Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evaluation Of The Bunbury Chronic Pain Management Program, Samar Aoun, Carmen Gregg

Research outputs pre 2011

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a six-week program in pain management for patients with chronic pain referred by GPs in Bunbury, Australind, Harvey, Collie, and Donnybrook. The evaluation consisted of a retrospective analysis of patient data from the first 3 courses of the program (November 1996 to March 1997), and satisfaction surveys for 26 clients, 26 GPs and the 7 staff in the multidisciplinary team.

A comparison of pre-program and post-program pain inventory psychometric measures revealed a significant decrease in the amount pain interfered with general activity, social activities, normal work, sleep and mood. …

The Assessment Of The Health Care Needs Of The Community From A Consumer And Provider Perspective, Samar Aoun, Genevieve Stone

Research outputs pre 2011

This project aimed at identifying the health care needs of a community from a consumer and a provider perspective using a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.

As stated in the objectives, this needs analysis has provided information on:

-the characteristics of the community served the local Division of General Practice (Chapter 2).

-the health status of the community, in terms of disease patterns, healthy lifestyles ... (Chapter 3).

-the extent to which services exhibit qualities of convenient location, availability, equity of access, integrated care and providing education (Chapters 4 and 5).

-the various aspects concerning general practice interests, …

The Effects Of Concurrent Strength And Muscular Endurance Resistance Training On Strength, Endurance And Body Composition In Previously Untrained Females, Derek W. Gibbins

Theses : Honours

The number of females engaged in some form of sporting activity is growing rapidly, but many women still shy away from weight training because of their fear of excessive muscular hypertrophy and its accompanying loss of femininity. Because strength and muscular endurance play a vital role in most sporting endeavours, and weight training has proven to be one of the most effective methods to improve both attributes, any training regime that could achieve concurrent increases in both measures without noticeable increases in muscle size would be ideally suited to most women. Changes in strength and endurance resulting from eight weeks …

Locus Of Control And Self-Directed Learning As Predictors Of Well-Being In The Elderly, Deborah Gardner

Theses : Honours

Elderly people who remain mentally and physically active are more likely to be happy than those who do not (George, 1980; Toscland & Sykes, I 977). Demographic factors have usually accounted for only a small amount of the variance in well-being (Diener, 1984 ). Internal control, personal growth and direction in life might have more to do with well-being than demographic or personality factors (Ryff, 1995). This study examined the theoretical relationship between locus of control and self-directed learning readiness in the elderly and the predictability of self reported well-being from an internal locus of control and a self-directed learning …

Home Hospice Cancer Care: Family Members' Expectations, Perceptions And Satisfaction With Care, Kristina Medigovich

Theses : Honours

Increasingly, there is greater expectation by the public, as health consumers, that they will receive care from health professionals which meets their expectations and does not leave them dissatisfied. The stress experienced by families caring for a family member with advanced cancer may be complicated when they are dissatisfied with care received from health care professionals. To further promote family satisfaction it is important therefore for health professionals to understand the theoretical underpinning of family satisfaction with care. One theoretical explanation of family member satisfaction with advanced cancer care in the palliative care setting, Porter's Discrepancy Theory, was investigated in …

Monitoring Of Oxygen Saturation During And After Endoscopy, George Paul Van Lawick

Theses : Honours

Fibreoptic endoscopy is a common and relatively safe diagnostic and therapeutic procedure used to examine the gastrointestinal tract. Previous research has established that oxygen desaturation is common among patients undergoing endoscopy and is one of the few complications which may arise during, and after the procedure. Oxygen saturation (Sa0₂) is a measurement of the percentage of oxygen carried by the haemoglobin and can be measured noninvasively and accurately using a pulse oximeter. Oxygen desaturation is generally described as Sa0₂ levels at or below 90%. Currently there are no clear guidelines for the duration of Sa0₂ monitoring …

The Perception Of Effort During Muscular Fatigue And Recovery, Juan H. Svendsen

Theses : Honours

This study investigated how sense of effort is altered during fatigue in nine normal subjects. A contralateral limb matching paradigm was used in which the subjects nondominant (reference) arm was held at 20% MVC with force production matched at one minute intervals by the dominant (marching arm). It was found that matching force increased in a linear fashion with fatigue. It was also observed that EMG amplitude increased in the reference and matching arm and remained elevated during a 15 minute recovery period. As in previous studies strong correlation (r = 0.85) between rmsEMG in the reference arm and matching …

The Role Of Fas And Fas Ligand In Apoptosis During Regression Of The Corpus Luteum, Sharon Roughton

