bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discourse and Practice in the Art Curriculum and the Production of the Pupil as a Subject
Authors: ATKINSON DENNIS
Published: June 2007

The development of enquiry into language this century has implications for pedagogy. This development concerns the transition from viewing language as a transparent medium, identifying an external objective reality, to a view in which language constitutes reality as we understand it. The paper begins by outlining some contemporary theoretical developments concerning the ‘productive’ or material nature of discourse. The paper shows how particular curriculum practices in art can be viewed as discursive sites which perpetuate particular discourses in which the pupil as art practitioner is produced. By focusing upon drawing practices the paper shows that the notion of ‘ability’ does not refer to some absolute skill possessed by pupils, but to particular ideological interpretations through which ability is conferred. However, such interpretations do provide us with stable forms which allow us to act as if they were absolute. Such interpretational states reveal the circular structure of interpretational practices such as evaluation and assessment. The paper shows how the reflexive nature of hermeneutic analysis can be helpful in providing a suitable space for reflection when such interpretational states break down during the practice of teaching art. By analysing a series of pupil's drawings the paper discusses how our interpretational discourses identify the pupil's ability and constitute the pupil as a subject in the ait curriculum. The paper forms part of a larger body of work in which the author is exploring how different practices in the art curriculum constitute discursive fields within which pupils as subjects are produced.
The Changing Culture of Five English Art Schools 1989–1994
Authors: HOLDER BRIAN
Published: June 2007

A lot of people would say that life in our art schools has changed in the last few years. But what has changed, and how might it be measured? This paper describes an investigation into changes perceived by academic staff in the organisational culture of five art schools in the south‐east of England over the last five years. The research method reflects the primarily visual interests of the respondents, in that a series of metaphorical images of the art school were presented for rating. To minimise the effects of nostalgia and other personal variables, the sample was divided into two groups: staff with more than five years' service in the institution; and staff who had joined since that time. To facilitate interpretation of the results, a further instrument was applied, asking each respondent to indicate the meanings they associated with the metaphors offered. The findings show a substantial concurrence between the two sample groups in terms of the meanings they attributed to the metaphors, and this is viewed as giving authority to evidence of a range of perceived changes, notably perceptions of reduced order, harmony, co‐operation, autonomy, growth, reward and of increases in perceived competition and conservatism. Set against these effects is evidence of unchanged perceptions of a sense of community, of the art school's basic function, of people's roles within it, and a sense of productivity with humane relationships remaining in place.
Crits—An Examination
Authors: JONES SU HALL
Published: June 2007

Architectural design education relies upon a practice known in Britain as the ‘crit’ through which to discuss student's work. The author, who studied as an architect and now teaches design to architecture students, describes the history of this institution and the ways in which its use has changed in the last 150 years. She uses the context of a British school of architecture and both contemporary and earlier research examples to support the hypothesis that these changes have contributed to the current atmosphere of doubt in which the crit is held. Central to her argument is the unresolved connection between formative and summative assessment occasions brought about by an apparently unavoidable association between the work of students and the students themselves. The paper supports the call for a review of architectural education methods, whilst stressing that the nature and flaws of the existing process must first be recognised.
Assessment: Do Males and Females make Judgements in a Self‐selecting Fashion?
Authors: MOSS GLORIA
Published: June 2007

The article considers the reasons why females perform systematically better at school examinations than males, and why this pattern is reversed at tertiary level examinations. The possibility is considered that this is due to the exercise of an unconscious preference on the part of teachers for work done by students of their own sex. In this way, the predominance of female teachers at school level and male teachers at tertiary level is likely to favour the work of females and males respectively.
Responding to Bilingual Pupils in the Art Classroom
Authors: MOORE ALEX
Published: June 2007

The issue of assessing early‐phase bilingual pupils in the secondary‐school art classroom is approached through a close description of the experiences of one pupil. Against the background of a pluralistic whole‐school policy for the Arts, this pupil's early work is subjected to an apparently non‐pluralistic, ‘universal’ model of development and assessment, which results, it is argued, in the pursuit of an unhelpful pedagogy.

This essentially ethnocentric approach is contrasted with other approaches, which locate pupil performance in the cultural rather than the psychological domain and which suggest the value of teachers' pursuing a ‘repertoire extension’ model of development.

