Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Nurse Extern Programs On Student Nurse Performance, Lola A. Coke

Masters Theses

This study was done to determine if summer nurse extern programs increased the nursing performance of student nurses. The conceptual framework for the study was developed from Benner's (1984) "From Novice to Expert". Forty-five students from six hospital based nurse extern programs in Southwestern Michigan participated in the study. A pretest-posttest design was used. Schwirian's (1978) Six Dimension Scale of Nursing Performance was used to measure six nursing performance sub scales: leadership, critical care, professional development, teaching/collaboration, planning/evaluation, and interpersonal relations/communication. Frequency and quality scores were obtained for each behavior. It was hypothesized that an increase in both frequency and …

Coping With Multiple Roles, Deborah J. Laughlin

Masters Theses

Women in increasing numbers have been combining career and family. Balancing the multiple roles may be stressful at times. The purpose of this study was to examine how different stressors influence a woman's ability to utilize coping responses. This study examined the relationships between situational variables and a nurse's ability to cope with multiple roles. The situational variables studied were: age, educational level, number of hours worked, job type, number of children, ages of the children, view of nursing, husband's agreement with the wife on the number of hours worked, and satisfaction with child care. The survey tool, the "Coping …

Hardiness And Its Relationship To Anticipatory Nausea And Vomiting Experienced By The Patient Receiving Cisplatin Chemotherapy, Colleen K. Smith

Masters Theses

Research suggests that the hardiness characteristic acts as a buffer in the stress/illness relationship. The purpose of this study was to assess the presence of hardiness and examine its relationship to the amount of anticipatory nausea and vomiting experienced within a sample of patients receiving cisplatin chemotherapy. It was hypothesized that individuals with a high level of hardiness would experience less anticipatory nausea and vomiting than individuals with a low level of hardiness.; A prospective descriptive correlational design was utilized. A convenience sample of adults with cancer (n = 29) receiving cisplatin intravenously was studied. All patients were assessed via …

Perceived Stress Levels Of Registered Nurses Employed In Medical-Surgical And Critical Care Units, Karen Snyder Keese

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to compare perceived stress levels of registered nurses employed in medical-surgical units to perceived stress levels of registered nurses employed in critical care units. A descriptive, correlational study was conducted using Wolfgang's (1988) Health Professions Stress Inventory. Perceptions of stress were measured and related to specialty, years of experience, years of nursing education, hours worked per week, and shift worked. A convenience sample of 102 registered nurses from two midwestern hospitals participated by a self administered questionnaire. Study findings included: medical-surgical nurses perceived significantly higher levels of stress than critical care nurses; stressors for …

An Investigation Of Stress And Burnout In Hospital Registered Nurses, Ellen Nora Hale

Masters Theses

This study investigated job stressors and burnout among hospital registered nurses and was based on a systems theory model in which inputs and throughputs interact to effect outputs. Job stressors were measured using the Job Stress Questionnaire (JSQ). Top-ranked stressors included heavy work load, insufficient resources, and inability to satisfy conflicting demands. Burnout was measured using the three subscales (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Based on multiple regression analyses, total JSQ scores accounted for 21% of the variance in emotional exhaustion scores. Together, years of experience and an education level of BSN or BA …

Relationship Of Patient Age To Amount Of Postoperative Analgesic Prescribed And Administered, Beth Lee Sendre

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if elderly patients receive less analgesic than younger patients postoperatively and if that reduction in analgesia results from the physician's order, the administration, or both. Hospital records of 161 females with abdominal surgery were reviewed to collect data. The sample was divided into 6 age groups. The findings did not support with increased age from 25 years, less analgesic medication was prescribed for the first and second 24 hour period postoperatively (p {dollar}>{dollar}.05). The findings indicate, as age increased from 25 years, less analgesic medication was administered in the first 24 …

Relationships Between Caregiver Satisfaction With Hospice Nursing Care And Selected Demographic Variables, Kathleen F. Nyeste

Masters Theses

A descriptive correlational retrospective survey of caregivers of hospice patients was used to determine the degree of caregiver satisfaction with hospice nursing care and to examine the relationship between satisfaction with nursing care and selected caregiver demographic variables. A random sample of 180 caregivers from 12 randomly selected home based hospices in Michigan's lower peninsula was surveyed utilizing the Revised La Monica/Oberst Patient Satisfaction Scale and a Caregiver Demographic Sheet. Response rate was 63% (N = 114) with 56% (N = 100) of forms usable for data analysis.; The mean satisfaction score was 332 (possible range 51 to 357), indicating …

Life Satisfaction Of Persons With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Dennis A. Bertch

