Nursing Commons^™

Rehabilitation Nurses' Attitudes And Behaviors Related To Sexuality Of Rehabilitation Patients, Renae Boss Potts

Masters Theses

Sexuality is intrinsic to the nature of human beings. If nurses are to practice holistically, issues concerning sexuality are relevant to nursing practice. The attitudes and behaviors that rehabilitation nurses express regarding the care of rehabilitation patients were explored in this descriptive study. One hundred and one members of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) responded to the Williams - Wilson Sexuality Survey (WWSS). The possible range of scores on the attitude scale was 11 - 66. The actual results ranged from 21 to 65, with a mean of 48 and a standard deviation of 10. The higher the attitudinal …

Study To Test Nursing Smoking Cessation Interventions On The Stage Of Behavior Change Of Smokers, Barbara J. Goudie

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to test the effect of smoking cessation interventions given by nurses on the stage of behavior change of smokers. Prochaska & Velicer’s (1997) trans-theoretical model of behavior change was used to provide direction for the study. The sample was a convenience sample of ten. The subjects were patients on the medical/surgical floors of a general hospital who met the selection criteria. Demographic information and smoking history were obtained from the patients, and an intervention based on a protocol developed from Prochaska’s health promotion model was given to each subject One month after the intervention …

Perceived Problem Areas For Adults Living With Diabetes, Valda Tolliver

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to examine the perceived problem areas for adults living with diabetes. A descriptive design using the Problem Areas in Diabetes Scale (PAID) among a convenience sample of 24 African Americans provided the data in this study. King’s (1971) conceptual framework for nursing provided the theoretical foundation.

Data indicated that 83% of the sample did not perceive living with diabetes as a serious problem. However, the majority of them identified food deprivation and coping with diabetes, in addition to worrying about the future and possible serious complications from the disease as problematic. These results suggest …

Relationship Of Perceived Self-Efficacy Of Disease Management And Hospital Utilization Among Patients With Heart Failure, Linda K. English

Masters Theses

This secondary analysis examined the relationship between perceived self-efficacy of disease management and hospital admissions for heart failure patients based on Bandura’s social learning theory. A convenience sample of 76 patients who were receiving home care services were visited over the course of several weeks. Data were collected at baseline, 3, and 6 months using the Self-Management Tool adapted from the work of Lorig et al. (1996).

Data indicated a weak negative statistically significant relationship between perceived self-efficacy of disease management and hospital utilization at 3 months (r = -.33, p = .01). In addition, hospital utilization decreased over time, …

Does Mutual Goal Setting Make A Difference In Level Of Self-Efficacy For Patients With Congestive Heart Failure Receiving Home Care, Avis A. Rogers

Masters Theses

This secondary analysis evaluated the effect of a mutual goal setting nursing approach on the level of self-efficacy to manage disease in general in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). The conceptual frameworks utilized were King's theory of goal attainment and Bandura's theory of self-efficacy. The primary study used a convenience sample of 54 patients who had been admitted to two home healthcare agencies with the primary diagnosis of CHF. Data were collected at baseline, 3-months and 6-months. The data collection tool was the Self-Efficacy Tool, which was from Outcome Measures for Health Education and other Health Care Interventions (Lorig, …

Body Image Perception Of Adolescents With Diabetes, Cathleen E. Kessler

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare body image of adolescents with diabetes to adolescents without diabetes in order to increase the awareness of the psychological, emotional, and spiritual effects that diabetes may have on an adolescent’s consistently evolving body image. Neuman’s systems model was applied as the theoretical framework.

A Body Image Questionnaire was completed by two groups of adolescents, one group with diabetes and one group without diabetes. Both groups completed a 100 item Body Image Questionnaire (What I Think About Me). The questionnaire consisted of 45 physical traits and 55 Actors that influence or correlate to …

Exploring The Relationship Between Life Experiences And Quality Of Life In Patients With Heart Failure, Sharon Vanleeuwen

Masters Theses

This was a secondary analysis of data from 86 home care patients from a primary study by Kline (1999) of home care outcomes for persons with heart failure. Surveys were used to collect data on quality of life, energy/fatigue levels and functional abilities. In the secondary analysis, the relationships between functional abilities and energy/fatigue levels with quality of life in heart failure patients were examined using a Pearson’s r correlation. Parse’s theory of human becoming was used as the framework for this study.

The life experiences of persons with heart failure were examined in this study focusing specifically on functional …

Quality Of Life In A Heart Failure Population, Diane S. Rexford

Masters Theses

The purpose of this secondary analysis was to identify what impact nursing approaches had on quality of life over time in a heart failure population. The sample was those patients who were receiving home care for heart failure.

