bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cultural Values and the Decision to Circumcise
Authors: Harris Chandice C.
Published: October 2007

Circumcision is no longer recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. However, in the United States, circumcision still prevails. This paper reports a qualitative research study that identifies variables which influence the decision to circumcise the male newborn. A cultural decision‐making model is presented that predicts and explains decision‐making pathways taken by individuals. The value of this model lies in the opportunity for the nurse to assess and intervene based on client knowledge as well as cultural values.
Reducing Uncertainty: Self‐diagnosis of Pregnancy
Authors: Patterson Ellen Tate , Freese Margaret P. , Goldenberg Robert L.
Published: October 2007

The purpose of this research was to discover how women make a self‐diagnosis of pregnancy and given that diagnosis, how they make decisions regarding prenatal care. The self‐diagnosis portion of the study is presented here. Transcriptions from interviews with 30 pregnant and postpartum women were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The resultant model conceptualizes the phases of pregnancy self‐diagnosis and includes descriptive data concerning diagnostic indicators of pregnancy. Implications for further development of the concept of self‐diagnosis and its relevance to nursing practice are discussed. Plans for a follow‐up study testing the model of self‐diagnosis of pregnancy are also presented.
Do Nurses Need Mentors?
Authors: Campbell‐Heider Nancy
Published: October 2007

This paper examines the influence of sex role socialization on the establishment and maintenance of mentoring relationships. Traditional conceptualizations of this process have evolved from male culture and experience; consequently, women have had less access than have men to this career advancement mechanism. Nurses, however, have developed a continuum of sponsorship activities that are more useful than traditional mentoring relationships in a practice‐oriented profession as well as more compatible with female socialization.
Developing and Implementing a Model for Evaluating Teaching Effectiveness
Authors: Ort Suzanne Van , Noyes Alice , Longman Alice
Published: October 2007

Evaluation of faculty members in higher education has become an important issue in the past two decades. Institutions are facing difficult decisions about retaining and promoting faculty members during a period of economic constraints. Efforts to document teaching effectiveness in nursing are essential if nursing is to gamer its share of scarce education resources. This article describes the development and implementation of a model for evaluating teaching effectiveness.
Critical Analysis of NANDA Nursing Diagnosis Taxonomy I
Authors: Porter Eileen Jones
Published: October 2007

The NANDA Nursing Diagnosis Taxonomy I is analyzed in relation to standards of taxonomy in general, to nursing theory and to its application to nursing practice. An overview of an alternative taxonomic scheme is presented.
Understanding Patients' Agendas
Authors: Molde Susan
Published: October 2007

Volumes of research support the contention that in most outpatient clinic encounters there are two diagnoses to be made. We know now that the chief complaint is often not the reason for the visit, unless the symptoms are intolerable; rather symptoms and request act together to prompt visits. Symptoms act as cues, but patients initiate visits when they have a request in mind that they think can best be fulfilled by a professional. This is particularly true for the kinds of presenting complaints described as “signal behavior.”
Bridging the Research Gap Between Acute and Long‐Term Care of Older Adults
Authors: Engle Veronica F.
Published: October 2007

Nursing research has emphasized the study of older adults residing in nursing homes. But acute care and home care settings are also part of long‐term health care of older adults, with common clinical concerns across settings. Issues for long‐term care and nursing research are presented, followed by the description of a study that has potential for bridging the gap between acute and long‐term care of older adults.
Authorship: Yours, Mine, or Ours?
Authors: Stevens Kathleen R.
Published: October 2007

Along with the benefits afforded by collaboration comes the issue of equitable division of publication credit. Joint authorship is examined by addressing two separate questions: Who is entitled to be named as author? and Who gets what place in the sequence of author names? Guidelines for determining authorship include considerations of timing of decisions, identification of authors, sequence of authors, role of coauthors, the journal editor's authority, and difference across disciplines.
Preschool Development of Very Low Birthweight Infants
Authors: Schraeder Barbara D. , Rappaport Judy , Courtwright Louise
Published: October 2007

The purpose of this multivartiate longitudinal study was to describe the influence of perinatal adversity, biological risk and environmental process variables on cognitive development during the first 3 years of life in children who were born with very low birthweight (VLBW ≤ 1500 grams). The subjects were 40 VLBW children (X̄ birth weight = 1203) who at birth were appropriate for gestational age and free from congenital anomalies. Data were gathered from the birth record and during home visits when the children were 6, 12, 24 and 36 months and were analyzed using multiple regression and cross‐lagged panel analysis. Of the variance in development at 36 months, 49 percent was accounted for by the combination of environmental variables. The most important variables were the parents' stimulation of academic behavior and stimulation of language.
In Defense of Empiricism
Authors: Norbeck Jane s.
Published: October 2007