It is argued that in order to do this, teachers need not merely to validate ‘alternative’ forms of cultural representation, but to distance themselves sufficiently from their own cultural norms in order not to ‘misrecognise’ such alternatives as simply failed versions of the dominant cultural forms of the institution.
The Modular Condition: Technocracy, Art and Cultural Politics
Authors: COLLINS JEFFREY
Published: June 2007

Modularisation can be examined as a process of organisational change informed by particular discursive structures and conceptual problematics, both of which are related to questions of cultural politics and of power. Drawing on the work of Habermas and other critical social theorists, the paper argues that modularisation is dominantly informed by a ‘technocratic rationalist’ mode of thought, derived from the logics of science, technology and industry rather than contemporary art or other cultural practices. This is especially evident in the way modularisation prioritises a quantitative systems logic, relegates and de‐realises educational content, and. contrary to its own rhetoric of diversity and choice, exercises a universalising drive through strategies of assimilation and extension.

Crucially for art education, this identification suggests an intensified contradiction between the prevalent discourses and values of contemporary art, and those of educational organisation. The paper explores some of the implications of this contradiction for art education in the 1990s.
Religious Faith in Mexican‐American Families Dealing with Chronic Childhood Illness
Authors: Rehm Roberta S.
Published: June 2007

Purpose: To explore Mexican‐American family experiences with chronic childhood illness, from the perspective of parents, and report findings about the influence of religious faith on families' spiritual and secular responses to illness. Mexican‐Americans are often characterized as religious, fatalistic, and passive, but families' perceptions of the consequences of their daily faith and its meaning in the face of chronic childhood illness is not well understood.

Design: Descriptive. The sample included 25 parents from 19 families living with children with a variety of chronic conditions. Data were collected in 1995–1996.

Methods: Interpretive, using symbolic interaction as the framework, and in‐depth interviewing for data collection.

Findings: Parents professed a variety of beliefs and devotional practices. Six unifying dimensions of religious faith were related to parental caretaking and decision making for the family: (a) God determined the outcome of the child's illness, (b) God and health care for the child were closely linked, (c) parents took an active role in facilitating God's will, (d) families had obligations to God, (e) intercession with God by others was often sought by or offered to the family, and (f) faith encouraged optimism.

Conclusions: Families were not fatalistic in the sense of feeling outcomes were predetermined and unalterable. Family members took spiritual and secular actions to assure the best possible familial and professional care for their child and sought to influence God's good will on behalf of the child and family.
Stories of Growing Up Amid Violence by Refugee Children of War and Children of Battered Women Living in Canada
Authors: Berman Helene
Published: June 2007

Purpose:To explore how two groups of children who grew up amid violence “make sense” of their experience. As violence has become a common element of some societies, growing numbers of children have been forced to live in dangerous environments. Although considerable research has been conducted with children who are abused or neglected, the needs of those who witness violence have been largely overlooked.

Design:Critical narrative and descriptive. Data were collected. 1995–1996, in Canada from a convenience sample of 16 refugee children of war and 16 children of battered women.

Methods:Participants were asked open‐ended questions about the violence in their lives, their feelings about what occurred, their thoughts about the reasons for violence, and their ways of surviving and growing. Common themes were identified and validated.

Findings:Despite differences in the children's stories, many parallels were evident. Both groups of youngsters endured pain, suffering, and feelings of betrayal. Both used creative strategies to survive. The way the children endured growing up amid violence was mediated by social, political, and cultural constructions of violence. Because these meanings were unique, violence was experienced in several ways.

Conclusions:Although the children showed remarkable strength and insight, they face many challenges. Despite a common perception that children are unable to talk about deeply troubling experiences, this research demonstrated that children not only want to discuss their experience, but also welcome the opportunity to do so.
Comfort in Labor and Midwifery Art
Authors: Schuiling Kerri Durnell , Sampselle Carolyn M.
Published: June 2007

Purpose: To examine the phenomenon of comfort in the context of childbirth. Enhancement of comfort for laboring women is a valued outcome of nursing and midwifery care. Interventions that increase comfort during labor support a woman's effort to participate more fully in the birth thereby keeping her more aware of her body, emotions, and experience.

Organizing construct: The concept of comfort is analyzed and defined in the context of laboring women. Comfort studied from a feminist perspective is suggested.

Sources: A literature review of nursing, midwifery, and medical texts from the 1920s to 1998 provides information about labor, pain in labor, and goals of providers caring for laboring women. Research articles focusing on comfort are identified as they relate to the concept of comfort in labor. Writings of contemporary feminist authors provided the ideas for designing the study of comfort from a feminist perspective.

Methods: To develop a theory of comfort during labor, early nursing and midwifery texts were searched to identify goals of care. The meaning of comfort was analyzed from the early 1920s to the present by concept analysis. Validation of findings was sought from publications on comfort research.

Findings: Comfort can exist in spite of great pain and nurses and midwives may be able to assist laboring women to achieve a level of comfort during labor. Intervening to promote the comfort of laboring women can empower these women during birthing.

