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Articles 4711 - 4740 of 4977

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Covert Violence In Nursing, Susette Bakker Jan 2003

Covert Violence In Nursing, Susette Bakker

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

There is no official avenue in nursing for the reporting of incidences of covert violence to staff and so they remain unrecorded and often stressful. This study sought to collect data from currently employed nurses concerning covert violence in their workplace, and to collate the information to obtain a valid assessment of this hidden problem. A qualitative methodology was used to report on the experiences of nurses in relation to covert violence directed at them by their peers, other health professionals, patients and patients' families. The participants were all registered nurses employed by a suburban health service. Each was given …

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In Pursuit Of Best Practice : Benchmarking Tools And Processes For The Management Of Hazardous Substances In The Workplace, Barry Chesson Jan 2003

In Pursuit Of Best Practice : Benchmarking Tools And Processes For The Management Of Hazardous Substances In The Workplace, Barry Chesson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Many organisations now strive to achieve excellence in various aspects of occupational health and safety. Benchmarking of the techniques and approaches of other organisations is becoming a popular way of bridging gaps and seeking to achieve high levels of performance. There exist many sources of guidance in the form of external and internal standards, regulations, codes of practice, publications by professional institutions and similar. However, there are clear shortfalls in terms of tools and processes needed to identify areas of opportunity and to overcome barriers to the efficient transfer of ideas and techniques from one enterprise to another. This is …

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Occupational Hazards And Radiation Safety In Veterinary Practice Including Zoo Veterinary Practice In Australia, Joseph S. Jeyaretnam Jan 2003

Occupational Hazards And Radiation Safety In Veterinary Practice Including Zoo Veterinary Practice In Australia, Joseph S. Jeyaretnam

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis contains reviews and research on the occupational hazards of zoo veterinary practitioners in Australia. Although occupational hazards have long been recognised in the veterinary profession, little information is available on the number and magnitude of injuries to veterinarians in Australia, the United Kingdom or the United States. Apart from anecdotal accounts and some limited data, most of the available information is on occupational zoonoses, generally well recognized by veterinarians. Other occupational hazards to which veterinarians are exposed have received scant attention. The veterinary practitioner in a zoo environment has to treat a range of captive wild species which …

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Big Boys Don't Cry : Understanding Barriers To Seeking Support For Mental Health Problems Among Adolescent Males, Amanda Miraudo Jan 2003

Big Boys Don't Cry : Understanding Barriers To Seeking Support For Mental Health Problems Among Adolescent Males, Amanda Miraudo

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study explored the possible barriers encountered by adolescents in developing and achieving positive mental health. Male adolescents in Perth, Western Australia were consulted in an attempt to provide insight into the motivating and inhibiting factors influencing help-seeking as a coping strategy. Barriers to seeking help for mental health problems were investigated through the inductive process of grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) to obtain a more detailed understanding of help-seeking than previous studies have provided; The study found that the coping responses most frequently enacted by the adolescent males sampled included avoidance, diversion, and private resolution. Help-seeking was far …

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A Phenomenological Study Of Partners Of People With Parkinson's Disease Who Demonstrate Communication Changes, Elsie Janet Doherty Jan 2003

A Phenomenological Study Of Partners Of People With Parkinson's Disease Who Demonstrate Communication Changes, Elsie Janet Doherty

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Parkinson's disease is a common progressive neurological illness for which there is no known cure. While the cardinal signs are tremor, bradykinesia or slowness of movement, muscle rigidity and postural instability (Jahanshahi & Marsden, 1998, p.3) the patient may face an extended number of years experiencing all, or any combination of, the many other manifestations of the disease process. These manifestations include changes to various aspects of communication including loss of voice volume, diminished body language and loss of facial expression. All of these affect both verbal and non verbal communication. Given the progressive nature of Parkinson's disease the patient …

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Is It 'Too Bloody Late'? : Older People's Attitudes To Physical Activity And To The Recommendations In The National Physical Activity Guidelines, Joan Jackson Jan 2003

Is It 'Too Bloody Late'? : Older People's Attitudes To Physical Activity And To The Recommendations In The National Physical Activity Guidelines, Joan Jackson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Participation in physical activity confers many health benefits by reducing the risk factor for a number of lifestyle related diseases such as diabetes, colon cancer, and heart disease. Other benefits include improved mental and physical well-being. For older people the benefits are even more important; engagement in physical activity extends to such health benefits as reduction in the risk of falls and related potential injuries. However the most significant benefit to older people is that physical activity enables older people to live independently for longer and with a greater sense of well-being. This study explores, through qualitative research, older people's …

