Nursing Commons^™

Perceptions Of Nursing Students Regarding Evidence-Based Practice, Sheleen Tolentino

Master's Projects

The purpose of this descriptive quantitative study was to explore the nursing students' perceptions of their attitude and knowledge regarding evidence-based practice (EBP). The Research Awareness Questionnaire (RAQ), previously used only with healthcare professionals was slightly modified and piloted with senior nursing students (N=22). Eighty-two percent (n=18) of the participants believe that EBP is part of their role. Only 41% (n=9) were confident to undertake research. On the actual knowledge measures, 96% (n=21) could define qualitative research, and 86 % (n=19) correctly defined quantitative research. Suggestions for revising the RAQ are discussed. With modifications, this instrument could be utilized by …

What Is The Perception Of Preparedness Amongst Accelerated Bsn Students Compared To Traditional Bsn Students?, Sheetal Raman-Love

Master's Projects

With today's economic uncertainty, and nursing shortages, many have decided to join the health care industry in hopes of finding financial stability and job security. The impaction of nursing schools throughout the United States has led to the proliferation of accelerated nursing programs. These programs are designed for motivated students who are able to utilize their prior educational experience enabling them to accelerate and complete their BSN degree in a short period of time (Wu, C.Y., & Connelly, C.E., 1992). This study focused on the examination of the length of time in nursing school and the potential influence it may …

Faculty Perceptions Of Interactions Between Students And Registered Nurses In The Clinical Learning Envirorunent, Laurie M. Rosa

Master's Projects

Perceptions of the relationships between nurses and staff were evaluated from a faculty perspective to uncover the ways that the faculty react, respond, and help to support students. During interviews with faculty, access to practice and clinical unit atmosphere emerged as themes. Faculty described nurses granting access to practice by mentoring students and involving them in the entire care of the patient, or nurses who limited students' access to practice through unprofessional behavior, or "cutting corners." Unit atmosphere influenced learning both positively and negatively depending on inclusion of students, morale, and welcoming behaviors of staff. Faculty acted as guides and …

Psychiatrists' And Psychiatric Aprns' Views Of The Adolescent Mental Health Nurse's Role In The Inpatient Setting, Dana Lehner

Honors Scholar Theses

Current perceptions about nurses’ roles and responsibilities are examined in this study, specifically relating to adolescent inpatient MHNs. Psychiatrists and psychiatric advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), who work with MHNs and have also published scholarly psychiatric articles, were contacted to request their participation in an anonymous survey hosted by SurveyMonkey.com. This research was conducted to examine the stereotypes that exist against nurses within the health care profession itself, as compared to the pre-existing stereotypes displayed by the media’s view of nurses. Due to investigator time constraints, only six subjects participated in the study. Analysis of survey responses revealed four overarching …

A Case Study On Using The Via Christi Breastfeeding Assessment Tool In A Clinical Setting, Rouba Taha

Honors Scholar Theses

Aims- The goal of this study is to obtain a subjective point of view of the use, benefits, and shortcomings of the Via Christi breastfeeding Assessment Tool in a clinical setting.

Methods- This case study is based on a single yet detailed interview with a lactation consultant who has utilized the Via Christi Breastfeeding Tool in a clinical setting.

Findings- Advantages of the Via Christi Breastfeeding Assessment Tool include that the tool is practical and concrete, encompassing both a subjective dimension and the basic elements of breastfeeding. Shortcomings of the tool include its non-specificity in focus on the feeding technique …

Modelling Optimal Location For Pre-Hospital Helicopter Emergency Medical Services, Nadine Schuurman, Nathaniel Bell, Randy L'Heureux, Syed M. Hameed

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Increasing the range and scope of early activation/auto launch helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) may alleviate unnecessary injury mortality that disproportionately affects rural populations. To date, attempts to develop a quantitative framework for the optimal location of HEMS facilities have been absent. METHODS: Our analysis used five years of critical care data from tertiary health care facilities, spatial data on origin of transport and accurate road travel time catchments for tertiary centres. A location optimization model was developed to identify where the expansion of HEMS would cover the greatest population among those currently underserved. The protocol was developed using …

The Relationship Between Nurse To Population Ratio And State Health Ranking, Jeri Bigbee

Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between nurse to population ratio and population health, as indicated by state health ranking.

