Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Adolescents' Perceived Importance Of And Satisfaction With Development Needs During Hospitalization, Jaclynn L. Lubbers

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, was to examine the relative importance of needs of hospitalized adolescents. Second, was to measure perceived satisfaction with five selected developmental needs. This study was a replication of earlier work by Gusella, Ward, and Butler (1998). A descriptive design was utilized to answer the research questions. Fifteen hospitalized adolescents admitted to the general pediatrics unit provided the data for this study. Data analysis using summative means was performed to rank and compare importance and perceived satisfaction. Adolescents ranked medical information as their most important need during hospitalization followed by mobility, visits from …

The Lived Experience Of Student Nurses Providing Health Care Relief To Hurricane Mitch Victims In Nicaragua, Marci Jo Holstege

Masters Theses

International exchange and cultural immersion is becoming a favored way to educate nursing students on cultural diversity and cultural sensitivity. There is no research literature about student nurses rendering health care in a third world country after the turmoil of a natural disaster.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the lived experience of student nurses who provided health care relief to victims of Hurricane Mitch in Nicaragua. Their oral descriptions were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. These descriptions were then analyzed using the Giorgi method. Four focal meanings emerged: a) culture shock, b) adjustments, c) lessons learned, …

The Needs Of Family Members In Crisis, Melanie A. Burghgraef

Masters Theses

The needs of family members of patients with severe brain injury were investigated using a descriptive-correlational design. A convenience sample of family members (N = 23) were surveyed with the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI). Need statements from the CCFNI were rank ordered, and a total score for the CCFNI was calculated. The majority of the top ranked needs consisted of assurance and information needs, which is consistent with other research using the CCFNI. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the results from this study with Lorenz’s study (1995).

Furthermore, this investigation attempted to reveal a relationship between family …

The Effectiveness Of Using Foot Orthotics As The Sole Intervention For The Treatment Of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, Byron Horner

Masters Theses

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a common diagnosis treated by health care personnel. This study investigates the effectiveness of foot orthotics in the treatment of PFPS. Fourteen subjects experiencing PFPS participated. Each completed a Functional Pain Assessment (FPA) consisting of walking, stairs, biking, squatting and resting (sitting). Function was assessed using the Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADLS). After the initial FPA and ADLS. foot orthotics were placed in the shoes of participants and worn for the duration of the study. No other intervention was given. Follow-up testing was performed immediately after insertion of orthotics, after two weeks and again …

The Perceived Quality Of Life In Persons Performing Peritoneal Dialysis, Paula A. Armstrong

Masters Theses

This purpose of this study was to describe the quality of life in patients who independently performed peritoneal dialysis at home for the treatment of end stage renal disease.

A descriptive design was conducted using the Ferrans and Powers Quality of Life Index-dialysis version. A convenience sample of 31 patients from a Midwest dialysis facility participated in the study Subjects were asked to rate their level of satisfaction and the level of importance of 35 aspects of life. The reported quality of life was reported to be satisfactory There was a moderate positive correlation between the time on dialysis and …

Advanced Practice Nurses' Knowledge And Attitudes On Pain And Pain Management, Joann E. Baar

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge and attitudes of advanced practice nurses regarding pain and pain management, and to determine if a relationship existed between education, experience, clinical specialty, and recent educational sessions on pain management, and scores on the Nurses’ Knowledge and Attitudes Survey. The convenience sample consisted of 78 advanced practice nurses or advanced practice nursing students in west Michigan. Data were collected via the use of mailed questionnaires. Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit theory of nursing provided the theoretical framework for this study.

No significant differences in scores were found among those with different …

Mental Health In Oldest-Old Adults: An Investigation Of Self-Transcendence, Marsha Luchtman Harrison

Masters Theses

This study explored Reed’s theory of self-transcendence as a potential developmental resource and correlate of well-being within the long term care population. Self-transcendence is a healthy maturation process of expanding one’s conceptual boundaries inwardly through increased self-understanding; outwardly through investing in relationships with others and the environment; and/or temporally by integrating perceptions of one’s past and future in a way that enhances the present. A descriptive correlational research design examined the level of self-transcendence and the relationship of self-transcendence to depression among nursing home residents. The sample of 51 oldest-old adults ranged from 80 to 103 years old.

