Pediatric Nursing Commons^™

Evaluation Of A School Based Disaster Preparedness Program, Sandra Linebarger

Master's Projects

This study evaluated a school based intervention designed to better prepare teachers and staff members in an elementary school to improve their knowledge and confidence of disaster preparedness. Participants included 19 teachers and I 0 staff members of an elementary school in San Mateo County, CA. With hundreds of schools scattered in the communities and the recent disasters in our country there is a growing awareness of the need for disaster preparedness in schools. A pretest-posttest was administered to measure changes in knowledge and confidence following a school based intervention of disaster preparedness education. There was a significant improvement in …

A Survey Of Perceived Job Satisfaction Among School Nurses, Warren Nelson

Master's Projects

Many studies have examined job satisfaction of nurses in various clinical settings, but few have focused on school nurses. This project was a follow-up to the study by Foley, Wilson, Lee, Young Cureton, & Canham (2004), who used a written questionnaire and convenience sample rather than the electronic means and random sampling employed here. Both studies, based on Stamp's Index of Work Satisfaction, analyzed six parameters to determine the degree of job satisfaction among members of a state school nurses organization. The results of this study substantially agreed with the prior study. School nurses were not satisfied with their jobs. …

Identifying Catholic School Teachers Attitudes And Perceptions About Death And Grief, Stephania Ann Higdon

Master's Projects

Death and grief are not frequently discussed with children as a normal part of life. Previous studies show that teachers are not comfortable discussing the subject in the classrooms. As a trusted source, school nurses are able to help school staff recognize potential signs and symptoms of death and grief with a student dealing with a loss, providing information, educational resources and support. The purpose of this study was to identify the attitudes and perceptions about death and grief of Catholic School teachers working among elementary school age children kindergarten through eighth grades. A convenience sample of 47 teachers from …

Evaluation Of An Oral Health Training Program For School Nurses, Linda Drengler

Master's Projects

Pediatric dental disease is a silent epidemic (Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 2002). Dental decay is commonly unrecognized and under-treated, and can affect children's growth and development as well as their ability to perform in school. Effective interventions to prevent dental decay include water fluoridation, dental sealants, pediatric dental screenings, and dental health education programs. This pre-experimental design study evaluated the effectiveness of an oral health training program for school nurses. This training program was designed based on the First 5 California <;>ral Health Training Program (2003). A non-randomized sample of fourteen (N=l4) school nurses participated in the …

Perceptions Of High Risk Behaviors Among Culturally Diverse Adolescents And The Role Of Parental Influence And Parent Communication, Sharlene E. Junio

Master's Projects

Eighty seven ethnically diverse 9th and 1oth graders from an urban high school in Northern California were studied. Students were mostly female, between 14 and 16 years of age, and reported to be mostly Asian and Filipino. Students completed an 18-item Likert scale questionnaire requesting information about their overall relationship with their parents and their communication with their parents about drugs, sex, alcohol, birth control, and personal problems. Results of this study showed that participants rated their overall relationship with their parents as "good" or "very good." Despite this, communication was lacking among parents and adolescents in all topics of …

Evaluation Of An Oral Health Training Program For School Nurses, Kelley Haines-Kolostian

Master's Projects

Pediatric dental disease is a silent epidemic (Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 2002). Dental decay is commonly unrecognized and under-treated. Dental disease can affect children's growth and development as well as their ability to perform in school. Effective interventions to prevent dental decay include water fluoridation, dental sealants, pediatric dental screenings, and dental health education programs. This pre-experimental design study evaluated the effectiveness of an oral health training program for school nurses. This training program was designed based on the First 5 California Oral Health Training Program, First Smiles (First Smiles Program of California, 2003). The presentation was …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of A Diabetes Managment Training Program For Unlicensed Assistive Personnel In Schools, Elaine M. Gomer

Master's Projects

This study evaluated the diabetes management-training program for unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). The purpose of the program was to prepare UAP to recognize and respond to the health care needs of students diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. Twenty UAP participated. Teaching strategies were based on Albert Bandura' s social learning theory~ Two instruments were administered before and after the program. One was a 1 0-question survey addressing self-efficacy; the other was a 10 question multiple-choice test measuring knowledge of diabetes. Results of paired t tests indicate consistent and significant improvement in both perceptions of self-efficacy and knowledge (p < .05). This program provides a framework for school nurses training UAP that assist in the health care of students with diabetes. It is important that school nurses capitalize on the contribution that informed confident UAP might contribute to the provision of safe quality care to students with diabetes.