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to describe the adaptation of persons with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease on continuous nasal cannula oxygen using a self-reported assessment of life satisfaction tool. The Roy Adaptation Model provided the conceptual framework to describe perceived life satisfaction considering the effects of gender, age, race, education, marital status, employment status, length of time on nasal cannula oxygen, and amount/liter flow of oxygen.; A convenience sample of 56 persons was obtained through a medical supply company that services most of southwest Michigan. The majority of respondents (56.6%) were satisfied with life. No significant differences were reflected …

A Descriptive Correllational Study Of Patient Satisfaction In Labor And Delivery, Holly B.O. Estes

Masters Theses

The concept of patient satisfaction continues to be one of the main concerns in the health care arena today. The purpose of this study was to investigate patients' perceived satisfaction level regarding their labor and delivery at one large Midwestern teaching hospital.; Satisfaction was measured using the Labor and Delivery Satisfaction Index by Lomas, Dore, Enkin, & Mitchell, and the Labor and Delivery Evaluation Scale by Humenick. Roy's Adaptation Model provided the conceptual framework for this study. The study sample was 33 primiparas, seventy-six percent reporting overall satisfaction with their labor and delivery experience.; Sixty-one percent reported the labor and …

Development Of An Evidence-Based Program To Address Burnout And Resilience In Nursing, Heather Zink

Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: Public health nurses at a county health department are experiencing burnout because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose: The purpose of this program development project was to address burnout in public health nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic through assessment and recommended resilience interventions.

Methods: Two survey tools to measure burnout and resilience were distributed to 70 public health nurses. A literature review using the Wiederman framework for battling burnout and building resilience guided the development of the resilience toolkit.

Intervention: A resilience toolkit consisting of evidence-based interventions, budgets, assessment tools, an example plan, and posters was developed for the …

The Effect Of Anxiety On Student Nurses' Performance When Administering Intramuscular Or Subcutaneous Injections, Sandra L. Osborne

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine what the relationship was between levels of trait and state anxiety and performance when giving intramuscular or subcutaneous injections. It was a replication of a study by Megal, Wilken, and Volcek (1987).; In May, 1990, the STAI Form Y-2 was used to assess trait anxiety of 17 students at a community college in the Midwest. State anxiety was measured by using the STAI Form Y-1 immediately before: (1) laboratory performance examinations and (2) giving first injections to clients. Instructors completed Injection Skill Check Lists to measure performance.; Students reported high levels of …

The Relationship Between Locus Of Control, Powerlessness, And Job Satisfaction Among Registered Nurses, Evelyn C. Wirsing

Masters Theses

A cross-sectional descriptive correlational design was used to investigate the following research questions: (a) How much variation in nurses' satisfaction can be predicted from locus of control and powerlessness? and (b) are there statistically significant (p {dollar}<{dollar}.05) differences in job satisfaction among nurses based upon their primary area of practice, highest earned degree, length of employment in current position, and employment status? A random sample of 300 staff nurses from a large acute care teaching hospital was surveyed utilizing a four-part questionnaire. The response rate was 51% (N = 152). Powerlessness accounted for 29% of the variance in job satisfaction scores and locus of control accounted for none of the variation in job satisfaction. Secondly, a weekly significant difference (F(5, 146) = 2.29, p {dollar}<{dollar}.05) in job satisfaction scores existed among clinical specialty groups, however no significant differences in job satisfaction were found for the remaining professional characteristics.

Evaluating Family Caregivers' Ability To Select Appropriate Care Techniques Following Discharge Instructions On Post Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms, Connie J. Pardee

Masters Theses

Post traumatic brain injury symptoms can be very stressful to family caregivers. This study evaluated family caregivers' ability to select appropriate caregiver actions following discharge instructions on post traumatic brain injury symptoms. Subjects in the control group viewed videotaped discharge instructions on physical symptoms post traumatic brain injury. The experimental group viewed videotaped discharge instructions on physical symptoms, cognitive dysfunction and behavioral changes post traumatic brain injury. Both groups were given a written post test after viewing the videotape. Those who received information on physical symptoms, cognitive dysfunction, and behavioral changes had a higher mean score than those who received …

Evaluation Of Coagulation Studies Drawn From Heparinized Arterial Lines, Lois J. Van Donselaar

Masters Theses

Drawing blood from indwelling heparinized arterial catheters is a common procedure in critical care units. The accuracy of coagulation studies drawn from heparinized arterial lines has been a source of controversy and divergent results of research studies. The discarding of blood to provide an uncontaminated specimen is a concern as a source of infection for health care workers. This study evaluates the accuracy of aPTT results drawn from the Lab-Site pressure tubing system which provides a closed system that eliminates blood discard. Blood was obtained from radial artery catheters connected to the Lab-Site system and compared to specimens obtained simultaneously, …