The theoretical framework was the King theory of goal attainment. This secondary analysis used data from the study by Dr. Kay Setter Kline, Home Care Outcomes for Heart Failure: A Test of Two Nursing Interventions. The specific tools utilized were a demographic tool and the Ferrans and Powers Quality of Life Index: Cardiac Version III. The subjects received nursing approaches from graduate …

The Relationship Between Critical Thinking Skills And Perceived Self-Efficacy In Associate Degree Nursing Students, Christine M. Overly

Masters Theses

The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to determine if a relationship exists between critical thinking skills and self-efficacy in Associate Degree nursing students. A convenience sample of 30 nursing students in their second year of an Associate Degree RN program was used. The framework for this study utilized Bandura's social cognitive theory and Benner's nursing theory of skill acquisition and development. Critical thinking skills were measured by the California Critical Thinking Skills Test. Self-efficacy was measured by the Generalized Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale. Demographic data of age, gender, marital status, number of dependents, employment status, and income were obtained …

Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Effective Clinical Teachers, Sylvia A. Counts

Masters Theses

The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify which characteristics of clinical teachers were considered most important by associate degree nursing (ADN) students and Acuity, and to investigate whether the perception of effective clinical teacher characteristics (ECTC) change as the student advances toward graduation. Imogene King’s conceptual framework for nursing served as the framework for this study. Faculty and students were surveyed using the Clinical Teacher Characteristic Instrument (CTCl). The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. A Mann-Whitney U test was used to investigate if there were significant differences in perceptions between faculty and students. A Kruskal-Wallis test …

Nurse Managers' Responses To Chemically Impaired Nurses, Dorothy Taylor Moon

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of nurse managers toward chemically impaired nurses and to understand how managers respond to nurses in their charge. The research further examined whether certain demographic characteristics influenced the nurse managers' attitudes.

A descriptive research design with a probability convenience sample was used. The sample consisted of 83 nurse executives from throughout Michigan. The sample was randomly selected from the roster of the Michigan Organization of Nurse Executives (MONE). Data were obtained through a mailed survey.

Analyses of the data revealed that while managers held different attitudes and perceptions toward impaired …

The Sexual Assault Exam: A Comparison Of Physical Findings And Legal Outcomes Between An Emergency Department And Free Standing Nurse Examiner Program, Linda L. Rossman

Masters Theses

The study objective was to compare the documentation of physical findings and legal outcomes of women evaluated in an emergency department (ED) and freestanding nurse examiner program (NEP). The study was a retrospective cohort analysis of consecutive female patients presenting after sexual assault to either the ED or to the NEP.

Genital injuries were documented in 19% of the ED group, in 74% of the 1997 NEP group and 77% of the 1998 NEP group. These differences were statistically significant (x²=75.75; df=2; p=.000). In 24% of the ED patients and 21% of the 1997 NEP patients, warrants were …

Knowledge About Stroke In Adults From Rural Communities, Julie Billett

Masters Theses

Fifty middle to low-income adult clients of a rural family care center were surveyed in a descriptive correlational study in order to determine their abilities to identify the signs and symptoms of a stroke and their knowledge of stroke risk. Additionally, Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient was used to ascertain whether the participants’ level of knowledge was related to their actual stroke risk, as identified by the American Heart Association’s Stroke Risk Tool Descriptive analysis of the item responses revealed that the percentage of the sample correctly identifying individual signs and symptoms ranged from 44 to 77%. When actual stroke risk was …

Determinants Of Health Promoting Behaviors In Older Adults, Kay Wallace

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between Health Locus of Control, selected demographic variables, and the Health Promoting Behaviors of Physical Activity and Nutrition in older persons. Pender’s (1996) Health Promotion Model (HPM) was used as the conceptual framework to guide this study.

The sample consisted of 48 subjects, aged 65 years and older, who resided in senior living centers. The subjects were predominantly Caucasian (94%) and female (81%). Research instruments were self-administered questionnaires that consisted of demographic data, the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II, and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale.

No significant relationships between …

A Study To Determine Why Some Women Age Fifty And Over Choose Not To Have Frequent Papanicolaou Tests, Dorothy Hicks-Burchwell

Masters Theses

This discriptive study used the Health Belief Model to examine the benefits, barriers, and action cues to obtaining Papanicolaou tests perceived by women age 50 and older. A convenience sample of 48 women were interviewed. Comparisons were made between those who obtained Papanicolaou tests at least every three years (n = 24) and those who did not (n = 24)..