In the context of current debate concerning modes of inquiry, this paper addresses the role of empiricism in nursing science. The author argues that, while not the only valid perspective, empiricism should remain a dominant perspective in nursing research because many of the questions we need to study are consistent with this view. This stance does not invalidate important philosophic and methodologic challenges facing empiricism or the unique contributions of other perspectives. Instead, the challenge to researchers in the empiricist tradition is to refine methodologic and analytic skills in order to increase the ability to capture the objective reality that is assumed to be measurable even in the social and behavioral sciences. Nursing research efforts have tended not to exploit the full range of empiric investigation. Until such programs of research have been conducted, it is premature to make judgments about how well empiricism has served nursing.
Clinical Decision Making of Staff Nurses
Authors: Prescott Patricia A. , Dennis Karen E. , Jacox Ada K.
Published: October 2007

A qualitative analysis of the satisfaction of nurses with clinical decision making, the nature of the decision making, nurses' involvement in the process and factors that influence decision‐making behavior is presented. The data were obtained from interviews conducted with physicians and nurses as a part of a study of nurse turnover and vacancy in hospitals. Staff nurse involvement in decision making is described as being interdependent; nurses reported general satisfaction with their involvement, while physicians generally resisted the decision‐making discretion of nurses. Nurses on specialized and critical care units were more satisfied than were nurses who worked on general medical‐surgical units. Trust and control were central issues. Implications for considering what knowledge, skill and decisional authority are needed for patient care are discussed.
The Color Gray: Ambiguity and Infertility
Authors: Sandelowski Margarete
Published: October 2007

Ambiguity was found to be the most prevalent experience in a group of infertile women. The women's descriptions of ambiguity, expressed as uncertainty about the causes and cures of infertility, pregnancy diagnosis and outcome, life pursuits and control, and identity are presented and compared with the literature on ambiguity and disease or disability. Questions are raised for clinicians and researchers.
Collaboration in Developing a Research Program Grant
Authors: Pender Nola J. , Sechrist Karen R. , Frank‐Stromborg Marilyn , Walker Susan Noble
Published: October 2007

This paper examines collaboration in the preparation of a research program grant proposal. A five‐stage process is described. Major perceived benefits of collaboration include the following: (a) the strengths of multiple investigators can be focused on a single research problem; (b) planning a large research effort becomes manageable; and (c) cooperating scientists learn from each other, which fosters professional growth.
Methodological Triangulation: A Vehicle for Merging Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods
Authors: Duffy Mary E.
Published: October 2007

Triangulation is the use of multiple methods, theories, data and/or investigators in the study of a common phenomenon(a). The four types of triangulation, its benefits and some of the problems of implementation are discussed. The paper concludes that triangulation is not an end in itself; rather it is a vehicle for the conduct of a study that, when used appropriately, may produce very valuable results.
Nurse Educator Views of Assignment of Authorship Credits
Authors: Gay Janice Templeton , Lavender Martha Griffith , McCard Nancy
Published: October 2007

A national survey of nurse educators was conducted to assess their opinions on publication credit assignments. Data were collected using 22 scenario items modified from a questionnaire developed by Spiegel and Keith‐Spiegel (1970) and adapted by Werley, Murphy, Gosch, Gottesman and Newcomb (1981). Questionnaires were distributed to 431 nurse educators; 229 (52.6%) completed questionnaires were returned. The data were analyzed to identify points of agreement that were selected by more than 50 percent of the respondents. These points are summarized as possible guidelines for publication credits. The findings have implications for nurse educators and nurse researchers.
Contributions of Rosemary Ellis to Knowledge Development for Nursing
Authors: Pressler Jana L. , Fitzpatrick Joyce J.
Published: October 2007

The late Rosemary Ellis outlined a path for knowledge development for nursing that has the potential for increasing the knowledge base for practice. She viewed the mission of the discipline of nursing to be the development, transmission, and organization of a coherent body of knowledge. The development of such knowledge should begin with the identification of phenomena of concern and questions for study. Moreover, said Ellis, the utilization of knowledge should be deliberate and artful so as to produce the human beneficence for which nursing exists.
Health Beliefs and Adherence in Chronic Illness
Authors: Redeker Nancy Schmieder
Published: October 2007

Nonadherence to recommended therapeutic regimens has been described as a major health problem for persons experiencing chronic illness. In this paper, the origins and concepts of the health belief model are described, and related methodological issues are discussed. Research into the relationship between health beliefs and adherence behavior in chronic illness is reviewed, and implications for nursing research and practice are suggested.
Factors Related to Obesity in Mexican‐American Preschool Children
Authors: Alexander Mary A. , Blank Jacqueline J.
Published: October 2007

