Nursing Commons^™

A Comparison Of Self-Esteem And Health Locus Of Control In Adolescents With Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, Janice Mace

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study was a descriptive survey establishing a baseline level of self-esteem and health locus of control in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) adolescents. The purpose of the research was to study and describe health behaviors of IDDM adolescents in regards to self-concept and health locus of control. These behaviors are believed to have life-long ramifications on the IDDM adolescent's health status.

The sample consisted of 91 IDDM adolescents, 34 male and 57 female, in a nonrandom convenience cluster attending a 10-day summer camp.

Null hypothesis one was: Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus would make no difference at the .05 level …

The Effect Of Exercise On Blood Flow In Pregnant Guinea Pigs, Marjorie Correll Sladek

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Recent investigations have shown decreased fetal weight in pregnant animals who were exercised regularly during pregnancy (Gilbert; Nelson; Longo, 1979; Terada, 1974). The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate fetal weight gain and measure blood flow in pregnant guinea pigs who were exercised 45 minutes per day; and thus answer the hypothesis that prolonged maternal exercise will cause decreased weight gain and decreased placental blood flow during pregnancy.

Twenty pregnant guinea pigs were exercised 15 minutes three times daily from 10 days gestation to approximately 60-62 days gestation (67 days being term) and were compared with 19 control …

Environmental Enrichment And Nursing Therapy With Comatose Patients : Two Case Studies, Marilyne R. Sayler

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

As a part of a larger research project with comatose patients the problem stated for this portion of the research study was to investigate the potential for identifying whether or not the quality of nursing care for comatose patients could be improved by nursing therapy with environmental enrichment and meaningful systematic orienting stimuli given by professional nurse clinicians and a patient's significant others. The effects of the orienting stimuli were measured by observable changes in arousal patterns in serial electroencephalograms (EEGs) , level of arousal as scored on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and selected measures of recovery outcome (RO). …

Paternal Childbirth Satisfaction And Locus Of Control, Jane Darany

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A comparative study was done to evaluate the relationship of paternal childbirth satisfaction to locus of control. The purpose of the study was to measure locus of control and satisfaction with the childbirth experience and to determine what factors or events influence childbirth experience among fathers.

The sample consisted of 34 first-time fathers whose ages ranged from 20 to 40 years. Four were unmarried and 30 were married. All had attended childbirth education classes with the mother and all were present at the delivery. The hypotheses were: Null: Fathers' satisfaction with the childbirth experience is independent of their locus of …

The Effects Of Weekly Or Biweekly Clinical Problem-Solving Supervision On Symptoms Of Burnout In Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurses, Jane M. Bacon

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The syndrome of burnout, which involves negative emotional, psychological, and physical reactions to continuous, work-related stress, is becoming a widely-recognized job hazard for employees in health care settings. The main objective of this retrospective and descriptive study was to investigate the effect of weekly or biweekly, clinical, problem-solving supervision on the following symptoms of burn out on psychiatric/mental health nurses: absenteeism, job turnover rate, job performance ratings. The sample consisted of two groups of psychiatric/mental health nurses who were employees of a major midwestern, private psychiatric treatment facility. The problem was to determine whether the occurrence or reduction of the …

Support Systems Of Mexican-American Women And Their Attitudes Regarding Infant Feeding, Susan Marie Krantz

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This was a descriptive study of 37 recently migrated to the United States, Spanish-speaking, Mexican-American women. Attitudes and support systems associated with their choice to breast or bottle feed their infants were studied. The purpose of this research was to answer the following questions:

1. What are the differences in the attitudes of Mexican- American primiparas who choose to breast feed and those who choose to bottle feed?

2. What are the differences in the practice, recommendations, and proximity of location of significant members of the women's support systems?

Twenty-one breast feeders and 16 bottle feeders were interviewed in Spanish …

The Effect Of Individual Instruction Versus Group Instruction On Compliance In C.O.P.D. Patients, Renee L. Hills

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Because of the evolution of hospitals from general care to acute care centers, the need for more outpatient therapy programs had increased in an effort to aid patients in managing their health care at home. As a result, health care professionals were concerned with the extent to which patients would follow their medication and treatment programs. Marston estimated that approximately 30 to 35 percent of patients fail to follow their physicians' medical recommendations (Marston, 1970).