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Aims, Separation And Attitudinal Factors In Mediation: An Exploratory Investigation, Darryl Frank Menaglio Jan 2003

Aims, Separation And Attitudinal Factors In Mediation: An Exploratory Investigation, Darryl Frank Menaglio

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The general aim of this research was to explore issues regarding mediation in family law about which there appears to be uncertainty. Study I investigated: (a) what stakeholders (practitioners and separated spouses) believe the aims of mediation should be; (b) what they believe are the effects of the separation factors, that is, perceived mutuality (whether the decision to separate was made by one or both spouses), perceived status (whether spouses view themselves as Ieavers, lefts or neither), and the attribution and strength of blaming someone for the decision to separate on attitudes towards engaging in mediation; and (c) stakeholders' views …

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A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Patient's Experience Of The External Application Of Ginger, Tessa C. Therkleson Jan 2003

A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Patient's Experience Of The External Application Of Ginger, Tessa C. Therkleson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This Research Study explores the quality of the experience for the patient of the external application of ginger using a Husserllan phenomenological methodology, In this Study the phenomenon Is the patient's experience of the external application of ginger. A group of Anthroposophical Nurses in the Hawkes Bay of New Zealand personally selected seven appropriate consenting adults to receive one external application of ginger. Following their experience, the patients were asked a series of open-ended questions by the researcher, These Interviews were audio taped. The interview data have been transcribed and reduced to themes that have been explored and reflected on …

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The Effect Of Eccentric Exercise Velocity On Selected Measures Of Muscle Function And Soreness Of The Human Elbow Flexors In Untrained Males And Females, Dale W. Chapman Jan 2003

The Effect Of Eccentric Exercise Velocity On Selected Measures Of Muscle Function And Soreness Of The Human Elbow Flexors In Untrained Males And Females, Dale W. Chapman

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Eccentric contractions, where a muscle is repeatedly lengthened while generating torque, result in decreased muscle function and muscle soreness. This study was designed to determine whether there was a difference in muscle response of the elbow flexors from untrained subjects (n = 12) between a bout of high intensity eccentric exercise at 30°•s-1 (LVE) compared to the equivalent at 210°•s-1 (HVE). Subjects performed 120 seconds of eccentric exercise of the elbow flexors using a Cybex 6000 Isokinetic Dynamometer. At 30°-s-1, a total of 30 repetitions were required whilst at 210°•s-1, 210 contractions were performed (at a 1:7 work/rest ratio). Both …

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Clarifying The Lower Incidence Of Birth Defects In The Midwest Of Western Australia : A Study Using Capture Re-Capture Methodology, Donna Baker Jan 2003

Clarifying The Lower Incidence Of Birth Defects In The Midwest Of Western Australia : A Study Using Capture Re-Capture Methodology, Donna Baker

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In April 2000 the Western Australian Birth Defects Registry held its 20th Anniversary Scientific Symposium to signify the first 20 years of the Birth Defects Registry in Western Australia. At the Symposium, significant trends and occurrences in birth defects within Western Australia over the past 20 years were addressed. One factor highlighted in the Registry's 1980-1999 report was that birth defects were reported less frequently in rural regions compared with metropolitan areas. Data collected from the metropolitan area is considered by the Birth Defects Registry to be the most accurate. Therefore, incidence rates of birth defects in this area arc …

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The Evolution And Experience Of Stomal Therapy Nurses In Australia 1959-2000, Keryln Carville Jan 2003

The Evolution And Experience Of Stomal Therapy Nurses In Australia 1959-2000, Keryln Carville

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In Australia, stomal therapy nurses are registered nurses who have undertaken an educational programme in the care, counselling and rehabilitation of persons-who have, or who could potentially have, a wound, an ostomy (that is an artificial opening into a body cavity) or incontinence of bodily waste. The genesis of stomal therapy nurses in Australia as a specialty group within the broader nursing profession was in 1971, when 11 founding members established an association for registered nurses with an interest in the care of patients with stomas. However, the serendipitous event that pre-empted the formation of this special interest group, can …

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The Effects Of Dietary Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation And Resistance Training In Older Men, Andrew Lavender Jan 2003

The Effects Of Dietary Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation And Resistance Training In Older Men, Andrew Lavender