For participation in this study, 31 Mexican‐American children between the ages of 3 and 5 years and their mothers were recruited. Feeding practices and values related to body perception were assessed. Mothers of obese children preferredfat babies and were themselves more overweight than were the mothers of nonobese children. The differences were statistically significant. The study has implications for nursing practice in the identification of children at increased risk for obesity related to maternal, environmental and cultural factors.
Comparison of Two Group Interventions for the Bereaved
Authors: Constantino Rose E.
Published: October 2007

This study compared differences in the levels of depression among three study groups of widows as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory and the Depression Adjective Checklist Form E and differences in the levels of socialization among the same three study groups as measured by the Revised Social Adjustment Scale. Levels of depression and socialization of each subject in the three study groups were measured at jive different testing intervals: at intake; at six weeks, after two of the three study groups received a group intervention, either bereavement crisis intervention or intervention consisting of group social activities; and at 3‐month, 9‐month and 12‐month intervals. The bereavement crisis intervention produced an initial drop in depression and increased social activity, which then stabilized. The three groups differed significantly; the group‐time interaction was also significant.
Older Adults' Knowledge and Attitudes about Sexuality and Aging
Authors: Steinke Elaine E.
Published: October 2007

A quasi‐experimental design was used with older adults to explore their knowledge of and attitudes toward sexuality and aging. Knowledge of sexuality and aging significantly increased from pretest to posltest among the members of the experimental group who participated in classes on sexuality and aging. Attitudes did not change in either the experimental or control group. Sexual satisfaction differed significantly between the experimental and control groups. Correlations of variables indicated that sexual satisfaction increases with age and that females are more likely than are males to report sexual satisfaction.
Peer Review of Research Abstracts
Authors: Cason Carolyn L. , Cason Gerald J. , Redland Alice R.
Published: October 2007

Application of a rating theory model to reviews of abstracts submitted to an international research conference resulted in good fit with the data and detection of significant interreviewer differences in reviewer stringency. Computation of calibrated ratings (i.e., those from which reviewer differences had been removed) permitted selection of abstracts that reflected more accurately the true quality of each abstract without regard to who happened to have reviewed it and thus enhanced both the validity and reliability of the peer review process.
Responses to High Technology Infertility Treatment
Authors: Olshansky Ellen Frances
Published: October 2007

A secondary analysis was conducted on data originally collected through grounded theory methodology to study individuals' and couples' experiences of infertility. The secondary analysis focused on seven infertile couples who chose high‐technology options in their pursuit of fertility. Six themes emerged: (a) drivenness, (b) difficulty “getting on with life,” (c) marital and sexual disruption, (d) uniqueness of responses related to personal meaning, (e) financial stresses, and (f) exacerbated cyclical pattern of hope and despair.
The Effects of Handling on Preterm Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Authors: Medoff‐Cooper Barbara
Published: October 2007

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a commonplace problem of infants who are bom with a birth weight under 1,500 grams and who require mechanical ventilation. The immature nervous system of these infants is easily overwhelmed by sensory overload in the intensive care nursery. The purpose of this research was to: (a) quantify the physiologic distress signals (PDS) exhibited by the infant with BPD during handling procedures and (b) compare these findings to a group of healthy preterm infants from birth through hospital discharge. The subjects were 32 preterm infants, 9 of whom had BPD. From 28 to 38 weeks postconceptual age the infants with BPD demonstrated significantly more tachycardia, tachypnea and bradycardia when being handled as well as other subtle physiologic distress signals. They were significantly older when selected PDS disappeared. These findings have implications for planning care for infants with BPD.
Cognitive Analysis of Contraceptive Behavior
Authors: Norris Anne E.
Published: October 2007

This paper presents a new approach to contraceptive behavior–an approach that draws on research and theory in the areas of memory and information processing. The approach generates a model for predicting both pregnancy risk taking and risk‐avoidance behaviors. This model integrates descriptive findings in the contraceptive literature and is supported by a preliminary laboratory study.
Nursing Diagnosis: A Study of Quality and Supportive Evidence
Authors: Andersen Joan E. , Briggs Lynne L.
Published: October 2007

This study focused on the difference in number and quality of diagnostic statements generated by nurses using a medical or nursing database and the supportive evidence for the diagnoses. The results revealed no statistical difference in the number or quality of nursing diagnoses generated from the databases; 12 (44%) of the 34 diagnoses were not supported by assessment data. Nurses had difficulty writing etiologies that were supported by assessment data and for which nurses can intervene independently. The findings support the conclusion that nursing diagnosis is a weak component of the nursing process.
Collaboration Between Nurses and Physicians
Authors: Baggs Judith G. , Schmitt Madeline H.
Published: October 2007

Collaboration between nurses and physicians has emerged as a result of recent research as a key variable in explaining patient outcomes from intensive care. However, the term has lacked a generally accepted definition, and this creates problems for new research. The use of the term in studies related to collaborative practice is reviewed here. Content areas for an instrument that could be used to examine collaborative work are suggested.
Neonatal Behavior of Prenatally Stressed Lebanese Infants
Authors: Zahr Lina Kurdahi , Khoury May , Nugent Kevin
Published: October 2007