Design: Secondary analysis correlational design.

Sample: The sample consisted of all fifty states in the U.S.

Measurements: Data sources included the United Health Foundation’s 2006 state health rankings, the 2004 National Sample Survey for Registered Nurses, and the U.S. Health Workforce Profile from the New York Center for Health Workforce Studies.

Results: Significant relationships between nurse to population ratio and state health ranking (rho = -.446, p =.001) and 11 of the 18 components of the overall ranking (motor vehicle death …

The Effects Of Glucose Tolerance, Hypertension, And Race On Heart Rate Variability, Qt Interval Duration, And Left Ventricular Hypertrophy In Overweight-Obese Adolescents, Shirleatha T. Lee

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased remarkably within the past ten years with black youth disproportionately affected. Childhood obesity is linked to cardiovascular risk. Purposes of this study were to explore relationships between cardiac autonomic risk factors of heart rate variability (HRV), QT corrected (QTc) Interval duration, and Cornell voltage measures for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) to body mass index (BMI), relative body mass index (RBMI), and blood pressure (BP) measures, and to examine the effects of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), hypertension, and race on these cardiac autonomic risk factors in overweight-obese adolescents.

Methods: Overweight and obese adolescents (N …

Development And Psychometric Evaluation Of The Provider Response To Emergency Pandemic (Prep) Tool, Linda Suzzanne Good Phd

Dissertations

Background: History and science would suggest that a worldwide influenza pandemic is near and its implications are on the minds of healthcare workers (HCWs). Previous studies revealed that HCW have loss-related fears and concerns associated with working during a disaster, especially one with a biologic component. Most healthcare organizations have well-crafted disaster plans in place; however, these plans often rely on the assumption that HCWs will report to work as usual, which may not be the case. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if HCWs' fears and concerns are a predictor of their willingness to report to …

Factors Influencing Nurse Faculty's Job Satisfaction And Intent To Stay, Sally Pulver Ruel

Dissertations

This study of nurse faculty examined the relationship of role conflict, role ambiguity, and work role balance, and their influence on job satisfaction and intent to stay in AACN nursing schools offering baccalaureate and higher degree programs within the United States. In light of the current nursing and nursing faculty shortage, this research was undertaken in an attempt to identify statistically significant predictors of job satisfaction and intent to stay in nursing education.

An online survey was conducted over seven weeks during the fall of 2008 and early spring 2009. A stratified random sample of each of the four regions …

Student Nurses' Perceptions About Caring In Early Nursing Courses, Rosa Roman

Master's Projects

This descriptive study explored students' perceptions of caring at the end of their first nursing courses by identifying the caring behaviors they agreed were most important. The 35 item Care Dimensions Inventory (CDI-35) developed by Watson, Deary, and Hoogbruin (2001) was used to explore perceptions of caring of a convenience sample of 71 students enrolled in their first nursing courses in a baccalaureate program. The inventory asked participants to agree or disagree using a Likert scale whether the nursing actions were considered as caring. Most of the nursing actions considered important by the students were in the supporting/intimacy aspects of …

Evaluation Of Strategies To Enhance Nclex-Rn Success, Joyce Barnby

Master's Projects

Successful performance on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) is a measure of competence indicating that newly licensed nurses have attained standards to ensure safe nursing practice. Concerned about a declining pass rate, one urban state university implemented multiple strategies over a period of time in order to enhance the success rate of frrst-time test-takers. The purpose of this research project was to focus on the state university's NCLEX-RN pass rates for frrst-time candidates, examined and evaluated new implemented strategies, and determined how the interventions influenced these pass rates. Data were collected using retrospective existing records on …