One cue to action and four perceived benefits were found to be important influences. Women who had received Papanicolaou tests less frequently than every three years agreed that certain barriers had influenced their decisions more than women who had received …

Clean Versus Sterile Wound Care Technique Utilized By Registered Nurses In Acute Care When Dressing A Pressure Ulcer, Donna S. Pennington

Masters Theses

The purposes of this study were to identify the wound care technique practiced by acute care nurses and the deviations made from sterile technique when dressing a pressure ulcer. A descriptive design using a survey methodology was employed. A questionnaire, the Faller Wound Care Technique Survey, was distributed to a convenience sample of 131 acute care nurses. Forty nurses (30%) responded.

The study findings indicate that the typical wound care technique of dressing a pressure ulcer is a combination of sterile and clean procedures and is not consistent with the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research Guideline recommendations to …

The Influence Of Support Systems And Internal System Resources On Family Well-Being Of Caregivers Of A Depressed Family Member, Diane K. Richardson

Masters Theses

Health professionals are interested in families who have a high level of well-being in spite of coping with the difficulties related to caring for a depressed elderly family member at home. The Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment, and Adaptation provided the conceptual framework to explore the hypothesis of a positive relationship between family social support and family well-being, and family internal system resources and family well-being. Thirty caregivers volunteered and were interviewed in their homes using the Family Crisis Oriented Personal Scale (F-COPES), the Family Hardiness Index (FHI), and the Family APGAR. Although weak, positive correlations were noted for …

The Effect Of Mutual Goal Setting On Understanding The Diagnosis Of Heart Failure In Adults, Susan V. Watson

Masters Theses

This secondary analysis examined the effect of mutual goal setting (MGS) on perceived understanding of the diagnosis of heart failure (HF). The conceptual framework for this study was King's theory of goal attainment. The sample consisted of clients with a diagnosis of HF from two Southwestern Michigan home care agencies. Subjects were randomly assigned to either a control group or intervention group and received eight weekly visits. Data were collected at baseline, 3 months, and 5 months using the general counseling section of the Self-Management Tool (Lorig et al., 1996). The secondary analysis sought to determine if MGS interventions improved …

Maternal-Infant Nurses' Knowledge Of Breast Feeding, Wendy S. Kershner

Masters Theses

This study explored the level of knowledge related to breastfeeding among maternal-infant nurses. It also explored whether there was a relationship between nurses' breastfeeding knowledge and level of education, type of clinical experience, years of experience and personal experience with breastfeeding.

A convenience sample of 67 maternal-infant nurses completed a modified version of Leadley's (1994) Breastfeeding Knowledge and Attitudes Survey.

Descriptive and correlational statistics were used to analyze the relationship between the variables and the nurse's breastfeeding knowledge. Data analysis revealed a mean score of 13.2 out of 20 questions on nurses' breastfeeding knowledge. There was no significant difference in …

Nurse Practitioners' Perceptions And Use Of Nursing Diagnoses, Gay R. Kaashoek

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of nursing diagnoses by nurse practitioners (NPs). Additionally, this study assessed NPs’ perceptions of the advantages and challenges to using nursing diagnoses. Data were collected by questionnaires mailed to a randomly selected national sample of 398 NPs.

Of the 249 participants, 48 NPs indicated that they use nursing diagnoses. No significant differences were found between nursing diagnosis use and selected demographic characteristics or educational preparation. However, the use of nursing diagnoses was significantly higher among participants who were expected to use them as NP students (χ²= 22.012; p …

The Frequency Of Breast Self-Examination In Women Who Participated In The Breast Cancer Prevention Trial, Kelly J. Moore

Masters Theses

This study used the Health Belief Model (HBM) to examine attitudes about breast health among women who had participated in the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial. More specifically, the purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between the HBM variables and the frequency of breast self-examination (BSE). A convenience sample of 80 women completed Champion’s (1993) HBM questionnaire.

It was hypothesized that the HBM concepts would significantly correlate with the frequency of BSE. However, only two significant correlations were found: a positive correlation between the frequency of BSE and perceived benefits (r=.37; p=.000) and a negative correlation between the …

The Effect Of Mutual Goal Setting On The Self-Efficacy To Manage Heart Failure In Adults, Melanie Ranta

Masters Theses

This study is a secondary analysis of data that examined the effect of mutual goal setting on self-efficacy to manage disease in general. The conceptual frameworks utilized were King’s theory of goal attainment and Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy. The sample consisted of clients who had been admitted to two home care agencies with a primary diagnosis of congestive heart failure. After being randomly were assigned to either the intervention group or a control group, the subjects were visited in their homes over a course of several weeks. Data were collected at baseline and at 3-months using Long, et al. (1996) …

A Comparison Of Perceptions Of Labor And Delivery For First-Time Mothers With And Without Prenatal Education, Marla A. Mcdonnell

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in the perceptions of labor and delivery between first-time mothers who took prenatal classes and first-time mothers who did not take prenatal classes. The convenience sample consisted of mostly Caucasian, married, well-educated women with few minor pregnancy complications. Twenty of the subjects were first-time mothers who took at least four prenatal classes. Twenty of the subjects were first-time mothers who took three or fewer classes.