Participants were …

Examination Of Biomechanical Correction Technique™ As A Diagnostic And Treatment Classification System For Chronic Low Back Pain, Benjamin L. Asper

Masters Theses

Evidence supporting the use of one optimal treatment approach for low back pain is lacking in the research. Two models exist to aid in the formation of a diagnosis, the pathology-based model and the classification system. The pathology-based models use perceived pathology to arrive at a diagnosis, whereas, a classification system uses categories, criteria, and objective findings in order to place patients into a select group. The purpose of this research was to define a new examination and treatment approach called Biomechanical Correction Technique™ (BCT™) and report the treatment outcomes for a sample of low back pain patients with a …

Home Environmental Modifications: Consumer Experience And Satisfaction, Linda L. Mohney

Masters Theses

This study investigated consumer experience and satisfaction in choosing home modifications to accommodate a disability. This study used semi-structured individual interviews and qualitative analysis to gather information from six people with disabilities concerning their experience with and opinion of home modifications. Seven significant themes emerged: a.) the importance of an adviser and self-agency in the modification process; b.) the inability of participants to distinguish OT’s contributions c.) participant’s perception of OTs as part of a uni-disciplinary team; d.) ineffective execution of environmental interventions; e.) inadequate knowledge of applicable laws, standards, and codes; f.) a disability vs. client-centered perspective, and g.) …

The Correlation Between Quality Of Life And Social Support One Year After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, Sarah S. Arnold

Masters Theses

A descriptive correlational design was used to examine the relationship between the level of social support and the perceived quality of life (QOL) of the patient following coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS) one year after the procedure. A total of 212 surveys were sent to the homes of former patients admitted to a mid-western hospital and 90 were returned. The Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ-85) was used to measure social support and the Quality of Life Index-Cardiac Version (QLI) was used to measure QOL.

The hypothesis of the study asserted that there was a positive correlation between the level of social …

Perceived Health Status, Preventive Health Behaviors, Formal Education, And Potential Barriers To Health Care In A Rural Population, Tori Renee Gaultier

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine preventive health behaviors, perceived health status, level of formal education, and potential barriers to health care in a rural northern mid-westem state using Leininger’s Cultural Care Theory. A short questionnaire was designed to identify factors that may influence health for rural residents. The sample consisted of 159 adults. The questionnaires were hand delivered to 299 randomly selected homes. Analysis was performed using descriptive and Chi-square statistics. The results supported an association between fewer preventive health behaviors and more potential barriers to health care (χ₂ = 36.72, p < .001). A higher level of formal education was associated with higher perceived health status (χ₂ = 13.99, p < .001). Potential barriers to health care were not found to be associated with lower perceived health status.

Efficacy Of Zinc Supplementation In Reducing The Incidence Of Recurrent Vaginitis, Bonnie R. Bartz

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of zinc supplementation in reducing the incidence of recurrent bacterial vaginosis (BY) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (W C ). Forty-one subjects were selected from researcher’s patients based on at least two episodes of vaginitis in a six-month period. A control group (placebo) and an experimental group (30 mg zinc gluconate) were randomly formed from this selection.

Evaluation of vaginitis status was accomplished through wet mounts, pH test, and KOH whiff tests at the initial, 3, and 6-month intervals. Subjects sought treatment for vaginitis when symptomatic.

A t-test analysis showed no statistically …

The Effects Of Collaboration Versus Traditional Service Delivery On Reading And Listening Comprehension With School-Aged Students, Megan E. Grimaldi

Masters Theses

This study investigated improvement of reading comprehension and listening comprehension in school-aged students in first through third grades at two different elementary schools. Approximately half of the students at each school received collaborative classroom-based language lessons from the teacher and speech-language pathologist. The other half of the students at each school received regular instruction from the classroom teacher without input from the speech-language pathologist. The speech-language pathologist provided services to the students with speech or language IEP goals in the collaborative classrooms primarily in the classroom during these language lessons. The students who received speech or language services in the …

Evaluation Of The Effect Of Home Care Interventions On The Self-Care Agency And Hospital Readmission Rate Of Patients With Congestive Heart Failure, Patricia K. Rau

Masters Theses

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is prevalent and patients with CHF incur costly hospital readmissions. It is crucial to reduce rehospitalizations and improve self-care in these patients. This blind experimental study based on Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit theory evaluated two nursing interventions provided to 49 home care patients with CHF from 42 to 94 years of age in western Michigan. The study results were drawn from a larger longitudinal study in progress by researcher Dr. Kay Setter-KIine, RN. PhD. One group received supportive-educative interventions and the other received placebo interventions. The study sought to determine if supportive-educative nursing interventions improved medication …

Is There A Relationship Between Stages Of Change And Perceived Self-Efficacy Related To Exercise Among Low Risk Pregnant Women?, Rebecca Weiner

Masters Theses

The theoretical framework used for this study was based on Prochaska and DiClemente’s (1983) Transtheoretical Model. The purpose of the study was to determine if there is a relationship between stage of change (pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance) and perceived self-efficacy regarding exercise among low risk pregnant women. Data was obtained through a survey of 140 low risk pregnant women from two private obstetricians’ offices. Participants were between 18 and 43 years old and primarily Caucasian (75%) and high school educated (85%). Each participant was successfully categorized into a stages of change based on their reported exercise behavior. The levels …

The Relationship Between Grandparent Caregiver Reactions And Support Group Participation, Karen F. Rishel

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between support group participation by grandparent caregivers and reactions to their care-giving situation. There were 25 grandparents primarily Caucasian, and from rural areas or small towns. All were high school graduates and nearly half attended college. A descriptive correlational design was used, and the conceptual framework was Dowdell's adaptation of Given's model on caregiver strain.

