bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Positive Mental Attitude and Health: What the Public Believes
Authors: Bruckbauer Elizabeth , Ward Sandra E.
Published: October 2007

Content analysis was used with the responses of 167 people to open‐ended questions regarding their understanding of the term “positive mental attitude” (PMA) and their beliefs about benefits and problems associated with PMA. Participants also responded to a scale which assessed their beliefs about the influence of PMA on illness onset and recovery. Analyses revealed wide diversity in understandings of the term, although a majority indicated that PMA means optimism or hope. The benefits of PMA included happiness, health and improved relationships. The problems included over‐confidence and disappointment, but such problems were often said to be associated with over‐enthusiastic use of PMA. Seventy‐seven percent of the respondents agreed that PMA can prevent illness and 94 percent agreed that PMA can aid in recovery from illness. Fewer agreed that PMA can prevent cancer or aid recovery from cancer.
Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse: Their Relationship with Depressive Symptoms in Adulthood
Authors: Hall Lynne A. , Sachs Barbara , Rayens Mary Kay , Lutenbacher Melanie
Published: October 2007

The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of childhood physical and sexual abuse among 206 low‐income single mothers and to examine the relationship of childhood abuse to current maternal depressive symptoms. Severe physical abuse was reported by 36 percent of the women. The prevalence of sexual abuse was 22 percent; more than one‐half of these women were violently abused. High depressive symptoms were reported by 51 percent of the mothers. Both severe physical abuse and sexual abuse in childhood were associated with high depressive symptoms. Women who experienced violent sexual abuse were almost four and one‐half times more likely to report high depressive symptoms, compared to the women who were not sexually abused. These findings provide further evidence that childhood abuse may have long‐term consequences for women's mental health.
Caregiver Stress in Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Authors: Kelley Susan J.
Published: October 2007

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine caregiver stress in grandparents who are raising grandchildren as well as the antecedents to the child's placement with grandparents. The sample was 41 grandparents, aged 40 to 78 years, with a mean of 55 years. Subjects reported increased psychological distress as measured by the Symptom Checklist‐90‐Revised inventory. Social isolation and restriction of role, as measured by the Parenting Stress Index, were found to be predictors of increased psychologica l distress. Child maltreatment, often involving parental substance abuse, was found to be the major antecedent to children being raised by grandparents.
Preferences for Decision‐Making Autonomy
Authors: Blegen Mary A. , Goode Colleen , Johnson Marion , Maas Meridean , Chen Lily , Moorhead Sue
Published: October 2007

Nurses' lack of autonomy has been identified as a leading cause of job dissatisfaction, but attempts to increase satisfaction by increasing autonomy have not always been successful. This survey of 356 randomly selected staff nurses and 130 head nurses from 16 hospitals extends previous work by identifying the preferred level of involvement in 21 patient care and 21 unit operation decisions. Staff nurses agreed on 60 percent of the decisions and, in general, preferred independent decision‐making for patient care decisions and shared decision‐making for unit operations. Head nurses indicated that staff nurses should have a higher level of autonomy than the staff nurses indicated for themselves.
Nursing as Informed Caring for the Well‐Being of Others
Authors: Swanson Kristen M.
Published: October 2007

Assumptions about four main phenomena of concern to nursing (persons/ clients, health/well‐being, environments and nursing) are presented and an elaboration is made of the structure of a theory of caring. The issues that arise when nursing is viewed as “informed caring for the well‐being of others is also examined.”
Effects of Slow Stroke Back Massage on Relaxation in Hospice Clients
Authors: Meek S. Sandra
Published: October 2007

This study was done to investigate a nonpharmacological means of relaxation with 30 hospice clients. The purpose was to examine the effects of slow stroke back massage (SSBM) on systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate and skin temperature. SSBM was associated with decreases in systolic BP, diastolic BP, and heart rate and with an increase in skin temperature. SSBM was shown to produce modest clinical, but statistically significant changes in vital signs which were indicative of relaxation. It is a cost‐effective treatment which adds to the comfort of hospice clients.
The Contribution of Nursing Theory to Nursing Administration Practice
Authors: Smith Marlaine C.
Published: October 2007

The requisite theoretical base of nursing administration has been defined as a synthesis of knowledge from nursing and other disciplines. The purpose of this paper is to explore the contribution made by nursing knowledge to the distinctive epistemology of nursing administration. The value of nursing theory to administration practice is articulated as well as levels of theory development and their relationship to the knowledge base of nursing administration practice.
Patients' Status at Home Care Discharge
Authors: Helberg June L.
Published: October 2007

This study describes patients' status following home care nursing discharge, and explores the relationship of sociodemographic characteristics, medical conditions and nursing needs to patients' status at discharge. The sample consisted of 367 adult patients receiving nursing services from a certified home health agency. The majority (61 percent) of patients could manage independently or only with the help of family providers at home care nursing discharge. The rest (39 percent) required at least some help from community service providers, were institutionalized or had died. Patients' discharge status was more closely related to nursing needs such as nursing problems, functional status and coping ability than to medical conditions.
Julia Catherine Stimson: Nurse and Feminist
Authors: Sarnecky Mary T.
Published: October 2007