Conclusions: For clinicians caring for birthing women, particularly midwives, promotion of comfort is a high priority. Increasing comfort can redefine the meaning of pain in childbirth. Increasing comfort may create a decreased need for medical interventions and lower costs.
Persistence of Self in Advanced Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Tappen Ruth M. , Williams Christine , Fishman Sarah , Touhy Theris
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To determine if evidence of the persistence of a sense of self or personal identity could be found in people in the middle and late stages of Alzheimer's disease. The theme of diminishing self pervades both the popular and professional literature on Alzheimer's disease.

Design:

Qualitative using conversational analysis. The purposive sample was 23 residents of two urban nursing homes in the southeastern United States who were in the middle and late stages of Alzheimer's disease. Their mean Mini‐Mental State examination score was 10.65. Nineteen subjects were women, four were men in this 1993‐1997 study.

Methods:

Analysis of 45 conversations lasting 30 minutes with nursing home residents with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease. Use of the first person indexical and other evidence, such as awareness and reactions to the changes that had taken place, in support of and counter to the notion of persistence of self, were sought in conversational analysis.

Findings:

Respondents used the first person indexical frequently, freely, and coherently. Evidence was also present that participants were aware of their cognitive changes. Many struggled to provide an explanation, but none mentioned Alzheimer's disease.

Conclusions:

Evidence suggests the persistence of awareness of self into the middle and late stages of Alzheimer's disease. Failure to recognize the continuing awareness of self and the human experience of the person in the middle and late stages can lead to task‐oriented care and low expectations for therapeutic interventions. The bafflement noted in respondents suggests that people should be told their diagnosis and offered an explanation of what this diagnosis means.
Scenario‐Long‐term Care for the Elderly Long‐term Care for the Elderly in Japan
Authors: Tashiro Junko
Published: June 2007

Editor's Note:

To improve understanding of clinical care and nursing in all world regions, with this issue of Image we introduce scenarios in which an author in one country portrays a national situation, then several from other world regions respond.
Sleep Patterns of Sheltered Battered Women
Authors: Humphreys Janice C. , Lee Kathryn A. , Neylan Thomas C. , Marmar Charles R.
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To describe sheltered battered women's sleep patterns and resulting daytime fatigue. The model for symptom management framed this study to describe one component of the model—symptom experience. Beginning evidence suggests that sheltered battered women experience disturbed sleep and fatigue that can interfere with vital activities.

Design:

Descriptive using a convenience sample of 50 ethnically diverse women residing at least 21 days in battered women's shelters located in one western U.S. city. The study was done in 1997.

Methods:

The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Mini Motionlogger Actigraph, a sleep diary, the Visual Analogue Scale for Fatigue, and an open‐ended interview were used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data. Qualitative data were analyzed to determine patterns and themes.

Findings:

Seventy percent of the women had global PSQI scores of greater than five indicating poor sleep and 17 (34%) had a sleep efficiency index of 80% or less. Fourteen (28%) of the women went to bed very fatigued (>66 mm) and 20 (40%) woke up very fatigued (>33mm).

Conclusions:

The majority of sheltered battered women experienced disturbed sleep and daytime fatigue. Both personal and environmental variables were found to significantly affect sleep patterns. Sheltered battered women can benefit from information about sleep disturbances and sleep enhancing self‐care strategies.
Anticipating Barriers in Pain‐Management Research
Authors: Carpenter Janet S. , Sloan Paul , Andrykowski Michael
Published: June 2007

Research plays a crucial role in understanding and counteracting the current less than optimal state of pain management in the United States. Although several barriers to the proper identification and treatment of pain have been identified, potential barriers to successful completion of pain management research have not been described.
Influence of Managed Care on Professional Nursing Practice
Authors: Harrison Janet K.
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To explore how nurses in one U.S. state perceived that managed care influenced professional nursing in that state. The nursing community is challenged to move with haste in demonstrating, through research, the clinical and economic value that nurses add to cost‐effective outcomes.

Design:

A Delphi survey in 1996 of a convenience sample of 84 clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) in California.

Methods:

CNSs and NPs contributed to the list of managed care influences on nursing practice. Fifty‐seven (68%) completed the third and final round.

Findings:

Panelist agreement was the highest for (a) exploring new approaches to providing quality care more cost‐effectively, (b) expanding nurse practitioners' rote in primary care, and (c) more effectively partnering with clients in helping them assume greater self‐responsibility for their health. Greatest threats were perceived to be hassles involved in seeking authorization for care and responding to payment denials; the tenuous job market for nurses; and encroachment on nursing practice by others.

