Nursing Commons^™

What Parish Are You From?: A Chicago Irish Community And Race Relations, Eileen M. Mcmahon

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Remembering Family Breakdown: A Heideggerian Hermeneutical Analysis, Janet Nelson Wray

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Experience Of Foster Families Of Cocaine-Exposed Infants, Sharon Holt Jackson Barton

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Menopause: An Exploration Of Career Womens Experience, Elizabeth S. Carlson

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

"Well-Growness" Of The Newborn And Factors Contributing To Low Birth Weight, Diane Buck Kruse Dnsc

Dissertations

The problem of determining risk factors and antecedents of birth weight is multifactorial. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of pre-pregnancy health status, prenatal care, stress, negative life style practices, nutritional status during pregnancy, and placental perfusion on the well-growness of the newborn (birth weight) in five time orderings and to examine the interaction of these variables on each other. The theoretical framework was a physiologic one centering on the effects of the proposed variables on the well-growness outcome. This prospective study used a correlational design with path analytic techniques. A sample of 160 pregnant women …

The Environment: Alive, Whole, Interconnected And Interacting, Dorothy Kleffel Dnsc, Mph, Bsn, Rn

Dissertations

Nurses frequently care for individuals whose conditions are related to destructive environmental influences. Although the environment is a central construct in the nursing paradigm, its definition is client oriented, circumscribed, and does not adequately explain situations emanating from the larger physical, social, cultural, political, or economic spheres of the environment. This research described an expanded, ideal, environmental nursing domain derived from selected upstream scholars whose work has addressed broad environmental dimensions. Using the concept of future search, once this idealized environmental domain is envisioned, the nursing profession can begin to discover the knowledge base that is needed in order to …

Integrating Chronic Illness Into One's Life: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Susan Rush Michael Dnsc, Ms, Rn

Dissertations

Chronic illness is currently the number one health problem facing the United States; however, little is known about the experience of making chronic illness a part of one's life, particularly from the perspective of the chronically ill person. If nurses are to assist people in living with chronic illness, then an understanding of this experience is essential. Therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological inquiry was to explore how chronically ill adults integrate chronic illness into their lives. Seventeen chronically ill adults were interviewed by the researcher, and asked to describe how they integrated chronic illness into their lives. Each interview …

Implementation Of A Prone Position Pressure Injury Prevention Bundle In The Picu, Lauren Hacker

Dissertations

Pronation is a low cost, high value intervention used in treating children and adults with Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Hospital-acquired pressure injury is the most common complication of pronation. While the presence of PI bundles and protocols have been shown to reduce incidence of PI in the prone position there is no standard bundle or protocol found in the literature, and no bundle or protocol specific to pediatric patients. The purpose of this quality improvement project is to create and implement a prone position pressure injury prevention bundle, called “Prone Pack”. This QI project setting was a 40 bed …

The Lived Experiences Of Nurses' Interactions With Ethnically Diverse Clients: A Phenomenological Perspective, Colette R. York Dnsc, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

This study explored the phenomenon of nurses' lived experiences while interacting with clients who were ethnically dissimilar to themselves in a variety of nursing care settings including acute care, ambulatory care and public health. This study is timely, especially in the county in which the study was conducted because of the ongoing influx of legal and illegal immigrants from diverse foreign geographic locales. Van Kaam's method for conducting phenomenological studies was employed for data gathering, categorizing and analyzing. Categories were stated in terms of perceptions and feelings. The most frequently stated perceptual moments included perceiving client ethnicities based on physical …

Effects Of Family Stress, Family Social Support, And Family Balance On Maternal Adaptation In Post Birth Families, Constance H. Blake Hansen Dnsc, Mn, Rn

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the effects of perinatal family stress, family social support, and family balance on post birth maternal adaptation. The birth of a new infant is a transitional event that causes stress to the individuals within the family and the family as a unit. The childbearing woman has been identified as the core of the expanding family. Her adaptive level is critical to the integration of the new infant into the family unit. Stress and support are important variables in maternal adaptation, yet the specific relationship of these variables as they relate to the …

Factors Associated With Women's Decisions To Obtain Routine Cervical Cancer Screening In A Prepaid Health Care System, Vicki Debaca Dnsc

Dissertations

The focus of this research study was to explore the factors affecting women's decisions to participate in preventive cervical cancer screening using a conceptual model proposed by Cummings, Becker, and Maile (1980). This descriptive-comparative study investigated the effect between the components of this model (age, education level, race, general barriers, psychological barriers, evaluation of health care, threat of illness, knowledge, social network) and the outcome variable of intent to participate in cervical cancer screening examinations. This study also examined whether there were differences in the predictor variables between two groups of women: those that have had a recent Pap examination …

Personal Meaning In The Elderly: A Heideggerian Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study, Diane Heliker

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

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 …

The Relationship Between Prenatal Maternal Attachment, Postpartum Depressive Symptoms And Maternal Role Attainment, Eileen R. Fowles