Julia Catherine Stimson was the superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps from 1919 until 1937, holding this most senior position longer than any other nurse leader in the 91‐year history of the Army Nurse Corps. She was the dean of the Army School of Nursing for 14 of the school's 15 years of existence. Her tenure as president of the American Nurses' Association from 1938 to 1944 spanned what might be considered one of the organization's most tumultuous and challenging times. Additionally, Stimson was one of the most versatile of prominent nurse leaders who shaped the profession's illustrious past. Stimson actively lived a feminist ideology in several singularly oppressive and paternalistic contexts—the upper‐class Victorian home, the turn‐of‐the‐century hospital setting and the military establishment of the early 20th century.
Aspects of “Reality” and Ways of Knowing in Nursing: In Search of an Integrating Paradigm
Authors: Wolfer John
Published: October 2007

Types of knowledge, theory and research needed in a practice‐oriented discipline are considered in relation to different “aspects of reality.” Major changes in nursing epistemology are reviewed to show an expanding model of inquiry. It is argued that a paradigm which recognizes a spectrum of reality from “body” through “mind” to “spirit” provides a philosophical basis for understanding the necessity of multiple modes of inquiry and multiple types of knowledge and theory. From this perspective, fundamentally different modes of inquiry are seen as complementary rather than competitive or inherently superior or inferior.
Nurse Practitioner Managed Care for Persons with HIV Infection
Authors: Aiken Linda H. , Lake Eileen T. , Semaan Salaam , Lehman Heidi P. , O'Hare Patricia A. , Cole C. Suzanne , Dunbar Deborah , Frank Ian
Published: October 2007

This exploratory study examined whether outcomes of care for HIV‐infected patients are related to whether the patient's primary provider is a physician (MD) or a nurse practitioner (NP). Functional status, symptom occurrence, self management, health service use and patients' assessment of their care were evaluated for 87 HIV‐infected patients in a teaching hospital outpatient setting. NP patients were three times as likely to report their health status as only fair or poor (odds‐ratio=3.06, p=.028), and reported significantly more unpleasant symptoms over a four‐week period. Despite being in poorer health than patients cared for by physicians, NP patients functioned at comparable levels and used no more health care services than MD patients. NP patients reported 45 percent fewer problems with their care (p=0.003). Findings suggest that more extensive use of nurse practitioners could safely enhance access to care for persons with HIV‐related illnesses.
The Mother‐Child Relationship in the HIV‐1 Positive Family
Authors: Andrews Susan , Williams Anne B. , Neil Kristin
Published: October 2007

Qualitative data (N=80) from a larger study of HIV‐1 positive mothers have revealed mother‐child relationships, that is, a strong attachment along with a bond of secrecy. The relationship is described as a strong attachment along with a bond of secrecy. Children are perceived by the mothers as sources of support as well as sources of stress in the relationship. We conclude that practice and policy decisions concerning HIV‐1 positive mothers should include emphasis on maintaining the health of the mother‐child dyad, providing respite to mothers and providing support for future planning.
Ageism Within Feminism
Authors: Pohl Joanne M. , Boyd Carol J.
Published: October 2007

Recently there has been a heightened interest in linking feminist theory and nursing science. However, neither feminists nor feminist nursing scholars have included aging women in their analyses. This paper analyzes liberal, radical and socialist feminist theories and discusses the gap within all three vis‐a‐vis aging women. A case is presented for including aging women within feminist thinking and recommendations for incorporating feminist theory and aging within the science of nursing are explicated.
Healing From Surgery: A Phenomenological Study
Authors: Criddle Lyn
Published: October 2007

A phenomenological study explored the experience of healing in nine post‐surgical patients. Extensive interviews were conducted at one and four weeks after hospital discharge. A follow‐up interview was conducted after participants reviewed descriptions of the experience. Healing included four overlapping themes: Active Participation (personal responsibility to assist in the healing process); Achieving Balance (reintegration of the whole system); Evolving Beyond (examination of goals, values and priorities); and Healing Process (change over time and connections between themes).
Wellness: The Dialectic of Illness
Authors: Jensen Louise , Allen Marion
Published: October 2007

From a review of empirical and theoretical work, a model of wellness‐illness evolved. The unfolding of events associated with wellness‐illness is depicted as a generic paradigm with health, disease, wellness and illness existing in a dialectical relationship. Although distinct, health‐disease and wellness‐illness are neither mutually exclusive nor polar opposites. Rather, they are one in the same process, acknowledging the changing person in the changing world. Wellness‐illness is the human experience of actual or perceived function‐dysfunction through the interaction of cognitive‐affective dimensions. This experience arises out of intrapersonal, interpersonal, health‐disease‐related and extra‐personal factors.
Triangulation in Qualitative Research: Evaluation of Completeness and Confirmation Purposes
Authors: Breitmayer Bonnie J. , Ayres Lioness , Knafl Kathleen A.
Published: October 2007