Improving The Experience Of Hospitalization For Hawaiian Children On The Mainland Through Cultural Sensitivity To Hawaiian Ways Of Healing, Jane H. Lassetter, Joan H. Baldwin

Faculty Publications

The experience of hospitalization for Hawaiian children on the mainland might be improved through the understanding and development of cultural sensitivity to Hawaiian ways of healing. This article contains a selected review of the literature on meeting the cultural health care needs of Hawaiian children and their families, a discussion of some of the challenges of caring for Hawaiian children in Utah, and suggestions for practice that may improve the experience of hospitalization for Hawaiian children in general.

Educational Curriculum For Obesity In School Aged Youth, Carmen Vieyra Kemp, Melody Ann Mendiola

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project was to develop an educational program to assist educators in keeping school children healthy. This program is designed to support professionals who are working to reduce the problem of oobesity in children and adolescents in elementary and middle school setting.

The Effects Of Childhood Obesity On Elementary School Absenteeism, Sarah Diane Schoonover, Wyona Marie Lagomarsino

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between body mass index and school absence. The research was a retrospective study of school nurse height and weight reports and attendance reports for 2nd grade Hispanic students at an elementary school in Riverside, California.

A Survey Of California's Nurse Practitioners' Regarding Practice, Knowledge And Atitudes Of The National Asthma Management Guidelines, Colleen M. Hughes

Master's Projects

Background: Pediatric asthma morbidity and mortality continues to rise in the United States despite the institution of the National Institute of Health/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's diagnostic and treatment guidelines. This study examines the practices, knowledge and attitudes of California's pediatric and family nurse practitioners regarding the national asthma guidelines. Method: A quantitative mail-in survey of pediatric, pulmonary, emergent, urgent care, and family nurse practitioners was utilized to gather the data regarding the care of pediatric asthma patients. The survey collected demographic data and the NP' s current asthma practices in a Likert scale format. Results: The nurse practitioners …

Nursing Workforce Shortage And Diversity Disparity In Northwest Arkansas, Jeffery T. Collins, Yi Liu

Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this analysis is the ascertain: 1) if market conditions in Northwest Arkansas (the study area) are sufficient to support the proposed planning effort by Northwest Arkansas Nursing Education Consortium (NANEC) to create a bilingual nursing student recruitment model and 2) to determine of that model is portable to other geographies.

The Prevalence Of Dental Caries In A Central Coast Of California Middle School, Belen R. Mojica

Master's Projects

Dental morbidity is a chronic problem that affects a child's ability to attend school, to learn, and to enjoy good health. Of all childhood diseases, oral disease ranks as one of the highest and is considered one of the most common and the least treated. The prevalence of dental caries is high among children and adolescents in school populations. This study explored the prevalence of dental caries in a California Central Coast middle school during the 2002-03 school year (N=526). Findings indicated that severe dental caries existed in both boys and girls and in students of various ethnic groups. Approximately …

Health Care Barriers For Latino Children And Provision Of Culturally Competent Care, Jane H. Lassetter, Joan H. Baldwin

Faculty Publications

The demography of the United States is rapidly changing. The impressive growth rate of Latino populations within the United States has great impact on health care. This article includes discussion of a significant increase from 1988 to 2000 in Latino utilization of emergency department and inpatient services at a pediatric medical center in Salt Lake City, Utah, information on health care barriers for Latinos, and suggestions for providing culturally competent care.

