bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Career Choice Patterns and Behavior of Work-Bound Youth During Early Adolescence
Authors: Rojewski Jay W. , Kim Heeja
Published: June 2007

A national longitudinal database (NELS: 88-94, 1996) was used to examine the occupational aspiration patterns, vocational preparation, and work-related experiences of adolescents who were either work-bound or college-bound two years after their initial transition from high school to work or postsecondary education. Adolescents' career choice and behavior patterns were analyzed at two separate points. Grades 8 and 10 achievement profiles of work- and unemployment-bound youths were similar; both groups had significantly lower achievement scores than college-bound youths. Socioeconomic status (SES) had considerable influence on determining both occupational aspirations and postsecondary transition status. Two-thirds of all young adults who were work-bound or unemployed/out of the work force were in the lowest two SES groups. Adolescents in the highest SES were four times more likely to be college-bound. Educational aspiration was a more accurate predictor of postsecondary status than occupational aspiration. Work-bound youths did not engage in higher levels of school-based work preparation than college-bound peers. Occupational aspirations of college-bound youth were relatively stable over the two-year period (from Grade 8 to 10), while those of noncollege-bound youths were more volatile. The prestige levels of occupational aspirations, for all youth, were relatively established by early adolescence and did not change significantly over time.
Native American Adolescent Career Development
Authors: Turner Sherri L. , Lapan Richard T.
Published: June 2007

Within the framework of Social Cognitive Career (SCCT; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994, 2000), this study examined the associations among career interests, career efficacy expectations, gender, and perceived parent support among Native American and Caucasian middle school adolescents. Consistent with previous research, results indicated that Native American young people had greater interests in Realistic and Conventional occupations, and in occupations that typically require a high-school diploma, a trade school certificate, or 2 years of post high-school education. However, contrary to previous findings, they had as great a range of interests in and self-efficacy expectations for Investigative, Artistic, Social, and Enterprising occupations as Caucasian adolescents, and similarly high levels of interests, efficacy, and perceived parent support for careers typically requiring 4 or more years of post-high school education.
Beyond the Professional Athlete: Introducing Middle School Students to Sports Related Occupations
Authors: Beale Andrew V. , Jacobs Jennifer S.
Published: June 2007

Even though the odds are astronomically high against it ever happening, many middle school students harbor hopes of some day playing professional sports. What students frequently fail to realize is that there are numerous sports-related occupations in addition to that of the professional athlete. The classroom career awareness activities presented here are designed to help students discover that there is more to sports than being an athlete.
The Role of Self-Efficacy, Academic Abilities, and Parental Education in the Change in Career Decisions of Adolescents Facing German Unification
Authors: Pinquart Martin , Juang Linda P. , Silbereisen Rainer K.
Published: June 2007

In times of dramatic social change, new career options emerge and old options may become obsolete. We investigated predictors of change in general career aspirations and of plans to attend a university of East German adolescents from 1989 (before German unification) to 1991 and 1995, respectively, after German unification. Higher pre-unification self-efficacy beliefs were associated with an increase in general career aspirations and a higher probability of switching from non-college-bound vocational training to attending a university. In addition, better pre-unification school grades and having parents who graduated from a university increased adolescents' probability to switch to a university. Furthermore, interaction effects of self-efficacy with grades and cognitive abilities appeared, indicating that for individuals with high self-efficacy, cognitive abilities became more important and grades less important in predicting the wish to pursue university studies. We concluded that beliefs in one's capabilities, and high academic abilities are important resources in vocational reorientation in times of social change.
Elementary Career Intervention Programs: Social Action Initiatives
Authors: Palladino Schultheiss Donna E.
Published: June 2007

This paper examines several conceptual frameworks that can inform elementary career intervention programming. Equity, social justice, and the development of intrinsic motivation are key concepts in the promotion of social action initiatives aimed at improving academic achievement and expanding future career options for all students. Early career interventions provide the ideal venue for prevention efforts in elementary schools. Relevant career theory forms the basis for the design and delivery of elementary career intervention programming.
Traditional Indian Medicine: Spiritual Healing Process for All People
Authors: Kimbrough Kim L. , Drick Carole Ann
Published: June 2007