The term triangulation has been applied to research strategies intended to serve two distinct purposes, confirmation and completeness. Many researchers who claim to have used a triangulated approach fail to provide evidence to show that their approach contributed to either confirmation or completeness of the data set. This paper reviews these distinct purposes and describes how triangulation of qualitative and quantitative methods was built into a study to achieve them. Analysis of data related to a single construct illustrates how data generated by qualitative and quantitative methods can provide both convergent validity and a broader understanding of one's subject matter.
Sleep Inquiry: A Look with Fresh Eyes
Authors: Spenceley Shannon M.
Published: October 2007

A review of nursing research into the impairment of sleep in the critically ill is presented. The author asserts that in order to fully explicate the phenomena from a nursing perspective, research is needed that focuses upon the meaning of the phenomenon to the patient.
Maternal Role Attainment
Authors: Koniak‐Griffin Deborah
Published: October 2007

Maternal role attainment (MRA) is frequently cited in theoretical articles and research published in the nursing literature. This paper presents an historical and empirical review of MRA. Variables influencing MRA are described. New data are presented raising questions about the original conceptualization of MRA and suggesting possible discrete affective and behavioral dimensions of the construct.
Perspectives on the Family's Caregiving Experience in Mental Illness
Authors: Reinhard Susan C.
Published: October 2007

Most people with severe menta illness have family members who assist them. This paper explores families' caregiving demands, normative conflicts in family care of mentally ill adults, and changes in the formal care system. It examines the shift in locus of care from institutions to communities. The potential for collaborative models to reduce the burden of caregiving is considered.
Gender Differences in Recovery after Coronary Artery Surgery
Authors: Hawthorne Mary H.
Published: October 2007

Coronary artery bypass surgery is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures for coronary heart disease, which is the leading cause of illness in American men and women over the age of 50. Since perceptions of events have been shown to significantly affect outcomes after major cardiac illness, it is crucial for nurses to understand patients' perceptions of these events. This article explores how perceptions of cardiac surgery differ considerably by gender and role expectations, and how such differences can influence recovery.
Scholarly Caring in Doctoral Nursing Education: Promoting Diversity and Collaborative Mentorship
Authors: Meleis Afaf Ibrahim , Hall Joanne M. , Stevens Patricia E.
Published: October 2007

One of the most significant, yet not fully developed goals of doctoral education is the graduation of scholars who can make a major contribution to the discipline of nursing. There have been many discourses and debates about the essential criteria for quality in doctoral programs that create and promote scholarliness. Scholarliness in nursing includes critical thinking, a connection to practice, a commitment to the discipline's mission, substantive mastery areas, philosophical analyses, rigorous investigations, and a social awareness of the relationship between knowledge development and impact on society. Promoting scholarship necessitates the development of a culture of scholarly caring. Scholarly caring can be developed through promotion of diversity and through collaborative mentorship. Features of collaborative mentorship are negotiated relations, mutual interactions, facilitative strategies, and empowerment. To develop these properties of a scholarly doctoral program, attention must be paid to actions that compromise scholarly quality of programs such as the lack of resources and lowered expectations of students.
Replication Strategies for Nursing Research
Authors: Beck Cheryl Tatano
Published: October 2007

Implementing research findings into nursing practice has been seriously hampered by the lack of replication studies. One deterrent to replication is the vague and scant treatment that replication methodology has been given in the nursing literature. Knowledge of different replication strategies will enable researchers to choose the most appropriate approach. Four of the most frequently cited classifications of replication research are compared and a review of replication studies in nursing from 1983 to 1992 is included.
Differences in the Use of Hospital‐Based Outpatient Mental Health Services by the Elderly
Authors: Blixen Carol E.
Published: October 2007

Visits to hospital outpatient clinics and emergency rooms by patients age 65 and over were studied. Differences were found in the use of mental health services between the oldest old and youngest old. A significant portion of psychiatric and substance abuse disorders was found among the youngest old, while the oldest old made a greater number of visits to emergency rooms.
Spirituality Among Caregivers
Authors: Kaye Judy , Robinson Karen M.
Published: October 2007

The spiritual perspectives of 17 caregiver wives of dementia victims and 23 noncaregiving wives of healthy adults were compared in a pilot study using a convenience sample. Caregiver wives used symbols such as God, and spiritual behaviors such as prayer and forgiveness as coping mechanisms. Caregivers tended to share the problems and joys of living according to their spiritual belief more often than the noncaregiver wives of healthy adults. Caregivers also engaged in private prayer and sought spiritual guidance in making decisions in their everyday life more often. The findings suggest that nursing interventions with churches as a natural network for caregivers may be useful. Prayer, forgiveness, and spiritual reading materials are resources that may be helpful to some caregivers.
An American's View of Nursing Education in Japan
Authors: Anders Robert L.
Published: October 2007

