Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Social Support: The Experience Of Social Support By Acute-Care Psychiatric In-Patients, Patricia Van Katwyk

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This is an exploratory-descriptive study which assesses the social support experienced by acute-care, uncertified psychiatric in-patients. A focus group of in-patients was formed in a provincial psychiatric hospital. The group was co-facilitated by the researcher and a research assistant. The purpose of the focus group was to generate questions which were then used to create a questionnaire about social support. The focus group-generated questionnaire, along with the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire, was given to 13 other acute-care in-patients at the same hospital. The data were coded and analyzed. By exploring the in-patients' experience of social support, this research project gives …

Hearing Metaphor: A Study Of Clients' Use Of Language In A Family Therapy Situation, Christopher Allen Whynot

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Metaphor is defined as a central function of language by which different realms of experience are conjoined and which operates at the nexus of internal and social processes. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used in an exploratory study of metaphor use by families in therapy. Significant differences were found in quantity of metaphor use along gender and generational axes. Content analysis also identified some suggestive differences with respect to issues of agency and imagery along lines of gender and parenting status. Categories nominated from the identified metaphors are also suggestive of the differential dilemmas faced by the clients. The study …

The Development Of A Definition Of The Roles And Functions Of Nurse Case Managers In Acute Care Settings., Virginia Hagood Beckworth

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Long Term Training On The Bone Mineral Density And Muscle Strength Of Perimenopausal Athletes, Jan Dook

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The aim of this research was to determine if long term training (20 years+) in a high impact weight bearing sport (netball/basketball: NB/88), a low impact weight-bearing sport (running/ field hockey: GEN) and a non weight-bearing sport, swimming (SWI) produced a positive relationship with regional bone mineral density (BMD) and muscle strength. Method: Three groups of perimenopausal athletes (n=20) plus a control group (CON) (n=20) had Total Body BMD and body composition measured by DEXA (Hologic QDR 2000) and isometric strength of dominant arm flexors and leg extensors by a strain tensiometer connected to a strength chair. Differences between groups …

A Comparison Of Two Bathing Methods : Effects On The Haemodynamic And Subjective Responses Of Low Risk Patients Within 48 Hours Post Myocardial Infarction, Heather M. Kidd

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this within subject experimental study was to determine what effect showering by nurses, as compared to bed bathing patients, has on the haemodynamic and subjective responses of low risk patients within 48 hours of having a myocardial infarction. The sample consisted of 50 patients, 8 female and 42 male, with a mean age of 61 years (SD = 10). Twenty-five were randomly assigned to a bed bath, then a shower over 2 consecutive days and the other 25 to the reverse order. The haemodynamic responses consisted of heart rate, rate pressure product (RPP), blood pressure, cardiac rhythm, …

Questioning Strategies: Their Use By Clinical Teachers, Sue Sellappah

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study examined clinical teachers' use of questioning and the variations in their use of questioning as a teaching strategy. By using questioning and other appropriate teaching strategies, clinical teachers can facilitate the development of critical thinking, decision making, and problem solving in students. Effective use of questioning strategies involves asking low level and high level questions to facilitate recall of classroom knowledge and promote application of the knowledge to solve patient problems in varying clinical situations. Using a comparative descriptive design, this study used a convenience sample of 26 clinical teachers from one University School of Nursing to examine …

The Retirement Experiences Of Former Elite Female Netball Players, J. L. Redmond

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Research to date on retirement from sport has been dominated by the study of United States, male, collegiate sports. Studies within Australia, which has a substantially different community based sport system, are just commencing. This study provided an insight into retirement from sport as it was experienced by former Western Australian elite female netball players. Using a qualitative interpretive approach a three stage interview process was employed to capture the individual experiences of each of the 15 participants. The interviewees were also asked to recommend interventions or strategies that netball associations could employ to assist players in their transition out …

Predictors, Patterns And Levels Of Stress Amongst Group Workers In Community Support Units For Adolescents, Alan Lee

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study sets out to determine the patterns, predictors and levels of stress amongst forty two groupworkers employed as care givers in five community based support units known commonly as hostels for troubled and troublesome adolescents. To establish and fully assess work related stress amongst groupworkers, it was necessary to capture not only results from questionnaires, but also individual perceptions of stress. To accomplish this, groupworkers were invited to discuss the topic further in face to face interviews upon completion of the questionnaires. Particular themes emergert from the results that reflect some of the concerns held by the author prior …

Digital Morphometry : A Taxonomy Of Morphological Filters And Feature Parameters With Application To Alzheimer's Disease Research, Andrew Mehnert

