Social Support Among Women In Families: A Descriptive Study Of Support In Intergenerational Relationships, Gina L. Bauswell

Masters Theses

This study examines the effects of social support in intergenerational relationships among women in families. The research examines ethnography as a study, some of the benefits of research done in intergenerational communication, changes in this communication over the time span of the intergenerational relationships, the transmission of this communication, social support, the positive effects of the phenomenon of this type of communication for all those participating in this dynamic process, and the heuristic value of this research. The participants were forty women in my extended family, and this study is based upon their answers to a questionnaire and focus group …

Embraced: The Communication Perspective, Community & The Power Of "Story", A. J. Mühr

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A World Wide Web Site Of Special Education Law For Educators In Illinois, Roger L. Epperson

Masters Theses

Any educational decision regarding evaluation, placement, or instruction of special education students involves legal liability and accountability for a school district. Without the special education legal knowledge from primary legal sources needed to make prudent education decisions, school districts are vulnerable to legal challenges. Too often, educators provide services to special education students without critical knowledge of the educators' role in the special education legal process.

In this study, just the preliminary phase of constructing a special education law World Wide Web (W3) site for Illinois educators was considered. There were two objectives in this study. The first objective was …

The Effects Of Empathy On Speech Ratings, Jill Mcnamara

Masters Theses

This research project tests whether empathy has an affect upon ratings of speeches. First the rater' s individual level of empathy is surveyed. Next, the many different definitions of empathy are broken down into cognitive and affective perspectives and altruistic motivations. The likelihood of empathy being a dispositional or situational trait is discussed. Various methods used to train individuals to enhance their empathic skills through behavior observation and schools and how effective these methods have proven to be is identified. Empathy was then examined as to gender affects an individual's ability to experience that emotion. Using two different speeches, one …

An International View Of Traumatic Brain Injury, Erin S. Wesley

Masters Theses

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of disability in the world. This was a descriptive study implemented through a survey which gathered information on epidemiology, demographics, service delivery, and the role of the SLP in countries outside the United States. Contact persons were notified and asked to distribute surveys to health care professionals who work with TBI. The survey was completed by 14 individuals in 5 different countries. Countries included Brazil, Israel, Italy, South Africa, and United States.

Compelation of this information revealed that there was a large variety of answers both within and between countries. There was …

Relationship Between Protective Effects Of Estrogen, Apoe And Alzheimer's Disease, Sara M. Ludwig

Masters Theses

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegerative disorder characterized by progressive memory loss and loss of cognitive function. The pathogenesis and progression of AD is poorly understood. Recently, several risk factors have been determined, however, how these risk factors function to induce AD onset has yet to be elucidated.

Apolipoprotein E genotype has been clearly demonstrated to be a risk factor for AD. The apoE2 and apoE3 isoforms appear to be protective against AD, whereas the apoE4 isoform has been implicated in the development of AD. The apoE4 allele works in a dosage-dependent fashion; that is, the greater the expression of …

The Role Of The Administrator In Creating An Inclusive Environment, Vicki S. Rasmussen

Masters Theses

The role the administrator plays in the development of an inclusive environment was investigated by conducting a review of literature and conducting a study of administrative views of inclusion in one East Central Illinois school district. Results showed that the success of the implementation of an inclusive school environment depended upon the role that the administrator was willing to play. Traits common to administrators who were successful in fostering inclusion along with problems that may be encountered are discussed. Case studies are reviewed, collected data analyzed, and recommendations for future practice are presented.

Parental Influence On Career Development Among College Students, Michael W. Ladd

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between students' perceptions of parental influence on their college and career choices and their emotional independence from parents. The relationship between satisfaction with career/major choice (as demonstrated by vocational commitment) and parental influence was also examined. In addition, relationships between emotional independence from parents and commitment to a career field were explored.

To meet the research objectives, four research questions were addressed. First, is the Perceived Parental Influence scale, developed for this study, a reliable and valid scale? Second, is there a significant relationship between students' perceptions of parental influence …

Critical Fantasies: Structure Of Chinese Folk Tales, Saihanjula He

Masters Theses

Folk tales provide a unique source of information for cultural studies. They come from the people. Springing from the people's imagination in a social context, they carry historical truths, stir up political undercurrents, and reveal social facts that official history books will not and cannot tell. In a time when writing was a privileged form of expression, the oral folk tale popularly communicated the injustices committed by the upper class, and gave the powerless voices of their own. Common themes of folk tales all reflect, to various degrees, the people's desires to rise above environmental, cultural, social and class constraints …

Differences In The Dreaming Style Of Schizophrenic And Non-Schizophrenic Subjects Based On Subscales Of The Dreaming Style Questionnaire, Larry Knopp

Masters Theses

The differences in dreaming style between 25 participants diagnosed with schizophrenia and 90 participants comprising a control group were examined. A Dreaming Style Questionnaire (DSQ), was administered to each participant. Nine subscales of the DSQ were used to explore differences in dreaming style between these two groups. A significant difference (p <.003) was found for the familiarity of characters subscales, showing those diagnosed with schizophrenia report that the characters in their dreams are unfamiliar to them. Trends were noted for the subscales assertiveness, low involvement, participation, and bizarreness. Information processing, function of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and dreaming style, were reviewed. It is concluded that dreaming style differences are found between the two groups. The significance of dream research is that innovative treatment methods for common mental health issues are being implemented and are proving to exhibit benefits to the recipient. Hopefully, research will shed some light on the etiology of mental health disorders resulting in better treatment methods.