Nursing licensing laws, the type of nursing programs, characteristics of the programs, a typical 3‐year curriculum, and future trends in Japanese nursing education are discussed.
A Typology of Nursing Therapeutics
Authors: Eisenhauer Laurel A.
Published: October 2007

A typology of nursing therapeutics is proposed in relation to the intended level of alteration of patient responses, patterns, or life processes. Nursing therapeutics is described as single or multiple interventions by the nurse to alter life processes, life patterns, and functional health patterns.
Exercise Guidelines for Pregnant Women
Authors: Yeo SeonAe
Published: October 2007

Despite remarkable improvements in high technologies and an increase in the number of studies related to exercise for pregnant women, the guidelines for maternal exercise remain contradictory. The effects of exercise in pregnant women and cardiovascular modifications due to pregnancy, and effects of maternal exercise on the fetal environment, including uterine and umbilical hemodynamic changes, are reviewed. Suggested future directions in this area of nursing science are discussed.
Delirium and Physical Restraint in the Hospitalized Elderly
Authors: Sullivan‐Marx Eileen M.
Published: October 2007

Delirium or acute confusion increase the likelihood of physical restraint use and subsequent harmful physical and psychological effects. Assessment for delirium is presented as a conceptual framework to guide researchers, administrators, and clinicians in developing strategies to decrease the use of physical restraint and to support quality of life for hospitalized older adults.
A Study of Symptom Distress, Health locus of Control, and Coping Resources of Aging Post‐Polio Survivors
Authors: Kuehn Alice F. , Winters Reng K. V.
Published: October 2007

Nearly one‐half of the estimated 1.63 million American patients who survived the polio epidemics of the 1940s and 1950s are re‐experiencing symptoms of the acute illness. This exploratory study of 125 aging post‐polio survivors examined the differences of symptom distress, health locus of control, and coping resources for survivors who had and those who had not incurred a chronic physical disability following the acute phase of poliomyelitis. The Symptom Rating Test, the Multidimensional Health locus of Control Scale, and the Coping Resources Inventory were used. No significant differences were found between disability groups concerning symptom distress, health locus of control, or coping resources. However, significant negative correlations were found between coping resources and both the quantity and severity of symptom distress. The differences found between perceived health locus of control and both coping resources and symptom distress were marginally significant.
Stress in Cambodian Refugee Families
Authors: D'Avanzo Carolyn Erickson , Frye Barbara , Froman Robin
Published: October 2007

Southeast Asians are a rapidly growing, culturally varied group needing physical and mental health services. The sources, manifestations, and coping strategies associated with stress experienced by this group are not well documented. Interviews were conducted with 120 Cambodian women in this comparative descriptive study to identify their perceptions of stress‐related factors confronting families. Memories of the war, financial concerns, and family problems were frequently cited. Somatic manifestations were the most common symptoms. A general sense of inability to cope with stress suggests the need for health care providers to be sensitive to undeclared problems
Development of an HIV Assessment Tool
Authors: Nokes Kathleen M. , Wheeler Kathleen , Kendrew Joan
Published: October 2007

The objective of this study was to establish the validity and reliability of a visual analog scale that rates HIV‐related symptom severity and general well‐being. Three groups of subjects completed the HIV Assessment Tool (HAT): uninfected subjects (n=53); people with HlV infection (n=60), and people with CDC‐defined AIDS (n=43) according to the 1987 criteria. Test‐retest reliability was .96 and Cronbach's alpha was .92. Face, content, and construct validity were established. Significant differences were found between healthy subjects and those with HIV or AlDS supporting discriminant validity. Correlation of the Karnofsky performance status with the HAT was significant (r=.51, p <.001) which demonstrated concurrent validity. Factor analysis helped identify general well‐being, general symptoms, and HIV‐specific symptoms. The instrument can be used to relate HlV symptoms to disease progression, and to evaluate the effectiveness of nursing interventions
Reports by Baccalaureate Nursing Students of Social Support
Authors: O'ReiIly‐Knapp Marye
Published: October 2007

This descriptive study examined the types of social support that baccalaureate nursing students perceived as obtained and the types of social support desired from faculty while in their clinical experience. A sample of 242 students completed the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors (ISSB) and 12 were interviewed. There was a significant difference in the total amount of social support perceived as obtained and social support desired, with students desiring more support than was obtained. It was concluded that four types of social support—directive guidance, nondirective support, tangible assistance, and positive social interaction—can be used by faculty to examine students' support
Benefits of Participating in Research Interviews
Authors: Hutchinson Sally A. , Wilson Margaret E. , Wilson Holly Skodol
Published: October 2007