The behavior of 68 Lebanese infants whose mothers lived in a country with 10 years of civil war, was compared to a sample of American infants. The results indicate that the Lebanese infants were more capable of shutting out disturbing stimuli from the environment. They were also less excitable and better able to regulate their state changes.
Variables Related to Nurse Performance
Authors: McCloskey Joanne Comi , McCain Bruce
Published: October 2007

The prediction of job performance is a complex process that has received little attention. Results of this exploratory analysis of newly employed nurses indicate that different variables affected different types of performance. The amount of experience was the best predictor of critical care skills, but the amount of education best distinguished top and medium performers from poor performers. Career commitment, continuing education, job satisfaction and feedback were also determinants of job performance. Short staffing and the illness level of the patients affected the nurses' performance. The results also point to the importance of the leadership skills of the head nurse.
An Analysis of Entry Into Practice Arguments
Authors: Warner Sandra L. , Ross M. Candice , Clark Lori
Published: October 2007

This article describes the findings derived from a content analysis of arguments related to the entry‐into‐practice issue. Written and oral testimonies presented to the North Dakota Board of Nursing were examined within the framework of Lewin's change theory. An analysis of what was said and by whom, provided a heuristic classification of the substantive content of the arguments and the identification of argument profiles in terms of selected demographics.
The Effects of the Upright Position During Childbirth
Authors: Liu Yuen C.
Published: October 2007

The purpose of this investigation was to replicate an earlier study to clarify and verify its findings. The 68, term primigravidae married women between the ages of 18 and 25years were assigned to three groups: (a) one group used a 30 degree upright position with no bearing down instructions during the second stage of labor (n = 24); (b) the second group used a 30 degree upright position with bearing down instructions given during the second stage of labor (n = 22); and (c) a control group used a zero degree recumbent position with bearing down instructions during the second stage of labor (n = 22). The upright position enhanced the descent of the fetal head with a shorter duration of labor in both the first and second stages. When mothers in an upright position were left alone to bear down in response to their own bodies’urges, the second stage of labor was of shorter duration.
A Woman of the Land
Authors: King Patricia A.
Published: October 2007

This cross‐cultural study presents the life history of an 85‐year‐old Australian woman's health, illness and care experiences. The data were obtained from interviews over a four‐month period. Content analysis was used to discover domains of meaning and formulate categories. The findings are ordered according to the following cultural themes: being a woman of the land, learning to get good feelings and ways to manage unsettling times. “Hardiness” and “keenness for learning” emerge for potential consideration in nursing practice and research.
U.S. and Australian Nurses’Attitudes and Beliefs about the Good Death
Authors: Davis Anne J. , Slater Patricia V.
Published: October 2007

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the attitudes and beliefs of nurses in Australia and the United States regarding aspects of passive euthanasia, or the “good death.” Two foci guided the study: (a) the possible discrepancies that these nurses might perceive between what they thought would be done in a given clinical situation and what they thought ought to be done, and (6) the possible differences and similarities between the American and the Australian nurses. Responding to the 8 vignettes, 30 American and 32 Australian nurses took part in the study. The lack of agreement between the Australian and American nurses on issues of euthanasia reflects differences in the health care system; the general social position of nursing as a profession; the relationship among health professionals, patients and families, which serves as the context for definition of ethical duties and patient rights; and the role of the law in health care decisions.
Stereotypes of Professional Roles
Authors: Kaler Sandra R. , Levy David A. , Schall Matthew
Published: October 2007

To determine the current public image of the nursing profession, this survey investigated the nature of stereotyping. Subjects approached in a shopping mall (N = 110) were asked to rate the degree to which 12 characteristics typify individuals in 14 professions. The results indicate that the public image of the nurse continues to turn on feminine and nurturant characteristics. The need for increased public awareness that nurses are scholars and leaders is underscored. Asserting the right to practice may produce a new stereotype of the nurse as intelligent and autonomous.
Caregiver Burden and Moral Development
Authors: Klein Susan
Published: October 2007

This paper presents an expanded understanding of both burden and moral development, identifying the traits of burden as being essential components of moral development. Steps in the interpretation of burden are shown to result in caregiver decisions that may be life‐giving, oppressive, or a combination of both. This new understanding of burden is then related to Folkman and Lazarus's (1985) theory of stress and coping.
Prediction and Prevention of Patient Falls
Authors: Whedon Marie Bakitas , Shedd Peggy
Published: October 2007