American Indians define Traditional Indian Medicine (TIM) as spirituality. By facilitating an expanded spiritual awareness into ones life, first on a personal and then professional basis, TIM holds that the personal healing process is enhanced, balance of the mind, body, and spirit is better maintained, and thefoundation for a life of service is accepted. TIM espouses that the individual is responsible for his/her own healing and assists people in the process of learning how to heal themselves. Through listening and feeling based on unconditional love and living by manifesting the seven sacred aspects, TIM assists the individual in continued spiritual growth as they "walk their talk and talk their walk."
Components of Spiritual Nursing Care from the Nurse's Perspective
Authors: Dennis Paula M.
Published: June 2007

The purpose of this exploratory study was to discover the components of spiritual nursing care as described by nurses who provide such care. The phenomenon was investigated through indepth interviewing of ten registered nurses actively practicing in North America. The method evoked a rich understanding of the components of spiritual nursing care from the perspective of nurses who say they provide such care. This study represents an important first step in understanding this little understood phenomenon.
Nursing in the Nineties: The Holistic Nurse Caring Process
Authors: Wolff Peggy Illig , Lunt Jane Yetter
Published: June 2007

Nursing in the nineties offers nurses many possibilities by synthesizing conventional approaches of the nursing process with newer perspectives of holistic health. The holistic nurse caring process is one way nurses can merge these two methods.

The holistic nurse caring process suggests shifts in terminology and meaning for each of the five focal areas: from assess to access, nursing diagnosis to state of being, planning/goals to purpose, intervention to respond/influence, and evaluate to state of being.

The access phase of the holistic nurse caring process utilizes a tool, the Holistic Nurse Access Tool. The tool is presented to offer nurses other possible ways to more fully connect with others. Each of the proposed phases is described.
Using Health Models for Promoting Organizational Health in Nursing
Authors: Moch Susan Diemert
Published: June 2007

Health models are applied to improving the health of nursing organizations. Health models that view health as expanding consciousness, health as rhythmic meaningfulness, and health as a sense of coherence are useful because they are consistent with nursing goals andfacilitate greater understanding of organizational health. Use of the models involve 1) application of the model definition of health to organizational health; 2) use of an assessment tool based on the model to identify health patterns; 3) facilitating an awareness of the organizational healthy/unhealthy work patterns; 4) collaborating with staff and administration in identifying strategies to improve the health of the organization. Examples are used to demonstrate application of the models in nursing work environments.
Perspectives on Nursing Care of Chinese Americans
Authors: Rawl Susan M.
Published: June 2007

Chinese population growth in the United States is expected to accelerate more rapidly than that of any other Asian group in the coming decades. As a result, nurses will be encountering members of this diverse and rich cultural group more frequently. A better understanding of the cultural beliefs, customs, and health care practices of Chinese Americans can only improve the quality of nursing care provided for these clients. Awareness of the barriers to health care that confront many Chinese Americans will be useful in designing appropriate nursing interventions. Knowledge of the positive and negative effects of some traditional Chinese health care practices can be incorporated into individualized client teaching plans.
A Holistic Approach to Vaso-Occlusive Pain Crisis in Children With Sickle Cell Disease
Authors: Houser Bernice , Plawecki Henry M. , Carr Juanita , Smith Martha A. , Plawecki Judith A.
Published: June 2007

A significant number of children with sickle cell disease suffer from episodes of acute recurrent vaso-occlusive pain crisis. Unfortunately, very limited published information is available about specific pain management practices used for these patients. There is even less information available on the use of an interdisciplinary approach for management of sickle cell crisis pain. The purpose of this article is to review the genetic cellular pathophysiology, the sickling process, vaso-occlusive crisis, and management of pain associated with sickle cell disease in children. The article further examines an interdisciplinary approach for the management of vaso-occlusive pain crisis.
Therapeutic Touch and Post-Hurricane Hugo Stress
Authors: Olson Melodie , Sneed Nancee , Bonadonna Ramita , Ratliff Janet , Dias James
Published: June 2007