Pet Therapy Use In Pediatric Hospitals: An Internet Based Pilot Study, Kara Potter

Master's Projects

Introduction: In a technologically advanced health care system, health care providers continue to care for the physical, emotional, and spiritual well being of their patients. Alternative therapies, such as massage, music, and aroma therapy, are often included in such holistic care. Pet therapy is another form of alternative therapy that appears to be beneficial. Method: Child life coordinators and play therapists from 100 pediatric hospitals in 44 U.S. states were sent an email invitation to participate in the study by completing an online survey. Results: From the children's hospitals responding, it appears that pet therapy is used in the majority …

Tandem Mass Spectrometry In Newborn Screening, Sandra Banta-Wright, Robert Steiner

Faculty Publications - College of Nursing

Since 1961 newborn screening for errors of metabolism (EM) has improved the diagnosis, treatment and outcome of newborns with an EM. Recently, advances in laboratory technology with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) has increased the identification of newborns with an EM. With a single dried filter paper blood spot (Guthrie R, Susi A. A simple phenylalanine method for detecting PKU in large populations of newborn infants. Pediatrics. 1963;32:338-343). MS/MS can identify more than 30 disorders of metabolism This review will explore MS/MS to provide a better understanding of the development and application of this technology to newborn screening for perinatal and …

Stories Of Mothers Of Medically Vulnerable Infants, Sarah E. Davis

Master's Projects

As with any new baby, a medically vulnerable infant must be incorporated into the life of the family. The work of this transition is principally the work of the mother as primary caretaker. The mother considers what it will mean to have this infant in the family, how he will fit in, and what things will change. The mother wonders about how his personality will unfold and what his future will bring. She thinks about her role as a mother and how to best meet her child's special needs. With a medically vulnerable infant, a mother also has to consider …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of An Anaphylaxis Training Program For Unlicensed Assistive Personnel, Jean A. Litarowsky

Master's Projects

This study evaluated a training program designed to prepare unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) in high school settings to recognize and respond effectively to an anaphylactic emergency. Subjects included 53 adults employed by a high school district in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. A training model was developed based on Bandura's theory of sources of self-efficacy. Knowledge and perceived self-efficacy of participants were measured before and after the training program to determine if a theory-based anaphylaxis recognition and epinephrine auto-injector training program would increase participants' knowledge and self-efficacy in responding to an anaphylactic emergency. Paired t-tests revealed significant improvement …

Coping And Social Support For Parents Of Children With Autism, Edith H. Luther

Master's Projects

The increased incidence of autism in children impacts families, educators, and health professionals. A descriptive survey design was used to obtain responses from parents of autistic children in public schools. Data collection instruments included The Social Support Index, SSI (McCubbin, Patterson, and Glynn, 1982), and The Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale, F-COPES (McCubbin, Olson, and Larsen, 1981 ). The majority of parents of autistic children perceived that they had support within their families and communities. One half of the families identified serious stressors in addition to autism. Acquiring social support and reframing were the coping strategies used most frequently. …

Justification For The Continuance Of A Pediatric Physician's Office Laboratory, Veronica C. Santilli

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The continued viability of the Physician's Office Laboratory (POL) has been questioned because of barriers imposed by managed care organizations, oversight by regulatory agencies and competition for professionally trained laboratory staff. Pediatricians view the POL as an important adjunct to quality healthcare services for children and do not consider the POL as a "profit center", whose priority is generation of revenues for the The practice. parents of pediatric patients consider an on-site laboratory a convenience and valuable service. Through an analysis of patients' satisfaction, physicians' perceptions of enhancement to quality care, managed care reimbursement data and costs associated with maintenance …

Update - March 2002, Loma Linda University Center For Christian Bioethics

Update

In this issue:

-- Celebrating our contributors: Convocation, 2001
-- Paternalism and Autonomy in Dentistry
-- Care Ethics in Pediatric Critical Care Nursing

Paediatric Intensive Care Nursing Behaviours To Reduce Parental Stress, Fenella Gill

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A child's admission to a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is stressful for the family. Parental presence and involvement with their child in hospital have been recognised as important in reducing their stress. Several studies have identified parental needs in the PICU. Nurses have reported that they felt inadequately prepared to meet those needs. Although principles to guide nursing strategies have been identified, contextual behaviours of PICU nurses to reduce parental stress have not A qualitative study, using an ethnographic approach, was designed to describe contextual behaviours of experienced PICU nurses. Participants self identified their level of clinical practice to …

Perceived Barriers By Hispanic Mothers In Obtaining Primary Health Care For Their Childern, Michael Allen Hart