Interviews are a fundamental data collection method used in qualitative health research to help understand people's responses to illness or a particular situation. The risks associated with participating in 7 or 2 hour research interviews when a study focuses on vulnerable populations and sensitive issues are scrutinized by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and Human Subjects Committees. This paper shifts attention away from the risks to the benefits and describes catharsis, self‐acknowledgment, sense of purpose, self‐awareness, empowerment, healing, and providing a voice for the disenfranchised as the sometimes unanticipated benefits reported by interview participants
The rhetoric of nursing theory
Authors: Levine Myra Estrin
Published: October 2007

Skeptics who question the validity and relevance of nursing theory in the nursing curriculum demonstrate the failure to persuade nurses of the importance of theory. Attempts to justify theory by forcing its use in contexts where it barely fits have contributed to the increasing disenchantment. But however misused and misunderstood, theory is nevertheless a lasting and essential part of nursing knowledge. Theory is the intellectual life of nursing. To further research, experiment, and insight in nursing as a discipline, theorizing must be encouraged–subject as all intellectual efforts must be–to honest critique and a healthy willingness to acknowledge success or failure.
Functional performance in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Leidy Nancy Kline
Published: October 2007

The extent to which individuals with a chronic physical illness perform their day‐to‐day activities and maintain the independence and autonomy they desire is both an indicator of adaptation and an important clinical outcome criterion. Yet the concept of functional performance is not well understood. Studies of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have attempted to identify physiologic and psychosocial factors that contribute to functioning in this population. These studies have used a melange of terms, including functional status, functional ability, quality of life, and health status interchangeably. They have also employed a variety of instruments to operationalize functional performance and an assortment of predictors to understand the phenomena. Perhaps as a result of this disarray, no attempt has been made to synthesize the literature for nursing research and practice. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the research on functional performance in people with COPD, indicate areas of understanding and quandary, suggest possible flaws, and propose several new directions for practice and research.
Nurses' Effect on Changing Patient Outcomes
Authors: Brooten Dorothy , Naylor Mary D.
Published: October 2007

Emphasis on examining provider effects and resulting patient outcomes has grown considerably in the past several decades. This paper highlights the effect of nurses on changing patient outcomes. The most important issues raised include the types of patient outcomes that should be measured; the amount and type of nursing (or “nurse dose”) needed to effect patient outcomes; the nurse dose needed in a given health care environment to demonstrate an effect; and the nurse dose needed for effects with differing patient groups.
Gortner's Contribution to Nursing Knowledge Development
Authors: Lauzon Sylvie
Published: October 2007

The building of nursing science is the core of knowledge development in nursing. Throughout the years, Gortner has shared her thoughts about science, nursing science, and ways to develop the scientific base of nursing. This paper is a synthesis of Gortner's views on science, nursing science, and nursing science building. It is based on her publications and emphasizes her contributions.
Becoming Gold‐Plated: Chinese Nurses Studying Abroad
Authors: Wang Rosemary Y. , Lethbridge Dona J.
Published: October 2007

The purpose of this interpretive study is to describe the experience of Chinese nurses studying abroad. Twenty‐three nurses living in Taiwan, who had studied in the United States for university degrees, were interviewed in 7 990. A central process was “Becoming gold‐plated.” The first major theme was “Enormous pressure and sacrifice,” with the subthemes of “Self‐doubt,”“Language difficulties,”“Isolation and loneliness,” and “Separation and guilt.” The second major theme was “Transformed self,” with subthemes of “High aspiration” and “New perspective on life.” In spite of the hardships of study abroad, Chinese nurses felt pride in their accomplishment and self‐respect for the knowledge and sophistication they gained.
Development of the Perceptions of Racism Scale
Authors: Green Nanny L.
Published: October 2007

Racism may be a factor in low‐birth‐weight (LBW) and preterm delivery in African American chiidbearing women. Because no satisfactory measure of racism existed, the Perception of Racism Scale (PRS) was developed. The PRS was pilot tested on 109 participants from churches and community organizations. The scale was then used in a study of 136 chiidbearing women to investigate LBW and preterm delivery. Twenty items rated on a 4‐point Likert‐type scale were scored with 1 as the lowest and 4 as the highest perception of racism. Alpha reliabilities were .88 for the pilot and .91 for the study. Content validity was strengthened by expert panel critique. Reliability, content validity, and construct validity were demonstrated and no undue participant burden was observed. The scale is an effective instrument to measure perceptions of racism by African American women.
Analysis of Restraint‐Free Nursing Homes
Authors: Mahoney Diane Feeney
Published: October 2007

Administrators and key informants in restraint‐free nursing homes participated in a telephone survey to improve understanding of the process, resources, and measures for successful adoption of restraint‐free care. Respondents expressed a strong opinion that each facility must develop its own individualized approach to restraint removal. However, similar approaches were found which suggest that efficiencies in conversion may be gained through application of change theory informed by restraint removal experience.
Perceptions of Senior Residents About a Community‐Based Nursing Center
Authors: Scott Cecelia B. , Moneyham Linda
Published: October 2007

