Digital Commons Network^™

Knowledge And Perception Of North Dakota Nurses Regarding Palliative Care, Nancy Joyner

Theses and Dissertations

Palliative care, also known as comfort care, involves the holistic care of patients when curative treatment is not effective. The principal factors of palliative care include the aggressive treatment of pain and other symptoms, including physical, psychological, emotional, social and spiritual problems. Nurses spend more time with patients and their families than any other health care professional, placing them in a position to provide palliative care in a variety of different settings. This requires nurses to have a sound knowledge base in this specialty. Not all nurses, however, are adequately prepared for or comfortable with palliative care.

The purpose of …

Frequency Of Instrumental Delivery Associated With Epidural Analgesia, Nicole D. Abrahamson

Theses and Dissertations

Presently, approximately two-thirds of all women in the United States receive obstetric analgesia for pain relief during labor. Much research has been done on the effects of epidural analgesia on the mother and infant including prolonged labor, lower rate of spontaneous delivery and increased risk of instrumental delivery. There is agreement in the research that epidural analgesia prolongs stage 2 labor, however, debate continues regarding the association of instrumental delivery and epidural analgesia. There is also lack of substantial research regarding discontinuing epidural analgesia late in labor and whether this affects rate of instrumental delivery.

The purpose of this study …

Hyperventilation And Its Effects On The Neurosurgical Patient, Melissa L. Laspi

Theses and Dissertations

Neurosurgical procedures continue to be a challenging and intricate part of an anesthesia provider’s career. The anesthesia provider can control the physiological effects of improper auto-regulation of the brain that can occur with abnormal neurological pathology. The control of hyperventilation is one way that the anesthesia provider can manipulate cerebral physiology. This paper addresses the physiology of impaired brain autoregulation and the role in which carbon dioxide affects that physiology. Simply stated, carbon dioxide (C02) is the number one physiological factor that controls cerebral blood flow; increasing C02 dilates cerebral vessels thus increasing flow while decreasing C02 constricts cerebral vessels …

Optimizing Bispectral Index (Bis) Use In The Intensive Care Unit: Development Of A Procedure And Skill Competency Validation For Critical Care Nurses, Twyla G. Kouba

Theses and Dissertations

The Bispectral Index (BIS) technology developed by Aspect Medical Systems is Food and Drug Administration approved and commercially available to monitor the effects of anesthetics and sedatives on the level of consciousness in the Operating Room, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and in special procedure environments where sedation is administered. Sedation management is a challenge in the ICU with serious consequences resulting from oversedation or undersedation. A literature review provides evidence that the BIS is a reliable, valid tool for objective sedation assessment in the ICU. However, critical care nurses must be able to first identify which patient populations can benefit …

Anesthesia Guide To Help Increase Parental Knowledge And Reduce Anxiety For Parents Bringing Children To The Operating Room, Kristine A. Eckert

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined parents’ anxiety levels of bringing their children to the operating room (OR) and also explored the choices they have available to them given the facility they are using for services. The extensive literature review explored these issues, resulting in the creation of a teaching brochure designed to give information and options to parents as they bring their child to the operating room. The brochure design and development is thoroughly discussed in the study. The literature review also explored suggested methods to decrease anxiety, including increasing parental knowledge related to the anesthesia process. The anesthesia providers’ responsibilities and …

Factors That Effect Prolonged Intubation Of Postoperative Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Patients, Sheri L. Triepke

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify contributing factors that cause coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients to remain intubated longer than eight hours. Current practice in CABG anesthesia advocates tracheal extubation within one to eight hours after surgery. With the advances made in anesthetic techniques and post-operative analgesia, the CABG population should consistently be extubated within the eight hour time frame.

A retrospective medical chart review of 30 CABG patients remaining intubated longer than eight hours was conducted. A study group of 30 patients extubated within eight hours was used for comparison.

The subjects reviewed for both groups …

Parish Nurse Perspectives On Addressing Clients' Spiritual Wellness And Needs, Rebecca E. Elbert

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study is to identify processes that parish nurses use to assess spiritual needs, to develop interventions that address these needs, and to evaluate meeting these needs. Parish nurses are one group of specialty nurses who outwardly emphasize the importance of holistic care and who attempt to incorporate the spiritual aspect of holistic care into each client contact. While all nurses learn about spiritual care many nurses are uncomfortable and inexperienced in addressing clients’ spirituality. No other research has been done like this with this population. Grounded theory design and methodology including constant comparative …

Investigation Of A Cognitive Dissonance Intervention Versus A Psychoeducational Placebo Control: Testing The Effectiveness Of Prevention Programming For Eating Disorders, Valerie L. Krysanski