Discovering a means of insuring patient compliance was a prevalent concern in the nursing and medical professions. Previously we had attempted to blame noncompliance on …

The Relationship Of Professional Educational Level And Experience On The Attitudes Of Nursing Personnel Towards The Alcoholic, Patricia Pruett Barnes

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The abuse of alcohol is the most serious and pervasive substance abuse program in the country, outranking heroin addiction in the number of people affected, in cost, and in psychological-social-familial upheaval. Health problems generated by the excessive consumption of alcohol require that the nurse play a significant role in the care and treatment of alcoholics and their significant others, such role de riving its importance from the direct professional relationship which develops between the nurse and the client. In order to provide meaningful and effective nursing care to alcoholics, the nurse must have a thorough understanding of the disease known …

The Effect Of Natural Measures To Aid In Sleep As Compared With The Use Of Flurazepam 30 Milligrams As Seen In The Hospitalized Male Patient, Myra Ladd Thompson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Sleep is necessary for physical and psychological restoration of the body. Studies indicate that tissue repair is augmented during sleep, showing that rates of protein synthesis and of mitotic division are higher at times of rest and sleep. Studies evaluating sleep-deprived subjects reveal that after loss of normal sleep, some types of memory and learning processes are impaired. These subjects generally become anxious and irritable, especially after loss of dreaming sleep.

Sleeping medications have been implicated by observers and researchers to be a cause of altered sleep patterns. These medications not only disrupt normal sleep cycles, but their continued use …

The Effects Of Pregnancy On Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Julia Christensen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The safety of pregancy for the woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has long been studied. Controversy exists about the occurrence of exacerbations during pregnancy and the effect these exacerbations will have on the basic disease process. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect pregnancy would have in precipitating exacerbation of disease activity. The investigation was carried out by comparing two matched groups of women with SLE, one group pregnant and the other group nonpregnant. The difference in occurrence of exacerbation among the three trimesters of pregnancy and the pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and postpartum periods was also studied. …

A Comparative Study On The Frequency Of Respiratory, Gastrointestinal, And Allergic Disorders Between Bottle-Fed And Breast-Fed Infants From Birth To Twelve Weeks Of Age, Sylvia C. Souza

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Questions concerning the advantages of breast-feeding have been debated since the introduction of commercially-prepared formula about 50 years ago. Some recognized benefits of breast milk include less respiratory as well as other Infections, less allergy in infancy and later life, and a lower morbidity rate in less-developed countries. From 1955 to 1971 in the United States there was a decline in the incidence of breast feeding related to several factors which included the introduction of formula, mothers returning to the work force, and strict maternity units' rules and routines. Since 1971 to the present there has been a resurgence in …

Case Studies Of The Effects Of Orienting Stimuli On The Electroencephalogram And Levels Of Coma, Ina Muderspach, Marcia Swanson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A comatose patient has long been a problem for nurses. Even though this problem has been recognized, very few studies have been conducted by the nursing profession to determine the best course of treatment for these patients. The physical care of the comatose patient has been dealt with in many nursing texts; in contrast, that portion of the care which the nurse could direct to the arousal of the comatose patient has not been documented.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of orienting stimuli on the individual level of consciousness as measured by Glasgow Coma Scale …

Effects Of Relaxation Therapy On Anxiety In Depressed Clients, Patricia Anne Worret

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

During a psychiatric field placement, it was noted by this nurse researcher that patients with a diagnosis of depression often overtly displayed symptoms of anxiety. A brief literature review revealed that this anxiety-depression duality occurred frequently.

The purpose of this study was to determine if relaxation therapy was a therapeutic intervention which could be utilized by nurses to provide relief from the symptoms of the anxiety-depression syndrome. This was a clinical, quasi-experimental research investigation. The sample was chosen by a purposive, non-random selection of 20 experimental and 10 control subjects who were hospitalized with a diagnosis of depression in an …

A Study Of The Physiological And Mental Effects Of Various Shift Patterns On Registered Nurses, Carolyn Taylor Smith

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The effects of shift work on circadian I an rhythms has become a subject of great Interest to many industries, hospitals, and sleep researchers. More and more recognition is being given to the results of these studies, especially the possible adverse effects on those working the night shift or a shift they are unable to adapt to adequately. Only a few of these studies, however, have been conducted on registered nurses, a major group involved with shift work.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects on nurses working the a.m. shift (7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.), …

The Effect Of Nursing Discharge Counseling Sessions On The Pre-Discharge Anxiety Level Of The Neurotically-Depressed Female In A Community Hospital Setting, Deborah Snyder Galasso

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Discharge from the hospital has been identified as a time when patients are in need of additional nursing support. The prospect of leaving the protective hospital environment to return to the home environment with its life stresses can cause anxiety. This study was designed to test the effect of a nursing intervention, discharge counseling sessions, on the anxiety level of the neurotically-depressed female prior to discharge.