Theses : Honours

Apoptosis, a form of physiological cell death, has been found to occur during regression of the corpus luteum (Juengel etal, 1993; Dharmarajan etal, 1994). The pathways involved in this process, however, have yet to be specified. One possible mediator of corpus luteum regression is the Fas (or AP0-1 or CD95) receptor, a transmembrane protein which induces apoptosis in the cell when ligated. In order to further confirm this hypolhesis, the present study establishes and quantitates the presence and regulation of Fas receptor and Fas ligand (Fasl) in the rat corpus luteum during pregnancy and post-partum. The animals used were sexually …

The Ms. Stereotype : Could It Be A Health Risk?, Phillip Van Der Klift

Theses : Honours

Two studies extend previous findings of stereotyping (a) within the nursing context (Ganong, 1993; Ganong & Coleman, 1992, Ganong et al., 1988), and (b) in relation to female title of address (Dion, 1987; Dion & Cota, 1991; Dion & Schuller, 1991; Heilder, 1975). Against the theoretical background of person perception theory and its influence upon the therapeutic nurse client relationship, study 1 investigates the extent to which nurses' stereotype a vignetted female client on the basis of title of address. Fifty registered nurses from two hospitals rated their impressions and subsequent expectations of a vignetted client on the First Impressions …

Have A Safe Trip: An Investigation Of Rituals And Sanctions Surrounding Lsd Use, David Wellbourne-Wood

Theses : Honours

There is little recent literature which identifies social controls operating among illicit drug users in Perth, Western Australia. This hinders understanding of the local illicit drug scene and makes the formulation of appropriate harm reduction strategies difficult. This study is a qualitative investigation of rituals and social sanctions which surround the use of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD). The research describes these rituals and sanctions, and examines their various functions for eight experienced users. The research adopted elements of a phenomenological approach, using in-depth semi-structured interviews to elicit a description of users' subjective experiences with LSD, and Colaizzi's (1978) phenomenological analysis …

What Is The Intimate Experience Of Couples Following The Woman's Cancer-Related Breast Surgery?, Lynne Amor

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe and interpret the experience of couples following the woman's surgery for breast cancer, in order to gain an in depth understanding of how this mutilating surgery affects their everyday lives. Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in Australian women, and in most industrialised nations. Women in Australia have a one in fourteen lifetime risk of developing the disease. Little is known concerning what meanings this surgery brings to the intimacy experienced between partners. It is important to seek knowledge of the phenomenon of intimacy, how the couples understand …

Lymphoedema Following Surgery For Breast Cancer, Jacqueline Lord

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Lymphoedema of the ipsilateral upper limb is one of the most significant long term complications of the surgical treatment of breast cancer and may be described as a life sentence of bodily disfigurement. The resultant cosmetic disfigurement, physical discomfort and reduced physical mobility combined with the psychological sequelae, far exceeds the original expectations of the breast surgery patient (Tobin, Lacey, Meyer, and Mortimer, 1993). It is estimated that one hundred thousand women in Australia have developed lymphoedema (or will develop it before they die) as a result of mastectomy and radiotherapy alone (Casley-Smith, 1992). In breast cancer patients, lymphoedema can …

Home Visiting: The Effect Of A Hospital Based Nurse Home Visiting Programme On The Rehabilitation Of Children Following Their Discharge From A Child Psychiatry Inpatient Unit, Gordon H. Peers

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a nurse home visiting programme on the rehabilitation of children following their discharge from a dedicated child psychiatry hospital. The research was based on the premise that a nurse home visiting programme may have a positive influence on the outcomes of the rehabilitation of children following their discharge from hospital, if it reduced the need of outpatient appointments with the psychiatrist and the need for children to be re-admitted to hospital.

An Investigation Of A Theoretical Model Of Willingness To Donate Blood, Douglas Adam

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The Australian Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (ARCBTS) in Western Australian faces a major problem with periodic shortages of blood components. These shortages are expected to become more frequent and severe as demand continues to increase at a faster rate than supply. Given that only five percent of the population is registered as blood donors, clearly, the challenge for the ARCBTS is to encourage more people to become regular blood donors. The current study was undertaken to assist the ARCBTS in achieving this goal, by identifying and investigating the factors that influence people's willingness to donate blood. Based on the …