Conclusions:

The findings can assist nurses in states with low managed‐care concentration to create their preferred future within health care delivery. A more highly educated nurse workforce will be needed for 21st century health systems in which more care is likely to be delivered outside hospitals.
Reimbursement to Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) Through Medicare
Authors: Wong Sabrina T.
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To analyze why U.S. legislation for direct Medicare reimbursement to advanced practice nurses (APNs) was approved during the 105th congressional session. Help in understanding the complexities of policy making and in strategizing future policy activities is needed. Given their vast numbers, nurses are a formidable group with potential to influence policy.

Organizing Construct:

Kingdon's (1995) framework indicates that policy formation involves constant interaction among participants and the problem, its politics, and policy. When a policy is enacted into legislation, the three come together and an opportunity for policy formation exists, if even fora short period. Methods for data extraction included telephone interviews, information provided by the American Nurses Association (ANA), and information from the internet to access information.

Findings:

Lack of access to health care by Medicare beneficiaries, tagging a policy proposal onto the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, the national mood to provide cost‐effective quality care, and lobbying by interest groups helped to make direct Medicare reimbursement for advanced practice nurses a reality.

Conclusions:

When lobbying for the enactment of legislation, nurses should decrease their tendency to fragment. Nurses should be more effectively organized and concentrate on specific agendas. Working together can influence policy and change clinical situations to improve patient care.
Slow Growth in the United States of the Number of Minorities in the RN Workforce
Authors: Buerhaus Peter I. , Auerbach David
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To assess the extent to which the number of minority RNs has grown during the past 20 years, and to identify and compare key trends in personal and professional characteristics among minority groups and between minority and majority populations of RNs. Nursing education programs, employers, philanthropic organizations, and governments have expended considerable effort and resources to increase the number of minorities in nursing.

Design:

Longitudinal analysis of trends in the number, education, employment, and earnings of minority RNs from 1977 to 1997.

Methods:

Descriptive analysis of data from the U.S. National Sample Surveys of the Population of Registered Nurses, 1977‐1996; and data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census Current Population Survey (CPS) Outgoing Rotation Croup Annual Merged Files, 1977‐1997.

Findings:

In the past 20 years, the number of minority RNs has grown from 87,386 (or 6.3% of the total supply of RNs) in 1977 to 246,364 RNs (9.7%) in 1996. The number of Black (nonHispanic), Asian Pacific/Islanders, and American Indian/Alaskan Native nurses nearly tripled in this period while the number of Hispanics doubled. Although these rates of growth are impressive, the percentage of minorities in nursing lags considerably behind the percentage (18.3%) who are teachers, and the percentage (28.2%) in the U.S. population.

Conclusions:

Studies are needed to determine the barriers that exist in nursing education programs, health care organizations, and society in general that deter minorities from a nursing career. Without this understanding, efforts to design and implement ideas to attract, educate, and retain minorities in nursing education and later in the workplace are hampered.
Interview of Visiting Health Administrators from the Ministry of Health, Beijing, China
Authors: Chang Wen‐Yin
Published: June 2007

In April 1998, four health care administrators from Beijing, China visited the United States. During their visit, they were interviewed by Wen‐Yin Chang, a doctoral student in nursing administration, at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The four administrators were: Dr. Aiming Sun, Deputy Director‐ General, Department of Medical Administration, Ministry of Health; Dr. Yuxiu Gong, Chief Nursing Division, Department of Medical Administration, Ministry of Health; Ms. Hanjun Men, Nursing Division, Ministry of Health, and Ms. Jing Yang, Vice‐director, Nursing Management, Ministry of Health. Interview comments were translated to English by Ms. Chang.
Pearle Arnold Capwell (1885‐1982), Pioneer Nurse
Authors: Pickwell Sheila M.
Published: June 2007

Nurse leaders who shaped our profession and those who continue to do so are well remembered and their histories are well documented. But there are uncelebrated nurses, who have contributed to the remarkable advances of nursing in the United States. They are the unsung heroines who made their mark as mothers, sisters, wives, citizens, and—not so incidentally—as nurses. Rarely did they write their memoirs and as a result there is little in the way of a record of “ordinary nurses providing daily nursing care” to the sick and injured many decades ago. We rarely have an opportunity to hear from those pioneers from early in the 20th century.
Clarifying the Concept of Normalization
Authors: Deatrick Janet A. , Knafl Kathleen A. , Murphy‐Moore Carol
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To refine and develop the concept of normalization. While firsthand accounts, clinical observation, and numerous studies suggest that parents of children with chronic conditions often strive to lead a normal family life, the distinguishing characteristics of normalization need to be understood before evaluating the feasibility and consequences. Conceptualizing these efforts as normalization, researchers have identified cognitive and behavioral strategies used by parents to normalize family life.

