Nursing Commons^™

Reducing Sexual Risk With Practice Of Periodic Secondary Abstinence, Kristin Haglund

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: Test a novel intervention to help sexually experienced girls increase abstinence behaviors and attitudes. Design: A quasi-experimental repeated measures design using qualitative and quantitative data. Setting: Two alternative public schools. Participants: Thirty-three females whose mean age was 16 and who were 79% African American participated. Most (79%) had experienced a pregnancy. Intervention: A 6 session, weekly, interactive intervention was delivered. Data were collected at baseline, last session, and at 5 and 7 month follow-ups. Main Outcome Measures: Measured outcomes related to abstinence included participants’ reasons, behaviors, stages of change, and attitudes. Results: The most common reason for abstinence was …

The Influence Of Religiosity, Gender, And Language Preference Acculturation On Sexual Activity Among Latino/A Adolescents, Lisa Edwards, Richard Fehring, Keyona M. Jarrett, Kristin Haglund

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine the main and interactive effects of religiosity, gender, and language preference acculturation on sexual activity among 570 Latino/a adolescents from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. Results indicated that adolescents who viewed religion as very important, had frequent church attendance, and had more traditional attitudes on sexuality were less likely ever to have sex compared with adolescents who were less religious. Those with frequent church attendance and high traditional attitudes had fewer lifetime and recent sex partners. Unassimilated religious youth were less likely ever to have sex, had fewer lifetime and …

Coping Difficulties After Hospitalization, Judith Fitzgerald Miller, Linda Piacentine, Marianne Weiss

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Coping difficulties of 113 adults 3 weeks after hospital discharge were identified using the Post-Discharge Coping Difficulty Scale and a brief focused telephone interview (11-item guide). Overall, low difficulty scores were reported (M = 23.9, SD = 18.2, range = 0 to 100). Qualitative data reveal specific coping difficulties in the categories of stressors, specific difficulties, caring for self, managing the condition, family, advice needed, contact with the health care system, and what they wished they knew before discharge. A core theme of biographical reconstruction emerged.

Efficacy Of The Marquette Method Of Natural Family Planning, Richard Fehring, Mary Schneider, Mary Lee Barron

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of the Marquette Method (MM) of natural family planning (NFP) as a method of avoiding pregnancy. Study Design and Methods: This was a 12-month retrospective evaluation of the MM system of NFP. Two hundred and four women (mean age, 28.6 years) and their male partners (mean age, 30.3 years) who sought to learn a method for avoiding pregnancy with the MM from four clinical sites were taught to track their fertility by self-observation of cervical mucus, by use of an electronic monitor that measures urinary levels of estrone-3-glucuronide and luteinizing hormone, and by use of …

Efficacy Of The Marquette Method Of Natural Family Planning, Richard Fehring, Mary Schneider, Mary Lee Barron

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of the Marquette Method (MM) of natural family planning (NFP) as a method of avoiding pregnancy.

Study Design and Methods: This was a 12-month retrospective evaluation of the MM system of NFP. Two hundred and four women (mean age, 28.6 years) and their male partners (mean age, 30.3 years) who sought to learn a method for avoiding pregnancy with the MM from four clinical sites were taught to track their fertility by self-observation of cervical mucus, by use of an electronic monitor that measures urinary levels of estrone-3-glucuronide and luteinizing hormone, and by use of …

Loneliness: A Concept Analysis, Abir K. Bekhet, Jaclene A. Zauszniewski

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

TOPIC. Loneliness is a universal human experience recognized since the dawn of time, yet it is unique for every individual. Loneliness can lead to both depression and low self‐esteem.

PURPOSE. This article explicates the concept of loneliness through the examination of its conceptual definition and uses, defining attributes, related concepts, and empirical referents.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION. Literature review using hand search and database were used as sources of information.

CONCLUSION. Because loneliness is commonly encountered in nursing situations, the information provided will serve as a framework for assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation of clients.

Prenatal Education: Priorities For Perinatal Nurses, Lisa Hanson

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Variability In The Hormonally Estimated Fertile Phase Of The Menstrual Cycle, Richard Fehring, Mary Schneider

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine the variability in length of the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle with 140 participants who produced 1,060 cycles with an electronic hormonal fertility monitor. The length of the fertile phase, as defined by the first day with a threshold level of urinary E3G and ending with a second day above a threshold of LH, varied from7 days, with the most frequent length being 3 days.