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In order to ascertain the effects of creatine monohydrate (CrH2O) supplementation on muscle mass and strength in older males, seventeen volunteers aged between sixty and eighty years were allocated to a creatine or a placebo group. Both groups took part in a training programme of the knee flexors and extensors of one leg only, consisting of knee flexion in a standing position and knee extension in a seated position. An adjustable, weighted cuff was used to provide resistance and subjects increased their weight reps and sets at their own discretion. The creatine group supplemented their training with CrH20 starting with …

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Fall Risk Assessment : A Prospective Investigation Of Nurses' Clinical Judgement And Risk Assessment Tools In Predicting Patient Falls In An Acute Care Setting, Helen Myers Jan 2003

Fall Risk Assessment : A Prospective Investigation Of Nurses' Clinical Judgement And Risk Assessment Tools In Predicting Patient Falls In An Acute Care Setting, Helen Myers

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Falls are a significant problem in acute care, hospital settings, and can have serious consequences, especially for older patients. Fall prevention has therefore been recognised as an important area for research and intervention. In order to target interventions and use resources effectively, a major strategy of many fall prevention programmes has been the development and/or use of risk assessment tools to identify patients who are at high risk of falling. Although many tools have been developed, few have been rigorously tested, and there is currently no evidence to support the clinical utility of fall risk assessment tools. There is a …

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Good Life In The Balance: A Cross-National Study Of Dutch And Australian Disability Perspectives On Euthanasia And Physician-Assisted Suicide, Erik A. Leipoldt Jan 2003

Good Life In The Balance: A Cross-National Study Of Dutch And Australian Disability Perspectives On Euthanasia And Physician-Assisted Suicide, Erik A. Leipoldt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This is a cross-national qualitative study with the purpose of obtaining perspectives held by people with quadriplegia and leading figures in disability movements in the Netherlands and Australia on the issues of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (EPAS). A disability voice is not prominent in public debate on EPAS in Australia or the Netherlands, even though people with disabilities are often thought to be vulnerable in relation to EPAS policies. Disability perspectives are potentially valuable in illuminating issues in relation to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, because issues of dependence, independence, and individual autonomy play important roles in relation to both EPAS …

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An Ethnographic Investigation Of The Relevance Of Shop Floor Culture To Effective Safety Communication In An Australian Minerals Refinery, David R. Leith Jan 2003

An Ethnographic Investigation Of The Relevance Of Shop Floor Culture To Effective Safety Communication In An Australian Minerals Refinery, David R. Leith

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Many organisations which aim to achieve excellent workplace safety choose 'culture change' as the means to achieve this. They make use of employee communication media to help re-form the values, beliefs, norms and behaviours which are generally thought to comprise culture. However, culture is a complex and profound phenomenon. Successful communication between two culturally separate groups requires each to achieve an understanding of the other, no less so in workplaces than in societies composed of different cultures.Yet even employers who believe in communicating fully with their workforces find it difficult to convey viewpoints other than their own. Their communication tends …

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Examination Of The Magnitude And Timing Of Hip Flexion Torque In High Degree Of Difficulty Forward Somersault Dives On The 3m Springboard, Brendon Ferrier Jan 2003

Examination Of The Magnitude And Timing Of Hip Flexion Torque In High Degree Of Difficulty Forward Somersault Dives On The 3m Springboard, Brendon Ferrier

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

While there has been much research published on the kinematics and kinetics of forward dives from a springboard, very little has been done on the effect the timing and magnitude of hip flexion torques has on forward dives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the timing and magnitude of hip flexion torques prior to the take-off and the vertical velocity at take-off in high demand rotational forward dives. Twenty-six elite divers (14 males and 12 females) competing in the United Kingdom leg of the 2001 FINA Diving Grand Prix performed high demand rotational dives. The …

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Storying The Body : Women's Narratives Through The Lens Of Breast Cancer, Janet A. Griffin Jan 2003

Storying The Body : Women's Narratives Through The Lens Of Breast Cancer, Janet A. Griffin

Theses : Honours

What can women's narratives contribute to our understanding of breast cancer and to feminist theories of the body? This thesis explores the meanings women construct to make sense of embodied experiences of breast cancer, and the profound experience of breast loss. Rich contextual data was elicited from in depth, guided conversations with five premenopausal women who have undergone mastectomy. Adopting feminist methodology, biographic-narrative was used to place the body at the heart of inquiry. This thesis explores the personal and theoretical meanings of mastectomy, embedded in the larger story of how these five women experience their breasts, throughout their lives. …

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Feelings & The Therapeutic Encounter/Alliance, Emma Condon Jan 2003

Feelings & The Therapeutic Encounter/Alliance, Emma Condon

'INSCAPE' - ARTCAP November 13-16, 2003

No abstract provided.