Sources:

A total of 33 articles representing 14 studies were selected through computer‐assisted searches of the topic from 1966‐1997, hand searches of nursing journals from 1970‐1997, and analysis of reference lists. Key words in the searches included: adaptation, psychological; chronic disease; disabled persons; family; child; adolescence; parent‐child relations; models, psychological; and nursing theory. Articles (N= 19) that applied and expanded the concept comprised the sample used in the analysis. A normalization construct was used.

Methods:

Attributes for normalization were inductively derived based on the most recent methods for refining and developing concepts, with special attention to how family and illness affect manifestations of normalization.

Findings:

The attributes identified in 1986 remained relevant, but required revision and expansion to reflect a contemporary understanding of normalization. Unique manifestations of normalization were identified within certain illness and family contexts.

Conclusions:

Knowledge synthesized from previous studies can enhance how normalization is used in future qualitative and quantitative research and in theory development. Findings indicate the need for researchers to build on the current state of knowledge and continue to further develop the concept. Understanding the findings can also sensitize clinicians to the complex process of normalizing when a child has a chronic condition.
Clarification and Integration of Similar Quality of Life Concepts
Authors: Haas Barbara K.
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To identify major problems that obscure understanding of quality of life; to differentiate quality of life from other closely related concepts, and to offer a definition of quality of life. Quality of life is a term frequently used, but seldom defined, in nursing research. Multiple interpretations and measures make evaluating research difficult. The need to clarify concepts, develop nursing theory, and enhance communication is significant. Concept clarification is also essential for research instrument development and evaluation.

Organizing Construct and Scope:

Concept analysis as proposed by Walker and Avant. Preconceived theories were avoided to keep the analysis as unbiased as possible. The analyst considered many descriptions of quality of life, but eventually included only those in the scientific literature.

Sources:

CINAHL, Medline, Psych‐Info, ERIC, Social Science Abstracts, and reference lists from published articles in nursing, medicine, psychology, and sociology were used. Twenty‐seven theory‐based articles and book chapters published since 1989 and a convenience sample of 88 research articles published in 1997 were used. This sample was selected from 16,480 articles published 1993 to 1998.

Methods:

Concept clarification comparisons to identify the major attributes of several closely related concepts, including well‐being, satisfaction with life, and functional status. Major attributes were validated by a panel of cohorts who met weekly for five consecutive weeks for the purpose of analyzing various concepts.

Findings:

Quality of life is comprised of subjective indicators such as well‐being and satisfaction with life and objective indicators, such as functional status. Continued dialog and research is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of health and quality of life.

Conclusions:

A model showing the relationships among quality of life, well‐being, functional status, and satisfaction with life is provided and a definition of quality of life is offered. Researchers and authors should include the definition of quality of life used in their work. Instruments should reflect the theoretic definition used. Care should be taken to clarify if functional status, well‐being, satisfaction with life are the concepts under consideration as reflecting a part of overall quality of life.
Depression, Social Support, and Quality of Life in Older Adults With Osteoarthritis
Authors: Blixen Carol E. , Kippes Christopher
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To develop an understanding of the quality of life of older adults with osteoarthritis (OA) with varying levels of depression and social supportas a basis for nursing interventions. Osteoarthritis in the United States is the number one chronic disease in late life and the major cause of disability in older adults. In addition to the functional disability and economic effect of OA, older people with this disease experience suffering, depression, and diminished quality of life.

Design:

For this cross‐sectional survey, a convenience sample of 50 older adults with OA was recruited from two U.S. hospital‐based arthritis clinics in northern Ohio for 3‐months during 1995.

Methods:

During face‐to‐face interviews, the Arthritis Impact Scales, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Social Support Questionnaire, and Quality of Life Survey, were used to measure osteoarthritis severity, depression, informal social support, and quality of life.

Findings:

Although few formal social support services were used, high levels of satisfaction from the subjects' large informal networks of family and friends were reported. In addition, satisfaction with subjects' quality of life was extremely high despite depression, co‐morbid conditions, pain, and functional limitation.

Conclusions:

Social support appeared to play an important role in moderating the effects of pain, functional limitation, and depression on these subjects' quality of life. Nurses who work with older adults are in a unique position to help them adjust to living with osteoarthritis by providing them the support needed to help them manage their disease.
The Rhythm of Relating in a Paradigm of Wholeness
Authors: Newman Margaret A.
Published: June 2007

The importance of relating to the rhythm of another person's interactive pattern is integral to helping people move through illness and disruptive events. At times of chaos, a person's rhythm may be irregular and difficult to sense, but transformation to higher levels of organization often occurs at far‐from‐equilibrium states. Nurses should develop a tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty and “ang in there” with clients until a new rhythm emerges.
Neal Theory of Home Health Nursing Practice
Authors: Neal Leslie Jean
Published: June 2007