Theses and Dissertations

As psychoeducational eating disorder prevention programs have not been shown to reduce eating pathology, these programs are well-suited to use as placebo controls against interventions that have been shown to be effective. The proposed study compared a cognitive dissonance based intervention to a psychoeducational placebo control group with college women. Seventy-five college women who had elevated scores on a measure of thin ideal internalization, placing them at increased risk for developing an eating disorder, were randomly assigned to either a psychoeducational intervention (n = 35) or a dissonance-based intervention (n = 40). Each intervention was composed of 3, 1-hour sessions, …

The Contribution Of Couple Leisure Involvement, Leisure Time And Leisure Satisfaction To Marital Satisfaction, Heather Ann Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to further clarify the relationship between couple leisure patterns and marital satisfaction by examining the contribution of joint couple leisure involvement, leisure time, and leisure satisfaction to couples' satisfaction with married life. The sample consisted of 48 married couples (N = 96). The Marital Activity Profile (MAP), a modified version of the Family Leisure Activity Profile (FLAP) was used to determine couple leisure involvement in core and balance leisure activities and leisure satisfaction. The Satisfaction With Married Life (SWML), a modified version of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) was used to measure marital …

The School Counseling Psychology Program: A Qualitative Study., Daniel Vern Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

The service role and functions of school counseling and school psychology have been discussed extensively for several decades. The literature from each professional discipline is replete with calls to expand the training and service capacity of these school professionals. Simultaneously calls are made for even broader educational reform as it specifically relates to student pupil services. From within this context an integrated school counseling and school psychology program known as the School Counseling Psychology Program was organized and administered at Brigham Young University. This qualitative dissertation study highlights the perceived strengths and limitations of this integrated training program. The impact …

The Effect Of Leisure-Based Screen Time On Physical Activity, Mary Dawn Sperry

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of leisure-based screen time on physical activity. Ninety-four families participated in this six-week study. Each family was randomly assigned to one of three screen time groups: (1) control group (2) 2-hour-limit group or (3) one-hour-limit group. Family members wore a Walk4Life LS 2505® pedometer to measure steps. Daily screen time logs were filled out each night and leisure-based screen time and steps were recorded. Analysis of variance (steps x group) was used to determine differences among the groups. Univariate tests showed there were no significant differences among any of the …

Case Study Of A Client Diagnosed With Major Depressive Disorder, Barbara Ann Marie Allison

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the best practice for a client diagnosed with major depressive disorder who was referred for treatment at a community mental health facility. The client was assessed, diagnosed, and a treatment plan was developed. Implemented treatment consisted of combined cognitive behavioral oriented psychotherapy and psychotropic medication. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) was used to assess changes in depressive symptoms. Results indicated a significant decline in depressive symptoms over the course of treatment. At the onset of treatment, the client's BDI scores were in the clinically depressed range, while at the conclusion of treatment …

The Perceptions Of High School Physical Educators On The Benefits Of Block Scheduling In The State Of Utah, Marilyn Miller

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine the extent to which the block schedule is being used in Utah high school physical education, and determine teacher's perceptions of block scheduling in teaching physical education. Block scheduling is a new and more efficient way of organizing the school day. NASPE has found the following positive effects in block scheduling: a better learning environment, more access to stronger curriculum, detailed instruction and demonstrations, and more variety in assessment (NASPE, 2000). Although there were several different forms of the block schedule reported, it appears that a majority of physical educators have discovered …

The Development Of A Certified Nursing Assistant English For Specific Purposes Curriculum: Teaching Materials And Methods, Nancy Waireana Tarawhiti

Theses and Dissertations

After careful review of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and English for Medical Purposes (EMP) literature, I assisted in the development of a curriculum for an ESP Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Preparation course. The course participants were non-native English speaking employees of Utah Valley Regional Medical Center (UVRMC), currently working in the department of housekeeping, wanting to further their employment opportunities. The ESP CNA Preparation course was 12 weeks duration, three days per week, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm.