A non-experimental descriptive design was used for this study. One questionnaire, the Childbirth Perception Questionnaire (Beaton & Gupton, 1990), was administered 18 …

Role Stress And Career Satisfaction Among Registered Nurses By Work Shift Patterns, Amy Jude Hoffman

Masters Theses

In today’s health care climate, the need to understand the effects of work shift patterns on role stress and career satisfaction of registered nurses (RNs) has never been greater. Therefore, the purpose of this descriptive study was to examine differences in the level of role stress and career satisfaction among hospital-based RNs by shift length. Data were collected through the use of standardized questionnaires from a probability sample of 208 RNs.

The results indicated that RNs practicing in 12-hour work shift patterns experienced significantly higher stress levels that RNs working 8-hour shifts. Additionally, workload issues and dealing with death and …

Is There A Relationship Between Hardiness And Burnout In Full-Time Staff Nurses Versus Per Diem Nurses?, Carrie Hansen

Masters Theses

Recent advances in technology and the focus on cost-effective care may subject nurses to increasing demands in their jobs. These demands can lead to an increased level of stress and burnout. The concept of hardiness has been linked to burnout in studies among various groups. Hardiness is a set of personality characteristics that may function as a resource in coping with stress. This study examined the relationship between hardiness and burnout in full-time staff nurses and per diem nurses. The Neuman systems model served as a theoretical framework for the concepts of hardiness and burnout. A descriptive correlational design was …

The Effects Of Music Therapy On Anxiety In Surgical Patients, Mary Kay Williams

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of music therapy on cosmetic/reconstructive surgery patients’ preoperative anxiety. In this descriptive study, 48 patients were assigned to either the experimental or control group Patients in the experimental group listened to patient-selected music for 30 minutes in the preoperative period. A comparison was made between the patients’ vital signs and self-reports of anxiety, which was measured using the state portion of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. This was a partial replication of a study by Kaempf and Amodei (1989).

Betty Neuman’s health care systems model (1980) served as the theoretical framework …

The Effects Of Music On Pain And Anxiety During Intravenous Insertion In The Emergency Department, Paula R. Nichols

Masters Theses

The majority of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) are anxious and experiencing some degree of pain. Betty Neuman's Neuman system model, provided the theoretical framework to explore and describe the effects of music on the pain and anxiety experienced during peripheral intravenous (IV) insertion in the ED. A convenience sample of 41 subjects completed pain and anxiety visual analogue scales as well as blood pressure and pulse monitoring before and after IV insertion. Twenty-one of those subjects received music during the intervention.

An analysis of covariance was performed for post-procedure pain, anxiety, pulse, and blood pressure. Anxiety was …

Adolescents' Perceived Importance Of And Satisfaction With Development Needs During Hospitalization, Jaclynn L. Lubbers

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, was to examine the relative importance of needs of hospitalized adolescents. Second, was to measure perceived satisfaction with five selected developmental needs. This study was a replication of earlier work by Gusella, Ward, and Butler (1998). A descriptive design was utilized to answer the research questions. Fifteen hospitalized adolescents admitted to the general pediatrics unit provided the data for this study. Data analysis using summative means was performed to rank and compare importance and perceived satisfaction. Adolescents ranked medical information as their most important need during hospitalization followed by mobility, visits from …

The Lived Experience Of Student Nurses Providing Health Care Relief To Hurricane Mitch Victims In Nicaragua, Marci Jo Holstege

Masters Theses

International exchange and cultural immersion is becoming a favored way to educate nursing students on cultural diversity and cultural sensitivity. There is no research literature about student nurses rendering health care in a third world country after the turmoil of a natural disaster.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the lived experience of student nurses who provided health care relief to victims of Hurricane Mitch in Nicaragua. Their oral descriptions were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. These descriptions were then analyzed using the Giorgi method. Four focal meanings emerged: a) culture shock, b) adjustments, c) lessons learned, …

The Needs Of Family Members In Crisis, Melanie A. Burghgraef

Masters Theses

The needs of family members of patients with severe brain injury were investigated using a descriptive-correlational design. A convenience sample of family members (N = 23) were surveyed with the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI). Need statements from the CCFNI were rank ordered, and a total score for the CCFNI was calculated. The majority of the top ranked needs consisted of assurance and information needs, which is consistent with other research using the CCFNI. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the results from this study with Lorenz’s study (1995).

Furthermore, this investigation attempted to reveal a relationship between family …