Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Aquatic Exercise On Self-Concept In The Elderly, Ok Chon Allison

MSN Research Projects

This quasi-experimental research study examined the effects of the aquatic exercise on self-concept in the elderly. The researcher hypothesized that there would be no significant difference in self-concept between elders who participated in an aquatic exercise program and elders who did not participate. A researcher-designed demographic data form and the Tennessee Self Concept Scale were used to collect pertinent data. A total of 22 subjects from two cities 30 miles apart participated in the study. Ten white female subjects were in the experimental group and 9 white and 3 black females were in the control group. The total positive self-concept …

Effects Of A Structured Pretransfer Teaching Protocol On The Reduction Of Transfer Stress In Clients With Myocardial Infarction, Maureen R. Brennan Westphal

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

[Abstract Not Included]

The Effects Of Validation Fantasy On The Attitudes Of Nursing Students Toward The Elderly And The Willingness Of The Students To Work With The Elderly, Betty Thornton

MSN Research Projects

This was a descriptive study designed to determine the effect of Validation Fantasy (VF) on the attitudes of nursing students toward the elderly and their willingness to work with elderly clients. The null hypothesis stated that when second semester Associate Degree freshmen nursing students who had been taught by VF were administered the adaptation of Marion Gillis' Older Persons Questionnaire (OPQ) and the Personal Preferences Questionnaire (PPQ) and the results were compared using the ANOVA and the Newman- Keuls to the results from students taught by Reality Orien­ tation (RO) or a nonspecific approach, there would be no difference at …

A Correlation Of The Client's Sense Of Power In Health Care And His Compliance To The Therapeutic Regime, Susan S. King

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this research study was to correlate a client's sense of powerlessness with his compliance to a health care regime. From a population of patients of a family physician in a rural county in Northeast Mississippi, a sample of 30 individuals were given the Health Locus of Control tool and the Compliance tool. Of these 30, 23 met the qualifications and were included in the study. The hypothesis for this study was that there would be no significant correlation between clients' sense of power­ lessness and their compliance to the health care regime. The statistical analysis of the …

A Survey Of Menstrual Symptoms Of Obese Women, Ruthie Smith

MSN Research Projects

A descriptive study was conducted to survey females who are obese and determine what problems they encounter with menses. The researcher hypothesized that when obese women are surveyed about menstrual problems and the degree of obesity is correlated to the presence of menstrual problems, there would be no significant correlation. In order to facilitate testing of this hypothesis, two operational hypotheses were drafted. The first operational hypothesis was that when the total number of menstrual problems was correlated with the degree of obesity there would be no significant correlation. The second operational hypothesis was that when menstrual problems were individually …

A Descriptive Study Comparing The Results Of Hearing, Vision, And Developmental Screening Of Children At Preschool And School-Age Levels, Linda Sullivan

MSN Research Projects

This study was descriptive in nature, designed to compare the results of vision, hearing, and developmental screening of the same group of children at 2, 3, or 4 years of age and subsequently at 5, 6, or 7 years of age. The researcher hypothesized that there would be no significant difference in the result of screening at the two intervals. The audiometer was used to test hearing, the tele­ binoculars with the Peek-A-Boo series tested vision and the Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST) tested develop­ mental levels. Nineteen subjects were located and rescreened, and the results compared to the first …

The Relationship Between Functional Impairment And Self-Concept In The Elderly Witih Chronic Illness, Larry Loden

MSN Research Projects

This was a descriptive study designed to determine the relationship of functional impairment and self-concept of elderly clients with chronic illness. The null hypothesis stated that when the clients' scores on the Functional Assessment Form and Tennessee Self-Concept Scale were compared, there would be no significant correlation at the .05 significance level. Data were collected from 15 subjects who were 65 years of age or over, had a chronic illness, and were receiving the services of a home health agency. All subjects were administered the Functional Assessment Form and the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale. These scores were then compared utilizing the …

The Nutritional Adequacy Of The Food Intake Of Elderly Clients Eating At Nutritional Sites, Lynn Chilton