My contribution to the curriculum was the development of teaching materials and methods and I used two guiding questions to assist …

Student Psychological Distress In A Career Exploration Course, Roger H. Belisle

Theses and Dissertations

A gap in the literature exists on the connection between an individual's career and non-career domains. Even less research exists on the topic of career development and how it relates to an individual's mental health. Accordingly, this study sought to investigate the connection between career issues and mental health by exploring the psychological distress levels of students enrolled in a career exploration course. During the course, students completed a bi-weekly online survey, the Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45). Results support the possible connection between career issues and mental health and also show that for certain populations, career guidance interventions may decrease an …

Pretend Play At Home: Creating An Educationally Enriched Environment For Emergent Literacy Among Preschool-Aged Children, Kelly King Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will illustrate how pretend play can be used in the home for educational purposes. The major emphasis of the work will be emergent literacy, however, application principles can be applied in all subject areas. Parents who desire to expand their child's literacy skills while exposing the child to an arts enriched home environment need ideas and tools developed with supportive research to strengthen and focus their efforts. These tools will greatly expand parental resources by offering several principles as a guide for adapting existing classroom materials for home use. The following Seven Components form the core foundation for …

An Exploration Of The Interactions Of Improvers And Deteriorators In The Process Of Group Therapy: A Qualitative Analysis, Laura Lee Hoffmann

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the interactions of individuals who showed symptom improvement and those who showed symptom deterioration during the course of 12-14 sessions of group process psychotherapy. Both general group themes, as well as themes specific to improvers and deteriorators were found. General group themes included (a) an initial difficulty distinguishing between improvers and deteriorators, and (b) a tendency for group to focus on past or future focus versus present group issues. Specific themes for deteriorators included (a) substantial early disclosure in the group process, (b) open praise of the process of group, (c) the stated expectation of sharing deep …

Development Of A Model For The Kinetics And Mechanism Of Nitrogenase, Phillip E. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogenase has a central role in the global nitrogen cycle as the enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of atmospheric N2 to NH3. Fixed nitrogen is generally limiting in the environment and in agriculture, so nitrogenase has received much attention as an alternative to nitrogen fertilizers. Characterizing the mechanism of nitrogenase is the goal of this work. The molybdenum nitrogenase enzyme system is comprised of the MoFe protein and the Fe protein. Interactions between these proteins and nucleotides are crucial to catalysis. An important approach to characterize these interactions is to correlate the kinetics of nitrogenase catalysis to a mechanism based …

Is The Party Over? Unmarried Fatherhood And Drug And Alcohol Use, Jonathan A. Jarvis

Theses and Dissertations

Using waves two and three of the National Survey of Adolescent Males (1990 and 1995) I examine the effects of marriage, paternity and father involvement on the use of drugs and alcohol by young men. Despite the importance of fatherhood as an adult role, I argue that commitment to the role of fatherhood and not paternity itself is what alters behavior. I hypothesize that young men who assume responsibility for fathering their children are more likely to reduce their drug and alcohol use over time than young men who father children but do not assume the role of parent. Results …

The Effect Of A Study Abroad On Acquiring Pragmatics, Johanna Katherine Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Pragmatics in Arabic needs to be studied for two main reasons: first, the large cultural difference between American and Middle Eastern society; and second, the recent surge in demand for Arabic speakers in the US. Especially in regard to refusals, what is acceptable in America is rarely acceptable in Arabic speaking countries. There are very few occasions when refusal of an offering of food or other hospitalities is acceptable. Arab culture requires one to provide family members with anything they need, including money. If that is not possible it is required to find the means for what they need. American …

Genetic Analysis Of Conserved Residues In Phou Of Escherichia Coli, Stewart G. Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

The Pho regulon is controlled by the PstSCAB transporter, PhoU, and the two-component proteins, PhoB and PhoR. PhoU is a negative regulator of the Pho regulon under phosphate-replete conditions. How PhoU functions is unknown. Many PhoU homologues are found widely throughout prokaryotic domains. There are several conserved amino acid residues in the PhoU protein. It is hypothesized that these residues play an important role in the function of PhoU. To test this hypothesis, several site directed mutations in the phoU gene have been produced with single amino acid changes in conserved residues. After testing these mutants, it was found that …

Time Efficiency In Computer Assisted Direct Observation Of Physical Activity Using Sofit, Trisha Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Having valid and reliable methods for assessing physical activity levels is critical to understanding physical activity patterns. Direct observation is a widely used technique for obtaining contextually rich data on physical activity levels in physical education classes. One major limitation of direct observation is that it is time intensive. The use of digital video editing software programs may lessen the amount of time needed to gather the data. The purpose of this study was to compare the amount of time needed to obtain SOFIT (System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time) physical activity data using the traditional paper and pencil method …

The Association Between Changes In Body Fat, Body Weight And Serum C-Reactive Protein: A Prospective Study, Benjamin Thomas Bikman

Theses and Dissertations

Objective- To investigate the extent to which changes in body fat percentage (BF%) and weight (BW) relate to changes in C-reactive protein (CRP) in women, while statistically controlling for possible confounders, such as age, initial body weight, and menopause status.