This repeated-session design sought to answer questions about the effectiveness of therapeutic touch in reduction of stress for 23 individuals following a natural disaster. In addition, methodological issues related to the average length of time for a therapeutic touch treatment and a method of documenting the nonverbal interaction between subject and toucher were investigated. Findings indicate that stressed people report themselves to be less stressed following therapeutic touch (p = .05). Time of therapeutic touch intervention varied significantly between the touchers, with a range of 6.8 to 20 minutes. Qualitative data examining the interaction of toucher and subject raised a number of questions that require further study.
Plato's Model of the Psyche
Authors: Kinion Elizabeth S. , Kolcaba Katharine Y.
Published: June 2007

Plato's theory about psychodynamic forces is used to develop a holistic model for nursing practice. The dysphoric emotional state of demoralization is conceptualized as an imbalance between Spirit, Appetite, and Reason. Interventions are designed for elderly clients who show objective and subjective signs of demoralization. The objective indicators are measured with the Psychiatric Epidemiological Research Interview (PERI), before and after the implementation of individualized interventions. Results for the 23 subjects who completed the study in an assisted-living environment are suggestive of the effectiveness of basic nursing interventions in remediating the symptoms of demoralization. Plato's model of the psyche is an elegant, yet simple, conceptual tool for understanding the mental health needs of clients.
Teaching Moral Reasoning to Student Nurses
Authors: Weber Janet R.
Published: June 2007

Teaching moral reasoning to students is a challenge for all nursing educators. The National League for Nursing and American Nurses' Association emphasize the importance of ethical content within the curriculum. Review of the literature indicates that ethics has been part of the nursing curriculum since the early 1900s. However, the focus of nursing ethics has changed to more critical reflective thinking versus duties and etiquette. Educators have used a variety of methods for teaching ethics and integrating it into the curriculum. Yet nursing graduates still lack adequate skills to be morally accountable practitioners. This creates a dilemma for the educator to find ways to integrate more ethics content into an already crowded curriculum. The code of ethics of holistic nurses may serve as a basis to guide nurse educators in resolving some of the problems encountered in promoting moral education.
Caring as Everydayness
Authors: Arndt Mary Jo
Published: June 2007

This article examines caring from an ontological perspective. Believing that the caring practices of nursing are often hidden from view because they constitute the everydayness of practice, it is proposed that one way to reveal caring practices is through storytelling. Brief stories from practice are shared and the author describes how caring practice is embedded within the experience of nursing.
Energy Balancing through Touch for Health
Authors: Gottesman Carol
Published: June 2007

Through reflection on other types of energy work, the basis is laid for Touch for Health (TFH) as an energetic, touch, body therapy. TFH offers an opportunity for increased awareness of the subtle messages that our bodies are communicating to us. This communication is enhanced through the biofeedback quality of muscle testing. By introducing us to the feeling of well-being that occurs through energy balance, TFH makes individuals more aware of the meaning of optimal-level wellness. It assists people to move to a higher level of self-care. This health maintenance technique can be used anytime, anywhere for ourselves and others. By putting us back in control of our own health and well-being, TFH can increase self-esteem. Applications for nursing practice are explored.
The Development of a Conceptual Model for Multicultural Nursing
Authors: Rooda Linda A.
Published: June 2007

Cultural diversity exists among all humans, and nurses and patients are no exception to this general phenomenon. The cultural backgrounds of individual nurses and patients are composed of learned norms, values, customs, and beliefs. If nurses are to be as effective as they might in providing holistic nursing care to patients of culturally diverse backgrounds, their technical expertise must be complemented by knowledge of and respect for the various cultures. This is particularly true in situations where nurses are from cultural and ethnic backgrounds different from the patients for whom they are caring. The development of a conceptual model for multicultural nursing practice, based on King's Theory of Goal Attainment, provides direction for both practice and research in nursing and is an essential initial step toward better preparing nurses to provide holistic care in a global society.
The Rainbow Model of Health as Ongoing Transformation
Authors: Davidson-Rada Meg , Davidson-Rada Jiri
Published: June 2007