Resting Energy Expenditure And Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness After Full-Body Resistance Training With An Eccentric Concentration, Kyle J. Hackney, Hermann-J. Engels, Randall J. Gretebeck

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of an acute bout of high-volume, full-body resistance training with an eccentric concentration on resting energy expenditure (REE) and indicators of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Eight resistance trained (RT) and eight untrained (UT) participants (mean: age = 23.5 years; height = 180.76 cm; weight = 87.58 kg; body fat = 19.34%; lean mass = 68.71 kg) were measured on four consecutive mornings for REE and indicators of DOMS: creatine kinase (CK) and rating of perceived muscle soreness (RPMS). Delayed-onset muscle soreness was induced by performing eight exercises, eight sets, and …

Supporting A Community Of Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities In Grieving, Sarah Ailey, Marilyn O'Rourke, Susan Breakwell, Anna Murphy

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are living longer and experiencing deaths among their family and peers, yet their grieving is not well recognized. Staff members who provide care for these individuals witness the aging and death of their clients, yet they also receive little preparation to work through issues surrounding bereavement for their clients and themselves. The End of Life Nursing Education Consortium developed a national initiative to improve end-of-life and bereavement care education. Recommendations from the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium were incorporated into a home care/hospice/community health course and practicum for second-degree BSN students. The following …

Readiness For Discharge In Parents Of Hospitalized Children, Marianne E. Weiss, Norah Louise Johnson, Shelly Malin, Teresa A. Jerofke, Cecilia Lang, Eileen Sherburne

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Parental preparation for a child's discharge from the hospital sets the stage for successful transitioning to care and recovery at home. In this study of 135 parents of hospitalized children, the quality of discharge teaching, particularly the nurses' skills in “delivery” of parent teaching, was associated with increased parental readiness for discharge, which was associated with less coping difficulty during the first 3 weeks postdischarge. Parental coping difficulty was predictive of greater utilization of posthospitalization health services. These results validate the role of the skilled nurse as a teacher in promoting positive outcomes at discharge and beyond the hospitalization.

Patients' Perceptions Of Hospital Discharge Informational Content, Lynn Rose Maloney, Marianne Weiss

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Ensuring that patients' informational needs have been met prior to hospital discharge sets the stage for successful self-management of recovery at home. This secondary analysis study aims to identify differences in the amount of discharge teaching content needed and received by adult medical-surgical patients on the basis of their sociodemographic characteristics and hospitalization-related factors. The Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale (QDTS) is used to measure patients' perceptions of the amount of discharge-related informational content they needed and received. Eighty-nine percent of patients receive more informational content than they perceived they needed. Nonwhite patients report more content needed than White patients. …

The Development Of The Napnap Research Agenda: Priorities For Evidence In Pediatric Practice 2008-2013, Kathleen J. Sawin, Arlene Butz, Margaret A. Brady, Agatha M. Gallo, Dolores Jones, Linda C. Lewin, Victoria P. Niederhauser, Christine A. Schindler, Cynthia A. Trent

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Refinement Of The Shared Care Instrument-Revised: A Measure Of A Family Care Interaction, Margaret Sebern

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

This study’s purpose was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Shared Care Instrument-Revised (SCI-R) in a sample of family care dyads. The SCI-R was developed to measure the construct of shared care, which is a system of three constructs (communication, decision making, reciprocity) used in family care to exchange support. An important aspect of evaluating the SCI-R was to create a measure that is statistically sound and meaningful for patient and caregivers. Surveys were mailed to randomly selected home health dyads, which included 223 patients and 220 caregivers. Reliability and confirmatory factor analysis, and concurrent validity were examined. Internal …

Factors Associated With Perceived Burden, Resourcefulness, And Quality Of Life In Female Family Members Of Adults With Serious Mental Illness, Jaclene Zauszniewski, Abir Bekhet, M. Jane Suresky

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

BACKGROUND: Each year, 54 million American adults are affected by serious mental illness. Most of these persons depend on female family members for support or assistance, and unless these women are resourceful, they may experience considerable burden, stigma by association, depressive thoughts, and poor quality of life. OBJECTIVE:In this study, we examined the associations between characteristics of female family members (age, race, education), adults with serious mental illness (age, diagnosis), and the family situation (relationship, living arrangements, care provided) and caregivers' burden, stigma, depressive cognitions, resourcefulness, and quality of life.STUDY DESIGN:In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, a convenience …

Happiness: Theoretical And Empirical Considerations, Abir K. Bekhet, Jaclene A. Zauszniewski, Wagdy E. Nakhla

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

TOPIC. Although happiness is important in maintaining health, few studies of happiness can be found in the nursing literature.

PURPOSE. This paper explicates the concept of happiness through examination of its defining attributes, antecedents, consequences, and measurement.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION. Literature review using hand search, and databases were used as sources of information.

CONCLUSION. The information provided can be used in clinical practice so that nursing strategies can be developed and tested to help people to become happy and healthy.

