Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Nurse Burnout And The Effects Of Coping And Stress Management, Meghan Baranda

Senior Research Projects

Aim: To investigate the relationship among nurses and decrease in nurse burnout followed by primary research to compare the relationship of certain coping mechanisms and burnout levels. Setting and Subjects: Southern Adventist University and BS, MSN, DNP students. Results: Showed that practicing stress management and coping mechanisms contributed to a decrease in burnout levels, especially coworker support, family support, positive attitude/optimism, exercise/physical activity, and spirituality/religion. Conclusions: Primary research supported the findings from the initial research study, which gives further evidence that coping and stress management is important and effective in minimizing burnout levels.

A New Methodology For The Synthesis Of 2-Alkyl-5,6-Bis(Alkylthio)Benzo[D]Thiazole-4,7-Dione, Jeena Foronda

Senior Research Projects

Cancer is a rapidly growing fatal disease and with the various thiazole compounds being scientifically generated, possible treatment options can be implemented. Proper synthesis of 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone allows for a variety of compounds to be made with further treatment of alkylthio reagents. Both thioacetamide and thiobenzamide are used to react with 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone in order to build a library of thiazoles. Final compounds can be tested for the ability to inhibit recombinant enzyme activity and the capability to kill tumor cells. A basic oxidation procedure along with nucleophilic attack was used to create target products.

Three Dimensional Nutrition: Exploring Nourishment Of Spirit, Mind, And Body During A 28-Day Daniel Fast At Southern Adventist University, Caitlin S. Hobbs

Senior Research Projects

A person who is living well can be said to be “making lifestyle choices with God’s help to support optimum physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and experiencing His gift of abundant life” (Tryon, 2009). All of these “dimensions” of health are interrelated, and in order for a person to truly flourish, each area must be nourished. Dietary choices can have an especially interesting impact on these dimensions. Eating healthfully is not always viewed as a joyous endeavor, but when viewed from a multi-dimensional perspective, it can become a more rewarding and intriguing pursuit.

One way to promote a nutritional …

The Effects Of Selected Drugs On The Memory Recall Of Sleep Deprived Mice, Jenn Pauldurai

Senior Research Projects

Humans often make use of the neurotransmission altering effects of drugs such as caffeine, ephedrine, and ethanol. These drugs induce changes in memory and learning ability, specifically when used for sleep deprivation. English white mice (Mus musculus) have been shown to exhibit similar cognitive changes when administered drugs while sleep deprived. A sample of 20 mice was divided into three experimental groups (each group receiving a different drug) and one control group. Maze-testing demonstrated that mice performance decreased with sleep deprivation (Treatment-1) but all groups returned to baseline performance when injected (IP) with selected drugs (Treatment-2), regardless of …

Cholesterol Levels And Cardiovascular Health Indicator Changes In A Holistic Health Treatment Program: An Archival Study, Carolyn Taylor

Senior Research Projects

Approximately 16.3% of the adult population in the United States maintains elevated levels of total cholesterol, and the components of the cholesterol profile—HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels, among others—are particular determinants of cardiovascular disease risk. High levels of LDL in particular are associated with coronary atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Conversely, high levels of HDL remove cholesterol from the blood and aid in metabolism. The HDL/LDL ratio is considered a marker of carotid plaque and is specifically used as an indicator for cardiovascular disease risk. Traditional cholesterol control treatment utilizes statin therapy and antihypertensive medication; however, recent trends toward alternative methods …

Nurses Of 2010: The Dichotomy Between Continuity Of Patient Care And Nursing Fatigue As Related To Shift Length, Christy Kurtz

Senior Research Projects

Nursing shift lengths are widely debated, and the implications on both nurse and patient safety are quite large. This work seeks to present a current review of literature describing the current work schedules of nurses in comparison to the Institute of Medicine’s 2004 recommendations and both the positive and negative effects that these schedules have on nurses and their patients. Eleven studies from the past five years (2004-2009) are included, with particular emphasis on those studies that address the dispute between continuity of care and nursing fatigue. Results show that nurses are regularly working longer than is recommended, and this …

Cultural Differences In Nutrition In French And Chinese Cuisine, Ellen S. Kim

Senior Research Projects

Questions about racial and ethnic health disparities are major issues in health psychology and medicine. A previous study on health behaviors showed that there are cross-cultural differences among college students at Southern Adventist University. The previous study examined health behavior variables such as exercise, water, nutrition, sleep, smoking, alcohol, seatbelt use, medical examination, and dental examination. As a follow-up, this study represents phase two of the previous study. In the current study, the focus was on nutrition. Even though nutrition is an important aspect of health behaviors, there has not been significant amount of cross-cultural research done on nutrition in …

Of Mice And Men: A Comparative Study Assessing Behavioral Indicators Of Sugar Addiction In Mice And College Students, Kahlilia Morris

Senior Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Concentrations Of Hair Minerals Determined By Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry In People With Headaches, Joel R. Mundall

Senior Research Projects

Calculations were made to determine what relationships exist between headaches and hair mineral levels of 1,995 hair tissue mineral analyses by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Of the 1,995 samples (1,089 females, 906 males), 163 (100 females, 63 males) were taken from patients who had been diagnosed with headaches. Above average hair levels of bismuth and the earth metals were found among the both the males and females of the headache group. An age correlation analyses showed highest headache incidence in teens and early forties. A direct correlation was also found between calcium and magnesium levels, which peaked in the late …

Infant Blood Pressure: The Validity Of Calf Measurements, Delia Wessels

Senior Research Projects

Blood pressure monitoring is critical in the assessment and treatment of hospitalized infants. Two methods are commonly used to obtain measurements: Invasive arterial line measurement and noninvasive cuff measurements. The purpose of this study was to validate previous research supporting the use of noninvasive calf cuff measurements and to compare the values of calf and upper arm blood pressure measurements in hospitalized infants. A descriptive correlational design was used to investigate the convenience sample of 26 infants in a neonatal intensive care unit. Data obtained through chart review was analyzed using the Pearson r with a significance level of0.05. Results …

Postoperative Infection Rates With Instrumented Lumbar Fusion: A Retrospective Review Of 129 Consecutive Cases, Nicole G. Kurzynske, Scott D. Hodges, Stephen C. Humphreys, Jason C. Eck, Laurie C. Covington

Senior Research Projects

Introduction: The use of internal fixation devices in spinal surgery is common to achieve reduction, maintain alignment, and stabilize the spine while fusion occurs. Infection rates of less than 2% (0-2%) were reported in the late 1960's without the use of instrumentation. Reported rates of infection following instrumented fusion are generally around 6% (range 0-11% ). The purpose of this study was to retrospectively review the incidence of postoperative infection following instrumented spinal fusion to determine if infection rates related to patient type and surgical procedure.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of 129 consecutive cases of instrumented lumbar spinal …

Perceptions Of Nursing Image And Feelings Of Autonomy Of Nursing Students At Various Educational Levels, Karen J. Phillips

Senior Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Perceived Social Support And Burnout Among Nurses Working With Chronically Ill And Dying Pediatric Patients, Jean Johnson

Senior Research Projects

This study focuses on the prevalence of burnout and its relationship to social support among nurses caring for chronically and terminally ill children. A convenience sample of 30 pediatric nurses were given surveys consisting of a demographic sheet, Maslach Burnout Inventory, Social Support Scale, and open-ended questions. The 14 completed and returned questionnaires were used in this nonexperimental, correlational study. Using the student "t" distribution it was determined that the mean emotional exhaustion burnout subscore was significantly (.05 confidence level) higher in the tested sample than in the normative sample. God/Higher Power and co-workers were rated as the most helpful …