Nursing Commons^™

Stressors Experienced By Emergency Department Registered Nurses At The Bedside: A Phenomenological Study, Stephen D. Heglund

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Emergency Department (ED) as a workplace for the Registered Nurse (RN) is a stressful environment. Reasons are thought to include interactions with other members of the interdisciplinary team as well as the situations associated with the environment of the ED such as trauma, death, sadness, joy and the general unpredictability of each moment. Studies have documented general health care workplace stress and its influence on staff, but a very limited number of studies have concentrated on the ED. No widely published studies have identified stressors from the perspective of the ED RN. This dissertation is an interpretive phenomenological study …

Pre-Nursing Club: Alleviating Secondary Admission Stress Amongst Pre-Nursing Students, Jenna Martens, Katherine Borum

Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Study Of Stress, Housing Program Use, And Nursing Usage Among Homeless In Chicago, Henry Christian Cheung

Dissertations

Homelessness places people at risk of stressors that translate into stress and subsequently affect their health. Using Neuman Systems Model as a framework to identify modalities for nursing intervention among stressors and health problems of homeless people, this study compared stress levels among homeless people from three different homeless housing program types, investigated variables that predict the presence of stress among homeless, identified the degree of self-reported contact homeless people had with nurses, and measured to what extent nurses are preferred as health care providers by homeless people. This was accomplished through a cross-sectional, secondary data analysis of data from …

The Effect Of Combat Exercises On Cardiovascular Response: An Exploratory Study, Melisa Gantt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: Hypertension (HTN) affects one in every three adults in the United States. Often associated with the older population, this silent killer has emerged in an unsuspecting group, young military soldiers. With the rapid succession of multiple deployments, long intervals between blood pressure (BP) assessments, and the absence of cardiovascular (CV) measures during the pre and post deployment health screenings; soldiers may be at higher risk for HTN than their civilian counterparts of the same age. The purpose of this study was to explore real-time continuous CV measures of soldiers before, during, and after exposure to a simulated combat stressor …

Exploring The Stress Response In New Army Nurses, Laureen Otto

Theses and Dissertations

The study of stress is limited in professional nursing, but it is nearly non-existent in professional military nursing. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among psychological, environmental, biological and demographic factors of stress in new Army nurses during the Army Medical Department’s 8-week Officer Basic Leadership Course (OBLC). Using a descriptive prospective, correlational repeated measures design, 33 study participants completed two psychological stress measures (Perceived Stress Scale [PSS] and the Impact of Event Scale – Revised[IES-R]), an environmental measure (Life Experiences Survey [LES]), a biologic measure (salivary cortisol) and a demographic questionnaire at three different time …

The Relationship Of Level Of Traumatic Exposure, Perceived Stress, And Resilience With Salivary Cortisol And Salivary Alpha-Amylase Diurnal Rhythm In Palestinian Children 10-12 Years Exposed To Chronic War Violence, Mohammad R. Asia Phd, Rn

Dissertations

Political violence, war, and genocide exist across the world and often the innocent children and civilians become victims. War and long-term violence have potentially harmful psychological and physiological effects on children. There are limited studies on the effect of prolonged armed conflict on the child's physiologic and psychologic stress responses. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between level of trauma, stress and resilience with salivary cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) diurnal patterns in Palestinian children, ages 10-12, living in a long standing war zone. Salivary cortisol, a surrogate marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) activity, and salivary …

Relationship Among Stress Of Labor, Support, And Childbirth Experience In Postpartum Mothers, Sasamon Srisuthisak

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Due to the profound and life-changing aspects of giving birth and to each woman’s individualized birthing experience, it is important to understand the myriad of factors that contribute to a positive childbirth experience. The aims of this study were to: (1) identify factors related to a positive childbirth experience; (2) to examine relationships among women’s perceptions and personal evaluations of their childbirth experience, stress associated with labor pain, support from the nursing staff, initial contact with the baby following birth, support from partners, education, age, and obstetric history; and (3) to identify predictors of a positive childbirth experience. Method: …

Nurse Anesthetists' Perception Of Their Rigorous Training Program A Grounded Theory Study, Joy Kieffer Phillips

Presidential Alumni Research Dissemination Award

There is no empirical understanding of the stressors that nurse anesthesia students encounter from their perspective as they negotiate a nurse anesthesia program. The initial research questions for this study examined what stressors these recent graduates encountered during their program and how they successfully negotiated those stressors. This study employed grounded theory methodology and the theory of symbolic interactionism. The data were collected from individual, semistructured, indepth interviews with 12 recent nurse anesthesia graduates who have been out of school for less than 2 years. The interview transcripts were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. The stressors discovered were …

Effects Of An Evidence-Based Intervention On Stress And Coping Of Families Of Critically Ill Trauma Patients, Sandra Knapp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Problem/Purpose: Critical care nurses are frequently exposed to the stress experienced by their patients' families, yet they often do not have the knowledge or skills to help family members cope with the stress of critical illness. While needs and stressors of families of the critically ill have been researched extensively, no prior studies have been conducted to determine the effects of an evidence-based nursing intervention for reducing family members' stress and improving their coping skills. The purpose of this study was to determine if an evidence-based nursing intervention designed to address the needs of family members would reduce stress and …