Gary Snyder's Path, Jason Dockter

Masters Theses

Early in Gary Snyder's life, he lived a rootless existence in pursuance of gaining spiritual satisfaction through a more harmonious relationship with nature. This rootlessness that dominated this period of Snyder's life originated in Snyder's European ancestors lifestyle, which valued exploiting the natural world for a profit. Through exposure to Chinese landscape paintings, Snyder found Buddhism and began to practice it as a means to reconcile his own humanity with the natural world, which his cultural heritage has alienated himself from. Through Buddhism, Snyder realizes the importance of reuniting humanity with the natural world.

Upon gaining this knowledge, Snyder assumes …

Effects Of Guided Compliance On The Disruptive Behavior Of Two Students Diagnosed With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Nicole L. Weber

Masters Theses

The current study attempted to determine the effects of the environmental manipulations of partial task instruction, whole task instruction, and guided compliance on the disruptive behavior of two students diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The participants included two elementary-aged students diagnosed with ADHD who were referred by their parent or legal guardian to a university-based summer assessment program. A functional analysis established that the disruptive behavior of both participants was motivated by contingent peer attention. Students were exposed to treatment conditions consisting of whole versus partial tasks as well as the guided compliance. While a single subject multi-element …

Writing In The Mathematics Classroom, Ryan C. Ghere

Masters Theses

This paper explores the benefits of using writing as a tool for teaching mathematics. It is a summary of literature intended to help educators implement a writing plan of their own. Part one is a summary of the purpose, benefits, and types of mathematics writing. Writing in mathematics opens the lines of communication in the classroom, helps in assessment, and allows for the use of interdisciplinary units. Writing in mathematics benefits students, teachers, and the classroom learning atmosphere as a whole. Teachers can use informal writing assignments so that students express their opinions, or assign formal writing to provide students …

"Retracing Our Steps": Storytelling, Time, And Traditional Referentiality In Mama Day And Absalom, Absalom!, Christine Ann Roth

Masters Theses

Gloria Naylor and William Faulkner turn to the history and tradition of oral storytelling in their novels. Mama Day and Absalom, Absalom! especially present the concepts and techniques of the storytelling act. The complexities of the audience-performer dynamic and non-linear time in an oral storytelling event create obstacles for the teller (the writer) and confuse the role of the audience (the readers). Writers create the role of listening audience for the readers, changing the accepted rules of the readers by asking them to become participants. In Mama Day and Absalom, Absalom!, Naylor and Faulkner create connections between audience …

Supporting Those That Make Us A Success: How Community Relations Programs Effect Individual Shopping Choices, Danielle R. Lafayette

Masters Theses

Community relations programs have become extremely popular within organizations over the past several years. This manuscript will take a closer look at how these community relations programs influence the decision's individuals make when determining which organizations they want to support. Through a case study analysis Wal-Mart's affiliation with the Children's Miracle Network was analyzed in order to determine why organizations do community relations programs and the effect they have on an individual's choice in which organizations they support. The study consisted of a systematic random sample of 342 Charleston/Mattoon and surrounding area residents. The results indicated individuals are looking for …

Research Utilization In Hand Therapy Practice Using A World Wide Web Survey Design, Amy D. Heathfield

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate how frequently occupational therapists, certified hand therapists (OT, CHTs) read, integrate, and contribute to occupational therapy research; identify barriers and solutions to research utilization; and identify the effectiveness of World Wide Web (WWW) survey research with OT, CHTs. Of the 306 questionnaires sent, 154 were used (50% response rate). Most OT, CHTs reported reading some OT research, but integrated little into practice. One-half reported participating in research since graduation and 82% of those who did not participate reported interest in future research participation. Barriers to research were lack of time, research was …

Neonatal Intensive Care Nurses' Perceptions Of Participation In Ethical Decision Making In The Care Of Imperiled Newborns, Dennis W. Philpott

Masters Theses

The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to empirically examine the extent of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse participation in the ethical decision making process. The study also examined the relationship of nurse participation and satisfaction in ethical decision making to age, years of experience, level of education, and religious participation. This study attempted to describe what NICU nurses believe their role should be in the ethical decision making process. Koblberg’s theory of moral development was the theoretical framework. Data were obtained through the use of a survey mailed to Registered Nurses employed in a level III NICU. …

The Correlation Between Quality Of Life And Social Support One Year After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, Sarah S. Arnold

Masters Theses

A descriptive correlational design was used to examine the relationship between the level of social support and the perceived quality of life (QOL) of the patient following coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS) one year after the procedure. A total of 212 surveys were sent to the homes of former patients admitted to a mid-western hospital and 90 were returned. The Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ-85) was used to measure social support and the Quality of Life Index-Cardiac Version (QLI) was used to measure QOL.

The hypothesis of the study asserted that there was a positive correlation between the level of social …

A Comparison Of Perceptions Of Labor And Delivery For First-Time Mothers With And Without Prenatal Education, Marla A. Mcdonnell

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in the perceptions of labor and delivery between first-time mothers who took prenatal classes and first-time mothers who did not take prenatal classes. The convenience sample consisted of mostly Caucasian, married, well-educated women with few minor pregnancy complications. Twenty of the subjects were first-time mothers who took at least four prenatal classes. Twenty of the subjects were first-time mothers who took three or fewer classes.

A non-experimental descriptive design was used for this study. One questionnaire, the Childbirth Perception Questionnaire (Beaton & Gupton, 1990), was administered 18 …