Nursing Commons^™

The Degree And Time-Course Of Stress In The Patient Undergoing Cardiac Surgery, Hulda Esther Serra, Patricia Jo Yvonne Tygret

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

An important nursing objective is to assist patients through stressful experiences. It has been assumed that cardiac surgery constitutes such a stress situation. For this reason, twenty-two patients undergoing cardiac surgery at Loma Linda University Hospital studied for the purpose of exploring the degree and time-course of were psychological stress.

The methodology consisted of administration of psychological tests before and after surgery; determination of urine catecholamines (UCA) before, during and after surgery; administration of a coping assessment tool before surgery, and a recall interview on the fifth day after surgery. The Multiple Affect Adjective Check List (MAACL)-Today form, and the …

Effect Of Lateral Positioning On Central Venous Pressure, Romelda C. Jereos

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This experimental study was conducted to investigate the effects of lateral positioning on central venous pressure. It was hypothesized that lateral positioning would not significantly change the central venous pressure so long as the subjects were placed on the same horizontal plane for both supine and lateral measurements. It was also hypothesized that the length of time spent in the lateral position would not alter the pressure.

It is recognized that several factors do indeed play important roles in the maintenance of central venous pressure. The effect of one particular influencing factor, gravity, was central to this study. The difference …

Bacteriuria As A Precursor Of Intracatheter Encrustation, Namcy Moll

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The problem with which this study was concerned was the development of criteria that could be used to determine when urinary catheter changes were necessary. By determining when encrustation occurred, it was felt that some complications could be eliminated by changing catheters before obstruction occurred due to encrustation.

It was the purpose of this study to: 1) explore some indications for catheter change, 2) determine if encrustation of urinary catheters necessitates catheter change, and 3) estimate potential criteria for a routine time for catheter changes.

Forty-five catheters were examined after their removal from patients. Flow rates were determined on 33 …

The Effect Of Early Postpartum Teaching Of Infant Feeding On Maternal Concern, Linda M. Richter, K. Judy Toews

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

An experimental study was conducted on thirty primiparae during the postpartum period to determine if individualized instruction regarding infant feeding would result in a lower level of maternal concern in this area. The study sample was randomly and evenly divided into a control and an experimental group. It was statistically determined that the two groups were homogeneous in regard to age, education, occupation, previous information (prenatal classes and reading) and help at home. The experimental group received individualized instruction by the researchers concerning their chosen method of infant feeding on the second postpartum day. There was no instruction given the …

Using A Participating Relationship To Improve Teen-Age Unwed Mother's Self-Esteem, Linda Gail Reeves

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The study was to provide an approach to help teen-age unwed mothers increase their feelings of self-esteem and thereby attain a conceptual buffer for better coping with life. Self-esteem was defined as individual perception of the worth of oneself relative to that of significant others. The hypothesis tested was that the participating relationship a community health nurse has with a teen-age unwed mother will significantly increase the mother's self-esteem as measured by statistical Q-Sort analysis.

A convenience sample of twenty teen-age unwed mothers was obtained from referrals from San Bernardino County Health, Welfare, and Probation Departments. The girls were between …

A Comparison Of Various Teaching Methods For Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases, B. Carol Altizer, Nancy S. Bailey

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to find out whether patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (C.O.P.D.) learn more from auditory or from visual teaching. Of the 30 patients in the sample, 10 used a programmed instruction booklet, 10 used a taped recording of the same programmed material and 10 were in a control group which received no specific teaching.

A pre-test was given to each of the patients who met the criteria for the study. One researcher gave the pre-test through an oral interview with the patient. After the pre-test, the patient received the teaching device assigned to him …

Relationship Of Ventilation Ability And Positioning In Left-Sided Congestive Heart Failure Patients, Nancy E. Carson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Proper positioning is used to relieve dyspnea, edema, and fatigue in congestive heart failure patients. According to the review of literature, improved ventilation as measured by specific lung volumes and lung mechanics occurred with upright positioning in normal persons. The effects of specific changes in lung volumes related to position change in congestive heart failure patients has not been documented in literature, although various recommendations related to positioning are made. This exploratory study was undertaken with nine congestive heart failure patients to see if a relationship existed between degree of head elevation and lung ventilation ability as measured by water-bell …

Effects Of A Series Of Nurse-Patient Interactions On Multiple Sclerosis Patients, Lynne Campbell

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of the study was to learn whether a series of nurse-patient interactions would result in changed psychophysiologic functioning in multiple sclerosis patients.

Psychophysiologic relationships were described in the theoretical framework. Literature, reviewed in the areas of disease description and psychotherapeutic approaches to treatment, indicated that there is a high incidence of multiple sclerosis in the United States; that symptoms often include psychological alterations; that there is an emotional component to the illness; that these patients have a need for a psychotherapeutic relationship; and that psychotherapeutic approaches may have beneficial psychophysiologic effects.

Two groups of multiple sclerosis subjects were …

Influence Of Hospital Communication On Health Supervision Of High-Risk Infants, Alda L. Forte

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The study was conducted to explore the extent to which communication about high-risk infants identified prior to hospital discharge, influences the public health nursing supervision to these infants during the neonatal period. A high-risk infant was defined as one that stands a greater than average chance of developing neonatal, life threatening disease or sequellae (physical, intellectual, or social handicap) due usually to maternal health or social factors, infant factors such as length of gestation, birth trauma, or complications at birth. The hypothesis tested was that when high-risk infants are identified prior to hospital discharge and this information communicated on the …

Depression And Uncooperativeness In Public Health Patients, P. Sherrill Baugher, Nancy Lynn Swan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine whether uncooperative behavior and a quantitative measurement of depression exist in the same patient in a public health nurse's caseload. Seven full-time public health nurses were randomly selected from the San Bernardino Public Health Department staff. They reviewed their caseloads and selected all the patients who met the general criteria.

Patients were then classified as cooperative or uncooperative based on the following specific criteria: (1) gives unreliable information, (2) uses the nurse as a "buffer" between helping agencies, (3) demands immediate gratification of requests in a stressful situation, (4) makes only token …

Cold For Relief Of Postoperative Limitation Of Activity Due To Incisional Pain, Haroldine Roberts

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study was concerned with testing the effectiveness of cold to aid the cholecystectomy patient in performing certain selected activities usually inhibited by incisional pain.

Available references of the effects of cold on the abdominal area were studied to formulate a method of approach as no previous methodology was found in the literature.

The experimental method of research was used on a sample of 18 cholecystectomy patients meeting the criteria for the study, independent variable for the 10 patients in the experimental the application of cold over the closed incision, plastic bag covered with one thickness of towel was used …

Sensory Stimulation To Influence Body Awareness In The Adult Hemiplegic Patient, Sue Carol Bradley

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

An experimental study was conducted in four convalescent facilities using fourteen CVA patients with body scheme disturbances. The study was done to test the hypothesis that the experimental technique of light touch sensory stimulation as supplied by fast brushing to the skin dermatomes C 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the affected arms would increase the scores of the subjects in the experimental group.

Patients were assigned via a random process to the experimental or control groups if, upon taking the MacDonald Test of Body Scheme, they obtained a score of 39 or below. Subjects in the experimental group received …