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In this thesis the expression digital morphometry collectively describes all those procedures used to obtain quantitative measurements of objects within a two-dimensional digital image. Quantitative measurement is a two-step process: the application of geometrical transformations to extract the features of interest, and then the actual measurement of these features. With regard to the first step the morphological filters of mathematical morphology provide a wealth of suitable geometric transfomations. Traditional radiometric and spatial enhancement techniques provide an additional source of transformations. The second step is more classical (e.g. Underwood, 1970; Bookstein, 1978; and Weibull, 1980); yet here again mathematical morphology is …

The Experience Of Transferring To Adult Health Care For Adolescents With Cystic Fibrosis, Maree T. Russell

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

As a result of improved treatment and management, adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF) now have a longer life expectancy. Consequently, more adolescents will be transferred from paediatric to adult health care. Currently, transfer to adult health care takes place on an adhoc basis. Little research however, is available on adolescents with CF and the transfer process to adult health care. This transfer may be viewed as a significant life event for these adolescents and their families. A descriptive approach was used in this study to investigate the experience of transferring to adult health care for adolescents with CF. Seven adolescents …

Trauma Patients: Social Support Desired And Perceived Satisfaction According To Category Of Provider, Marsha D. Stevens

Masters Theses

This study examined differences in social support received by trauma patients and their perceived satisfaction with the social support provided by various categories of providers including: family members, friends, RNs and other health professionals. Thirty hospitalized trauma patients were asked to rate the satisfaction they felt regarding seven forms of support. Types of support that most patients indicated their families and friends provided were spending time with them and making them feel important. Respectful treatment, providing information, encouragement and listening support from RNs and other health professionals was mentioned by a large percentage of the subjects. Qualitatively it was found …

Intact Families With A Multiple Sclerotic Parent: Social And Emotional Adjustment Of Parents And School-Age Children, Jean A. Mccutchan

Dissertations

Problem Statement. Research on children with a multiple sclerotic parent has been minimal and until recently focused only on negative aspects. This study investigated how families successfully cope with multiple sclerosis (MS) and how their school-age children are affected, positively or negatively.

Methodology. This research used the case study approach with intact Caucasian families, 10 where the mother was the patient and 3 families where the father was the patient. The 20 children were ages 5 through 19. Following a clinical interview, the family members responded to the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales-II, the Family Hardiness Index and the …

Factors Influencing Consumer Choices In Graduate Nursing Education At Andrews University, Catherine Keith Turner

Dissertations

Problem. Universities and colleges are increasingly interested in marketing strategies in order to improve enrollment. Nursing programs have likewise become more conscious of the need to be more market-oriented. Knowing the factors that influence consumer choices in higher education can enhance marketing strategies. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the factors related to marketing nursing graduate education that affect consumer choices in a particular program. Of special interest was the nursing student population in the Andrews University Graduate Nursing Program.

Method. From the literature and from focus groups of a sample of the student population, data …

Human Immunodeficiency Virus And Acquired Immune Deficiency : Beliefs, Knowledge, And Behaviors Of High-School Students Attending Seventh-Day Adventist Academies, Deborah L. Gray

Dissertations

Problem. Few attempts have been conducted to assess knowledge of HIV/AIDS in the adolescent population attending Seventh-day Adventist secondary schools. This present study was to investigate the HIV/AIDS-related beliefs, HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, and HIV/AIDS-related behaviors of adolescents according to gender, grade level, ethnicity, geographical location, and religious affiliation.

Method. The subjects for this study were 1,292 9th- through 12th-grade students attending selected non-boarding Seventh-day Adventist academies representing three geographical regions of the United States and the Virgin Islands. The survey instrument utilized was the "AIDS Survey for Students" obtained from the U.S. Center for Disease Control. Chi-square analysis was used to …

Detecting Malingered Psychotic Symptoms With The Rorschach Projective Technique, Kristin M. Batchelder

Dissertations

Problem. Criminal defendants may be strongly motivated to avoid prosecution by appearing mentally ill, and the malingering of psychotic symptoms is of special concern in legal proceedings. Much research has been conducted to determine accurate methods to detect malingering. These include clinical interviews, structured personality tests, intelligence tests, and projective techniques. This present study investigated the ability of specific variables on the Rorschach Projective Technique to detect malingered protocols.