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Quality Of Life Predictors: Heart Transplant Spouses, Eileen G. Collins

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

From Untrained Nurses Toward Professional Preparation In Montana, 1912-1987, A. Gretchen Mcneely Dnsc, Msn, Rnc

Dissertations

Since the American Nurses' Association (ANA) published its first position paper in 1965 and in 1978 reaffirmed its position on the educational preparation for nursing practice at the ANA National Biennium, the Montana Nurses' Association (MNA) has maintained a consistent position that a minimum of the baccalaureate degree in nursing should be required for licensure as a professional nurse. As of the closure of the 1987 session, the MNA had not yet been able to secure legislation for this requirement. The influence of the Montana Nurses' Association on the legislative process regarding the regulatory efforts of the profession from 1912 …

Sociolinguistic Dimensions Of Nurse Practitioner Practice: A Question Of Power, Merrily J. Allen Dnsc, Mn, Rn

Dissertations

Ethnographic methods were used to examine the sociolinguistic dimensions of female nurse practitioner interactions with female patients. The purpose was to provide a contextual account of the discursive practices used by the nurse practitioners during routine office visits with female patients. Direction for this research was provided by my concern about power inherent in professional-client dyadic relationships. Data collection methods included formal and informal interviews, participant observation and audio taping nurse-patient encounters. Nine nurse practitioners and 26 patients participated in the study in both private and public ambulatory care settings. Data analysis yielded two concurrent story lines which I labeled …

Meta-Analysis On Costing Out Nursing Services, Judith G. Eckhart Dnsc

Dissertations

This descriptive meta-analytic study investigated 73 primary studies on costing out nursing services. A critical review of the literature revealed that findings from the various published and unpublished studies were inconsistent and inconclusive. This meta-analysis integrated the literature to identify the relationships between nursing costs and a second variable. The most frequently reported variables among the primary studies were compared using Pearson r correlations and percentages. The variables of total and direct nursing costs were correlated to the variables of length of stay, direct nursing care hours, hospital costs, and diagnostic related grouping (DRG) reimbursements. Analysis was conducted two ways. …

Being Pregnant And Using Drugs: A Retrospective Phenomenological Inquiry, Merry A. Armstrong Dnsc, Msn

Dissertations

Qualitative methodology was employed to conduct a phenomenological inquiry describing the structure of the experience of being pregnant and using drugs. The purpose of the study was to explore the nature of women's experience and perception of the interaction, relationship, and intersection of contextual phenomena of lifestyle, pregnancy, and substance abuse. Data gathering and analysis was accomplished using guidelines provided by Spiegelberg and Van Manen. Eleven mothers voluntarily participating in a recovery program described their prior experience of being addicted and pregnant during 2 conversations with the researcher. Through transcript analysis of the first audio-taped interview, major and minor themes …

How Latinas Come To Know About Aids And Aids Prevention, Patricia Walker Caudle Dnsc, Mnsc, Fnp, Rnc

Dissertations

By the year 2000, Latinos will become the largest minority group in the United States. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is occurring at a disproportionately high rate among Latinos. As care-giver and health decision-maker in the family, the Latina needs to know about AIDS and AIDS prevention. This research identified and offers an explanation of how the Latina comes to know about AIDS and AIDS prevention within the context of the family and the Latino culture. Grounded theory methodology was used to explore the complex socialization patterns within the Latino community that affect how the Latina perceives HIV/AIDS. Data were collected …

Factors Influencing A Battered Woman's Perception Of Controllability In Violent Intimate Relationships, Patricia Ann Chin Dnsc, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

Despite the fact that domestic violence has been the focus of empirical investigation for more than twenty years, little is known about the phenomenon. While the available body of knowledge provides a sketchy picture of the abused woman and her abuser, and helps to dispel many of the myths surrounding spousal abuse, it provides very little insight into the dynamics of wife abuse. This study, based upon a foundation of the Reformulated Learned Helplessness Theory, was designed to explore the nature of the relationships among concepts that have been identified within the context of battering, and that were thought to …

Baccalaureate Reentry Students: Effects Of Professional Support On Role Conflict And Role Transition, Ruth N. Grendell Dnsc, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

An increasing number of registered nurses and other health care providers are entering upper division academic nursing programs to obtain the baccalaureate nursing degree. A path analytic model was developed to examine the interrelationships of multiple roles and focal role commitments, previous education, work experience, and role conflicts perceived by reentry adult students, and the influence of professional support in the subsequent transition to the professional role. Group differences between Registered Nurses (RNs) and military corpsmen were also investigated for the variables of importance. A sample of 206 RNs and 37 U.S. Navy corpsmen (from a current population of 96) …

Managing Patient Care: A Substantive Theory Of Clinical Decision Making In Home Health Care Nursing, Felicitas A. Dela Cruz Dnsc, Ma, Rn