A model is proposed that suggests new directions for achieving well-being that meet the emergent self-transformational needs of individuals. The Rainbow Model is a systematic framework for showing the relationship between approaches to health and total, whole-of-life development, including the spiritual dimension. It uses the colors of the rainbow and the chakras to denote progressively expansive understandings and actions regarding wellness and health care. Red, the longest wavelength, corresponds to one's present state of health or disease. Orange reflects a concern with reducing risk factors. Yellow, the third wavelength, signifies a rational approach to health: Beliefs and habits of thinking are examined. Green means health through emotional balance, supportive relationships, and values that support health. Blue is the layer of health through involvement with one's higher purpose. Indigo is the wavelength of health through metaphysical awareness, and violet, the shortest wavelength, shows health to be most profound when one attains universal consciousness: the sense of unity with all life.
The Valuing Process
Authors: Heise Joyce Lyne
Published: June 2007

The purpose of this article is to describe the concept of valuing through defining and developing the essential elements of the valuing process. The valuing process relates to structuring the meaning of individual health. This concept is related to a nursing theory put forth by both Rogers and Parse. In addition, implications of the valuing process in nursing for quality health care are given.
Amma Therapy®
Authors: Young Anneke
Published: June 2007

A significant number of people suffering with chronic fatigue syndrome have become more and more discouraged by the traditional medical approach, which seems to lack the proper perspective on the disease. Unfortunately, very little published information is available about specific holistic health management practices used for these patients. It is the purpose of this article to examine a specific holistic practice, called Amma Therapy, as an alternative approach for the management of this syndrome.
The Child's Perception of the Human Energy Field Using Therapeutic Touch
Authors: France Nancey E. M.
Published: June 2007

This is a descriptive, exploratory, phenomenological study on children's lived experiences of perceiving the human energy field using Therapeutic Touch (T). Eleven children, 3 to 9 years of age, willingly participated in the study. The study's findings suggest that children can feel the human energy field with purpose or intent to help, thus supporting TT as an innate potential.
Hospice and Medicare Benefits
Authors: Wilson Sarah A.
Published: June 2007

Hospice care is based on a holistic philosophy that considers the physical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of care for dying patients and their families. It is a family-centered approach and promotes death with dignity. The rapid growth of the hospice movement was in response to dissatisfaction with the care of the terminally ill and demands for death with dignity. Public support for the hospice was so strong that just 8 years after the first hospice was founded, it became a benefit under Medicare. The Medicare hospice benefit emphasizes home care and has shifted the burden of care to families. The restrictive nature of Medicare hospice rules influences who is eligible for hospice care. The Medicare benefit is not congruent with the holistic philosophy of hospice.
Patient and Family Perceptions of Restraints
Authors: Hardin Sally B. , Magee Rose , Vinson Mary Hite , Owen Marilyn , Hyatt Elizabeth , Stratmann Diane
Published: June 2007

Based on a holistic philosophy that aging persons' most primary need is that of autonomy and freedom, this qualitative descriptive study examined patients' and their family members' perceptions of the restraint procedure. Twenty-five restrained patients were interviewed, and 19 of their family members completed mailed surveys to describe their perceptions about restraints. Results indicated that the majority of patients (52%) expressed negative feelings about being restrained. Family members expressed a wide variety of feelings and were ambivalent about seeing a loved one restrained. Implications are that nursing needs to become committed to the philosophy of autonomy and freedomfor elderly persons.
The Healing Web
Authors: Koerner Joellen Goertz , Bunkers Sandra Schmidt
Published: June 2007

The search for community manifest in society today reflects the apparent alienation, unconnectedness, and superficiality of modern life. A group of nurses in education and service created a community filled with caring and trust that designed the Healing Web, a transformative model for nursing. The web was established to create partnerships that will transform the health care paradigm of society. By establishing and maintaining a healing community within nursing and the larger universe, holistic and integrative life will be restored.
Music for the Dying
Authors: Schroeder-Sheker Therese
Published: June 2007