Method. The 83 subjects in this study were restricted to male pre-trial defendants in the Federal Judicial system who were placed into three categories by diagnosis: (1) malingering psychotic symptoms, (2) …

The Self Reported Patterns Of Alcohol Consumption By Registered Nurses In Western Australia, K. Waters

Theses : Honours

The study of self reported patterns of alcohol consumption by Registered nurses in Western Australia is the first Australian study that attempts to quantify the amount of alcohol consumed by nurses. This study also examines the type of alcohol related problem that nurses most frequently experience, and investigates the relationships between problematic alcohol consumption and the demographic categories of age, gender, area of nursing practice and geographical location of residence. The conceptual framework that guides the study incorporates a model developed by Thorley, and considers factors related to the intrinsic properties of alcohol, the environment and the individual which contribute …

The Effect Of Facilitating Increased Involvement In Nursing Home Caregiving On Former Caregivers' Satisfaction With The Care Arrangement, Christine Toye

Theses : Honours

This study examined the effect of a programme that facilitated fanner caregivers' increased involvement with nursing home care giving on their satisfaction with the care provided for their relatives. It was guided by Ray's Adaptation Model of Nursing (Ray, 1984, 1989). The hypotheses stated that the programme would help former caregivers to adapt to the institutionalisation of their loved ones, as manifested by their increased satisfaction with aspects of the care arrangement (overall care, nursing care, relationships, and the environment). The convenience sample consisted of 31 former care givers of long term residents admitted to a metropolitan nursing home 1 …

The Need For A Specialized Treatment Center For The Elderly Population In St. Charles County, Sandi Klein

Theses

A most recent trend in the field of psychiatric health care has been to provide services for the elderly on highly specialized "geropsychiatric units" located within the confines of a general hospital and operated as a new component of the psychiatric treatment divisions.

Four local hospitals were surveyed regarding their in-patient mental health services for the elderly. The goal was to identify where geropsychiatric services were currently being offered and if their services were located on a special geropsychiatric unit, specific only to those patients over 65 years of age. Each hospital was surveyed as to the types of staff …

The Social And Addictive Implications Of Crack Cocaine And The Effects On The Mother, Fetus, And Infant: A Case Study, Raul R. Garza

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research is a case study of a 35-year-old single female from Northeast Iowa, who has used crack cocaine throughout two pregnancies. The subject has one child and is currently seven months pregnant. This study identifies the social implications of using crack cocaine, as well as the addictive implications of this drug. The effects of crack cocaine on the mother, fetus, and infant were also studied. The results of this study suggest that the addictive implications for the mother were typical of studies documented on cocaine addicted pregnant mothers. This study may also suggest that the parameters defining fetal and …

A Causal Model Of Hospital Volume, Structure And Process Indicators, And Surgical Outcomes, Myra Boles

Theses and Dissertations

This research developed and tested a conceptual model to explain why higher volumes of certain surgical procedures lead to better patient outcomes. The model incorporated hospital structural characteristics and process of care indicators to explain the volume-outcome relationship. The volume-outcome relationship was further examined longitudinally to determine stability over time and to substantiate the causality implied by the conceptual model.

A sample (n=1752) of acute-care, general hospitals was selected from hospitals that performed, in 1990, at least one surgical procedure on Medicare patients of the following: reduction of hip fracture, cholecystectomy, hip replacement, carotid endarterectomy, and pacemaker insertion. For the …

Modulation Of The Humoral Immune Response By The Sympathetic Nervous System, Tracey Lynn Spriggs

Theses and Dissertations

The immune system is critical for the maintenance of homeostasis. Due to the fact that a coordinated effort between organ systems is required for internal stability, it has been postulated that the immune system interacts with the neuroendocrine system. Clinical, anatomical, and receptor studies have provided evidence for a bi-directional communication between the nervous and immune systems. The goal of the present studies was to determine the potential influence of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) on the primary antibody forming cell (AFC) response.

The adrenergic neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), has been utilized extensively by researchers to explore the possible relationship between …

Perceived Stressors Between Partnered And Unpartnered Women, Sandra Kay Newman

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in stress perceived by healthy partnered and unpartnered women in the second trimester of pregnancy. Neuman's Theory of Stress was used as the conceptual framework to explain the potential for greater perceived stress in unpartnered women during pregnancy. A descriptive correlation study was conducted using Norbeck's (1989) Life Events Questionnaire and Underwood's (1993) Perceived Life Stress Scale II, for a convenience sample of N = 40.; T-tests were used to test the hypothesis that unpartnered women would perceive more stress than partnered women. Mann Whitney U tests were used to …

Comparisons Of Performance On The Short Form Of The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test Of Motor Proficiency Between 14-Year-Old Children And 18 To 24-Year-Old Adults, Jenny Eshleman, Elizabeth Michmershuizen, Jennifer Zackrison

