Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Relationship Between The Timing Of Self-Care Information And Adjustment To Ostomy Surgery, Carol Irene Teneyck

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the timing of self-care information and a person's adjustment to ostomy surgery. A retrospective, descriptive, correlational approach was used. Information from 57 subjects was obtained by using Quality Assurance Questionnaires from the archived files of an Enterostomal Therapy (ET) Nurse Service in West Michigan. Data from these questionnaires were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS/PC+) software.

Analysis by linear regression indicated that timing of self-care information is a predictor of adjustment to ostomy surgery. Further analysis of variance after collapsing the groups of respondents indicated a …

The Relationship Between Organizational Climate In The Hospital And Rn Satisfaction, Dawn R. Shoemaker

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of organizational climate in the hospital and RN satisfaction. This study examines the hospital work climate and how it affects the level of quality of care, cost-efficiency, and job satisfaction. A meta-analysis (Irvine & Evans, 1995) with Maslowian underpinnings as the basis of the conceptual framework of job satisfaction and organizational climate was used in this study. A secondary analysis was preformed on previously obtained data from a large scale database (n=330 registered nurses). This descriptive correlational study utilized two main instruments, both of which were modified for this study; …

Nurse-Physician Collaboration And Nurse Satisfaction, Michelle R. Troseth

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was two-fold: (a) to describe nurses' perception of collaborative practice behaviors with physicians in a 529 bed mid-western acute care hospital setting and to relate those findings to nurses' satisfaction, and (b) to describe the perceptions of collaborative practice behaviors reported by physicians.

The study was a cross-sectional descriptive correlational design. The convenience sample included 264 nurses, 72 staff physicians and 22 medical residents in a sample setting of medical-surgical, critical care, pediatrics, women's health services, emergency, and surgical services departments. The study used the Collaborative Practice Scales (CPS) to measure nurse and physician perceptions …

The Effect Of Cancer Diagnosis Information On The Anxiety Of Patients With An Initial Diagnosis Of First Cancer, Kim S. Allen

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of differing educational programs on state anxiety of patients with an initial diagnosis of first cancer. The Neuman Systems Model was used as the conceptual framework. The convenience sample included 40 patients in an outpatient chemotherapy clinic. The control group (n=21) received the standard cancer education, the experimental group (n=19) received additional cancer diagnosis information. The dependent variable, state anxiety, was measured using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Two-way ANCOVA demonstrated that, after controlling for pre-test trait and state anxiety, the experimental group who received additional cancer diagnosis information had …

Nursing Students' Perceptions Of Clinical Instructor Behaviors That Affect The Development Of Self-Confidence, Debra E. Veltkamp

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine clinical instructor behaviors that students perceive as important in promoting or hindering their development of self-confidence. One hundred fifty-eight associate degree and baccalaureate nursing students rated 21 clinical teaching behaviors on the degree each helped or hindered their self-confidence as nurses and responded to two open-ended questions by identifying additional behaviors. Factor analysis of these behaviors revealed six dimensions of clinical teaching that characterized the instructor as: encourager, evaluator, discourager, enabler, benevolent presence, and resource. All behaviors contributing to the dimensions of clinical instructor were rated by students as helpful in their …

Perceived Sources And Level Of Stress Experienced By Student Nurses In Associate And Baccalaureate Degree Programs, Lori J. Kane

Masters Theses

This study examined possible differences in levels of stress and perceived sources of stress in student nurses attending associate degree programs and baccalaureate degree programs. A combination of Lazarus' theory of cognitive appraisal with Roy's Adaptation Model provided the conceptual framework. One hundred and sixteen students from a public university, two private Christian colleges and two community colleges participated in the study. The Student Stress and Coping Inventory (SSCI) questionnaire was used to measure stressful situations and/or experiences from students beginning the second semester of their first year in the nursing program. Reliability of the questionnaire was established at 0.91. …

Importance And Fulfillment Of Family Needs In The Icu, Linda L. Baker

Masters Theses

The family is a major source of support for the intensive care patient. To provide optimal support to the patient the family’s needs must be met. A convenience sample of thirty family members of intensive care patients were interviewed. The continuing importance of primary needs established in previous studies was demonstrated. None of the needs were universally perceived as being fulfilled. The nurse was most often cited as the best person to meet needs. Many respondents couldn’t choose a single best person emphasizing the need for a multi disciplinary approach to meeting needs. Seven additional needs were identified (a) to …

The Relationship Between Self-Care Agency, Self-Efficacy, And Medication Management Behaviors In Chronically Ill Elderly Home-Bound Individuals, Elaine J. Lince