Falls are a major cause of injury in hospitalized patients. To date, the focus of research has been on developing risk profiles to predict fallers and developing interventions to prevent fall. This paper presents and critiques these efforts. The authors conclude that (a) no high‐risk profiles have yet been developed with adequate sensitivity and specificity to be useful as predictive instruments; (b) current fall interventions are rare& research‐based; and (c) the few intervention studies conducted to date seem to reduce falls primarily through consciousness raising rather than specific changes in practice.
Spouses' Experiences During Pregnancy and the Postpartum: A Program of Research and Theory Development
Authors: Fawcett Jacqueline
Published: October 2007

A program of nursing research was established to test a theory proposing that wives and husbands have similar pregnancy‐related experiences. The research was guided by a conceptual framework of the family as a living open system. Findings were conflicting from three studies that investigated the relationship between spouses' strength of identification and similarities in changes in various body image components during and after pregnancy; taken together the findings suggested that spouses do not have similar patterns of change in their body images during pregnancy and the postpartum. Two other studies investigated the relationship between spouses' strength of identification and similarities in their reports of physical and psychological symptoms during pregnancy and the postpartum. In these studies the spouses reported similar physical and psychological symptoms during pregnancy and the postpartum. There was no evidence, however, in any of the studies of a relationship between spouses' strength of identification and similarities in their pregnancy‐related experiences. The validity of the theory of similar pregnancy‐related experiences and the credibility of the conceptual framework of the family as an open system are questioned.
Guarded Alliance: Health Care Relationships in Chronic Illness
Authors: Thorne Sally E. , Robinson Carole A.
Published: October 2007

A multiphase, qualitative study of ongoing health care relationships from the perspective of the chronically ill patient and family confirmed that such relationships evolve over time through three predictable stages: naive trust, disenchantment and guarded alliance. In the final stage, four patterns of health care relationships were identified: hero worship, resignation, consumerism and team playing. The configuration of these relationships in guarded alliance is explained by dimensions of the core variable of reconstructed trust—patients' trust in a health care professional and their trust in their own competence.
Professional Nursing in Iraq
Authors: Boyle Joyceen S.
Published: October 2007

This paper examines professional nursing in Iraq, with emphasis on selected sociopolitical policies and the role of women. A baccalaureate program in nursing was established at the University of Baghdad in 1963, followed by a masters' program in 1986. Although modernization policies encouraged the development of nursing, the profession was influenced negatively by the restricted role and low status of women in Arab society. Shortly after the ceasefire in the Iran‐Iraq war, the professional nursing program was closed by the government. The analysis suggests that nursing leaders have not had access to sources of power through a role in policy making and thus have not been able to ensure the development of the profession.
Risk in Mother‐Infant Separation Postbirth
Authors: Anderson Gene Cranston
Published: October 2007

The United States ranks poorly worldwide on infant mortality and breastfeeding, and recent trends are discouraging. The continuous rooming‐in method of care is the general rule in European countries, which have low infant mortality and high breastfeeding rates; but this is a method of care (or an option) that the poor, and even some affluent, do not have available to them, or do not know how to go about obtaining, in the United States. The mother and infant are considered mutual caregivers, whose self‐regulatory interaction postbirth is mutually beneficial, conducive to breastfeeding and cost effective. Newborn infants deprived of self‐regulatory (on cue) access to their mothers are considered at increased physiological and developmental risk. Continuous rooming‐in is recommended for study in a multisite, controlled clinical trial and then, if findings warrant, for implementation nationwide.
Voices in the Record
Authors: Hays Judith C.
Published: October 2007

In spite of its centrality to the work of nursing, documentation of care (charting) has received a cookbook approach in the professional literature, in schools of nursing and in health care institutions. This article uses the controversies surrounding the home care record since the nineteenth century to propose the concept of discourse as a means to explore the political and professional dynamics that accompany the recording process. It is argued that new ways to document care are required to reflect not only the diverse “fellowship of discourse” but also the complex reality of modern patient care.
Inventing Urine Incontinence Devices for Women
Authors: Pieper Barbara , Cleland Virginia , Johnson David E. , O'Reily Jodie Lee
Published: October 2007

Nurses have long been aware of the devastating effects of urinary incontinence on women. Although women may find diapers, pads and protective clothing valuable protection, there are few options for a continuous wear, external urine incontinence device (EUID). Inventors have attempted to develop an EUID since ancient times; the first United States patent for an EUID was awarded in 1949. The purpose of this paper is to review technological considerations for development of an external urinary incontinence device for women. Patents and products illustrate the considerations.
Exercise and Functional Capacity After Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Folta Anne , Metzger Bonnie L.
Published: October 2007