The delivery of patient care is increasingly taking place in home settings requiring home healthcare nurses to provide skilled, efficient care within a short period to patients with complex and chronic illnesses (Aliotta & Andre, 1997). Today, the demands placed on the practice of home healthcare nurses by changes caused by altered reimbursement patterns, integrated networks of delivery, use of new technology, and use of new outcome and quality measurement systems significantly affect home healthcare nursing practice. However, none of the established theories of institutional care, home health, community health, or public health nursing provide an appropriate research‐based model for home health nursing practice as it exists today or as it is predicted to occur in the future.
Ethical and Policy Considerations for Centenarians—The Oldest Old
Authors: Eisner Robert J. F. , Quinn Mary Ellen , Fanning Sandra D. , Gueldner Sarah Hall , Poon Leonard W.
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To illustrate the incongruence of ethical standards and fiscal and policy constraints on quality care for the oldest old. As the fastest growing demographic segment in the United States, care needs of the oldest old are a special challenge to the health care system.

Design:

Narrative analysis of interviews with centenarians who used nursing home services. The sample was three participants of the Georgia Centenarian Study who had been community dwelling and cognitively intact at the onset of participation (between 1988 and 1997). Interviews were conducted in nursing homes or after discharge.

Methods:

Case histories were constructed from interviews in 1997 to improve understanding of quality of care.

Findings:

Less‐than‐optimal care was provided for these elders, and little consideration was given to their input to care decisions and prospects for medical improvement. Appropriate consideration was not given to providing least‐restrictive environments, appropriate restraint use, and options for community care.

Conclusions:

Six policy reforms are suggested for meeting the needs of the oldest‐old before and after institutionalization. These include: integration of resident involvement in care decisions; development of alternate models of care; greater input from nurses concerning nursing care of special populations; more effective family and community involvement in the caring of elderly populations; increased research to promote function and independence; and increased education of personnel and nursing students to allow for more accurate assessment of cognitive and physical status.
Community Development Specialists in Nursing for Developing Countries
Authors: Orchard Carole A. , Karmaliani Rozina
Published: June 2007

Nurses in traditional roles cannot always meet the challenge of providing health care in developing communities even though community health care is similar to that of care in developed countries (Mahler, 1984). Kupina (1995) identified components of community health including “physical aspects, safety, social norms, interpersonal processes, economic factors, and cohesion of the community” (p. 188). However, developed communities emphasize individual access to health care especially for vulnerable groups (Keane & Richmond, 1993). In developing countries, such as Pakistan, people are struggling to meet basic safety and security needs amid poor sanitary conditions, malnutrition, overcrowding, and scarce primary health care (Wagner & Menke, 1992). Massive migration of populations from rural to urban areas, overwhelming poverty and crime that threatens the very existence of some neighborhoods, high incidence of tuberculosis, drug dependency, AIDS, homelessness, and high infant and maternal mortality rates are major problems (Mason et al., 1992). In cities such as Karachi, Pakistan, rural to urban migration has resulted in the establishment of numerous squatter settlements called “katchi abadis” that lack sanitation, safe drinking water, and public health services. Even if such services were provided, high illiteracy rates and a strong sense of powerlessness, especially among women, adds further challenges for health providers.
On the Stones and Bones of History
Authors: Hegyvary Sue Thomas
Published: June 2007

On July 1, 1999, nurses from over 90 countries sat in Westminster Abbey in London, side by side with colleagues from Australia to Zambia, to celebrate what happened in 1899 in London when an international gathering of nurses united. The bells that have echoed from those solid towering pillars to mark significant events for nearly a thousand years rang to celebrate the centenary of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and the establishment of modern nursing. Nurses attending that service may not have known each others' names, but none were strangers.
A Model for Change to Evidence‐Based Practice
Authors: Rosswurm Mary Ann , Larrabee June H.
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To describe a model that guides nurses and other healthcare professionals through a systematic process for the change to evidence‐based practice. The tremendous increases in clinical research and accessibility to research findings have prepared the way for the paradigm shift from traditional and intuition‐driven practice to evidence‐based practice. Although several models have emerged to guide practitioners in research utilization, practitioners continue to have difficulty synthesizing empirical and contextual evidence and integrating evidence‐based changes into practice.

Organizing Framework:

The model is based on theoretical and research literature related to evidence‐based practice, research utilization, standardized language, and change theory. In this model, practitioners are guided through the entire process of developing and integrating an evidence‐based practice change. The model supports evidence‐based practice changes derived from a combination of quantitative and qualitative data, clinical expertise, and contextual evidence.

Methods:

The model was developed using sources identified on searches of Medline, CINAHL, and systematic reviews available on the Internet. Review topics were focused on evidence‐based medicine and nursing, research utilization, and change process. Other sources included clinical expertise and quality‐improvement information.

