Nursing Commons^™

Exploring The Differences Between Adult Cancer Survivors And Their Caregivers' Social Support, Self-Efficacy For Physical Activity, Physical Activity Behavior, And Quality Of Life, Fedricker Diane Barber

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Less than 20% of cancer survivors meet recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines. Research reporting positive impact of social support on PA in cancer survivors has not included their caregivers' PA. A review of the literature examining social support and PA in cancer survivors supported including caregivers in developing strategies to increase PA in cancer survivors. The purposes of this study were: (1) to explore the differences and relationships between adult cancer survivors' and caregivers' social support, self-efficacy for physical activity (SEPA), PA, and quality of life (QOL), and (2) understand cancer survivors and caregivers' perception of social support in PA …

Effects On Resilience Of Caregivers Of Persons With Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role Of Positive Cognitions, Abir K. Bekhet, Norah L. Johnson, Jaclene A. Zauszniewski

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

BACKGROUND: Approximately 2.8 million people in the United States are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Family caregivers manage many aspects of their care, which is demanding, overwhelming, and can affect their mental health. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of caregiver burden (risk factor) and positive cognitions (protective factors) on resourcefulness(resilience indicator) in 95 caregivers of persons with ASD. DESIGN: Descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional. RESULTS: Positive cognitions explained 32% of the variance in resourcefulness, F(1, 93) = 44.49, p < .001, and as positive cognitions increased, caregivers’ resourcefulness increased. A substantial drop in the beta weight of caregiver burden from B = −.36 to −.04 when positive cognitions was entered the equation suggested that positive cognitions mediated the effect …

Caregivers’ Incongruence: Emotional Strain In Caring For Persons With Stroke, Linda L. Pierce, Teresa L. Thompson, Amy L. Govoni, Victoria Steiner

Nursing Faculty Publications

Purpose:Guided by Friedemann's framework, the purpose of this study was to examine the dimensions of new family caregivers’ emotional strain in caring for persons with stroke. Method: Seventy-three caregivers who were new to that role participated in an interview every 2 weeks for a year as part of a NIH project. Of these caregivers, 36 participants were randomly assigned and had access to a Web-based intervention and its e-mail discussion. In this secondary data analysis, 2,148 e-mail discussion messages plus 2,455 narrative interview entries were used to examine dimensions of caregivers’ emotional strain. Rigorous content analysis was applied to these …

The Role Of Faith And Spirituality In The Work Of End-Of-Life Caregivers, Edward P. Stannard

Master of Arts in Religious Studies (M.A.R.S. Theses)

Nurses, certified nursing assistants and other healthcare workers who care for those who are terminally ill face issues of mortality and even existential questions every day on the job. These professionals, who have intimate contact with their patients daily, must find an inner source of strength and perseverance in order to face people who are at the end of their lives, who may be in pain, and who frequently are alone in their rooms aside from the institution’s staff. This study asks whether an inner sense of religious faith or spirituality helps end-of-life healthcare workers conduct their daily tasks and …

The Meaning Of Parenteral Hydration To Family Caregivers And Patients With Advanced Cancer Receiving Hospice Care., Marlene Z. Cohen, Isabel Torres-Vigil, Beth E. Burbach, Allison De La Rosa, Eduardo Bruera

Journal Articles: College of Nursing

CONTEXT: In the U.S., patients with advanced cancer who are dehydrated or have decreased oral intake almost always receive parenteral hydration in acute care facilities but rarely in the hospice setting.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the meaning of hydration for terminally ill cancer patients in home hospice care and for their primary caregivers.

METHODS: Phenomenological interviews were conducted at two time points with 85 patients and 84 caregivers enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial examining the efficacy of parenteral hydration in patients with advanced cancer receiving hospice care in the southern U.S. Transcripts were analyzed hermeneutically by the interdisciplinary research …

Patients' And Caregivers' Inside Perspectives: Living With A Left-Ventricular Assist Device As Destination Therapy, Linda Marcuccilli

Wayne State University Dissertations

Left-ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have improved the quality of life for many patients with advanced heart failure. Past research focused on technology issues and survival rates, but patients' and caregivers' perspectives of living with an LVAD as a destination therapy (e.g., permanent alternative to transplant) was not explored. Roy's adaptation model provided a framework to guide an understanding of how participants adjusted and accepted living with destination therapy. A hermeneutic-phenomenology as described by van Manen was used to explore and describe the essence of destination therapy from patients' and caregivers' perspectives in order to understand the meaning of this experience. …