Dissertations

This study investigates the phenomenon of clinical decision making, deriving a grounded substantive theory to explain how home health care nurses make patient care decisions. Despite the continuing shift of health care from acute care settings to the patient's home, little is known about home health care nurses' clinical decision making processes and the factors influencing them. The study employs a field research design using grounded theory based on symbolic interactionism. Data collection at two Visiting Nurse Associations includes participant observation and open-ended interviews of 21 nurses, and document analysis of patients' records and home care nursing practice policies. The …

Organized Nursing In The Silver State: A History Of The Nevada Nurses' Association, Ellen Suzanne Fries Dnsc, Mn, Rnc

Dissertations

Membership in a professional organization traditionally has been considered one of the characteristics of a person avowed to practice a profession. The purpose of this study was to conduct an historical analysis of the Nevada Nurses' Association (NNA) to determine the influence of national, state, and local societal issues on the evolution of the organization. Data was collected from the Nevada Historical Society in Reno, the NNA state office, the Special Collections at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the Nursing Archives at Boston University. Articles in professional and lay literature also provided information. Organization theory and congruence with …

Nurse Leaders: The Relationship Between Return To School And Sex Role Traits, Family Demographics And Household Responsibilities, Mary Lynn Anderson

Dissertations

The purposes of this study were: (a) to describe differences , if any, in sex-role traits, age and number of children, proportionate income, and responsibility for household tasks and childcare between female registered nurses who return to college and those who do not; and (b) to extend the research regarding the adult learner's return to college in the specific area of baccalaureate degree completion by registered nurses. Chi square and analysis of variance of survey data, and interviews were used in determining differences between the student and nonstudent groups.

Four hypotheses were tested. The only hypothesis which was supported was …

Elders Caring For Elders: Risk Of Abuse And Neglect?, Marjorie F. Bendik Dnsc, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the phenomena of mood disturbance and associated potential to abuse in an elderly caregiver population. The data from which the results were obtained came from structured interviews, using quantitative measures, with 110 men and women caregivers aged 55 and over, living at home and caring for another physically or mentally ill elder (usually a spouse or other relative) who was living with them. A causal model was developed to examine the effects of locus of control, social support, physical health, stress perception, and coping efficacy on total mood disturbance and potential to abuse. Standardized …

Factors Related To Self-Care Agency And Self-Care Practices Of Obese Adolescents, Kathy Shadle James Dnsc, Msn, Rn

Dissertations

Identification of factors that influence obese adolescents' health behaviors is necessary if obese adolescents are to benefit from therapeutic interventions. The purpose of this descriptive-correlational study was to identify the relationships between selected basic conditioning factors (BCFs)--perceived health status (PHS), perceived self-efficacy (PSE), family satisfaction (FS), and life events (LE)--and the self-care agency (SCA) and self-care practices (SCP) among obese adolescents. The relative predictive strength of each BCF in relation to the outcome variables was also explored. Orem's self-care theory provided the conceptual framework for this study. The convenience sample of 100 obese adolescents included campers from two southern California …

A Model Of Organizational Commitment In Staff Nurses, Donna Burgener Adams Dnsc

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe and explain the impact of work stress, sex role organization, and organizational tenure on self-esteem and work satisfaction, and ultimately, on the organizational commitment of registered nurses. An eclectic framework was utilized which incorporated organizational and personal variables. The correlational design resulted in a temporally ordered causal recursive model with linkages supported by a literature review. Past research has demonstrated less organizationally committed nurses more prone to leave their positions, and high turnover is detrimental to patient care as well as costly to the health care system. The sample consisted of 143 …

Factors Related To Body Image Appraisal Associated With Receiving Treatment For A Malignant Brain Tumor, Ruth Ann Mulnard Dnsc

Dissertations

Within a stress-coping-adaptation framework, a path analytic model was hypothesized to explain the interrelationships among the variables of gender, age, duration of illness, steroid dosage, social support, perceived health status limitations, and coping skills, and their subsequent effect on body image appraisal in the population of subjects undergoing treatment for a malignant brain tumor. The many potential changes in physical appearance and functional abilities, including the loss of hair, the onset of Cushing's syndrome and varied physical disabilities, may cause devastating alterations in body image, requiring tremendous coping skills for adaptation in these individuals. One hundred and ten subjects were …

The Moral Reasoning Of Nurse Practitioners, Diane C. Viens Dnsc, Ms, Fnp, Rnc

Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify the moral dilemmas experienced by nurse practitioners in their clinical practice and to describe the essential features of moral reasoning utilized by the nurse practitioners to resolve the moral dilemma. The participants in the study were ten female volunteers who were currently employed as NPs in a variety of settings. Unstructured interviews were conducted with the participants and the qualitative data was analyzed using a nine step process. Five essential features of moral reasoning emerged through the process of data analysis: values, elements in the contextual framework for moral reasoning, influencing …