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess the nutritional adequacy of diets consumed by elderly individuals who ate at least one of their meals at two selected nutritional sites located in a rural county in Northeast Mississippi. The sample was comprised of 31 clients, aged 60 or older, who were present at the nutritional sites on the days of data collection and were willing to participate in the study. The researcher hypothesized that : 1. Elderly individuals eating at selected nutritional sites would meet 100% of the recommended caloric intake, and at least two thirds of the Recommended …

Relationship Of Admission Variables To Success For Licensed Practical Nurses In Associate Degree In Nursing Ladder Program, Sally Kathryn Johnson

Dissertations

The problem and challenge for nurse educators in Practical Nursing/Associate Degree Nursing (PN/ADN) ladder programs is to identify admission criteria for Licensed Practical Nurse (PN) applicants entering the advanced standing level. The selected admission criteria should include those which are most likely to indicate success in the program and on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nursing (NCLEX-RN). Identifying such criteria would promote the most efficient use of scarce educational resources and help avoid loss of time, energy and financial resources for potential nursing students.

The records of 79 LPNs who entered a PN/ADN ladder program at the advanced …

A Comparative Analysis Of Head Nurse Role Perceptions In Acute Care Hospitals, Margaret A. Miller

Nursing Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of 43 head nurse participants from private, voluntary and government hospital settings. Utilizing a tool adapted by the researcher, the Head Nurse Role Questionnaire (HNRQ), the study sought to explore five areas of job context: Job Variability, Job Expertise, Job Definition, Job Capacity and Job Incentives. Differences in perceptions were analyzed utilizing descriptive statistics and Analyses of Variance. The three organizational dimensions of this study included: standardization, formalization and organizational culture. Findings revealed significant differences in Job Definition. Descriptive statistical results indicated differences in hospital settings. Qualitative analyses displayed three categories of head nurse attributes …

Use Of Two Data Collection Strategies To Evaluate Stressors And Coping In Spouses Of Patients Sustaining A Myocardial Infarction, Pamalla Manz Stockho

Nursing Theses & Dissertations

This study compared stressors and coping mechanisms identified by spouses of myocardial infarction (MI) patients in a close-ended, self-administered questionnaire (SAS) and an open-ended, nurse-administered questionnaire (NAS). Twenty female participants were divided into two groups and completed the NAS, SAS, and demographic information. The purpose of dividing the group was to explore possible experimenter effect. One group was administered the NAS preceding the SAS. The second group completed the SAS preceding the NAS. Qualitative analysis revealed equivalent stressors and coping mechanisms identified by the NAS and SAS. Stressors related to the MI decreased over time for spouses whose husbands made …

The Image Of The Nurse In A Professional Journal: A Historical Perspective, Dawn Louise Crane

Nursing Theses & Dissertations

Authors of journal articles contribute to the image of the nurse that is projected to journal readers. The purpose of this study was to explore the image of nursing as portrayed in articles published in Nursing Outlook from 1960-1979. A descriptive study, with content analysis, was conducted using articles concerned with professionalism or nursing education published in Nursing Outlook from 1960-1979 (a time identified as negative for societal images of nursing). The educational background of the authors was noted. Findings indicated that the majority of authors projected the image of a nurse as a well-educated, independent professional; images not reflective …

The Effect Of A Change Intervention Within The Framework Of Organization Development On The Frequency Of Use Of Nursing Diagnosis, Sandi Nuberg Gladstone

Masters Theses

Although 64% of the 32 registered nurses who comprised the staff of a pediatric unit had been formally educated in the use of nursing diagnosis, only 27.4% of individualized additions to the nursing care plans were accepted nursing diagnoses. An intervention based on Change Theory as incorporated in an Organization Development framework was initiated to increase the addition of accepted nursing diagnoses to the standard nursing care plans. The effect of the process was followed through the audit of 229 nursing care plans over a thirteen month period using a time series design. Following the intervention, 74.4% of individualized entries …

Association Of Drinking-Related Locus Of Control And Treatment Outcomes In Female Alcoholics, Patricia A. Townsend

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

[Abstract Not Included]