Sense Of Humor, Stress And Coping, And Outcomes In Children's Lives, Lambertha Okhuizen-Stier Phd, Mph, Rn

Dissertations

Children are confronted with many stressors in their environment which may bring about symptoms such as anxiety, sadness, worry, aggressiveness, hyperactivity, restlessness, or low self esteem (Sharrer & Ryan-Wenger, 2002). To prevent the short and long term effects of stress, children may use coping strategies to manage or alter stressful life events (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). This study explores the relationships between stress and sense of humor among school-age children. A sample of 106 students (and parents/guardians) in the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) returned self-report instruments packets containing the Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale for Children, and the …

Sense Of Coherence, Spirituality, Stress And Quality Of Life In Chronic Illness, Cheryl Delgado

Nursing Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Stress Management On Nurse Productivity And Retention, Tammi F. Milliken, Paul T. Clements, Harry J. Tillman

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Throughout the history of nursing there is a seeming legacy of personnel shortage, lack of funds, and, based on the nature of the role and related services, heightened levels of stress involved in patient care.

The future of the profession and more imminently, patient care and the health of nurses, may be significantly impacted by repeated challenges where current levels of stress and burnout are contributing to organizational problems, burnout, and attrition.

Employee stress and burn out commonly lead to myriad health-related problems that result in significant organizational consequences.

There are many methods of stress management, and sometimes the best …

Stress Reduction: A Neighborhood Introduction, Barbara D. Johnson

Master's Projects

Responding to reported health concerns a stress reduction program was developed for residents of an urban Latino neighborhood struggling with poverty, crime, and limited access to healthcare. The revised Health Promotion Model (HPM) was used as a framework (Pender, 1996). A qualitative study testing a 5-week Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention was imbedded into the program 18 months after its implementation. Utilizing a pre/post test design participants were predicted to demonstrate significant reductions in post-intervention mean scores for 3 self-report measures, the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale, General Sleep Disturbance Scale, and a modified Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. A 91% drop …

A Study Of Adolescent Depression Among Middle School Students, Cristina Lee

Master's Projects

Adolescent depression and teenage suicide should not be neglected and underestimated. While mental health is one of the ten health indicators that Healthy People 20 I 0 is focused on, and there are goals for the health community to work on, statistics are showing that teenagers in a county in Northern California were at high risk for mental health problem. This study was an introductory screening of the depression level of 7th graders attending middle school, and explored sources of adolescent perceived stress and routes of assistance. Results of the study show that almost one in every five 7th graders …

Relationships Among Stress, Blood Pressure, And Heart Rate Variability In Meditators, Sangthong Terathongkum

Theses and Dissertations

PROBLEM STATEMENT: Growing evidence indicates that psychological stress contributes to cardiovascular diseases through complex neuroendocrine mechanisms. Psychological stress leads to several physiological responses including increased heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) as well as decreased heart rate variability (HRV) through alterations in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), specifically increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity and decreased parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity. Meditation is thought to induce an innate relaxation response leading to reduced psychological stress. Findings from past studies have provided inconclusive evidence regarding the direction and strength of relationships among stress, BP, HRV, and meditation practice. PROCEDURES: A …

A Study Of The Relationships Among Secondary Traumatic Stress, Coping, And Years Of Service In Firefighter/Emergency Medical Service Personnel, Lynne S. Sanders

Faculty Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine relationships among stress, coping, and years of service in rescue personnel. One hundred sixteen voluntary subjects employed in Fire/EMS service in a small southern city participated in the study. Subjects completed a demographic questionnaire, The Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS), and The Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS).

The incidence of symptomatic stress for the sample was 19.8 percent, higher than the general population but comparable to rates found in other studies of rescue workers. Calls involving children were rated as most disturbing by the subjects. There was no relationship found between years …

A Longitudinal Study Examining The Stability Of Occupational Stressors Identified By Nursing Home Administrators, Gay Lynne Andrucci-Armstrong

Health Services Research Dissertations

As a result of the ever changing and expanding role of the nursing home administrator in conjunction with the stricter legislation governing nursing facilities over the past decade and the graying of America, a study specific to this population was warranted. The purpose of this study is to determine the relative change in the self-reported occupational stressors of nursing home administrators over a five year period (December 1994 to June 1999) secondary to the increased regulatory climate of the nursing home industry.