Music-thanatology is a palliative medical modality employing prescriptive music to tend the complex physical and spiritual needs of the dying. "Infirmary music" was an intimate expression of French monastic medicine in 11th-century Cluny and anticipated the holism of both the hospice and palliative medical movements by almost 800 years. Although no longer an expression of any institutional religious identity, music-thanatology is nevertheless concerned with the possibility of a blessed death and the gift that conscious dying can bring to the fullness of life. Music-thanatology interns seek to integrate and model these contemplative and clinical values in daily practice: 18 interns deliver prescriptive music in bedside vigils serving the dying in home, hospital, and hospice settings with great effectiveness in oncology, respiratory illnesses, the slow degenerative diseases, and AIDS. This article is submitted to nurses to serve as an introduction to the field of music-thanatology, providing readers with a brief history, meaningful clinical narratives, some of the musical theories involved, research concerns (archival and medical), and milestones to be addressed for the future implementation of music-thanatology in hospitals and hospices and communities across the nation.
An Evaluation of the Treatment Effectiveness of the Chicago Health Outreach Acupuncture Clinic
Authors: Johnstone Heather , Marcinak John , Luckett Michael , Scott Jeannette
Published: June 2007

Acupuncture is a treatment modality that is particularly applicable for homeless clients because of its low cost and portability as well as because of its effectiveness in treating the symptomatology of pain syndromes, substance abuse, and human immunodeficiency virus infection. A two-part descriptive study was conducted to determine the response to acupuncture ofhomeless persons at the Chicago Health Outreach Clinic. Part 1 of the study consisted of a retrospective chart review of 45 patients to assess acupuncture treatment effectiveness. Part 2 of the study consisted of using a numerical rating scale report form to assess treatment effectiveness of 30 patients. Part 1 of the study indicated that 51% had a positive response to treatment, 42% were indeterminate or lacked documentation of response, and 7% had no response to treatment. Part 2 of the study demonstrated that 97% had a positive response to treatment, with 3% reporting no response to treatment. Acupuncture treatment did effectively decrease the symptomatology of the homeless clients seen in the Chicago Health Outreach Acupuncture Clinic. Further research should involvefollow-up of these clients to assess the length of symptom relief tofurther determine long-range effectiveness and cost of treatment.
Cultural Aspects of Caring for Navajo Indian Clients
Authors: Plawecki Henry M. , Sanchez Tony R. , Plawecki Judith A.
Published: June 2007

Cultural factors significantly influence the Navajo's interactive processes as well as perceptions of health and illness. Unfortunately, very limited published information is available about the problems that may occur when health care practitioners ignore the influence of culture. The interactive processes are made even more complex when health care providers have cultural expectations that are different from those held by their patients. The article reviews some of the complex factors (i.e., family structure, health/illness beliefs, traditional remedies, and cultural practitioners) that influence the Navajo's decision to seek, accept, or reject the assistance of professional health care providers. In addition, some implications, strategies, and suggestions are included that may assist the nurse in improving the quality of care provided to the Navajo patient.
Holistic Nursing in New Zealand
Authors: Keegan Lynn , Rosen Sonja , Messervy Lynn
Published: June 2007

New Zealand nurses are active and dynamic emerging holistic practitioners. Despite an economic recession and dramatic changes in their health care delivery systems, the country's holistic nurses have mobilized to develop and begin a holistic nurses' association. Holistic nurses from both islands have begun independent practices using complementary therapies and modalities. Although New Zealand is distant from North America geographically, there have been increasing numbers of exchange visits and subsequent influence on international holistic nursing practice. New Zealand, being a lush, green, clean, semitropical country in the South Pacific, is a wonderful place for North American nurses to experience cross-cultural nursing while still being in an English-speaking country.
Domestic Violence
Authors: Butler Mary Jo
Published: June 2007