Expectation Modulates Human Brain Responses To Acute Cocaine: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study, Peter Kufahl, Zhu Li, Robert C. Risinger, Charles Rainey, Linda B. Piacentine, Gaohong Wu, Alan S. Bloom, Zheng Yang, Shi-Jiang Li

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Human expectation of psychoactive drugs significantly alters drug effects and behavioral responses. However, their neurophysiological mechanisms are not clear. This study investigates how cocaine expectation modulates human brain responses to acute cocaine administration.

Methods

Twenty-six right-handed non–treatment-seeking regular cocaine abusers participated in this study. Changes in blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals were measured, and online behavioral ratings during cocaine expectation and acute cocaine administration were recorded.

Results

Distinct regional characteristics in BOLD responses to expected and unexpected cocaine infusions were observed in the medial orbitofrontal gyrus (Brodmann area [BA] 11), frontal pole (BA 10), and anterior cingulate gyrus regions. …

Theoretical Substruction Illustrated By The Theory Of Learned Resourcefulness (Article), Abir K. Bekhet, Jaclene A. Zauszniewski

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

This article describes the process of theoretical substruction and uses this process to examine the significance of Rosenbaum's resourcefulness theory for nursing research and practice. The article discusses relocation as a phenomenon of interest to gero-psychiatric nurses working with elders who have relocated to retirement communities, illustrated by the theory of learned resourcefulness. The literature was reviewed to assess the congruence between the theoretical and operational systems suggested by Rosenbaum's resourcefulness theory. A model of learned resourcefulness is presented that includes middle-range concepts, relational statements, and propositions derived from the research literature. Theoretical substruction provides a mechanism for testing middle-range …

Wisconsin State Guilds Join Other Organizations In Presenting Humanae Vitae Conference, Richard Fehring

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Teaching Social Justice Using A Pedagogy Of Engagement, Ruth Belknap

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Teaching an undergraduate level diversity course with a health focus requires specific teaching methods. A pedagogy of engagement provides an effective strategy for exploring issues of race, class, gender, and structural inequalities that underlie health disparities. Engagement learning enhances understanding of theories of oppression and liberation presented in the course and highlights social justice issues.

Crossing Borders In Search Of The Mother-Daughter Story: Interdependence Across Time And Distance, Ruth Belknap

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Although studies have identified the importance of the mother–daughter relationship and of familism in Mexican culture, there is little in the literature about the mother–daughter experience after daughters have migrated to the United States. This study explores relationships between three daughters in America and their mothers in Mexico, and describes ways in which interdependence between mothers and daughters can be maintained when they are separated by borders and distance. Data collection included prolonged engagement with participants, field notes, and tape-recorded interviews. Narrative analysis techniques were used. Findings suggest mother–daughter interdependence remains. Some aspects may change, but the mother–daughter connection continues …

The Community Of Nursing: Moral Friends, Moral Strangers, Moral Family, Carolyn A. Laabs

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Unlike bioethicists who contend that there is a morality common to all, H. Tristan Engelhardt (1996) argues that, in a pluralistic secular society, any morality that does exist is loosely connected, lacks substantive moral content, is based on the principle of permission and, thus, is a morality between moral strangers. This, says Engelhardt, stands in contrast to a substance-full morality that exists between moral friends, a morality in which moral content is based on shared beliefs and values and exists in communities that tend to be closely knit and religiously based. Of what value does Engelhardt’s description of ethics as …

Sense Of Coherence And Quality Of Life In Women Family Members Of The Seriously Mentally Ill, M. Jane Suresky, Jaclene Zauszniewski, Abir Bekhet

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Providing care to a family member with serious mental illness (SMI) can reduce a family's quality of life. Quality of life, however, can be positively influenced by the caregiver's sense of coherence (SOC). Antonovsky's Salutogenic Health Model was examined in this secondary analysis of data from 60 women family members of adults with SMI. The results indicated that greater perceived stress decreased SOC and QoL, greater SOC enhanced QoL, and SOC partially mediated the effects of perceived stress on QoL. The findings suggest the need for reducing stress and strengthening SOC to promote optimal QoL for family members of adults …

Usefulness Of Electronic Hormonal Fertility Monitoring For Avoiding Pregnancy, Richard Fehring

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Couples wishing to achieve or avoid pregnancy can now use an electronic hormonal fertility monitor to aid home fertility monitoring. The Clearplan Easy Fertility Monitor (CPFM) is a handheld monitor designed to help couples achieve pregnancy. It provides information on three levels of fertility (low, high, and peak) based on urinary threshold levels of estrogen and luteinizing hormone (LH). The monitor can be used as an aid to avoid pregnancy when used with another marker of fertility. We conducted an efficacy study to determine the effectiveness of using the monitor along with cervical mucus monitoring with 215 couples seeking to …