Conclusions:

Practitioners need skills and resources to appraise, synthesize, and diffuse the best evidence into practice. Patient outcomes must reflect discipline‐specific and interdisciplinary accountabilities. Collaboration between researchers and practitioners within and among disciplines will enhance the diffusion of evidence‐based practice innovations.
Accessing Young Adolescents and Their Families for Research
Authors: Riesch Susan K. , Tosi Charlene B. , Thurston Christine A.
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To describe the strategies used to obtain and retain a sample of young adolescents and their families.

Methods:

The sample was 847 families with young adolescents aged 11 to 14 years who resided in a large urban Midwestern community of the U.S. The first design strategy was becoming credible within the community. For 5 years before conducting the intervention research in the community, surveys were conducted of the needs of middle‐school students as they entered adolescence, and programs were delivered to meet the assessed needs. The second design strategy was instituting developmentally appropriate recruitment and retention strategies based upon direct consultation with groups of young adolescents. The consultants recommended referring to young adolescents as young adults and holding the training sessions in sites not associated with schools. The third design strategy was setting up participation methods that were nonburdensome to schools and families.

Conclusions:

The successful recruitment of over 800 families and the retention of 80% of them for survey participation and 77% of them for the intervention protocol can be attributed to three major strategies: (a) community involvement; (b) adherence to principles of adolescent development; and (c) ease of participation for school personnel and families.
Women Dwelling with Violence
Authors: Draucker Claire Burke , Madsen Christian
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To explore the Heideggerian concept of dwelling as revealed in the lives of women who have experienced sexual violence. Sexual violence against women by men known to them is a significant health problem, yet little is known about how such violence affects women's everyday experience.

Methods:

Phenomenologic, integrating (a) data collected in 1996 and 1997 from 10 American women who had experienced sexual violence, (b) Heideggerian philosophy, (c) other literature, and (d) excerpts from the communications media. In‐depth, open‐ended interviews with women, followed by analysis of transcripts using Heideggerian hermeneutics.

Findings:

Women “dwelling with violence” were living among and inseparable from violence, abuse, and maltreatment. Violence resulted in their “living‐in‐exile”—feeling uprooted, unsettled, unprotected, and distrustful. Yet their stories were about “preserving and sparing amidst violence”—caring for things they value, creating a safe place for themselves, guarding that which is essential to their nature, and seeking to protect others.

Conclusions:

Sexual violence can profoundly affect the lives of women. Women's narratives indicate complex and creative responses to living in a violent environment. Nurses who seek to understand the effects of violence on a woman's daily life should focus not only on symptomatic responses to a single violent event, but also should consider her life history, the social context of her daily experiences, the degree to which violence has alienated her from others, and her unique way of responding to violence.
A Situation‐Specific Theory of Korean Immigrant Women's Menopausal Transition
Authors: Im Eun‐Ok , Meleis Afaf Ibrahim
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To extend the previous model of transitions by including the experiences of low‐income Korean immigrant women in the United States during their menopausal transition. The extension results in a situation‐specific theory of Korean immigrant women's menopausal transition.

Design:

Findings from a study of menopausal transition among Korean immigrant women were used as a main source for modification of the conceptual properties of transitions, conditions shaping the transitions, and indicators of healthy transitions. The study was cross‐sectional with methodologic triangulation. Quantitative analysis was based on data from 119 first‐generation Korean immigrant women who engaged in low‐status or low‐income work outside their homes; qualitative study using theoretical sampling method included 21 women.

Methods:

Analyses included descriptive and inferential statistics and thematic analysis. Integrative conceptual analysis using deductive and inductive reasoning was conducted to determine modifications in theory based on the descriptions of menopausal transition of Korean immigrant women.

Findings:

Three main themes were identified: (a) the women gave their menopausal transition far less attention than they did to their immigrant and work transition; (b) menopause was a hidden experience in cultural background; and (c) the women “normalized,” ignored, and endured symptoms. The findings indicated additions of the following concepts: (a) number, seriousness, and priority of transitions; (b) socioeconomic status; (c) gender; (d) context; (e) attitudes toward health and illness; (f) interrelationships among all conditions shaping transitions; and (g) symptom management.

Conclusions:

The proposed situation‐specific model is limited in scope. However, it provides understanding of the menopausal transition of Korean immigrant women in context, and is a guide for nursing interventions for immigrant women experiencing transition.
Pilot Testing Three Interventions For Symptom Management in HIV/AIDS Fever
Authors: Jones Sande Gracia
Published: June 2007

Fever is a common symptom in hospitalized HIV/AIDS patients (Holtzclaw, 1998; Jones, Holloman & Coffin, 1998). Nurses caring for patients with AIDS use antipyretic medications plus physical cooling methods for fever management (Jones, 1998). However, no studies were found that evaluated the efficacy of these interventions with patients who have HIV/AIDS. Additionally, no research reports were found that evaluated the use of a “cooling scarf,” a new physical cooling method used by the lay public while exercising, as a method that could be applied in the clinical setting.
A Classification Scheme for Outcome Indicators
Authors: Jennings Bonnie Mowinski , Staggers Nancy , Brosch Laura Ruse
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To provide a framework for classifying outcome indicators for a more comprehensive view of outcomes and quality.

