Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Inflammatory And Immune System Correlates Of Rape, M.W. Groer, Sandra Thomas, G.W. Evans, S. Helton

Sandra Thomas

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of measuring stress hormones and immunity following rape. The long-term goal is to evaluate the predictive value of stress-immune-inflammatory responses to later health outcomes. Fifteen women reporting rape were compared with 16 control participants. Serum stress hormones, proinflammatory cytokines, acute phase proteins, functional assays, and lymphocyte subsets were measured in blood samples. Women reporting rape had higher cytotoxic cells, lower B lymphocyte counts, higher proinflammatory biomarkers, and decreased lymphocyte proliferation compared to the control group. This finding suggests that rape produces activation of the innate immunity and suppression of some …

Talking It Over With The Gals: An Analysis Of Editorials By Phyllis Stern, Sandra Thomas

Sandra Thomas

Editorials written by a journal editor proved a glimpse of that individual's philosophy and opinions about topical events. The purpose of the present project was to analyze the editorials of Phyllis Noerager Stern during the years that she served as editor-in-chief of Health Care for Women International (1983-2001). Using ethnographic content analysis, 65 editorials were examined to ascertain: (1) what event triggered the editorial; (2) what aim or objective could be identified; and (3) what rhetorical devices the editor employed. Personal narratives and editorials about the abuse/exploitation of women made up the largest categories. Stern's grounded theory orientation, fascination with …

Nurses' Narratives Of Unforgettable Patient Care Events, M.E. Gunther, Sandra Thomas

Sandra Thomas

Purpose: To explore the experience of registered nurses (RNs) caring for patients in contemporary hospitals.

Design: The descriptive phenomenological study was based in the philosophical perspectives of Husserl and Merleau-Ponty.

Methods: A purposive sample of 46 RNs employed in acute care hospitals in the southeastern United States (US) were recruited by network sampling. Data from unstructured interviews were analyzed in an interpretive group and themes were identified.

Findings: Four themes were identified: (a) extraordinary caregiving events, (b) incomprehensibility, (c) questioning whether anything else could have been done, and (d) “alone or together,” indicating the isolation nurses often experience while giving …