Parental Coping With A Chronically Ill Child, Shari Jo Allore Bertolone

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine what coping mechanisms families of chronically ill children indicated they utilized to cope on a daily basis. This study utilized the Coping Health Inventory for Parents (CHIP) to collect data. The CHIP is designed to assess parents perceptions of behaviors they are currently using to manage family life. There are three main coping patterns focused on and it is hypothesized that a balance of these three patterns is essential for a positive outcome. This study found there are certain mothers and fathers who are at risk for not using a balance of …

Hardiness And Adaptation To Hypertension, Marcia L. Smit

Masters Theses

Hardiness, a personality characteristic that is purposed to mediate the stress response and reduce the likelihood of illness, was studied in the context of adaptation to chronic disease. A descriptive correlational design was used to determine whether a positive relationship exists between the presence of hardiness and psychosocial adaptation to hypertension. The sample consisted of 50 individuals 60 years old or older. Data was analyzed using the product moment correlation coefficient, Spearman's Rho, and multiple regression. A moderately weak correlation (r =.39, df = 48, p =.003) between hardiness and adaptation was found. Other significant relationships identified included those between …

Positioning Of High Risk Infants: Effects On Oxygen Utilization, Umbilical Artery Catheter Integrity And Activity, Dawn Zuidgeest-Craft

Masters Theses

In a prospective experimental study, 24 high risk infants over 1,000 grams and under 5 days of age were observed and evaluated for the effects of positioning on the umbilical artery catheter, activity, and oxygen utilization. Infants were positioned right lateral, left lateral, supine and prone, for 2 hours in each position. The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether prone position opposed to other positions increased sleep state behaviors, reduced oxygen need, or created any complication for the umbilical artery catheter. Using a repeated measures design and repeated measures analysis of variance, it was found that positioning prone …

The Relationship Between Attributions And Adjustment Following Myocardial Infarction, Margaret Elizabeth Bowles

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify if spontaneous attributional search was part of the reaction to a myocardial infarction (MI) and if there were relationships among attributional search, perception of control over attributions, gender and adjustment following MI. Attribution theory provided the framework for this study. A descriptive correlational design was utilized. The convenience sample included twenty male and twenty female subjects hospitalized with a MI. The Multiple Affect Adjective Check List and an attribution questionnaire constructed specifically for this study were administered prior to discharge from the hospital. It was hypothesized that of those subjects that have …

A Comparison Of Critical Thinking Ability And Clinical Judgement Skills In Associate And Baccalaureate Senior Nursing Students, Debra L. Sietsema

Masters Theses

The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to compare the critical thinking and clinical judgement skills of senior nursing students at two educational levels. A convenience sample of 34 students in the Midwest was obtained during the spring semester before graduation (n = 19 baccalaureate, n = 15 associate). The framework for the study was decision theory. Critical thinking ability was measured by the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal. Clinical judgement was determined by the ability to recognize cues, provide nursing diagnosis, interventions and corresponding rationale after viewing five video vignettes produced by Performance Management Services. Demographic data was …

The Health Belief Model And Needle Recapping: A Replication, Rosemary M. Rackow Ham

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge of Universal Precautions, the attitudes and beliefs regarding the risk of AIDS among emergency room and critical care nurses and physicians, and the needle recapping behavior that places them at risk for acquiring HIV infection. The Health Belief Model was the conceptual model.; The sample (n = 80) consisted of nurses (n = 68) and physicians (n = 12) who practice in the emergency room (n = 19) or a critical care unit (n = 61) in a community hospital. They completed a 31 item questionnaire. In addition, needle disposal …

Perceptions Of Patients, Nurses, And Physicians Regarding Nursing As A Profession, Ann R. Robach

Masters Theses

The United States is facing a critical shortage of nurses. A prevailing societal perception of nursing having a subservient role in health care prevents many recruits from choosing this career, despite efforts by nursing leaders to change this perception (Styles, 1988). The purpose of this study was to determine the current perceptions of patients, nurses, and physicians regarding nursing as a profession.; A 20 item modified version of Valiga's View of Nursing Questionnaire was implemented for this study. The subjects included 102 patients, 126 nurses, and 68 physicians who completed the questionnaire in the fall of 1991.; Statistical analysis revealed …

Concerns/Problems Experienced After Discharge From An Acute Care Setting: The Patient's Perspective, Karen R. Peper

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the discharge planning process in terms of concerns that patients experience after discharge from an acute care setting. Betty Neuman's Health Care Systems Model was the conceptual framework. Aspects of secondary prevention were used to classify the concerns as either a lack of resources or a reaction to a stressor.; The sample (n = 146) consisted of medical and surgical patients, 18 years or older hospitalized at a community hospital for at least 24 hours.; Data were analyzed descriptively. Data revealed that patients do experience some concerns after discharge. The top four …

What Is The Relationship Between Perceived Job Stress, Job Satisfaction, And Psychological Symptoms Of Critical Care Nurses?, Barbara L. Hooper