This study was carried out in three phases and included all practicing nursing home administrators in Virginia. Phase …

Basics Of Research (Part 12): Qualitative Research, Cheryl Thompson, B. Lee Walker

Journal Articles: College of Nursing

Although both the assumptions and methods of qualitative and quantitative approaches in nursing research are different, both have the goal of furthering the scientific basis for practice. A variety of qualitative approaches are available, and which approach to use depends on the purpose of the research. In general, qualitative investigations address broad questions related to description, discovery, or theory building, and, as a consequence, the researcher is concerned with the entire context surrounding the phenomenon of interest rather than concentrating on specific variables thought to influence that phenomenon. The type of data collected and the methods of analysis differ, but …

Occupational Stress Among Nurse Administrators In General Hospitals In Tennessee, Ruby T. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of occupational stress among nurse administrators and to identify the types of strategies used by nurse administrators to deal with or manage occupational stress. The study examined the relationship between selected demographic variables, occupational stress, and strategies. The research design included five research questions along with seven null hypotheses testing the relationship between occupational stress and demographic variables--age, gender, marital status, years of professional nursing experience, years as a nurse administrator, educational attainment, and hospital bed capacity. There were seven additional hypotheses testing the relationship between the same demographic variables …

Coping Styles Of Nurse Practitioners And The Effectiveness Of These Styles In Managing Stress, Carol J. Kolarik Smith

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to identify the coping styles used by nurse practitioners and determine the effectiveness of these styles in managing stress. The Roy Adaptation Model for Nursing was the theoretical framework used for this study. The research question which guided the data collection was what are the coping styles of nurse practitioners and how effective are these styles in managing the stress relative to functioning in the expanded role of nurse practitioner? The sample of convenience consisted of 72 nurse practitioners from Mississippi (30) and Tennessee (42) who completed and returned the survey questionnaire. …

An Explanatory Study Of Maternal Stress And Coping With A Cystic Fibrosis Child, Leslie G. Potter

Ellmer School of Nursing Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the concept of coping with a cystic fibrosis (CF) child and to define coping strategies from the perspective of the mother. The research design was based upon a phenomenological approach with analysis of transcribed, semi-structured interviews with mothers of CF children. A purposive sample of eight mothers with CF children were interviewed to explore the maternal CF experience. Each interview was tape recorded and followed up with a phone call to allow the mothers to add additional information, if so desired. Data analysis consisted of reviewing each typed, verbatim transcript to categorize …

Occupational And Life Stress In Nursing: Is There A Relationship?, Christopher Billam

Theses : Honours

A population of two hundred and twenty nurses involved in direct patient care in a regional hospital were surveyed to assess if a relationship exists between occupational and life stress. A cross sectional survey design was used. The questionnaire contained four distinct categories: demographic information, Nurses' Stress Scale, a Life Events Inventory and a social support scale. A return rate of 49.5% was obtained, and several completed questionnaires were rejected, leaving the data from 1.04 questionnaires to be analysed. The nurses in this population reported low scores tor both occupational and life stress. However, the instrument used to calculate the …

The Effects Of Stress Education On Stress Levels In Grade School Children, Lou Ann Hubbard

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the effects of stress management on stress levels in grade school children. The hypothesis to be tested was : There will be no significant difference in stress levels of grade school children following a stress education program. The setting included two third-grade classes in a small rural elementary school in North Alabama. There were 37 students in the study, 21 in the control group and 16 in the treatment group. Data were collected using the Teacher Questionnaire, to assess each student's stress level as perceived by the teacher, and the Everyday …

Development And Testing Of The Stress Adaptation Scale For Parents With Chronically Ill Children (Sasp), Carolyn M. Rutledge

Ellmer School of Nursing Theses & Dissertations

This research study consisted of four phases used to develop and test the Stress Adaptation Scale for Parents with Chronically Ill Children (ASP). The first phase dealt with developing the items on the SASP from a review of the literature and the researcher's professional experience. The SASP was then divided into the six categories of health care, social, personal, familial, financial, and spiritual. In phase II, content validity was evaluated by a panel of experts. In phase III, stability over time and face validity was demonstrated using 26 parents of chronically ill children. The SASP achieved a Pearson's r=.85 with …

A Comparison Of Stress Levels And Body Weight In School-Age Children, Melissa Kent

MSN Research Projects

This descriptive study was designed to compare stress levels in school-age children according to weight category. The researcher hypothesized that when third-grade students’ scores on the Kent Stress Measurement Tool for children were compared according to weight category (underweight, appropriate weight, overweight), there would be no signifi­ cant difference. Sixty-four third-grade public school students participated in the study. Height and weight measurements were done, plotted on a growth percentile graph, and a weight category assigned. A researcher-designed question­ naire, the Kent Stress Management Tool for Children, was administered to the students. The one-way ANOVA was used to analyze the scores. …

The Development And Field Testing Of A Teaching Module On Stress Management For Use In The Secondary Home Economics Classroom, Joann Branson

MSN Research Projects

A developmental study was designed to address the problem of adolescent stress and the need to provide home economics teachers with an instructional approach for teaching stress management. The specific purpose of the study was to develop, field test, and evaluate a teaching module on stress management. Module evaluation by field test teachers and student pretest and posttest scores on a test of stress management knowledge were designated as criteria for effectiveness. The stress management module was designed as a written plan, organized around concepts, for use by a teacher in directing the learning process. The module included terminal performance …