No correlations were found that were statistically significant between the number of groups attended and the sub-scales of Given's Caregiver Reaction Assessment. This may have been related to the sample size. Although …

An International View Of Traumatic Brain Injury, Erin S. Wesley

Masters Theses

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of disability in the world. This was a descriptive study implemented through a survey which gathered information on epidemiology, demographics, service delivery, and the role of the SLP in countries outside the United States. Contact persons were notified and asked to distribute surveys to health care professionals who work with TBI. The survey was completed by 14 individuals in 5 different countries. Countries included Brazil, Israel, Italy, South Africa, and United States.

Compelation of this information revealed that there was a large variety of answers both within and between countries. There was …

Research Utilization In Hand Therapy Practice Using A World Wide Web Survey Design, Amy D. Heathfield

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate how frequently occupational therapists, certified hand therapists (OT, CHTs) read, integrate, and contribute to occupational therapy research; identify barriers and solutions to research utilization; and identify the effectiveness of World Wide Web (WWW) survey research with OT, CHTs. Of the 306 questionnaires sent, 154 were used (50% response rate). Most OT, CHTs reported reading some OT research, but integrated little into practice. One-half reported participating in research since graduation and 82% of those who did not participate reported interest in future research participation. Barriers to research were lack of time, research was …

The Health Belief Model And Self Breast Examination In Nurses, Valerie L. Holwerda

Masters Theses

The relationship between frequency of self breast examination and health belief model variables was assessed using a convenience sample of nurses. The self-administered survey measured perceived susceptibility, perceived seriousness, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, health motivation, and confidence on 5-point Likert-type scales previously developed by Champion (1993). Individual items measured the frequency of self breast examination and demographic variables. Correlational statistics were used to determine relationships. The results of the data analysis using the Spearman correlation found that perceived benefits (p=.027), health motivation (p=.0289) and confidence (p=.008) were positively correlated with frequency of self breast examination. Perceived barriers (p=.0002) were negatively …

Neonatal Intensive Care Nurses' Perceptions Of Participation In Ethical Decision Making In The Care Of Imperiled Newborns, Dennis W. Philpott

Masters Theses

The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to empirically examine the extent of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse participation in the ethical decision making process. The study also examined the relationship of nurse participation and satisfaction in ethical decision making to age, years of experience, level of education, and religious participation. This study attempted to describe what NICU nurses believe their role should be in the ethical decision making process. Koblberg’s theory of moral development was the theoretical framework. Data were obtained through the use of a survey mailed to Registered Nurses employed in a level III NICU. …

The Effects Of Mutual Goal Setting On Fourth-Graders' Adherence To The Food Guide Pyramid Recommendations, Jacquelyn S. Kiefer

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if, at the conclusion of a two week nutrition program, students involved in mutual goal setting would exhibit more positive nutrition behaviors than students not involved in mutual goal setting.

Pre-test 24-hour dietary recalls were collected on the experimental group (n = 18) and the control group (n = 19). The experimental group and the investigator then mutually set goals related to dietary practices. Both groups received nutrition education (4 classes). At the conclusion of the education and the mutual goal setting intervention, post-test 24-hour dietary recalls were collected. The data were …

Relationship Of Osteoporosis Knowledge And Perceived Susceptibility To Osteoporosis Among Hispanic Women, Johannie M. Troncoso

Masters Theses

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the relationship of osteoporosis knowledge to perceived susceptibility to osteoporosis among Hispanic women. The Health Belief Model (Rosenstock, Strecker, & Becker, 1994) was the theoretical framework for the study. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 54 Hispanic women, ages 18 years and older, from two different areas in a Mid-Western state. The final sample, based on the inclusion criteria, constituted 41 subjects. The participants completed the Osteoporosis Knowledge Test (OKT) developed by Kim, Horan, and Gendler (1991) and the Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale (OHBS) also developed in 1991 by …

The Effectiveness Of An Education Intervention Related To Knowledge Increase Among Adolescents Regarding Dietary Calcium And Prevention Of Osteoporosis, Deborah K. Fast

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention for 6th - 11th grade adolescents regarding dietary calcium and the prevention of osteoporosis. This was a secondary analysis of data from a study that used a pre-experimental pre-test-post-test; no control group design. Eighty-two boys and 102 girls completed the Healthy Bones Knowledge Questionnaire (HBKQ) as a pretest, received an educational intervention based primarily on dietary calcium intake, then completed the questionnaire again as a post-test.