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the exercise of self-care agency, long-term medication self-efficacy and medication management in elderly, chronically ill home-bound individuals. The study seeks to answer the following hypotheses: (1) There is a positive relationship between level of self-care agency and level of medication management in elderly, chronically ill home-bound individuals; (2) Level of long-term medication behavior self-efficacy is a predictor of level of medication management in chronically 01, elderly, home-bound individuals. The study sought to answer the following question: What is the degree of variability in level of medication management that is …

Gender Differences In Reported Quality Of Life In Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients, Susan M. Flynn

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the differences in the way men and women experience their cardiac problems, rehabilitation programs, and the resulting quality of life. A descriptive two group research design was utilized. A convenience sample produced 35 participants, 20 men and 15 women. At the participant’s first or second cardiac rehabilitation session, a pretest on quality of life was given. Posttesting was done at 5-8 weeks later. It was hypothesized that the women would have lower quality of life scores than the men. This was not supported in a data analysis using an analysis of covariance. …

An Investigation Of Psychological Distress And Self-Destructive Behavior In Adult Victims Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Susan Christine Wood

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the differences in psychological distress exhibited between adult victims and non-victims of childhood sexual abuse, both of which are acting out in a self-destructive manner.

This study investigates the damaging effects that childhood sexual abuse has on its adult victims. The Brief Symptom Inventory (ESI) was used to measure current psychological symptom status and is designed to detect internal distress, often not visible externally. Childhood sexual abuse produces an hyperarousal state which overwhelms the limbic system, leading to developmental dysfunction and restricted cognition. Due to the dysfunctional development produced by childhood sexual …

Perceived Control Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease And Adherence To A Therapeutic Regimen, Lori A. Booms

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research study was to examine if a difference existed between the concept of perceived control of the effects and course of the COPD and the adherence to the prescribed therapeutic regimen. The conceptual framework for the study was the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control. The study design was a comparative descriptive survey. Data collection was completed by using the three instruments: Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (Form C), Health Value Measurement, and Measurement of Compliance with a Comprehensive COPD Treatment Program. The study consisted of 20 participants. The findings of the study showed no significant difference …

Patient Perceptions Of Nurse Behaviors As Indicators Of Caring, Susan B. Tuttle

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify which nursing behaviors were perceived by the patient who has undergone coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) as the most important and least important indicators of caring. In this descriptive study, the Caring Behaviors Assessment (CBA) was administered to 25 CABG patients. This research was a partial replication of a previous study by Cronin and Harrison (1988).

Jean Watson's theory of human care (1985) served as the theoretical framework for this study. The CBA items, ordered in seven subscales, are congruent with Watson's (1985) carative factors.

In this study, the 63 CBA items …

A Survey Of Swallowing Symptoms Associated With The Premenstrual Cycle, Jill Gigi Calcagno

Dissertations and Theses

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) has been associated with a vast number of physical, emotional, social, and behavioral symptomatology. Laryngeal disturbances invoked by hormonal imbalance may affect swallowing as a component of PMS. Previous studies regarding swallowing ability during the premenstrual cycle were nonexistent.

This study examined the relationship between PMS and swallowing disorders. One hundred thirty-seven females completed a written survey that elicited information regarding biographical data, presence and severity of cyclically recurring symptoms associated with PMS, and perceived presence and severity of dysphagia during premenstruum.

Spearman Rank (Rho) correlation coefficients were computed to determine the extent of the relationship between …

Teenage Pregnancy In St. Kitts-Nevis: Psychosocial And Familial Factors, Ermine T. Leader

Dissertations

Problem. This study was conducted to examine some of the factors that are related to teenage pregnancy in St. Kitts-Nevis. It focused on the relationship between teenage pregnancy and father absence/presence, intergenerational teenage pregnancy, childhood sexual abuse, and domestic violence. A young girl's view of her relationship with both parents, the self-esteem of respondents, and their level of attendance and participation in church-related activities were also studied.

Method. Two instruments were incorporated into the questionnaire administered to females in St. Kitts and Nevis between the ages of 12 and 21, some of whom had experienced a pregnancy, and others who …

Perceptions Of Stuttering Intervention Services Received At Portland State, Franklin Wayne Bender

Dissertations and Theses

As consumers become more knowledgeable and more demanding of accountability, health care workers, including speech-language pathologists, are being required to justify the effectiveness of their work by documenting the results of their treatment programs. There are different ways to measure treatment outcomes. Outcomes may be measured qualitatively and/or quantitatively. Qualitative or subjective outcomes are difficult to define and measure and few studies of this type have been reported in the literature. Because few studies have been reported in the literature regarding client satisfaction, this area was investigated in this research project. The focus of this project was to ascertain whether …

Addressing Spirituality In Occupational Therapy Treatment, Barbara R. Howe

Masters Theses

Literature review identified confusion in the definitions of spirituality with religion. However, there have been attempts to separate the two definitions by professionals who consider holism an important concept of clinical practice. This · study was designed to identify occupational therapists' definitions of spirituality in clinical practice. Also under investigation was the therapist's assessment and use of spirituality for treatment purposes.