Self-Directed Learning Readiness Of Baccalaureate Of Science In Nursing (Bsn) Students, Saba Bayanzai

Master's Projects

One of the goals of nursing programs is to prepare students to be self-directed learners and assist them to meet the challenges in today's healthcare environment. Self direction is critical for lifelong learning, and it is imperative that nurses continue their education in order to provide high quality and competent care to patients. Students enter nursing programs with learning styles already established. Nursing faculty presuppose that the learning environment will be mutually respected, collaborative, and supportive. A clash between student learning styles and faculty teaching styles can have a great impact on the ultimate success of the student. This study …

The Use Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine For Menopausal Symptoms Among Chinese-American Women, Rebecca Kwai-Ying Chung

Master's Projects

The objectives of this research were to study the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for menopausal symptoms among Chinese-American women, and to examine the correlation between CAM use, acculturation, and CAM insurance coverage. The study revealed that Chinese-American women experience menopausal symptoms even when they still have regular menstrual cycles. Early education on women's health, especially about menopause, is recommended. A significant correlation was found between the women being asked by their health care providers regarding CAM use, and open discussion regarding the women's CAM use with their health care providers (p<0.05). The researchers suggest that health care providers ask their patients about their CAM use in order to encourage open discussion of CAM use with their patients.

Views About Health Of Russian-Americans Living In Central California, Mark Fiterman

Master's Projects

This quantitative research explored the health views of Russian-Americans to discover information about the health needs of this population. Data were collected via a demographic form and a tool, SF-36 Health Survey. 46 respondents participated and returned completed packets. Results were scored in eight scales representing two different groups of health measurement, physical health and mental health. The scores for each scale and group were compared to the nonn-based scoring for general U.S. population. The mean for the physical component summary (PCS) was 33.31, and the mean for the mental health summary (MCS) was 48.53 indicating that the physical health …

The Use Of The "Get Up And Go Test" As The Initial Screening Measure For Fall Risk With Community Dwelling Seniors, Margaret E. Hermoso

Master's Projects

Falls represent a sizeable public health issue that has serious health-related consequences for both the individual and the medical system at large. Falls are one of the most common events that threaten the independence of older persons with one third of falls occurring in persons over the age of 65 and over 50% in persons over the age of 80 years (2). During an office appointment, senior adults are screened routinely for blood pressure, weight, medication adherence and lab result follow-up. One assessment that is commonly overlooked is evaluating seniors for fall risk. The purpose of this study was to …

Depression Among The Elderly: Screening Practices And Attitudes Among Nurse Practitioners, Grace Le

Master's Projects

Purpose: To examine California's nurse practitioners' (NPs) screening practices and attitudes towards depression among the elderly using the Depression Attitude Questionnaire (DAQ) (Botega, Mann, Blizard, & Wilkinson, 1992). Data sources: One hundred and fifty NPs, selected randomly from the membership of the California Association of Nurse Practitioners (CANP), were surveyed with electronic mailed questionnaires. Seventy-five (50%) self-reported surveys were completed and analyzed. Results: The majority of NPs routinely screened for depression among the elderly. Most thought that life events were not important in the development of depression, held a positive view with pharmacological and psychological treatments of depression, and felt …

English Language Acculturation And Academic Achievement Among Junior Year Nursing Students, Leah Lukrich

Master's Projects

Efforts to alleviate the current nursing shortage have focused on recruitment and retention of diverse nursing students. Language acculturation has been identified in the literature as one predictor of academic achievement (Salamonson et al, 2008) PURPOSE: This study examined the relationship between pathophysiology and pharmacology grades and scores on the English Language Acculturation Scale (ELAS) survey for junior-level nursing students (N = 65). The relationship between years living in the United States (U.S.) and pathophysiology and pharmacology grades was examined also. RESULTS: ELAS scores ranged from 7-25, with a mean of22 (SD = 4.27). No statistically significant correlation was found …