Methods and Results- A cohort of 150 free-living subjects was followed prospectively over a 2½-year period. BF% was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), while BW was determined with a calibrated, electronic scale. There was no significant relationship between changes in BF% and CRP, regardless of age, initial BW, and menopause status. However, changes in BW were predictive of …

Soft Drink Consumption And Changes In Body Composition In 170 Women: A 4-Year Prospective Study, Jared Michael Tucker

Theses and Dissertations

Background: In recent history, there have been significant increases in both soft drink consumption and the prevalence of obesity throughout the developed world. To help curb the obesity epidemic, a better understanding of the behaviors contributing to weight and fat gain is vital.

Objective: To examine the extent to which soft drink consumption is predictive of changes in body composition in middle-aged women over a 4-year period, while statistically controlling for age, energy intake, physical activity, and menopause status.

Design: A prospective cohort design over 48 months with no intervention. Self-reported soft drink consumption was used to predict changes in …

Sibling Influence On Adolescent Cigarette, Alcohol, And Marijuana Use, Benjamin G. Gibbs

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to estimate the association between sibling drug use and adolescent alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. Research is conducted using survey data from a probability sample of 4,987 adolescents in grades 9–12 in Utah. To account for the limited frequency of drug use among respondents, Poisson regression is used to estimate models for each type of drug. In support of current literature, findings indicate that having a sibling who uses drugs increases the frequency of drug use substantially, even when peer influences are taken into account. Significant sibling associations with adolescent drug use found in …

Materialism, Perceived Financial Problems, And Marital Satisfaction, Lukas R. Dean

Theses and Dissertations

While there has been a relatively large number of studies conducted to investigate associations between financial problems and marital outcomes, little research has been done to examine possible relationships between materialistic attitudes, perceived financial problems, and marital outcomes. This study has been designed to examine a conceptual model linking materialism, perceived financial problems, and relationship satisfaction among married couples. Data obtained from 600 married heterosexual couples who took the RELATE test fit the model well. Findings indicate that wives' materialism is negatively related to husbands' marital satisfaction. Husbands' and wives' materialism is positively related with increased perception of financial problems …

An Examination Of Family Communication Within The Core And Balance Model Of Family Leisure Functioning, Kevin M. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine family communication within the Core and Balance Model of Family Leisure Functioning. This was accomplished using path analysis, specifically using a mediator model. Family leisure was measured using the Family Leisure Activity Profile (FLAP), family functioning using the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES II), and family communication using the Family Communication Scale (FCS). The sample was youth (n = 90) and parents (n = 123) from 25 different states in the US. Family leisure involvement predicted family functioning variables from the youth and family perspectives, but only partially from the …

Establishing Public Confidence In The Viability Of Fingerprint Biometric Technology, Nathan Alan Green

Theses and Dissertations

The most common personal authentication techniques used for identity management employ a secret PIN or password that must be remembered. The challenge, for a given user, is that a multitude of such codes must be recalled over the course of the day for transactions involving distinct computer applications. Password mania prevails. Fingerprint biometric technology is an ideal alternate solution to this password recall problem. In spite of their availability for nearly thirty years, fingerprint biometric systems still remain uncommon in public sectors of industry such as education, government, and technology. Technology has improved sufficiently that false acceptance and rejection rates …

Investigation Of The Mechanisms Of Ozone-Mediated Viral Inactivation, Seiga Ohmine

Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have established that ozone-oxygen mixtures can be used to inactivate a variety of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi and viruses. Ozone is a potent reactive oxygen species (ROS) that rapidly decays into a variety of additional short half-life ROS which have been shown to cause oxidative damage to biological molecules. I hypothesize that controlled ozone exposure and the subsequent generation of additional ROS would reduce viral infectivity by lipid and/or protein peroxidation. A proprietary ozone-oxygen delivery system was used to inactivate a series of enveloped [herpes simplex virus type-1 strain McIntyre (HSV-1), vaccinia strain Elstree (VAC), vesicular stomatitis virus …

How Virtues And Values Affect Marital Intimacy, Natalie Jan Stevens

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to better understand how virtues and values affect marital intimacy. Ten married couples were given a marital satisfaction assessment and participated as individuals in 1-1/2 hour interviews which were audiotaped and then transcribed. Using grounded theory and also the constant comparative method, researchers were able to generate a theory involving a core theme of showing love for self and other, which strongly contributes to increased intimacy. This process is connected to living virtues and to becoming other-oriented. Two different ways of "being" were found to be connected both with showing love, living virtues, increasing …