This paper summarizes the literature on the effects of both inpatient and outpatient exercise programs on functional capacity in patients categorized as having mild, moderate, severe and very severe left ventricular damage after myocardial infarction (MI). Current evidence suggests that inpatient activities of daily living programs do not improve functional capacity as measured by a predischarge exercise stress test. In contrast, outpatient exercise training programs can improve functional capacity through augmentation of skeletal muscle arteriovenous oxygen difference (oxygen extraction) in nearly all patients with mild left ventricular damage, in most patients with moderate damage and in a few patients with severe damage. The recently developed conceptual model of functional capacity in post‐MI patients presented in this paper underscores the need for assessment of the level of structural and functional impairment of the left ventricle before the nurse prescribes any type of exercise program. It also enables the nurse to begin to explain why post‐MI patients differ in their response to exercise. Further research is needed, however, before the model can be used for predicting exercise outcomes in the clinical setting.
Mazing: Infertile Couples and the Quest for a Child
Authors: Sandelowski Margarete , Harris Betty G. , Holditch‐Davis Diane
Published: October 2007

The overall purpose of the ongoing research project on which this report is based is to explore the transition to parenthood of infertile couples who achieve parenthood through adoption or biotechnical means. Mazing, the process of negoitating the paths to parenthood, was found to be a key component of that transition and the core variable that integrates the experiences of infertile couples after a period of trying but failing to have a child of their own on their own. The theory of mazing is grounded in information obtained from 40 couples who were designated for this study by means of theoretical sampling. Techniques generic to grounded theory research were employed; these included open‐ended interviews, constant comparison and subject validation. Mazing, a recursive, iterative and resource‐intensive process, includes (a) the construction of a calculus of pursuit, (b) six distinctive patterns of pursuit, and (c) the reframing of desire.
Socialization of R.N. to B.S.N.
Authors: Lynn Mary R. , McCain Nancy L. , Boss Barbara J.
Published: October 2007

The Nurse's Professional Orientation Scale and Schwirian's Six‐Dimension Scale of Nursing Performance (Six‐D Scale) were used in a five‐year, longitudinal study of the professional socialization of the Registered Nurse/Bachelor of Nursing Science (RN/BSN) (n = 30) and generic baccalaureate students (n = 193) in a nursing program in the Southeast United States, Program exit socialization scores between RN/BSN and generic graduates were not significantly different. Using an ANCOVA, significantly higher socialization scores were found for the generic graduates. The scores for the RN/BSN graduates were significantly higher than the generic students at graduation on the teaching/collaboration, planning/evaluation and interpersonal communication subscales of the Six‐D scale. When program entry Six‐D subscales score were controlled, only the professional development subscale differentiated between RN/BSN and generic graduates. The program impact on the RN/BSN student/graduate as well as the means by which this process can be studied are questioned.
Professional Nursing in a Technical System
Authors: Zwolski Kenneth
Published: October 2007

We live in an age characterized by rapid technological advances and equally rapid change. Technical systems are expanding and they will increasingly dominate the health care setting of the future in all Western industrialized nations. The future shock that Toffler (1970) wrote about affects not only the consumers of health care but also the providers. This paper discusses four principles that describe a technical health care system. Taken together, these principles provide a framework with which the role, cost effectiveness and education of the professional nurse may be analyzed.
Nursing Journals Read and Assigned Most Often in Doctoral Programs
Authors: Gay Janice Templeton , Edgil Ann Estes , Rozmus Cathy
Published: October 2007

Five doctoral faculty members were randomly selected from each faculty group of 35 doctoral programs in nursing to identify which nursing journals they read most often and which nursing journals they assign most often to doctoral students. Five nursing journals were consistently ranked 1–4 as being read and assigned most often. These journals are:Nursing Research, Advances in Nursing Science, IMAGE: Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Research in Nursing and Health, andWestern Journal of Nursing Research.Implications for editors, reviewers and research consumers are discussed.
Personal Goals of Recently Divorced Women
Authors: Duffy Mary E. , Mowbray Carol A. , Hudes Mark
Published: October 2007

This paper is a report of the synthesis of feminism and science in a study of the personal goals of recently divorced women with children. The divorce records of three counties were used to identify the participants; eight categories described the primary goals identified by 250 women. Independence, followed by employment and education were the most frequently cited categories. Analysis of variance was computed to analyze the relationships among the primary goal categories, the personal characteristics of the women and their feminist attitudes. Age was the only variable related to selection of a primary goal. Older women chose employment and environmental goals more often than they did mental health goals.
Women's Informational Needs about Colposcopy
Authors: Barsevick Andrea M. , Lauver Diane
Published: October 2007

Questions asked by 36 women during colposcopy, a stressful medical procedure, were examined to determine their specific informational needs about the exam and its results. Of the 226 questions posed, 52 percent were exam related—on the sensations experienced, the nature of the procedure and self‐care activities; 34 percent were results related and focused on the meaning of the results, treatment options and treatment procedures; 14 percent of the questions were incidental. The present research documents women's need for information about the medical procedure of colposcopy. The implications for nursing practice are outlined.
The Tradition of Toughness: A Study of Nonprofessional Nursing Care in Psychiatric Settings
Authors: Morrison Eileen Frances
Published: October 2007