A survey was sent to a random sample of occupational therapists in order to gather data about their spiritual activities, their personal definitions of spirituality and their use of spirituality in evaluation and treatment of clients.

Occupational therapists who …

A Study Of The Emotional Responses And Coping Strategies Of Male And Female Athletes With Moderate And Severe Injuries, Donna S. Eaton

Dissertations

Emotional responses and coping strategies of injured athletes was the focus of the study. Several emotions have been identified in injured athletes such as frustration, depression, anger, and shock. Questions remain whether males and females feel similar emotions and engage similar coping strategies and whether severity of injury is a significant factor in responses and coping.

Quantitative data were obtained on emotional responses and coping strategies using the Emotional Response of Athletes in Injury Questionnaire (ERAIQ), the Profile of Mood States (POMS), and the COPE. The study examined whether gender and severity of injury may influence emotional responses and coping …

Pain Levels And Rating Of Perceived Exertion Of People With Herniated Lumbar Disc While Walking In Two Environments, Brenda L. Cunningham-Boerger

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to investigate if walking in water is an effective substitute for walking on land as an aerobic exercise for people with herniated lumbar disc. The study involved the dependent variables o f perceived pain levels (PPL) and ratings o f perceived exertion (RPE). Independent variables were walking condition and work intensity. Land walking was performed on a treadmill; water walking was performed in an indoor pool 4.5 ft deep and 90*F. Work was set at four different intensities, based on the formula for predicting maximum heart rate (MHR), 220 minus age. The graded work …

Gross And Histological Features Of A Myofascial Trigger Point In The Upper Trapezius, Kathryn E. Levee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to precisely locate, in living humans, a myofascial trigger point associated with the upper portion of the trapezius muscle (TrP1) that refers pain to the head and neck and to determine if this point is associated with anatomical structures. This study is descriptive and utilizes data from measurements of the location of TrP1 in relation to anatomical landmarks, of pressure sensitivity overlying the trigger point and electromyography recordings in localizing the trigger point. Information obtained from living humans was used to determine anatomical correlation to structures in cadavers. Results indicated there is little variability …

Nutritional Requirements For Preterm Infants In Neonatal Intensive Care Units, James Allen Nelson

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This thesis reviewed the special caloric requirements of preterm infants. The goal of this research was to investigate the feasibility of using the time required for infants to reach substantial feeding as a possible indicator of future developmental progress. The triage of birth weight, gestational age, and days to first substantive oral feeding were highly significant in predicting development through 12 months of age. However, none of the independent variables contributed significant unique variance in predicting developmental outcome.

Clustered Microcalcification Detection Using Optimized Difference Of Gaussians, Edward M. Ochoa

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to design an automated microcalcification detection system to be used as an aid in radiologic mammogram interpretation. This research proposes the following methodology for clustered microcalcification detection. First, preprocess the digitized film mammogram to reduce digitization noise. Second, spatially filter the image with a difference of Gaussians (DoG) kernel. To detect potential microcalcifications, segment the filtered image using global and local thresholding. Next, cluster and index these detections into regions of interest (ROIs). Identify ROIs on the digitized image (or hardcopy printout) for final radiologic diagnosis.

Young Adult Women's Responses To Undergoing Treatment For Early Breast Cancer, Donna Abrashoff Schutte Dnsc

Dissertations

In the nearly two decades of cancer research in the United States, there has been little emphasis on the experiences of young adult women with breast cancer. I therefore adopted a qualitative multicase study method to explore the experiences of five young adult women from the time of discovery of a breast mass through the first three months of recovery from mastectomy. Utilizing data collected via semi-structured interviews, this study sought to describe their concerns, the way in which their concerns changed over time, and the influence of contextual factors. Three themes were identified. These included: "I'm going to die!" …

Nmr Studies Of Acyl Chain-Protein Interactions, Mark Christian Oswood

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

An approach employing heteronuclear NMR is presented for monitoring the interactions between long-chain fatty acids and proteins which are involved in their synthesis and intracellular transport. Two naturally occurring fatty acids, hexadecanoic (palmitic) and cis-9-10-methylene-hexadecanoic (MHA) acids were labeled using a biosynthetic scheme with 13C acetate as a source. The biosynthetic incorporation of 13C from a two carbon source resulted in sequential pairs of 13C atoms in the product. When combined with double quantum spectroscopy, a highly efficient suppression of natural abundance background resonances results. Proton-detected two and three-dimensional experiments which correlate double quantum carbon chemical shifts with proton shifts …