The null hypothesis guiding this study was: nursing discharge counseling sessions will have no significant (α=0.05) effect on the pre-discharge anxiety level of the neurotically-depressed female in a community hospital setting. The State-Trait Anxiety …

The Effects Of A Teen Mother Program On The Growth And Development Of The Child, Barbara Mccarthy

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Teen-aged childbearing is a serious social, economic and health problem which has now reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Teen pregnancies have been shown to produce infants of low birth weight, of higher risk to disease and of slower growth and development.

Many programs have been developed by the state and federal government to help the young mother better cope with the problems of pregnancy. These Teen Mother programs combine the opportunity to complete a high school education with instruction in the special skills needed for parenting. This study was designed to investigate the growth and development of the …

A Comparison Of The Empathy Of Registered Nurses Practicing Primary Nursing As Compared To That Of Registered Nurses Practicing Team Nursing, Carol Milardo Floriani

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Historically the most outstanding feature of the nursing profession has been its genuine concern for the human being, and quality care of the sick has been its manifestation. However, technology with its high level of development and pervasiveness in the culture of the United States has threatened not only our society at large but also the nursing profession. "Depersonalized" and "nursing" are contradictory terms, and if used together certainly cannot denote a high quality of nursing care. In order to meet this threat, concerned health care professionals are studying ways to increase the empathetic element in nursing care in order …

The Effect Of Post-Hospital Nursing Intervention On Success In Breastfeeding, Melinda Hoskins

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to compare the proportion of women in the experimental group who had a successful breastfeeding experience following post-discharge nursing intervention with the proportion of women in the control group who had a successful breastfeeding experience without nursing intervention. Criteria defining success in breastfeeding were established before the study. Chi-square analysis was used to test for significance with the preset level of significance being α = 0.05. The sample comprised 25 mother-infant dyads with 12 in the experimental group and 13 in the control group. Both groups were similar in type of delivery (spontaneous or …

The Effect Of A Values Clarification Strategy On The Smoking Behavior Of Pregnant Women, Jean Eiber

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The null hypothesis of this study stated that there would be no significant difference (α=.05) in the change in smoking behavior following a teaching intervention to discourage smoking in pregnant women between those who completed a values clarifying strategy prior to the intervention and those who did not. Forty subjects were randomly assigned 20 to an experimental group and 20 to a control group. Both groups completed a pretest questionnaire concerning demographic data and smoking behavior. Information regarding the adverse effects on the fetus and on the developing child of smoking was presented to each subject by the researcher. The …

Maternal Vascular Compliance Of Placentas In Rabbits, Gwen Matthews Brownfield

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The incidence of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality has led to a continued study into the physiology and pathophysiology of the placenta, the seat of life for the developing fetus. For several decades investigation has been made into the morphology and exchange functions of the placenta and blood flow in the uterus and placenta, but only recently has compliance begun to have been studied. Recognizing the important part it plays in affecting circulation, compliance has been studied in the fetal circulation of the placenta, the fetal placental vascular bed, and the umbilical vasculature, The purpose of the present study …

The Effect Of Primary Nursing On Nurse Job Satisfaction And Patient Satisfaction With Nursing Care, Karen Garrison

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Nursing as a profession has seen the loss of large numbers of practitioners through job dissatisfaction. In addition, recent studies testing professional growth among new graduates have demonstrated negative findings. Lack of responsibility and accountability have been indicated as potential causes of these problems which confront professional nursing.

In nursing modalities such as functional, case method and team nursing the lack of autonomy in providing care is visible. The team nursing approach fragments patient care; a nurse in this system is responsible for team members rather than directly for patients. The registered nurse does not have enough personal contact in …

The Effect Of Lateral Body Positions Upon Pulmonary Artery And Pulmonary Wedge Pressures In Critically Ill Patients, Sharon Greer Millard

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The effect of lateral body positions on pulmonary artery pressures and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure was studied in a clinical comparative study using eight critically ill patients. Pulmonary artery pressures (systolic, diastolic, and mean) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure measurements were taken with the patients in three different positions, i.e., supine flat, right lateral, left lateral. Comparison was made between the control data (pressure measurements in the supine flat position) and the pressure measurements in each lateral body position. Mean pressures were lower in the lateral body positions than those in the supine flat position, ranging from 0.1 mm Hg …

The Effect Of Lateral Body Positions Upon Pulmonary Artery And Pulmonary Wedge Pressures In Critically Ill Patients, Sharon Greer Millard