This manuscript describes female partner abuse and reviews its significance to health care providers. Attention is given to the essential nursing roles of screening for abuse, intervening with women at risk for abuse, and completing a needed examination when abuse has occurred. Ideas for an expanded nursing role are provided.
Social Support, Quality of Life, Immune Function, and Health in Persons Living with HIV
Authors: Nunes John A. , Raymond Susan J. , Nicholas Patrice Kenneally , Leuner Jean D'Meza , Webster Ann
Published: June 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between social support and quality of life in individuals with HIV. Using a descriptive, correlational design, data were collected from 50 HIV-positive individuals who were: (a) participants in support groups at a behavioral medicine unit, (b) inpatient or respite care patients with HIV, or (c) respondents to advertisements at AIDS service organizations. Instruments used for data collection were the Personal Resource Questionnaire 85-Part 2 (Weinert, 1987), measuring perceived social support, and the Quality of Life Index (QLI) (Ferrans & Powers, 1985), measuring the sense of well-being in life including the satisfaction with and importance of life domains with four subscales: health and functioning, socioeconomic, psychological/spiritual, and family. The results of the study indicated that social support was significantly correlated with quality of life (r = 0.81, p < 0.0001). Further, HIV status (a symptomatic HIV symptomatic HIV, AIDS) was significantly related to quality of life (p < 0.01). However, HIV status was not significantly related to social support. No significant relationship was found between CD4 counts and HIV status, CD4 counts and social support, or CD4 counts and perceived health status. However, CD4 counts were significantly correlated with scores on the QLI. The findings of the study indicate that social support and quality of life are significantly intercorrelated and that higher CD4 counts are related to quality of life in this sample of persons living with HIV. Further areas for research include evaluation of quality of life over the span of HIV disease and interventions aimed at enhancing or maintaining quality of life in persons across the spectrum of HIV disease.
Music for Sleep Disturbance in the Elderly
Authors: Mornhinweg Gail C. , Voignier Ruth R.
Published: June 2007

Twenty-five elderly, community-based subjects with self-perceived sleep disturbances participated in this descriptive pilot study. Subjects listened to classical and New Age music before bedtime when a sleep disturbance was identified. Daily logs were kept by each participant to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Twenty-four (96%) of the subjects reported improved sleep using this self-administered intervention.
Nursing Interventions for Spintual Care
Authors: Bauer Toni , Barron Cecilia R.
Published: June 2007

This descriptive correlational study examined the relationships between the three concepts of core spiritual experience, spiritual perspective, and self-transcendence, as well as the spiritual-care nursing interventions preferred by a convenience sample of 50 community-based older adults. Results of single-session interviews indicated significant positive correlations among the three concepts. Spiritual interventions preferred by older adults were those interventions focusing on the therapeutic communication skills of the nurse and the nurse's attitude and approach toward clients. Overall, older adults who believed in a Higher Power and whose beliefs were prominent in their lifestyle rated spiritual nursing interventions as more important than did older adults who did not hold strong beliefs in a Higher Power and whose spiritual beliefs were not prominent in their lifestyle. Findings give direction for providing spiritual nursing care to older adults.
Social Responsibility in Nursing Education
Authors: Mayo Kelly
Published: June 2007

Nurses will be key participants in health care reform as health care shifts from a hospital-based disease orientation to a community-centered health promotion focus. Nursing in communities, the environmental context of clients' everyday lives, requires attention to social, economic, and political circumstances that influence health status and access to health care. Therefore, nursing educators have the responsibility to prepare future nurses for community-based practice by instilling moral and professional practice obligations, cultural sensitivity, and other facets of social responsibility. In this article, social responsibility and journaling, a teaching/learning strategy suggested by the new paradigm approach of the curriculum revolution, are explored. A qualitative research study of more than 100 nursing student journal entries illustrates the concept of social responsibility and how it developed in a group of baccalaureate nursing students during a clinical practicum in a large urban homeless shelter.
Cultural Perceptions of Childbirth
Authors: Callister Lynn Clark , Vehvilainen-Julkunen Katri , Lauri Sirkka
Published: June 2007

The purpose of this comparative cross-cultural study was to describe the cultural/religious perceptions of the childbirth experiences of selected childbearing women. Finnish Lutheran women's beliefs and perceptions of childbirth were compared with those of Canadian Orthodox Jewish and American Mormon women. Methodological triangulation was achieved through semistructured, open-ended interviews and use of the Utah Test for the Childbearing Year (UTCY). Canadian Orthodox Jewish women showed a significantly higher level of reliance on authority figures to ensure positive outcomes and significantly less active participation in childbirth care decisions. The Finnish Lutheran women showed less valuing of childbearing and childrearing, which may be related to a less active religious belief system and the view by Finnish women that motherhood is only one of a multiplicity of roles viewed as important. There is a need to understand and appreciate the cultural beliefs and values of childbearing women to facilitate more culturally sensitive and holistic nursing care.
Salutogenic Psychosocial Nursing Practice
Authors: England Margaret , Artinian Barbara
Published: June 2007