Violence is a significant problem in psychiatric settings; however, nursing research that identifies organizational influences related to violent patient behavior is rare. This paper reports on an exploratory study conducted on the psychiatric units of a metropolitan public hospital. The key concept generated by the data was the “tradition of toughness.” Within this psychiatric setting, “control” of patient behavior was emphasized resulting in norms and roles that operationalized the theory. The norms were (a) “The need for physical restraint” and (b) “It's not you we don't trust.” The nursing role was labelled “enforcing” and included the strategies of (a) “Policing,” (b) “Supermanning,” and (c) “Putting on a show.”
Charting the Future of Hospital Nursing
Authors: Aiken Linda H.
Published: October 2007

Nursing roles are expanding in all health care settings; however, the majority of nurses will continue to practice in hospitals for the foreseeable future. Yet hospital nursing is experiencing great ferment and turmoil. Nurses are dissatisfied increasingly with hospital practice, and vacancy and turnover rates are high enough to raise major concerns about adverse consequences for patients. This paper focuses on the nature and causes of the current problems in hospital nursing and advances recommendations for charting a new course for hospital nursing.
On My Own Terms: The Redefinition of Success in Nursing
Authors: Buscherhof Jean R. , Seymour Elaine
Published: October 2007

Studies seeking predictors of success among professional women, including nurses, define “success” largely in extrinsic terms. In the findings of two studies of nurses (N = 200; N = 722), intrinsic forms of success emerge as more highly valued than externally measured achievements. Other studies of nurses and professional women show similar findings. This is argued to reflect realism about the structural obstacles and personal costs involved in vertical careers and the balancing of priorities important to women. Success defined as personal satisfaction is particularly appropriate in an economic climate where the success ethic is less viable and self‐evaluation in extrinsic terms is psychologically risky.
Readability of Commercial and Generic Contraceptive Instructions
Authors: Swanson Janice M. , Forrest Katherine , Ledbetter Carol , Hall Susan , Holstine Eva J. , Shafer Michaela R.
Published: October 2007

This study describes the readability levels of written instructions for methods of contraception. Materials studied include patient package inserts (PPIs) from commercial manufacturers and generic instructions (GIs) written by staff members in selected health agencies in the community and by health information publishers. Written materials were analyzed using Dale‐Chall, Fry, Fog Flesh, Flesch‐Kincaid and SMOG formulas for readability. Readability levels ranged from elementary school (grade 5.5) to college (grade 13.6). Required comprehension levels of the PPIs were higher than those of the GIs for three of the four groups of contraceptives studied (diaphragms, pills, condoms).
Sexual Harassment of Nursing Students
Authors: Cholewinski Jane T. , Burge Janet M.
Published: October 2007

This article reports the findings of 21 subjects, a subset of 277 subjects, who experienced some form of sexual harassment while enrolled in a nursing program. The physical and emotional effects of the experience on academic performance and subsequent relationships are described. Support systems used by students at the time of the experience are identified. Only a small number of subjects reported the experience to persons in academic authority. These subjects also reported that no legal or academic sanctions were imposed on the faculty members.
Myths about Elder Restraint
Authors: Evans Lois K. , Strumpf Neville E.
Published: October 2007

Ms. Sarah Dye, a 92‐year‐old woman with moderate cognitive impairment and multiple chronic illnesses, resides in a nursing home. This morning, as is routine, Ms. Day was awakened early, changed and fed breakfast, bathed, dressed, placed in a wheel chair, secured with a vest restraint and wheeled to the common lounge. She was not alone: of the 30 residents present, 12 others were also tied to their chairs.
Two Requirements for Job Contentment: Autonomy and Social Integration
Authors: McCloskey Joanne Comi
Published: October 2007

The interaction of autonomy (control over work activities) and social integration (relationships with co‐workers) was investigated in a sample of newly employed nurses in the 6th and 12th month of work. Those nurses with low autonomy and low social integration reported low job satisfaction and work motivation, poor commitment to the organization and less intent to stay on the job. They were older, with more experience and more education and tended to work on medical units. This study supports the notion of feminist psychologists that what women nurses want is “autonomy with connectedness”.
Overadherence with Breast Self‐examination Recommendations
Authors: Lauver Diane , Angerame Mary
Published: October 2007

Overadherence with breast self‐examination (BSE) was studied to seek explanations for this phenomenon and to suggest individualized interventions for the performance of BSE. In a descriptive study, women attending BSE instruction (N = 264) were interviewed regarding their beliefs as well as peer and professional interactions about breast self‐examination. Of these women, 29 (11%) were overadherent; they had the highest rates of breast disease and the least professional instruction and encouragement for BSE. Ironically, some women perform BSE repeatedly because they lack sufficient knowledge and confidence. Clinicians should assess women's knowledge of BSE as well as their skill to provide individualized clarification.
The Metalanguage of Menopause Research
Authors: Dickson Geri L.
Published: October 2007

