Nursing Commons^™

Listening Sessions With Latinas: Documenting Life Contexts And Creating Connections, Ruth Belknap, Leona Vandevusse

Ruth A Belknap

Objective: To use listening sessions with groups of Latinas to develop a contextual understanding of the lives of immigrant women to inform program development and ultimately better serve the community's needs for domestic violence services.

Design and Sample: This study was exploratory and descriptive, mixing qualitative listening sessions with quantitative methods. Seven listening group sessions were facilitated with 63 women participating.

Measures: Data included information from a short demographic questionnaire, texts of narrative from the sessions, and tallies of thematic comments made during the listening sessions.

Results: Themes derived from aggregated data from the listening sessions …

When I Was In My Home I Suffered A Lot: Mexican Women’S Descriptions Of Abuse In Family Of Origin, Ruth Belknap, Nancy Cruz

Ruth A Belknap

In this descriptive study we employ episodic narrative interviews and narrative analysis to explore experiences of abuse and violence within the families of origin of Mexican women entering adulthood. Twenty-four Mexican women, 18 years of age and about to graduate from a residential school in central Mexico, were interviewed about life in their families of origin. Participants were from several Mexican states and of low socioeconomic status. Nineteen of the participants described either witnessing or experiencing violence or abuse within their families. We present an analysis of the interviews in which violence or abuse was disclosed. Women who witnessed violence …

Short Of Transformation: American Adn Students' Thoughts, Feelings, And Experiences Of Studying Abroad In A Low-Income Country, Cynthia Foronda, Ruth Belknap

Ruth A Belknap

ADN students are a large yet distinct subgroup of nursing students who require research and understanding. The purpose of this study was to describe the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of American associate degree nursing (ADN) students who participated in a short study abroad course in a low-income country. A qualitative, narrative method was used. Three categories emerged from the analysis. Participants revealed thoughts of “constant comparisons”, feelings of an “emotional journey”, and they experienced “learning”. Participants did not demonstrate perspective transformation as defined by Mezirow as participants signified no intent for social action. Several potential blocks to perspective transformation were …

Te Contaria Mi Vida: I Would Tell You My Life, If Only You Would Ask, Ruth Belknap, Pilar Sayeed

Ruth A Belknap

Universal screening for domestic violence is recommended in many health care settings. This qualitative study was undertaken to explore the thoughts and feelings of Mexican American women regarding being asked questions about domestic violence by a health care provider. We wanted to further explore what characteristics about a nurse, or other health care provider, would give a woman confianza, the trust necessary to discuss this issue. Seven women, who self identified as abused or formerly abused, were recruited from a pool of Spanish-speaking women receiving services from a rural domestic violence agency in the midwestern United States. The researchers found …

Teaching Social Justice Using A Pedagogy Of Engagement, Ruth Belknap

Ruth A Belknap

Teaching an undergraduate level diversity course with a health focus requires specific teaching methods. A pedagogy of engagement provides an effective strategy for exploring issues of race, class, gender, and structural inequalities that underlie health disparities. Engagement learning enhances understanding of theories of oppression and liberation presented in the course and highlights social justice issues.

Southeast Asian Refugee Children: Self-Esteem As A Predictor Of Depression And Scholastic Achievement In The U.S., Patricia G. Fox, Kenneth R. Burns, Judith M. Popovich, Ruth Belknap, Marilyn Frank-Stromborg

Ruth A Belknap

The eruption of conflicts and war in this century has led to new masses of refugees and displaced persons. Globally, host countries will continue to confront issues of how to ensure the successful adaptation of refugees who typically are women and children. The United States received three major waves of Southeast Asian (SEA) refugees during the past twenty-five years. One million SEA refugees arrived in the past decade; the majority were children and adolescents. Today, there is still a lack of understanding surrounding mental health issues and their relationship to children's violence experience. We know that SEA refugee children suffered …

Crossing Borders In Search Of The Mother-Daughter Story: Interdependence Across Time And Distance, Ruth Belknap

Ruth A Belknap

Although studies have identified the importance of the mother–daughter relationship and of familism in Mexican culture, there is little in the literature about the mother–daughter experience after daughters have migrated to the United States. This study explores relationships between three daughters in America and their mothers in Mexico, and describes ways in which interdependence between mothers and daughters can be maintained when they are separated by borders and distance. Data collection included prolonged engagement with participants, field notes, and tape-recorded interviews. Narrative analysis techniques were used. Findings suggest mother–daughter interdependence remains. Some aspects may change, but the mother–daughter connection continues …