Health Educational Needs Of Middle Aged Men, Beth L. Hall

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this non-experimental, quantitative descriptive study was to identify the holistic health educational needs of middle aged men and to consider nursing interventions. Between the ages of forty to sixty years, physical illness can coincide with a cluster of social changes as well as the normal developmental mid-life review. This can result in a prolonged period of physical and emotional stress (Berger, 1994). Mortality statistics demonstrate that, in comparison to women, men in the 25 to 64 age group have higher rates of suicide, motor vehicle accidents, work place injuries, ischaemic heart disease, non gender specific cancers, and …

Fear, Frustration And The Will To Overcome: A Social History Of Poliomyelitis In Western Australia, John H. Smith

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis investigates community responses to Poliomyelitis, and the Impact of the disease on those who experienced It, particularly during the epidemics that occurred In Western Australia between 1938 and 1956. The research sources an.: W.A. Health Department records, held mostly at the Battye Library, records held by Australian Archives and Royal Perth Hospital, newspaper reports, comparative studies from several states in Australia and overseas, oral history interviews, biographies and personal records. The history of polio has several layers and the presence or the disease In the community evoked varied and ambiguous reactions, summarised here as fear, frustration and the …

The Parents' Experience Of Living In The Hospital With Their Sick Infant : A Phenomenological Study, Anne Bourke

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the essential structure of the lived experience of what it was to be a resident parent on the ward in a public hospital with a sick infant. Many studies have highlighted both benefits and problems associated with the concept of parental participation in care. The role of the parents in hospital needs to be identified and expressed by both the parents and the nurses, in order to ellucidate the needs of parents who live in with their sick infant. Eight parents were interviewed regarding their experiences of "living in" the hospital …

The Lived Experiences Of Single Teenage Mothers In Botswana : A Phenomenological Study, Tshepiso D. Mojapelo

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study was designed to explore-the lived-experiences of single teenage mothers in Botswana, as perceived by them. The participants were teenage mothers who had to leave school due.to pregnancy. They had either completed year one in secondary school or were in year two. Their ages ranged between 16 and 19 years. The ages of their babies range from five to 10 months, with the exception of one child who was three years old. All teenage mothers came from low socio-economic backgrounds with families whose parents were either not working, or were working in the lowest paying jobs as cleaners or …

The Mirror Within: An Art Therapy Research Project Identifying The Links Between Anorexia Nervosa, Object Relations And The Potential Role Of Art As The Transitional Object, Bronwen Gray

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research focuses on the use of art therapy with female teenage clients suffering from anorexia nervosa. The aim was to undertake a pilot study that would establish whether art therapy could assist in identifying anorexic clients' ego boundary delineations using an object relations framework (That is, either enmeshed, inter related or isolated). Utilising Elkisch's picture analysis procedure, client art works were analysed by contrasting positive and negative characteristics as a way of gaining insight into the client's boundary delineation cognition. Five female subjects aged between thirteen and sixteen, who were taking part in the eating disorders program, located in …

A Patient Management Program: The Evaluation Of A Combined Pre-Admission And Early Discharge Program, Lorna Rogers

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this descriptive study was to describe the evaluation of a 'Patient Management Program'. This managed care type of program combined a Pre-Admission Clinic and an Early Discharge Program. It was established as a twelve month pilot program at a major Western Australian public teaching hospital in January 1995. It aimed to provide a more efficient health service by replacing part of elective surgical patients' inpatient care with outpatient services. The first component of the Program was the Pre-Admission Clinic, which allowed patients to undergo pre-operative assessment and testing prior to admission to hospital, thus facilitating same day …

Living With Mental Illness: A Descriptive Study Of Individual Adult Experiences Of Living With Mental Illness In Zomba, Malawi, Ivy J. Lekera

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of mental illness in the adult Malawian context. Using the interpretive paradigm, content analysis was used to uncover the lived experiences of mental illness. This study was based on the philosophy that meaning of a phenomenon is best understood if studied within its specific context and within Parse's theoretical framework. Two to four per cent of the global population share the experience of mental illness, however, little is known of individual experiences within the Malawian context. Much of the literature has focused on the physiological aspects, causes, and therapies involved …

Labour And Birth Information Needs Of First Time Mothers In Malawi And Satisfaction With Information Received, Address M. Malata

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Giving labour and birth information to first time mothers is one of the challenges facing the midwives in Malawi. There are many underlying health and soeioeconomic problems facing the people of Malawi particularly mothers in the child bearing age because of inadequate human and material resources in the health sector. This thesis presents findings of a study carried out in Malawi to explore labour and birth information given to first time mothers at hospitals and in the communities. Maternal satisfaction with the information received was determined. In addition labour and birth information needs of first time mothers in Malawi were …