As a group, the students demonstrated a significant increase in correct answers to calcium-related HBKQ items (t = 3.31, p …

Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Effective Clinical Teachers, Patricia Frontczak

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify ADN faculty and ADN student perceptions of the most effective clinical teaching characteristics (ECTC). An exploratory, descriptive design was implemented. ADN faculty and ADN students were surveyed using the Clinical Teacher Characteristics Instrument (CTCI). The CTCI consists of 20 characteristics of clinical teachers that are ranked on a five point Likert-type scale according to importance. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Significant differences in perceptions of the most ECTC between the two groups were identified by a Mann Whitney U procedure. A t-test was performed to identify differences of perceptions …

The Lived Experience Of Bosnian Refugees Who Have Suffered As A Result Of Genocide, Gazelle Raven Animalia

Masters Theses

In 1992, Bosnian Serbian and Serbian forces launched a campaign of genocide against Muslim and Croatian civilians in Bosnia-Herzegovina. This nightmarish odyssey ended for many non-Serbians when they escaped to other countries. Many of these families chose to come to the United States.

The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experience of Bosnian refugees who suffered as a result of genocide. The research method used for this study was a phenomenological method based on Husserlian philosophy. Four Bosnian refugees, who escaped to a midwestem state during and after the war, were asked to answer the following research …

The Effects Of High Fat And High Carbohydrate Diets On Aerobic Performance, Julie Becker, Kelly Mattila

Masters Theses

The effect of a high carbohydrate (HCHO) or high fat (HF) diet on time to fatigue and mood state was examined in the present study. Six untrained males, (mean age 26.6 ± 0.74) were randomly assigned to a high fat (HF) or a HCHO diet for seven days. Subjects performed an endurance test at 55% of VO₂max following the diet. Time to fatigue and psychometric variables of the Profile of Mood States (POMS) were recorded. Subjects then consumed the alternate diet following one week of a normal diet and a second endurance test was performed. There was no …

The Effects Of Water Or Sports Drink Ingestion Prior To Exercise On The Performance Of Middle Distance, Amateur Runners In A Thermoneutral Environment, Julie A. Barnes, Scott G. Devries

Masters Theses

Sports drinks have been shown to influence running performance, however, the best methods of hydration are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of water versus sports drink (6% carbohydrate/electrolyte) hydration prior to an exercise bout on the performance of middle distance, amateur runners. Ten subjects were randomly assigned to run two trials and began with either ingestion of water or sports drink. They then completed a maximal treadmill test to volitional exhaustion and returned two days later and drank the opposite drink. Maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂ max), time of run, heart rate, respiratory …

Can A Multidisciplinary Team Decrease Hospital Length Of Stay For Elderly Trauma Patients?, Beth A. Ramsey

Masters Theses

Elderly trauma patients often experience prolonged hospital stays. This study was done to determine if a multidisciplinary team approach to patient care would decrease hospital length of stay (LOS) for elderly trauma patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Using a descriptive, correlational design, a convenience sample of 74 elderly patients aged 65 to 99 years was obtained from a trauma registry. The hypothesis that hospital LOS decreases for elderly trauma patients in the ICU who have a team approach to care was not supported using the t-test for independent means (t=1.6, df=72, p=.114). A second hypothesis proposed that the …

Toys As Language Stimuli For Individuals With Alzheimer’S Disease, Cassandra M. Baer

Masters Theses

The study of the use of toys with institutionalized adults began in the field of gerontological nursing (Bailey, Gilbert, & Herweyer, 1992; Francis & Baly, 1986; Mayers & Griffin, 1990; Milton & MacPhail, 1985). Hopper, Bayles, and Tomoeda (1998) described the comforting qualities of plush animals for people with dementia and began to explore the effects of these toys on the language production of women with Alzheimer's Disease. Women were found to produce more information in fewer words when the toys were present.

This study builds on the work of Hopper et al. (1998), comparing language productions of two men …

Repeatability Of Kinematic And Kinetic Data In The Analysis Of Normal Human Gait, Jennifer M. Piotter, Peter A. Post, Kristi J. Vanden Berg

Masters Theses

Computerized gait analysis (CGA) is a powerful tool used to study the intricacies of human walking. The CGA tool is being used to make objective observations of human movement patterns. It is essential that acceptable repeatability of kinematic and kinetic data be established so that clinicians can detect actual changes between successive tests. This study assessed the repeatability of kinematic and kinetic waveform data from test and re-test trials on 15 subjects. Intra-tester and inter-tester data were examined to determine how much error existed due to marker placement between trials and testers. Part II of this study assessed the repeatability …