Productivity Environmental Preference Survey (Peps) Of Undergraduate Nursing Students - A Generational Perspective, Susana Machado

Master's Projects

A change in the generational demographics of college students is occurring throughout the United States. By 2012, the number of Millennial students, those born from 1982 to 2003, will jump from 44 percent to 75 percent of the total college enrollment. It has been suggested that their methods of learning are different from those of previous generations. The purpose of this study was to identify and compare individual productivity and learning style preferences of undergraduate nursing students that fall into the Generation X and Millennial age cohort. Using the Dunn & Dunn Learning Style Model and the Productivity Environmental Preferences …

Stories, Ethics And The Interpretation Of Meaning: Bearing Witness To Mothers' Stories Of Their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Experience, Angela Chisum Blackburn

Dissertations

This study grounded in narrative perspectives was conducted to uncover mothers' experience of having a baby in the Neonatal intensive Care Unit (NICU). The purpose of this study was to describe and interpret mothers NICU experiences, and to sensitize health care professionals about the importance of mothers' personal experience stories.

The NICU experience began with mothers' birth experience or the incident that led up to her infant requiring care in the NICU and her experience extended beyond the NICU with future concerns about the health and wellbeing of her baby.

Stories of mothers' experience were gleaned from data generated from …

Role Strain Of Nursing Students In Obstetrical Clinical Rotations: Is Role Strain Greater For Male Students?, Teri A. Lind

Master's Projects

As increasing numbers of men enter the career of nursing, it is important that nursing educators identify areas of role strain and learning needs that may be different from their female counterparts This research project examined the role strain factors of nursing students who have completed the maternaVnewbom (obstetrical) clinical experience in a baccalaureate nursing program. The research question addressed in this research project was: Do male nursing students experience greater role strain than female nursing students in the matemaVnewbom setting? A convenience sample of male students (N=23) and a random sampling of female students (N=23) participated in this study. …

Nursing Student Perceptions Of Clinical Simulation During A Maternity Nursing Scenario, Maria B. Ronquillo

Master's Projects

Clinical Simulation creates near authentic experiences for students. This study examined the students' perceptions of design, implementation and outcomes of a Simulated Clinical Experience (SCE) during their maternal-child clinical practicum. A convenience sample of 27 female and 2 male students with a mean age of 26 years, in a baccalaureate nursing program, evaluated simulation design, educational practices, student satisfaction and self confidence. Using a 5-point Likert scale, 1 =strongly disagree to 5= strongly agree, participants found that the SCE was a positive, experience, (score of 4.08), with sound design characteristics, (score of 4.24) and was consistent with known educational practices, …

Assessing Culture Competence Among Nurses In An Acute Care Setting, Maleka Virani

Master's Projects

The aim of the study was to assess cultural competence among nurses in an acute care setting. A 25-item questionnaire developed by Campinha-Bacote (2003) titled Inventory to Assess Cultural Competence Among Health Care Providers (IAPCC-R) along with a demographic survey were utilized to assess cultural competence among 100 nurses in an acute care hospital. The results of the study indicated that 70% of nurses (n=63) were culturally aware and 30% (n=27) were culturally competent. There was no statistical significance between the level of cultural competence and years of experience, educational degree or self rating of 'being culturally competent'. The findings …

Characteristics And Outcomes Of Individuals Self-Selecting Yoga Versus Physical Therapy For The Treatment Of Chronic Low Back Pain, Dian Dowling Evans

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is a significant public health problem that is difficult and costly to treat. Determining whether a patient with cLBP will benefit from a particular treatment approach is challenging, since little is understood about the patient characteristics that predict improved treatment outcomes. Understanding these characteristics could reduce treatment failures and costs of care.