Master's Projects

Purpose: Hispanic mothers tend to over use hospital emergency services and under use primary care providers when seeking health care for their children. In order to change this health care utilization behavior, researchers must understand the barriers to health care perceived by Hispanic mothers. Design: In this non-experimental survey study, a non-probability, purposive sampling of 45 Hispanic mothers at a rural county pediatric clinic were surveyed. Methods: Using the Health Belief Model (HBM) as its framework an 18-item survey examined, barriers to health care, cues to action, subjects' knowledge, family satisfaction, access, and likelihood of action. Findings: The data suggest …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of The "Youth Leadership" Class In The Prevention Of Adolescent Depression, Jacqueline Oria

Master's Projects

Depression in adolescence is a common and potentially life-threatening health problem. Depending upon the severity of symptoms, anywhere from 2% to 40% of teenagers are affected with depression (Sadler, 1993). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of prevention strategies on decreasing the rate of depression in adolescents. It is hoped that a class addressing specific skills identified as having an impact on adolescent depression will affect the youth participating in the program.

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of A Health Education Program For Classroom Assistants, Patricia A. Robinson

Master's Projects

Classroom Instructional Assistants are being used more frequently to provide care for medically fragile children who are mainstreamed into the regular education setting. The purpose of this evaluative study was to develop a beginning health curriculum that could be provided as an inservice program for classroom Instructional Assistants. Content for the inservice consisted of handwashing, medication administration, asthma, and seizures. This study used a pretest and posttest design to look at the effectiveness of the educational inservice. There were 17 participants, 16 of whom completed the pretest and posttest. A pretest was administered prior to the inservice followed by a …

Differentiation In Roles Of School Nurse And Unlicensed Assistive Personnel, Lynn Shieh

Master's Projects

School nurses provide a vast number of health services for students, teachers, and staff. Despite school nurses' important contributions to the health status of students, through the years their positions have been gradually supplemented by Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP)/ Health Clerks. With the number of UAPs increasing in the school setting, roles and responsibilities of school nurses and UAPs need to be clearly differentiated in order to utilize the UAP's services legally and efficiently. This research used a descriptive survey to investigate the perceptions that differentiate the role of school nurses and UAPs among school administrators, nurses, UAPs, secretaries, and …

Self-Esteem: The Impact Of A Course In Growth And Development On Fifth Grade Students, Mary Jang

Master's Projects

Teens in the United States have the highest pregnancy, abortion, and sexually transmitted disease rates among the developed countries. The social and financial costs of teen births are staggering. Research shows that high self-esteem is significantly related to resistance to group pressures, willingness to express unpopular opinions, family adjustment, creativity, and effective communication between parents and youth. The research question is: Will a 5-hour course in growth and development increase the level of self-esteem in fifth grade students? A convenience sample of 20 students (13 girls and 7 boys) who attend a public elementary school in San Jose, California, comprised …

Family Communication And Competence Among Siblings Of Pediatric Oncology Patients, Kimberly Olvera Butler

Master's Projects

Pediatric oncologic diseases are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity among children. The chronicity of the treatment requires the family to adjust their daily routines to care for the ill child. The changes are experienced by all the family members: the ill child, the parents, and the well siblings. The literature reflects variable effects on the well sibling. There has been limited research that evaluates the effects of family interaction patterns. This pilot study examined communication within the family and sought to determine if communication, as measured on the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale, correlated with competence, as measured on the …

An Evaluation Of A Nurse Case-Managed Program For Children With Diabetes, Jean Y. Caravalho

Master's Projects

This study evaluates an integrated model of care for children with diabetes that was developed at an HMO. This model program of 56 subjects included a nurse case manager, a multidisciplinary team clinic, and educational and counseling interventions to empower families to improve self-management of the children's diabetes. The purpose of the program was to improve diabetes self-management as measured by pre- and postintervention glycosylated hemoglobin values, quality of life, and self-efficacy ratings. There were improvements in means of all measures of self-management and a statistically significant improvement in self-efficacy beliefs of the parents. The higher quality of life and …

Childern Witnessing Domestic Violence, Meghan Denzel

Master's Projects

Statement of Problem: Although witnessing violence in the family may account for many symptoms brought to the attention of the primary care providers, such violence is seldom identified as an issue. The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of children witnessing violence in the home, as self reported by victims of domestic violence in a clinical setting. Method: The study was a retrospective chart review. Data was gathered from a survey administered to individuals identified in the emergency department as victims of domestic violence. The survey addressed demographics, child witnesses to violence, and co-factors of violence including …