Methods:

Review of outcomes literature published since 1974 from medicine, nursing, and health services research to identify indicators. Outcome indicators were clustered inductively.

Findings:

Three groups of outcome indicators were identified: patient‐focused, provider‐focused, and organization‐focused. Although investigators tend to focus on a select few outcome indicators, such as patient satisfaction, quality of life, and mortality, many indicators exist to measure outcomes.

Conclusions:

Selecting and integrating a wide array of outcome indicators from the various categories will provide a more balanced view of health care delivery as compared with focusing on a few common indicators or only one category.
Ethics & Health Policy–Annotated Bibliography
Authors: Brown Carolyn L.
Published: June 2007

Several interdisciplinary perspectives on health care policy, economics, and ethics are described in the following books.
Sustainability of Healthcare Environments
Authors: Levi Pamela
Published: June 2007

If advances in health care during the past century were viewed through the eyes of citizens living in the year 1900, eradication of diseases such as polio and smallpox, and the use of antibiotics and a host of other pharmacologics to cure the seemingly incurable would have seemed miraculous. Now in 1999, we look forward to the beginning of a new millennium and a new century. What will health care providers be pondering and celebrating at the beginning of the 22nd century? What miraculous strides in health care will occur? Will professional nursing as we know it exist?
Contributions of Graduate Students to Nursing Knowledge in Women's Health
Authors: Wilson Astrid Hellier , Raines Kimberly H.
Published: June 2007

An essential goal of advanced nursing education is creation and dissemination of nursing knowledge; nurses with master's or higher degrees are expected to participate in research activities and publication (McCloskey & Grace, 1990; National League for Nursing, 1992; Yonge, Skillen, & Henderson, 1996). Knowledge based on empiric findings is a major force in nursing today and is changing practice, education, and health policy. Consequently, publication of research findings is vital to the advancement of the nursing profession (Oddi, Whitley, & Pool, 1994;Styles, 1981; Whitley, Oddi, & Terrell, 1998).
Unity and Diversity in Feminist Legal Theory
Authors: Davies Margaret
Published: June 2007

Feminist legal theory has undergone some significant changes over the past thirty years. This article provides an introductory overview of feminist legal theory, from liberal and radical feminism through to postmodernism. It outlines some of the major current issues within feminist legal thought, notably debates surrounding culture and religion, the relationship of sex and sexuality scholarship to feminist research, and the position of women within transitional societies.
Application of Statistical Experimental Design to Optimize Culture Requirements of Aspergillus sp. Zh‐26 Producing Xylanase for Degradation of Arabinoxylans in Mashing
Authors: Li Y. , Liu Z. , Cui F. , Xu Y. , Zhao H. , Liu Z.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT:  The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize a strain of Aspergillus capable of producing xylanase. According to the morphology and comparison of ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) rDNA gene sequence, the strain Aspergillus sp. ZH‐26 was identified as a strain of Aspergillus awamori. Statistically based experimental designs were applied for the optimization of xylanase production from A. awamori ZH‐26. The considered medium components included 17 components as follows: yeast extract, tryptone, urea, NH4Cl, (NH4)2SO4, NaNO3, KH2PO4, K2HPO4, NH4NO3, MgSO4, CaCl2, CuSO4, ZnCl2, FeSO4, MnSO4, vitamin B1, and EDTA. Yeast extract, tryptone, (NH4)2SO4, KH2PO4, and CaCl2 were identified to have significant effects on xylanase production using the Plackett–Burman experimental design. These 5 major components were subsequently optimized using the Box–Behnken experimental design. By response surface methodology and canonical analysis, the optimal concentrations for higher production of xylanase were yeast extract 5.95 g/L, tryptone 6.79 g/L, (NH4)2SO4 13.37 g/L, KH2PO4 1.14 g/L, CaCl2 0.81 g/L. Under optimal conditions, the xylanase activity from A. awamori ZH‐26 reached 47.3 U/mL. A small‐scale mashing was carried out to evaluate the performance of the xylanase on degradation of arabinoxylans in mashing. Results showed that polymeric arabinoxylan content and wort viscosity in mashing with grist containing wheat malt sharply decreased to the basal level (from 470 to 185 mg/L) with the addition of xylanase.