This phenomenological study explored the meaning of nursing services provided in a community‐based nursing center for older adults. A systematic, randomly selected sample of 27 residents, ranging in age from 56 to 86 and predominantly female, participated in one of four focus‐group sessions. Residents' perceptions were elicited using open‐ended questions. Themes were organized using common phenomena from group sessions. Contextual factors identified were beliefs about aging, future concerns, and views about health care. Three major themes were feeling valued and respected; opening doors to self care; and decreasing self‐care costs. The findings offer an understanding of the value of community‐based nursing centers to older adults and lend strong support for care management provided by nurses.
Neonatal Sucking Behaviors
Authors: Medoff‐Cooper Barbara , Ray Wendy
Published: October 2007

Neonatal sucking responses or behaviors have been of great interest to researchers and clinicians since the early 1800s. Since 1960, there has been a resurgence of interest in the objective study of sucking behaviors in both the psychological and medical literature. The studies have examined both nutritive and non‐nutritive sucking measurements. Sucking behaviors have been studied to understand the development of the feeding mechanism as well as to track neurobehavioral development. The relationship between sucking behaviors and behavioral organization of the newborn are considered, along with a historical perspective of sucking measurements, relevant literature on nutritive sucking, physiologic correlates, differences in breast and bottle feeding patterns, non‐nutritive sucking, and factors that modify sucking organization. Implications for nursing practice will be discussed.
On the Aesthetics of Qualitative Research
Authors: Sandelowski Margarete
Published: October 2007

The longstanding debate concerning the credibility of qualitative work and the increasing interest in computerized systems for qualitative data are, arguably, manifestations of efforts to make qualitative research more closely resemble conventional science. Computer technology, in particular, is transforming the look and feel of qualitative work. Yet, qualitative research continues to convey the feeling tone of art. Although the sciences and the arts involve different aesthetics, they share common aesthetic criteria for evaluation, such as beauty and style. Recognition of the aesthetic in works of science and art suggests that both artistic and scientific canons of criticism be used for evaluating qualitative work.
Recruitment of Minority Subjects for Intervention Research
Authors: Pletsch Pamela K. , Howe Carole , Tenney Molly
Published: October 2007

Recruitment of ethnic or racial minority subjects for health intervention research is a methodologic challenge. A recruitment plan that consisted of a feasibility analysis, recruitment strategies and activities, and evaluation was developed and used for a smoking cessation study of pregnant Latinas. Specific recruitment recommendations for similar research consist of a thorough feasibility analysis, developing partnerships with target groups and community members, using active face‐to‐ face recruitment, and using process evaluation techniques.
Journal and Publishing Characteristics for 42 Nursing Publications Outside the United States
Authors: McConnell Edwina A.
Published: October 2007

A survey was conducted to learn about characteristics of English‐language journals originating in countries other than the United States. Questionnaires were mailed to editors of 102 nursing journals; more than half responded. Information about 42 journals, from 14 countries, pertains to characteristics of the journals, their leadership, review process, and journal staff. Such information expands our awareness of publishing opportunities in a global society.
Validation of Nursing Management Diagnoses
Authors: Morrison Ruby Shaw
Published: October 2007

Nursing management diagnosis based on nursing and management science, merges “nursing diagnosis” and “organizational diagnosis”. Nursing management diagnosis is a judgment about nursing organizational problems. The diagnoses provide a basis for nurse manager interventions to achieve outcomes for which a nurse manager is accountable. A nursing organizational problem is a discrepancy between what should be happening and what is actually happening that prevents thegoals of nursing from being accomplished. The purpose of this study was to validate 73 nursing management diagnoses identified previously in 1992: 71 of the 72 diagnoses were considered valid by at least 70% of136 participants. Diagnoses considered to have high priority for future research and development were identified by summing the mean scores for perceived frequency of occurrence and level of disruption. Further development of nursing management diagnoses and testing of their effectiveness in enhancing decision making is recommended.
Preliminary Validation of a Measure of Life Support Preferences
Authors: Beland Dawn K. , Froman Robin D.
Published: October 2007

A rapid, easy to use instrument that provides illustrations of life support choices can enhance discussion of life support measures with patients. The goal of this preliminary study was to develop and validate an instrument, the Life Support Preferences Questionnaire (LSPQ). In a convenience sample of 116 healthy adults, the LSPQ showed a sturdy degree of internal consistency for a short measure. The 2‐week stability evidence was supportive of respondents' consistent attitudes over time at both the item and scale level. Principal factor analyses give evidence there is one dominant theme underlying the items. Use of the LSPQ with hospitalized patients is being explored as a response to policy changes resulting from the 1991 Patient Self‐Determination Act
Nurses' Willingness to Care for AIDS Patients and Spirituality, Social Support, and Death Anxiety
Authors: Sherman Deborah Witt
Published: October 2007

Objective: Use Rogers'(1992) framework of the science of unitary human beings to examine relationships among spirituality, perceived social support, death anxiety, and nurses'willingness to care for AIDS patients.