Pregravid Weight, Prenatal Weight Gain And Maternal Age As Risk Factors In Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension Development, Maryellen C. Remich

Nursing Theses & Dissertations

This study examined whether the factors of pregravid weight, total prenatal weight gain at twenty-eight weeks and maternal age correlated with the development of pregnancy-induced hypertension in the third trimester. An ex post facto chart review of low risk primigravidas attending a public health maternity clinic was performed. A multiple regression correlation procedure demonstrated no significant correlation between the variables. Significant results of Chi-sguare tests of independence were demonstrated between low maternal age and pregnancy-induced hypertension development and between the failure of the mean arterial pressure to decrease in the second trimester and the development of pregnancy-induced hypertension in the …

The Effect Of Social Support Upon Compliance As Measured By Functional Health Patterns, Olivia Catolico-Dixon

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Observation of client noncompliance with therapeutic regimens prompted this study. The purpose of this study was to investigate the client's social support system and its effect on compliance. The null hypothesis constructed was:

H₀: There will be no relationship between social support and compliance as measured by functional health patterns in the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Client (COPD) ( cx = 0.05).

A convenience sample of 38 subjects from the outpatient Pulmonary Clinic at a Southern California Veterans' Administration Hospital were interviewed for this study. Using a structured interview format, the investigator administered four questionnaire tools to each …

Recollections And Perceptions Of Childbirth Among School-Aged Children Who Witness The Birth Event, Lou Ellen Hammond

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to describe the recollections and perceptions of 6 to 12 year-old children who witnessed the birth of their sibling, and to gain information which will be used to provide anticipatory guidance to parents considering children's involvement at birth. The concepts of birth as a socio-emotional event, Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development, and Dorothy E. Johnson's Theory of Nursing guided this study.

Interviews and drawings were used to collect data from five children who were 6 to 12 years old. The data were analyzed and organized into categories; this gave insight into the child's recollections …

Use Of The Relaxation Response In Cardiac Rehabilitation Of Post-Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients, Ruth Higgins Schleyer

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Measurement And Description Of Chronic Pain In Rheumatoid Arthritis, Linda E. Muzio

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Patient Perception Of Severity Versus Actual Clinical Severity In Acute Myocardial Infarction (Coronary Care, Cardiac Rehabilitation), Denise Kay Busman

Masters Theses

Myocardial infarction affects many people each year. Patients begin to form ideas regarding their myocardial infarction and perceive elements of their environment shortly after admission to the Coronary Care Unit (Runions, 1985). One of the ideas formed concerns the severity level of their myocardial infarction. The pupose of this study was to identify factors contributing to patients' perceptions of the severity level of their myocardial infarction and in turn compare these perceptions with predicted clinical severity. Numerous studies have explored patients' psychosocial reactions and adaptation to coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction. However, few studies identify patients' perceptions of events …

The Incidence Of Auscultatory Gaps In Hospitalized Adults, Elizabeth Tayloe Courts

Theses and Dissertations

The study was undertaken to determine the incidence of auscultatory gaps in hospitalized adults and to determine whether a relationship existed between the presence of a gap and the patient's age, sex, race, or medical diagnosis. Blood pressures were taken bilaterally on 120 randomly selected hospitalized adults using the technique recommended by the American Heart Association. None of the subjects in the sample had an auscultatory gap present.

Music: A Nursing Intervention For Increased Intracranial Pressure, Carol Roberts

Masters Theses

Individuals with increased intracranial pressure (ICP) from all causes are subject to periods of marked increased intracranial pressures. Research since the 1960's has focused primarily on pathophysiologic causes and on variations between pathologies. Since 1978, nursing research has identified increases in ICP with patient-related activities such as suctioning, vagal stimulations, positioning, turning, noises, and emotive conversations. The use of therapeutic touch has been identified as a nursing intervention that correlates with a lowering of ICP. Since auditory pathways have been shown to be intact even in severely brain-injured individuals, the use of music (the universal language) may be effective in …

Care During Death, Grief And Loss: The Effects Of A Workshop And Clinical Experience On Student Nurses' Attitudes And Actions, Lynda Armstrong Wilson