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The effect of lateral body positions on pulmonary artery pressures and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure was studied in a clinical comparative study using eight critically ill patients. Pulmonary artery pressures (systolic, diastolic, and mean) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure measurements were taken with the patients in three different positions, i.e., supine flat, right lateral, left lateral. Comparison was made between the control data (pressure measurements in the supine flat position) and the pressure measurements in each lateral body position. Mean pressures were lower in the lateral body positions than those in the supine flat position, ranging from 0.1 mm Hg …

A Study Of Some Relationships Among Repeat Abortion, Self Concept, And Contraceptive Use In Young Women, Jennifer Emery Clarke

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Approximately one-fifth of the more than one million abortions per year in the U.S. are performed on women who have already had one previous induced abortion. Repeat abortion is increasing and has been implicated as one of the major problems facing the abortion issue today. In this analytical study of 90 family planning clinic cli ents, some important findings relating to repeat abortion and ineffective contraceptive use were discovered.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship among repeat abortion, self concept, and contraceptive use, enabling those involved to better manage and counsel abortion clients.

The sample was …

Parental Perception Of The Neonate, Liza Ann Webb

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine maternal and paternal perceptions of the neonate. The Broussard Neonatal Perception Inventory was used to measure perception.

Thirty couples who delivered normal, healthy, first-born infants at a Naval Hospital in San Diego volunteered for the study. Consent forms were signed during the hospital stay and the Broussard Neonatal Perception Inventory was administered to both parents in the homes when the infants were one month old.

Statistical analysis of data showed that mothers and fathers did rate their one-month-old infants as above the average infant using the Broussard Neonatal Perception Inventory. The range …

Sensory Stimulation To Promote Deep Breathing In The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patient, Sharon Kay Sauer

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Breathing retraining has been an integral part of respiratory rehabilitation for the patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (C.O.P.D.). Techniques used for breathing retraining have been studied for many years. These techniques include such breathing retraining modalities as relaxation conditioning, positioning maneuvers, abdominaldiaphragmatic breathing, pursed lip breathing and intermittent positive pressure breathing. Controversy concerning the therapeutic value of many of these techniques has developed. In this descriptive case study on three subjects with C.O.P.D. the experimental technique of sensory stimulation was investigated as a breaching retraining method. Sensory stimulation consisted of five minutes of repetitive brushing and two to three …

The Effect Of Preoperative Instruction And Unit Orientation On Selected Postoperative Factors Of Nonemergency Critical Care Surgical Patients, Sharon Stephens Espersen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The intensive care unit's effect on the patient has become a subject discussed often by nurses and other health team members. One of the nursing interventions that has been implemented to attempt to de crease the potentially harmful environmental effects of the ICU on the patient is orienting the patient about what to expect prior to the ICU admittance.

A major problem is that most intensive care unit (ICU) patients are admitted to the unit on an emergency basis. Few studies, therefore, have focused on the effects of preoperative instruction of ICU patients. The studies that have been done were …

The Effect Of The Warm Water Bath On Axillary Temperature In Normal Newborns, Ann J. Morton

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of the warm water bath and the radiant heater on the axillary temperatures of normal newborns. The sample group consisted of thirty newborns--15 babies placed into the water bath in Group I, and 15 babies placed under the radiant heater in Group II. Birth weights were between 6.25 and 8.75 pounds, gestational ages between 37 and 41 weeks, and 5-minute Apgar scores were 8 or more. The maternal temperatures, taken within two hours before birth, ranged between 97 and 99 degrees. All infants were born by spontaneous or low-forceps vertex …

The Effects Of Environmentally Induced Influences On The Neurologial Maturation And Weight Gain Of Premature Infants, Valerie Eastman

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Premature birth deprives the infant of the influences of maternal uterine stimulation on his physical growth and neurological development. It also deprives the newborn of the influences of the maternal sleep cycle and other aspects of maternal cyclicity. This problem has been recognized and studied for at least two decades by physiologists and neonatologists, but very few studies have been done on manipulating the premature infant's environment in order to foster cyclic patterns such as sleep.

It had been observed by this investigator that premature infants in a neonatal intensive care unit are often disturbed from quiet sleep so that …

The Effect Of 72 Consecutive Hours In The Coronary Care Unit On The Night Sleep Of 10 Patients Age 65 And Older, Eugenia J. Creason

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The prevalence of heart disease in the population over age 65 has contributed to the increasing number of aged patients hospitalized in critical care units (Gsell, 1977). Changes which occur in the process of aging and in cardiac disease should be considered when providing nursing care to these patients. A disturbance in the sleep wakefulness cycle resulting in a decrease of restorative sleep is a major change occurring at age 65 and after (Feinberg, 1967). The cardiac patient finds that it takes longer to go to sleep, and then awakens often during the night (Karacan et al., 1969).

Rome (1969) …