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Art Irritates Life-- And Vice Versa : An Exploration Of The Nature Of Dance And Its Effect On The Psychological Well-Being Of Ballet And Contemporary Dancers, Veronica Shum Jan 2003

Art Irritates Life-- And Vice Versa : An Exploration Of The Nature Of Dance And Its Effect On The Psychological Well-Being Of Ballet And Contemporary Dancers, Veronica Shum

Theses : Honours

Research into the psychology of theatrical dancers has indicated that as a group, dancers may be a high-risk population for psychological disorders. The majority of this research however, has only sampled ballet dancers. In consideration of the fact that contemporary dance is philosophically and aesthetically different from ballet, it is proposed that the experience of contemporary dancers may be different from that of ballet dancers and thus their psychological experience and potential problems may also be different. It is suggested, therefore, that results from studies on ballet dancers may not generalize to contemporary dancers. In support of this proposition, the …

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The Psychological Impact Of Companion Animals For Older Adults Who Reside Alone, Tess Reed Jan 2003

The Psychological Impact Of Companion Animals For Older Adults Who Reside Alone, Tess Reed

Theses : Honours

Companion animals have been identified as improving the physical and emotional health of some older adults (Collis & McNicholas, 1998). This qualitative study explored the psychological impact of owning a cat or a dog for persons aged 65 or older who resided alone. Nine participants, two male and seven female, were recruited through local media advertisements in the Guildford area to participate in a semi-structured interview about their relationship with their pet. Following transcription the semi-structured interviews were analysed using thematic analysis (Aronson, 1994). Four major themes emerged with participants reporting their pets provided satisfaction that impacted on several areas …

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Hepatitis C, Quality Of Life And Cognitive Function : An Exploratory Study, John Caithness Jan 2003

Hepatitis C, Quality Of Life And Cognitive Function : An Exploratory Study, John Caithness

Theses : Honours

Active chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is a viral infection that affects approximately 150,000 Austra1ians. It has various quality of life impacts and the literature suggests some cognitive ramifications. In this Western Australian exploratory study, 13 healthy students from Edith Cowan University made up a control group. One experimental group consisted of 11 people with CHC and mild liver damage, and a second experimental group consisted of 8 people with CHC and at least moderate liver damage. The participants were assessed with a health-related quality of life questionnaire, the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36); a test of cognitive functioning, the …

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The Lived Experience Of Men With A Postnatally Depressed Partner, Colela M. Browning Jan 2003

The Lived Experience Of Men With A Postnatally Depressed Partner, Colela M. Browning

Theses : Honours

The aim of this study was to examine the experiences and perceptions of men living with a partner who has postnatal depression (PND). Family systems theory was used to provide a framework within which to evaluate men's relationships with immediate and extended family members. A semi-structured interview was used to understand the experiences and perceptions of seven men with partners who had PND. Schweitzer's (1997) phenomenological approach was used to explicate meaning and extract themes from the interview transcripts. Six major themes were identified from the data. These included changes in the division of labour, issues of self, altered family …

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Legitimising The Subjectivity Of Human Reality Through Qualitative Research Method, Adrian K. Morgan, Vicki B. Drury Jan 2003

Legitimising The Subjectivity Of Human Reality Through Qualitative Research Method, Adrian K. Morgan, Vicki B. Drury

Research outputs pre 2011

The controversy that has surrounded the value of quantitative research methods as opposed to qualitative approaches as a means to increasing the knowledge and understanding of human behaviour in health and illness, has been contested by nurse scholars for several decades. This paper continues debate around this issue and provides a critique of the problems associated with these competing paradigms. It challenges the convention that all nursing research must be objective and value free in order to be scientific, and provides an overview of the processes that should be considered by researchers utilizing qualitative methods of inquiry.