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Problem. Nurses, members of a society which tends to avoid and deny death, grief, and loss, are frequently in situations where they must interact with persons experiencing grief from death or loss. Often educational experiences have done little to prepare student nurses to cope in positive and supportive ways. Student nurses need to develop self-awareness of their attitudes and anxieties toward death, loss, and grief; modify negative attitudes; and develop a repertoire of interpersonal skills to support persons experiencing grief. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine if academic, and experiential learning could influence the clinical performance of …

Health Perception, Anginal Symptoms And Life Satisfaction After Coronary Artery Bypass And Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty, Diana Creger Porter

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to gather data about the perceived health, anginal symptoms and life satisfaction in CABG and PTCA patients. The study explored the interrelationships among the variables and the differences between the two groups. The problem statement was:

1. How do patients perceive their own past, present and future health, level of anginal symptoms and life satisfaction after CABG and PTCA?

2. What are the interrelationships among perceived health, anginal symptoms and life satisfaction in CABG and PTCA patients.

The conceptual framework for this study was based on the social theory of symbolic interactionism …

The Differences In Learning Styles Between Generic And Adult Nursing Students, Dianne L. Clemens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study were:
1. To identify the learning style of generic nursing students enrolled in a midwestern Associate Degree Nursing Program,
2. To identify the learning style of adult nursing students enrolled in a midwestern Associate Degree Nursing Program,
3. To identify differences in learning styles between generic and adult nursing students enrolled in a midwestern Associate Degree Nursing Program,
4. To identify variables associated with learning style in generic and adult nursing students enrolled in a midwestern Associate Degree Nursing Program.

The Application Of A Falls Risk Index, Marcelline R. Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the prospective use of a falls risk index. The research question was: To what extent do the intrinsic factors identified in the Tinetti et al. falls risk index predict which patients are likely to experience a fall. Hogue's ecological model of falls in late life provided a conceptual framework for the study.
Direct observation was used to collect baseline data from a convenience/purposive sample of 26 male patients in a midwest nursing home care unit with a rehabilitation focus. Patients were then assigned to one of three risk groups: yes-fall, 30% chance of fall, no-fall. Reports of …

Hopelessness In The Institutionalized Elderly, Joanne Hansen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The losses and stresses of the elderly make them susceptible to powerlessness which ultimately may lead to hopelessness and death. The use of client initiated interventions designed to increase the individual's control of the environment may interrupt the powerlessness, hopelessness and death cycle. The research question for this study addressed the influence of client-initiated interventions on the hopelessness score among the institutionalized elderly.
The specific research questions were:
I. To what extent do the use of client-initiated interventions affect the level of hopelessness in the institutionalized client on a short- and long-term basis?
2. Which of the client-initiated interventions have …

Support Group Effects On Perceived Ease Of Transition Of The Lpn To Ad Student, Illa H. Reeve

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study were: 1. To determine the expectations of the members entering a support group developed for the purpose of easing the transition from LPN to AD student.
2. To determine the extent those expectations are met by participation in the support group.
3. To determine the extent of perceived stressors change after participation in the support group as related to:
a. type of identified stressor
b. degree to which an identified stressor is a source of stress.

The Effect Of Nutritional Education Programs On Serum Cholesterol Values, Josephine A. Kahler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The three objectives of this study were: 1. To test a simplified nutritional education program and it's effectiveness on lowering serum cholesterol values.
2. To compare the effectiveness of two (partial vs. intense) nutritional education programs on the post serum cholesterol values.
3. To determine which demographic data influences a change in serum cholesterol values in response to a simplified nutritional program.

The Effect Of Nocturnal Noise Levels In Upper Midwestern Longterm Care Facilities On Sleep Interference In Selected Residents' Well-Being, Jane C. Walgenbach

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study were:
1. To determine noise levels in selected upper Midwestern longterm care facilities at night during August and September.
2. To determine to what extent noise levels interfered with residents' nocturnal sleep.
3. To determine to what extent sleep interference affected residents' well-being.
4. To determine to what extent noise levels interfered with residents' well-being.