Public affirmation of core principles for relating with clients is needed in order to assure continued viability of quality nursing practice in this era of competition and managed health care. Practitioners of professional nursing can reassert their legitimate claim to quality nursing care through an emphasis on the practice of salutogenic psychosocial nursing. The presumption is that clients, families, and communities who benefit from salutogenic nursing care are more likely to heal and stay well because they have developed competencies for managing the details of their health situations. This paper presents key characteristics of salutogenic psychosocial nursing, along with their implications for assuring quality nursing practice.
Integrating Chronic Illness into One's Life
Authors: Michael Susan Rush
Published: June 2007

Chronic illness is currently the number one health problem facing the United States. Little is known about the experience of making chronic illness a part of one's life, particularly from the perspective of the chronically ill person. The purpose of this phenomenological inquiry was to explore how chronically ill adults integrate chronic illness into their lives. Seventeen chronically ill adults were interviewed by the researcher. Using a modification of Colaizzi's (1978) method of data analysis, 4 major themes emerged. These themes were: confronting loss, fluctuating emotions, making changes, and gaining control of an altered life direction. Some of the major recommendations and implications for nursing practice centered around perceiving the entire experience of chronic illness with an emphasis on the need to recognize and assess loss as an ongoing and unending experience, and how this loss influences a participant's willingness and ability to implement changes required by the medical treatment plan.
Health Risks of Homeless Adolescents
Authors: Rew Lynn
Published: June 2007

Although the exact number of homeless adolescents is unknown, it is estimated that this population may exceed 2 million. Literally living on the streets, homeless youth are at risk for a variety of physical, psychosocial, and spiritual health problems. Many engage in "survival sex," exchanging sexual favors for necessities of food, clothing, and shelter. Such risky sexual behaviors make them vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and unintended pregnancies. Many have serious, diagnosable mental health problems, whereas others suffer various consequences of substance abuse. There is a need for comprehensive and holistic health care services, for which the majority of homeless youth have very limited access. Holistic nursing can provide creative interventions for this vulnerable population.
Florence Nightingale and Holistic Philosophy
Authors: Light Kathleen M.
Published: June 2007

Florence Nightingale lived at a time when allopathy and homeopathy were competing for dominance in medical care. Nightingale's philosophy of health and healing was more similar to the holistic philosophy of homeopathy than to the mechanistic philosophy of allopathy. Why, then, did Nightingale align organized nursing with allopathic medicine? Perhaps Nightingale, always the pragmatist, understood that allopathy would gain the dominant position in medicine. Perhaps aligning nursing with allopathy was a way to ensure the survival and legitimacy of nursing as a profession. Modern nursing can reconnect with Nightingale's holistic philosophy by preparing graduates conversant with holistic philosophy and by encouraging research that focuses on how the natural healing process is facilitated.
Spirituality in Terminal Illness
Authors: Hall Beverly A.
Published: June 2007

I use data and insights gained from 10 years of research and practice on psychosocial and spiritual aspects of living with HIV to outline a critique of extant knowledge on spirituality and to propose an alternative. Nurses are in an excellent position to experience the human spirit. We can use the resultant understandings to be present with others and to become more self-aware and self-loving. I present here my philosophy and personal rules for understanding the spirit that were taught to me by patients and knowledgeable research participants as they helped me to see how my professional objectivity and application of professional knowledge were anathema to their self-discovery. I present a critique of some of the confining aspects of nursing theory, particularly that which is built on developmental frameworks to show how our vision is skewed negatively by these frameworks, and how it may cause us to look down at patients rather than at them as equals.
The State of Research on the Effects of Therapeutic Touch
Authors: Easter Anna
Published: June 2007

Therapeutic Touch is investigated using an integrative review of the literature. Using Ganong's (1987) methodology, the article explores the research question, What is the state of development of research regarding Therapeutic Touch? by analyzing primary research reports from 23 articles in 14 refereed journals. The findings of the review indicate positive regard for the use of Therapeutic Touch. All research points to the need for further study in this area. Research methods used are satisfactory, but more rigorous methodologies would promote a more scientific contribution to the body of literature on Therapeutic Touch.
Experiences of the Chronically Ill
Authors: Lindsey Elizabeth
Published: June 2007