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the need for normative data for adults on the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP). This was determined by finding differences in performance between the 18 to 24-year-old adults from this study and the 14-year-olds from the original study.; A sample of 33 females and 30 males were administered the Short Form (SF) of the BOTMP. Mean scores and standard deviations were computed from the raw scores of the subjects. These values were compared by t-test among the subjects of this study, and to the original sample of 14-year old children. The …

Efficacy Of Implementing An Ergonomics Program In An Industrial Setting Regarding Cumulative Trauma Disorders To The Upper Extremity, Christa Abraham, Lisa Evans, Patrick Hoban

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if implementation of an industrial ergonomics program would decrease the number of upper extremity cumulative trauma disorders, lost days of work, and insurance costs. Data was collected from company records and OSHA logs including type of injury, lost days of work, restricted days of work, and insurance costs. This data was then analyzed using regression analysis and descriptive statistics.; The results of this study supported the concept that ergonomic programs may decrease the number of lost days of work. In this study, a number of limitations and weak correlations were found between …

The Prevalence Of Behavioural Risk Factors Associated With Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Ann M. Callaghan

Theses : Honours

Sudden Infant Death syndrome (SIDS) is a major cause of death in the first year of life. In Western Australia (WA), two infants in every thousand live births die from SIDS each year. The aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence in WA of three risk factors which have been associated with SIDS, namely prone lying, maternal smoking and lack of breast feeding. In addition the study sought to determine the significant influences that encourage change in infant care practices by parents. The study obtained information from child health nurses and midwives regarding the advice they provide on …

Issues That Concern Prison Officers About Hiv Positive Prisoners In Western Australia, David Francis Cain

Theses : Honours

In 1988 the Department of Corrective Services established an AIDS Standing Committee to draw up an HIV positive/AIDS policy. The Committee consists of ten members, two of whom are union members who represent the issues that concern 1,227 prison officers statewide. The Policy which was issued in 1989 medically isolated HIV positive prisoners from the mainstream prison population. The aim of this research is to identify and quantify the issues that concern prison officers about HIV positive prisoners in Western Australia. Such information will act as a medium through which these will be communicated to the AIDS Standing Committee. Structured …

Perceptions Of Nurse Behaviors By Persons With Copd During Acute Shortness Of Breath, Joyce A. Kowatch

Masters Theses

This study employed a qualitative approach to explore the perceptions of clients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease recalling nursing behaviors as a part of a process of helping during dyspnea. Grounded theory was used to look at how a client's world was constructed in this particular situation. Examination of data led to the generation of a hypothesis to explain the process of helping. Subjects were asked what it was like when they were extremely short of breath and what nursing behaviors helped or didn't help them.; Identified changes were categorized as suffocation, pain, energy depletion, panic, and cognitive haze. Helpful …

Spouse Adaptation After The Partner's Open Heart Surgery, Marietta J. Gardner

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to describe the adaptation of male and female spouses after their partners' open heart surgery using the theory of person as an adaptive system. A descriptive correlational design was used to examine adaptation of male and female spouses to their partners' open heart surgery (criterion variable); and partners' health prior to surgery, length of time partner diagnosed with heart disease, number of years married, and general state of marital relationship prior to surgery as perceived by the spouse were predictor variables. The sample consisted of 20 male and 25 female spouses, 31 to 88 …

The Effect Of Teaching On Knowledge And Osteoporosis Health Beliefs Of Elderly Females, Yvonne M. Van Hoven

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of an educational intervention on knowledge, self-efficacy, and health beliefs (susceptibility, seriousness, benefits, barriers, health motivation) related to osteoporosis.; The study was conducted using a pre-test-post-test quasi-experimental design. The sample included forty elderly females of two senior centers in a midwestern metropolitan area. The experimental group was composed of twenty subjects from a senior center. The remaining twenty subjects from a second senior center were included in the control group. Osteoporosis knowledge, self-efficacy, and health beliefs were measured before and after factual information about osteoporosis was given to the experimental …

Mathematical Calculations Ability Of Registered Nurses, Denise M. Deitzen

Masters Theses

Medication errors occur throughout health care settings. These errors can be caused by a multitude of factors, one of the most important being mathematical calculation. The purpose of this study was to replicate an earlier study by Bindler and Bayne (1991) examining the mathematical calculation ability of registered nurses. Utilizing a model of skill acquisition suggested by Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1980) and applied to nursing by Benner (1986), it was hypothesized that years of experience and frequency of calculation would have a significant interactive effect on the score of a medication calculation test.; A descriptive correlational design was utilized. A …