Design: Descriptive, correlational.

Population, Sample, Setting: Population, female RNs in the New York City Metropolitan area who care for patients with AIDS. Convenience sample of 220 RNs who worked in eight hospitals either on AIDS‐dedicated units (n = 88), or medical‐surgical scatterbed units (n = 132) with a daily AIDS patient census of between 5% to 50%. Data were collected in 1992.

Measures: Spiritual Orientation Inventory, the Personal Resource Questionnaire‐85, the Templer Death Anxiety Scale, and the Willingness to Care for AIDS Patients Instrument.

Methods: Pearson product‐moment correlations and hierarchical multiple regression analyses to test hypotheses.

Findings: Willingness to care for AIDS patients was positively correlated with spirituality and perceived social support, and negatively correlated with death anxiety. Death anxiety moderated the relationship between spirituality and willingness to care. In total, 17% of the variance in nurses' willingness to care for AIDS patients was explained. Additional regression analyses indicated that group membership as either an AIDS‐dedicated nurse or medical‐surgical nurse did not moderate or change hypothesized relationships.

Conclusion: Because group membership explained 22% of the variance in willingness to care, the data indicate that group culture or professional identity should be further examined as predictors of nurses' willingness to care for AIDS patients.

Clinical Implications: Social support at work from administrators and colleagues, as well as the support from patients themselves is important to nurses and should be fostered.
Nurses' Reasoning in the Assessment of Family Violence
Authors: Limandri Barbara J. , Tilden Virginia P.
Published: October 2007

This is a report of the reasoning related to family violence by health professionals but specifically by 247 surveyed and 9 interviewed nurses. Using survey and interviewing techniques, this study explored factors that influence clinicians' choice to intervene in family violence and compared the differences in reasoning of health professionals. Findings from both the survey and interviews are discussed. It is recommended that content about family violence be integrated in curricula and that different approaches to clinical reasoning emphasized.
Nursing Education and Research in New Zealand
Authors: Sigsby Linda M. , Bullock Linda
Published: October 2007

Changes in nursing education and health care reform in New Zealand have significantly affected nurses engaged in research. Movement in both undergraduate and graduate educational qualifications has stimulated interest in research about health‐care problems including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and substance abuse. Our small descriptive survey indicated that most research is qualitative and focuses on clinical care. Lack of funding, isolation from educational settings, and nurses' lack of confidence in their research abilities are major hindrances to the development of nursing knowledge. Limited publication opportunities further complicate dissemination of research.
Classifying Nursing‐Sensitive Patient Outcomes
Authors: Maas Meridean L. , Johnson Marion , Moorhead Sue
Published: October 2007

This report describes research at the University of Iowa College of Nursing to develop a comprehensive classification of nursing‐sensitive patient outcomes. The Nursing‐Sensitive Outcomes Classification (NOC) completes the nursing process elements of the Nursing Minimum Data Set (NMDS). We describe resolution of conceptual and methodological problems that define the inductive approach taken to develop the NOC. Strategies used to develop NOC included review of the literature, clinical databases and instruments; concept analysis; and surveys of nurse experts. Examples of outcomes, definitions, and indicators are presented. The NOC provides standardized patient outcomes for determining the effectiveness of nursing interventions and enables inclusion of these data in data sets for healthcare effectiveness research.
HIV/AIDS Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Preventive Behavior of Pregnant Korean Women
Authors: Chang Soon Bok , Hill Martha N.
Published: October 2007

Objective :To assess HIV‐AIDS‐related knowledge, attitudes, and preventive behavior of pregnant Korean women before designing patient and public education programs.

Design: Pre‐experimental cross‐sectional survey.

Population, Sample, Setting, Years: Convenience sample of 409 women at six prenatal clinics in Seoul, Korea, in 1993.

Outcome Measures: HIV‐AIDS‐related knowledge, attitudes, and preventive behavior.

Methods: Self‐administered questionnaires.

Findings: The women described high levels of knowledge about HIV and AIDS risk factors but less knowledge about transmission of the virus, as well as attitudes of rejection toward unrelated people with HIV/AIDS; 16% provided condoms for their husband's use in extramarital sex, the primary risk behavior.

Conclusions: Korean women are at risk for heterosexual transmission of HIV despite knowledge of risk factors.