Masters Theses

House's Stress Paradigm provided the theoretical framework for this study which examined the relationship between job satisfaction and job stress, and the correlation of job stress with the experience of psychological symptoms in a sample of 32 critical care nurses from an urban midwestern hospital. The Brief Symptom Inventory and Atwood and Hinshaw's Nursing Job Satisfaction and Job Stress Scales were used to measure the variables. A moderately strong correlation (r = {dollar}-{dollar}.63, p =.001) was found between job satisfaction and perceived job stress. No significant relationship was found between perceived job stress and psychological symptoms. These findings suggest that …

Weaning The Long-Term Ventilator Patient: A Nursing Protocol, Karen J. Trudell

Masters Theses

This study evaluated the effects of implementing a standardized nursing protocol on decreasing the length of time it takes the patient to wean from long-term ventilation using an ex post facto comparison group design. The standard nursing protocol is a set of 10 nursing interventions used to standardize the weaning process. A retrospective chart review was performed on 24 patients who were in the intensive care unit of a community teaching medical center, and required long-term ventilation of six days or more. After nine months of implementation of a standard nursing protocol, allowing for the intensive care nurses to become …

Aids: Knowledge And Attitudes Among Nurses, Jeanette J. Lochan

Masters Theses

Reports have indicated that nurses have negative and preconceived attitudes concerning persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and that these biases may interfere with quality care. The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to identify the relationship between nurses' knowledge about AIDS and their attitudes toward caring for patients who are diagnosed with AIDS and/or who test positive for HIV. Data was gathered by questionnaires from a convenient sample of nurses employed at an area hospital in West Michigan. Of the 500 nurses who received the questionnaire, 208 (41.6%) participated in the study. Knowledge about AIDS was correlated with …

Predictors Of Success On The Nclex-Rn Examination, Kathleen S. Pangle

Masters Theses

This ex post facto study was designed to determine if the scores of advanced standing LPNs' NCLEX-RN scores were significantly different from those of generic students and to identify predictors of success of NCLEX-RN performance. Based on Bandura's theory of self efficacy it was hypothesized that LPNs would score higher on the NCLEX-RN than generic students. The independent variables were final grades in nursing theory courses (Medical-Surgical, Obstetrics, Pediatrics, and Psychiatric Nursing), and NLN Achievement Tests and the Comprehensive Nursing Achievement Test. The study group included 195 graduates from a small, rural Associate Degree in Nursing program between the years …

Comparison Of The Efficacy Of Heparinized And Non-Heparinized Normal Saline Solutions In Maintaining Patency Of Arterial Catheters, Juanita K. Bogart

Masters Theses

Although the need for heparin in flush solutions has not been established, the currently accepted standard of practice is to use heparinized solutions in arterial catheter flush devices. Exposure to heparin may place patients at risk for developing heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HITP) and subsequent embolic events. The purpose of the study was to test the null hypothesis that there is no significant difference in patency of arterial catheters maintained with heparinized or non-heparinized normal saline solutions. An experimental design using a convenience sample (N = 31) and random assignment into experimental and control groups was used. There was no statistically significant …

The Effects Of Prenatal Breast-Feeding Class On Breast-Feeding Success And Maternal Perception Of The Infant: A Replication, Eileen Grunstra, Susan Rowe

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of prenatal breast-feeding education on a mother's perceived success at breast-feeding. This study also looked at the relationship of prenatal breast-feeding education on a mother's perception of her infant. The conceptual framework utilized was the Roy Adaptation Model. Motherhood and breast-feeding involve a change in role, which is why this theory served as a foundation for the study. The method for study was a quasi-experimental design. Subjects in the experimental group attended a prenatal breast-feeding class, those in the control group did not. In addition to a general survey questionnaire, …

Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Effective Clinical Teachers: A Replication, Kathleen L. Miller

Masters Theses

Clinical teaching in nursing has been found to be as problematic as it is in other practice-oriented professions. The purpose of this study is to identify student's and faculty's perceptions of effective characteristics of clinical teachers. An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to students and faculty at a university college of nursing in western Michigan to solicit their perceptions. The study data reveal both similarities and differences in their perceptions and raises awareness of how clinical teachers need to be atune with nursing student's learning needs and learning styles. Comparison of this study with the previous studies show a common direction …

Relationships Of Osteoporosis Health Beliefs To Practiced Exercise Behaviors Of Women, Sandra J. Esch

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of health beliefs contained in the Health Belief Model to practiced exercise behavior of women. A descriptive correlation design was used with a convenience sample of 201 women. The revised version of the Osteoporosis Health Belief Exercise Scale developed by Kim, Horan, Gendler and Patel (1991b) was used to measure health beliefs related to osteoporosis. The ARIC/Baecke questionnaire of Habitual Physical Activity was used to measure life style physical activity. Health motivation and exercise benefits were found to be positively correlated to exercise behavior. However, susceptibility and exercise barriers were …