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Emergency Vehicle Siren Noise: A Potential For Hearing Loss, Douglas A. Riach Jan 2003

Emergency Vehicle Siren Noise: A Potential For Hearing Loss, Douglas A. Riach

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this thesis was to critically investigate the noise produced by the sirens fitted to South Australian Police general patrol vehicles and calculate if this noise was of an intensity to cause noise induced hearing loss. Previous studies in Western Australia and in South Australia examined noise emissions from emergency vehicle sirens for the purpose of selecting the most suitable siren for emergency vehicles, this being the siren emitting the greatest intensity of sound. This study has researched emergency vehicle sirens from the perspective of employee exposure to siren noise. Noise levels were recorded from inside the police …

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A Deconstruction And Reconstruction Of Advanced Nurse Specialisation And Education, Miriam E. Langridge Jan 2002

A Deconstruction And Reconstruction Of Advanced Nurse Specialisation And Education, Miriam E. Langridge

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to present issues and the paradoxes surrounding advanced nurse specialisation (ANS) and education, This study was conducted in two parts. Part A examined the prospective experiences of 13 registered nurses (RNs) who were advancing in an area of special is III ion: they were working in a specialist area of practice and studying in II course specific 10 their specialisation. Two rounds of interviews were completed over six-month intervals. Part B examined the data gathered from a focus group interview and follow-up feedback from 10 nurse executives as stakeholders. The intersubjective data from this …

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Fatigue, Ambulance Perspectives In A Comparative Study Between Air And Road Transports, Wayne J. Mckenna Jan 2002

Fatigue, Ambulance Perspectives In A Comparative Study Between Air And Road Transports, Wayne J. Mckenna

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The study of fatigue in the health and transport sectors has predominantly been focused on night shift or day shift operations. This study has been applied to the hours of operation of Ambulance Officers who perform both night and day shifts, while also being required for on-call. The Officer on-call is on stand-by between shifts, to be available to respond for duties from the completion of one shift until the commencement of the next, usually a ten-hour shift. Studies of a similar focus have not been identified so a comparison of these specific findings has not been possible. However trends …

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Mutation Detection For Genotype/Phenotype Correlation Studies In Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease, Marie Mccluskey Jan 2002

Mutation Detection For Genotype/Phenotype Correlation Studies In Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease, Marie Mccluskey

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is one of the most common genetic disorders (Gabow, 1993), with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 400 to 1 in 1000 (Dalgaard, 1957; Gabow, 1993). The disease is the fourth leading cause of renal failure with more than 10 million people affected worldwide (Grantham, 1997). Mutations in at least two genes (PKD1, PKD2) can lead to the disease (European PDK Consortium, 1994; Mochizuki, et al, 1996). This project deals with autosomal dominant PKD, caused by mutations in the PKD1 gene, which account for 85% of reported cases.

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Risk Factors For Coronary Heart Disease And Mediation By Socio-Economic Status : An Analysis Of The 1995 National Health Survey, Natalie J. Sherriffs Jan 2002

Risk Factors For Coronary Heart Disease And Mediation By Socio-Economic Status : An Analysis Of The 1995 National Health Survey, Natalie J. Sherriffs

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

As the leading cause of death and disease in Australia, Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) places a significant burden on society. There are many lifestyle factors that are known to increase the risk of CHD. This study looks at both risk factors and protective factors of CHD. Research also shows CHD prevalence to be predicted by socio-economic status (SES) variables. This study aims to identify the extent to which risk and protective factors predict CHD prevalence in an Australian National survey and whether the association between risk factors and CHD is confounded by SES variables. This study used data from the …

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Bottle-Feeding Mothers' Experiences Of Coping In A Pro-Breastfeeding Context : The Case For A Caring-Options-Responsive Model Of Midwifery Services, Elizabeth P. Duffy Jan 2002

Bottle-Feeding Mothers' Experiences Of Coping In A Pro-Breastfeeding Context : The Case For A Caring-Options-Responsive Model Of Midwifery Services, Elizabeth P. Duffy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The original contribution of this qualitative study is that it sketches the front-line of the contested domain of infant feeding choices by exploring the under-researched experiences and perceptions of mothers who actively choose to bottle-feed their babies. Twelve bottle-feeding mothers in Western Australia participated in open-ended, in-depth interviews. The interview findings were further explored using participant observations of relevant hospital practices and critical, hermeneutic re-readings of midwifery's professional and policy documents. The thesis argues that bottle-feeding is marginalised by the midwifery profession that currently defines its practices in accordance with policies such as the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. Bottle-feeding mothers …

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Genetic And Non-Genetic Factors Involved In Modifying The Clinical Severity Of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease, Tina Schiavello Jan 2002

Genetic And Non-Genetic Factors Involved In Modifying The Clinical Severity Of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease, Tina Schiavello

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is one of the most common Mendelian disorders, affecting approximately 1 in 1000 individuals. The disease is recognised as a systemic disorder, which expresses a complex phenotype between and within families. Mutations in at least two genes (PKDI and PKDZ) result in ADPKD, however, additional genetic and non-genetic factors are expected to contribute to the observed phenotypic variance.

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