Helper Woman: A Biography Of Elinor Delight Gregg, Jacqueline S. Pflaum Dnsc, Mph, Ms

Dissertations

The intent of this investigation was to conduct an extensive study of the life and character of Elinor Gregg (1886-1970) in order to identify the contributions she made to professional nursing and to humanity. Nurse, educator, administrator, beloved relative, and friend, Elinor Gregg was an outstanding person whom nurses today might well emulate. Historical method provided the context for the study. Data were collected from the National Archives; National Library of Medicine Historical Section; Nursing Archives at Mugar Library, Boston University; Nursing Archives at Simmons College; National Headquarters of the American Red Cross; Archives of Colorado College; and Archives of …

Passage Or Pathology: Current Attitudes Toward Women's Aging In The Literature Of Menopause, Kaaren Gearhart Ancarrow

Institute for the Humanities Theses

Menopause is currently portrayed in the medical literature as a pathological 11 process resulting from "hormone deficiency." However, feminist writers contend that the climacteric is part of the normal female aging process and oppose the medicalization of menopause and the consequent inevitable hormone replacement therapy (HR T) promoted by the hegemonic medical and pharmaceutical industries. This paper explores the historical development of these two paradigms of menopause and their manifestations in samples of three classes of contemporary literature on the subject: gynecological textbooks, popular advice books written by physicians, and women's accounts. Five major themes are investigated using quantitative and …

Case Studies Of Selective Mutism In Hispanic Children, Colleen Anne Gittins

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Selective mutism is a consistent refusal to use spoken language in specific social situations. This can occur in a particular environment or with specific individuals. A collaboration of four case studies was used to study the possible etiologies, characteristics, and intervention strategies associated with selective mutism. Four children from public school campuses in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas were subjects in this investigation as well as teachers and parents.

A questionnaire was used to gather data along with informal interviews. Results concluded that prevalence rates for selective mutism are relatively high in the area surveyed. Furthermore, many professional …

The Oral Health Status Of Individuals On Renal Dialysis, Kimberley Naugle

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to perform oral assessments on individuals undergoing renal dialysis in Hampton Roads health care facilities to determine their oral health status. A purposive sample was identified via the Sentara Health System in Hampton Roads, from which individuals on renal dialysis who agreed to participate in the study were selected.

Three subgroups of the population were studied: those who have been on renal dialysis for less than a year, individuals on renal dialysis for one to three years and those on renal dialysis for longer than three years.

The Periodontal Disease Index by Ramfjord (1967) …

Real-Time Visual Speech Articulation Training Aid, Neiyer S. Correal

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A real-time visual articulation training aid has been implemented. It provides instantaneous visual feedback of vowel and stop-consonant production on a computer screen. The vowel training system corresponds to an improved floating-point implementation of a previous fixed-point system developed by Beck (1992). The new implementation provides better accuracy and an approximate five-fold increase in speed. Acoustic features computed from global short-time spectral shape are used for classification of vowels. Temporal spectral trajectories timed to begin with burst onset are used for stop consonants. A neural network is used to transform measurements of auditory stimuli from the feature space to a …

Health Promotion Practices Of Nurse Practitioners Practicing In The State Of Mississippi, Valerie O'Briant Sullivan

MSN Research Projects

Health promotion has become a major factor in the practice of modern medicine for reasons such as cost effectiveness, disease prevention, and health promotion. Nurse practitioners are on the forefront in educating the public about health promotion practices. The purpose of this study was to describe the health promotion practices of nurse practitioners who practice in the state of Mississippi. Pender's (1992) Health Promotion Model which uses wellness orientation guided the research. The study addressed the question: What are the health promotion practices of nurse practitioners who practice in the state of Mississippi? The sample was comprised of all nurse …

A Descriptive Study Of Family Relationships, Race And Ethnic Origin, And Sexuality Education In Pregnant Adolescents, Joy Murphy

MSN Research Projects

Adolescents are becoming sexually active at increasingly younger ages despite the well-known health risks. The adolescent pregnancy rate in the United States has been considered the highest of any country in the Western world. The purpose of this study was to identify, examine, and describe family relationships, race and ethnic origin, and sexuality education in pregnant adolescents. Pender's Health Promotion Model was used as the theoretical framework to guide this descriptive study. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 30 pregnant adolescents who received prenatal care at three local obstetricians' health care clinics in Northeast Mississippi. Participants were surveyed …