Clinical Implications: Korean education programs for women should focus on modes of heterosexual transmission, care of individuals with HIV or AIDS, self‐assessment of HIV‐AIDS risk, and self protection.
Emerging Model of Quality
Authors: Larrabee June H.
Published: October 2007

A theoretical model of quality, based on an organismic worldview, provides a framework for understanding health care quality. This retroductively developed model incorporates ethical and economic concepts: value, beneficence, prudence, and justice. The model supports viewing patients and families as equal partners with providers in defining, evaluating, and achieving health care quality. Further model development can generate mid‐range theories useful for improving quality in an ethical and economic manner.
Restructuring Life After Home Loss by Fire
Authors: Stern Phyllis Noerager , Kerry June
Published: October 2007

When fire destroys a home, victims endure the disorientation, feelings of helplessness, sadness, and depletion that are engendered by privation and the problem of restructuring their lives. The research questions in this grounded theory study were: How do victims process losing their homes to fire? and How does social ritual connect with their needs? With a sample of 113 people from eight countries we found that, despite the seriousness of the problems victims face, social ritual guides support. In many instances, this ritual dictates support that is short‐term and only loosely related to the actual needs of victims. In other words, the support that victims receive is determined by social ritual rather than need. We have named this, “Ritual‐Support Connection,” the dimensions of which are (a) connected support, (b) unconnected support, and (c) disconnected support. In a noncomforting social framework, victims must integrate the salient life event of home loss by fire, through a process we have named “restructuring life.” Two dimensions of restructuring are limiting grief displays and developing new rituals. New rituals include benchmarking, taking precautions, and becoming expert.
Content Domain for Caregiver Planning Identified by Adult Offspring Caregivers
Authors: England Margaret
Published: October 2007

The purpose of the study was to generate a description of caregiver planning and explain how the concept advanced knowledge of lay caregiver decision‐making. Nearly 2,000 decisions of 168 adult offspring caregivers were classified into one of 12 categories using an a priori taxonomic structure for caregiver planning. Coefficient kappas for intra‐ and inter‐rater reliability of the classifications ranged from .97 to .81. The computer program, Ethnograph, and existence theory then were used to organize the classifications in a more detailed manner given the a priori taxonomic structure. Findings from the study showed that the content of the subjects’decisions produced a relatively detailed, complete, and reliable description of caregiver planning. This information can help nurses and lay caregivers to further develop an ongoing pattern of decision‐making about caregiving.
Professional Development in Nursing Research—A Culturally Diverse Postdoctoral Experience
Authors: Waters Catherine M.
Published: October 2007

Given the current shift from culturally‐sensitive to culturally‐competent healthcare, preparing culturally diverse nurse‐scientists beyond the doctorate is crucial to the ability to better understand the healthcare of diverse client populations. The probability of ethnic‐minority postdoctoral fellows having mentors of the same race is low. This article describes key issues to consider for culturally integrated professional development experiences between ethnic‐minority postdoctoral nursing research fellows and White, non‐Hispanic nurse‐scientists. The discussion delineates three characteristics that describe a scientific community: communality, colleagueship, and constructive competition. Conclusions are that four factors are critical to ensuring the survival and success of ethnic‐minority researchers: instruction, affiliation and mentoring, sustaining ethnic‐minority researchers’contributions, and expanding the number of ethnic‐minority researchers.
Family Care Giving at Home as a Solitary Journey
Authors: Boland Donna L. , Sims Sharon L.
Published: October 2007

Home caregivers play an increasingly important role in providing health services for family members. Although many studies have been done to measure burden and related concepts, few studies have examined holistically the caregiving experiences. A grounded‐theory design was used to better understand the caregiving experience from the perspective of caregivers. Seventeen families from a metropolitan intermountain western area comprised the sample. Recipients of care ranged in age from 14 months to 87 years. People with documented mental illness, dementia, or Alzheimer's disease were excluded from the sample. Interviews were conducted in participants’homes. Data were analyzed through constant comparative analysis. The central idea emerging from the data was caregiving as a solitary journey. Burden, responsibility, isolation, and commitment shaped the context of the journey.
International Population and Development: The United Nations’Cairo Action Plan for Women's Health
Authors: Nelson Martha , Proctor Susan , Regev Hanna , Barnes Donelle , Sawyer Linda , Messias DeAnne , Yoder Laurie , Meleis Afaf Ibrahim
Published: October 2007

The report of the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo Action Document) was sponsored by 180 national governments and 1,200 nongovernmental organizations during the United Nations’conference on women, population, and development in Cairo, Egypt 1994. Many international conferences preceded the one in Cairo but it was there that women participated at an unprecedented level in shaping the debate. The resulting document represents a quantum leap for women's health. Nurses can play a major role in using the principles in the Cairo Action Document by empowering women and enhancing their health care. To invite dialogue, the authors provide an analysis of the Cairo Plan from a nursing perspective and identify three paradoxes that may hinder progress: Universal values and local cultures, global policy and local implementation, and national development and women's empowerment. Clinicians, scholars, and members of professional organizations are asked to consider the assumptions that underlie the recommendations for action and to propose ways to resolve the problems that may evolve during implementation.