This study was designed to explore the demographic, clinical and treatment- related characteristics of individuals self-selecting yoga versus physical therapy (PT) for treatment of cLBP. A growing body of research demonstrates that yoga reduces pain and improves function in persons with cLBP. However, …

Metabolic Syndrome, Inflammation, Heart Rate Variability, And Fitness In Obese African American Youth, Belinda J. Fleming

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Purpose. The purposes of this dissertation were to (1) explore the relationships among fitness, heart rate variability (HRV), inflammation and components of the Metabolic Syndrome in obese African American youth participating in a supervised weight management program, (2) examine the effect of change in severity of obesity on these variables, and (3) identify predictors of weight loss.

Method. This study consisted of a post-hoc analysis of existing pre and post-intervention data obtained from 50 African-American youth (70% female, aged 7-18 years). Anthropometric assessment of height, weight, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, body mass index percentile …

Associations Among Health Literacy Levels And Health Outcomes In Pregnant Women With Pregestational And Gestational Diabetes In An Urban Setting, Rosemary Ann Mclaughlin

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Purpose/Objectives: Poor health literacy is a problem for over 45% of American adults and is associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes. Low health literacy has been associated with poor prenatal care utilization and a higher likelihood of poorer glycemic control. Poor glycemic control can lead to poor birth outcomes for both the mother and infant. Health literacy levels of pregnant women with diabetes can influence these outcomes and need to be known early in the pregnancy. Interventions can influence tighter glycemic control and lessen the impact of diabetes for the mother and infant. Therefore, the purpose of this …

Symbiotic Caregivers: A Qualitative Case Study Of African American Custodial Grandparents And Their Grandchildren, Stella Enyichi Nwokeji

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2005-2007 American Community Survey show that there are 11,436 grandparents in Shelby County, Tennessee, who are responsible for grandchildren. In Memphis only, there are 9,213 grandparents who are responsible for their grandchildren (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) 2003 report (2003) showed that 42% of Tennessee grandparents who were responsible for grandchildren who are living with them live in households where the children’s parents are not present. Casper and Bryson (1998) noted that grandparent-headed households are more prevalent in African American communities and are at high risk for poverty. …

Determinants Of Physical Activity Behavior And Self-Efficacy For Exercise Among African American Women, Bridget K. Robinson

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Background: Inadequate physical activity behavior persists among African American women despite the widely documented benefits of physical activity. Literature notes a positive correlation between self-efficacy for exercise and physical activity behavior. In addition to socioeconomic factors, culturally influenced factors mediate self-efficacy for task such as physical activity. Past studies indicate differing perceptions related to religiosity and body image among African American populations. Additionally, reports indicate Southern and Midwestern states have the highest prevalence of obesity. These states are located in a geographical area known as the Bible belt. Moreover, 73.5% of the African American population in the U. S. resides …

Advance Practice Nurses Readiness To Change Assessment Methods In Parents Of Obese Children, Carolyn Leach

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The worldwide epidemic of child and adolescent overweight and obesity continues to increase at disturbing rates. Unhealthy dietary practice is one of multiple causative behaviors leading to child and adolescent overweight and obesity. This behavior can contribute to short and long-term health consequences. Parents are modulators in the development of children's dietary behavior practices. It is recommended clinical practice that pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) assess readiness to change behavior in parents of overweight or obese children. The components of the Prochaska and DiClemente's Transtheoretical Model (TTM) in correlation with the counseling style of Rollnick, Miller and Butler's methods of Motivational …

Student Perceptions Of Their Learning Experience In The Clinical Setting: A Pilot Study, Peggy Gnehm

Master's Projects

Clinical experience during nursing education is a valuable learning opportunity, supporting the integration of theory and practice. Positive or negative perceptions of the learning environment potentially affect student retention and recruitment as well as motivation and by extension, possibly learning. The purpose of this pilot study was to explore possible strategies of assessing student perceptions of their overall clinical learning experiences and provide insight into student feelings about specific portions of their experience with goals of nurturing the positive as well as identifying potential areas for improvement within the program. Though students were satisfied overall with their clinical experiences, they …