Nurse scholars often debate such technical issues as when to use quantitative or qualitative methods or some combination of methods. The proper focus of a discussion on nursing science should be the basic assumptions and values of various approaches to research. Unless we gain an awareness and appreciation of the human process of knowledge generation, our research questions will remain limited, and nursing practice will be shaped in ways that may be neither coherent nor consistent with our philosophies of nursing. Used to demonstrate this position, is the knowledge of menopause gleaned through a philosophical inquiry of the biomedical and sociocultural approaches to menopause research.
Openness: A Qualitative Analysis of Nurses' and Patients' Experiences of Therapeutic Touch
Authors: Heidt Patrice Rose
Published: October 2007

The constant comparative method was used to generate a grounded theory explaining the process of therapeutic touch for seven nurses and seven patients. Interviews and observations of one treatment session each indicate that the primary experience of therapeutic touch is opening to the flow of the universal life energy. This includes three major categories of experience: (a) opening intent—allowing oneself to focus on getting the universal life energy moving again; (b) openingsensiiivily—assessing the quality of its flow; and (c) opening communication—participating in a healing relationship that unblocks, engages and enlivens its movement. Further research on therapeutic touch using qualitative methodology may deepen our understanding of the inner experiences of both patients and nurses to experiences that facilitate the healing process.
The Relationships Among the Subsystems of Johnson's Behavioral System Model
Authors: Derdiarian Anayis K.
Published: October 2007

The major premise of the Johnson (1980) Behavioral System Model is that the eight subsystems (domains) are interactive, interdependent and integrated. Relationships among the subsystems were hypothesized, placing the Aggressive/Protective subsystem centrally as having direct and indirect relationships to the other seven subsystems. In the present study, the Behavioral System Model instrument generated two sets of scales that indicated changes as increase or decrease and positive or negative in the subsystem resulting from illness. Two causal models were tested, one for each set of scales, both supporting the hypotheses pertaining to the relationships between the Aggressive/Protective subsystem and the other subsystems. The findings warrant further investigation of these relationships and imply that changes in a domain resulting from illness cannot be well understood without understanding their relationship to changes in other domains.
The Dilemma of Withholding or Withdrawing Nutrition
Authors: Wurzbach Mary Ellen
Published: October 2007

Recently, societal concerns have developed about the artificial prolongation of dying. Life extension is not always viewed as humanitarian. Artificial nutrition and hydration are seen frequently as necessary comfort measures and not merely life extenders. Now debate is rising about whether or not even these basic life support measures are not merely prolonging dying. In this paper, the issue ofwithholdingorwithdrawingnutrition and hydrationfrom certain patients is discussed, including the competing ethical arguments, the nursing perspective and the implications of this dilemma for nursing, health care and society.
The Use of Control Vignettes
Authors: Lanza Marilyn Lewis , Carifio James
Published: October 2007

A review of the literature revealed control, or placebo, vignettes are not used in numerous studies that employ vignette‐based methodology. This is a serious flaw. The nature of this flaw and its methodological and theoretical importance are outlined in this paper as are procedures and a model for developing control vignettes.
Resilience Among Older Women
Authors: Wagnild Gail , Young Heather M.
Published: October 2007

This qualitative study was designed to identify and describe characteristics of successfully adjusted older women. The participants reported a recent major loss and were considered successfully adjusted as evidenced by social involvement in a senior center, a mid level to high level of morale and self‐report. Using a grounded theory approach, five underlying themes were identified: equanimity, self‐reliance, existential aloneness, perseverance and meaningfulness. These themes are thought to constitute resilience. Lateral grounding of the concept resilience is accomplished by comparison with philosophical writings of Frankl, Bettelheim, Frank, May and von Witzleben. Resilience is important in late life as a component of successful psychosocial adjustment.
Family Nursing Research, Theory and Practice
Authors: Gilliss Catherine L.
Published: October 2007

The absence of critical dialogue regarding what constitutes family nursing prevents the further development of the specialty area of family nursing. In this essay, the author issues nine challenges faced by those who would contribute to the development of family nursing.
Changing How Nurses Spend Their Time
Authors: Prescott Patricia A. , Phillips Carol Y. , Ryan Judith W. , Thompson Kathleen O.
Published: October 2007

The results of work sampling studies are used to examine how nurses spend their time and to relate nurses' time to the shortage of nursing practice in hospitals. Four types of proposals for improving the delivery of nursing care in hospitals are discussed. The likely impact of these proposals on how nurses spend their time and the consequences of increasing the effectiveness of professional nursing practice are explored.