The biomedical paradigm of Western society has dictated the values, attitudes, and behaviors of many health care professionals. For people living with chronic illnesses, this biomedical domination has reduced client control. Because of the prolonged nature of chronic conditions, these clients often become the best experts on themselves; however, this is rarely recognized or respected by health care professionals. As a result, people living with chronic illnesses often go underground and engage in a covert caring for the self. Results of a recent research project highlight four themes that provide insight into these covert caring practices: (a) taking control, (b) seeking knowledge, (c) accessing alternate healing modalities, and (d) an altered relationship with health care providers. These findings provide nurses with an opportunity for increased awareness and sensitivity to the experiences of people living with chronic conditions. Such a sensitivity could lead to enhancing client autonomy.
Florence Nightingale
Authors: Dossey Barbara M.
Published: June 2007

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) received a clear and profoundly moving Call to serve God at the age of 16. Through a lifetime of hard work and discipline, she became a practicing mystic in the Western tradition, thereby becoming an instrument of God's love, which was the primary source of her great energy and the fabled "Nightingale power. " To understand the life and work of this legendary healer, who forever changed human consciousness, the role of women, and nursing and public health systems in the middle of the 19th century, it is necessary to understand her motivation and inspiration. The purpose of this article is to discuss her life and work in the context of her mystical practice and to show the parallels between her life and the lives of three recognized women mystics.
Florence Nightingale's Relevance to Nurses
Authors: Attewell Alex
Published: June 2007

Nurses are actively finding Florence Nightingale to be relevant to nursing knowledge, nursing organization, and nursing education. A study of her life is also seen to be relevant and there is a need to look at Nightingale's writings for a deeper under-standing of her relevance.
Faculty-Student Mentoring
Authors: Rosenberg Candice J.
Published: June 2007

Chronic sorrow often affects not only an individual who has a chronic illness or disability but the family members as well. This is the story of how chronic sorrow affected the life of a man diagnosed with prostate cancer and the family members who lived through it with him. It is told in the first person by his daughter not only as a tribute to her father, but also as a prospective learning experience for anyone involved with an individual moving through a chronic or terminal illness or disability. It integrates theory, research, and personal experience in an effort to understand this common human response to a chronic or terminal illness.
A Holistic View of Nursing Concepts and Theories in Practice
Authors: Reed Pamela G.
Published: June 2007

This article offers an alternative view to Hall's statements concerning concepts and theories in nursing practice. This article also represents an example of how journal articles can be forums for ongoing dialogue about the complex matters related to developing nursing knowledge. New ideas are presented by which the concept of self-transcendence, developmental theory, and theory in general are viewed from a holistic perspective rather than the perspectives offered in Hall's article. In contrast to Hall's claims about theory and about developmental theory in particular, theory is discussed as integral to holistic nursing practice.
From Research to Social Improvement: Understanding Theories of Intervention
Authors: Weiss Janet A.
Published: June 2007

Social science research can inform the complex and uncertain work of moving toward effective social change on three levels: by describing and analyzing the problems that practitioners confront, by identifying better outcomes for individuals and society, and by illuminating strategies of intervention that practitioners can use to move toward better outcomes. This article offers a conceptual framework for analyzing strategies of intervention, which the author uses to examine U.S. mental health policy between 1948 and 1963. In this case, strong understanding of intervention strategies proved very useful to practitioners attempting to make major social changes in the face of overwhelming obstacles. The example shows that understanding intervention requires different social science tools and ideas than understanding social problems. It also shows that social scientists and practitioners alike may find it valuable to think more systematically about intervention.
When is Administrative Efficiency Associated With Charitable Donations?
Authors: Tinkelman Daniel , Mankaney Kamini
Published: June 2007

Whether accounting measures of administrative efficiency affect donations is an important issue for nonprofit managers. Prior research is inconclusive. Some studies find a significant negative relation, whereas others find no significant relation. The authors investigate a variety of reasons for the prior divergent results. The evidence is consistent with donors reducing contributions to organizations reporting higher administrative expense ratios when the ratios are presumably most relevant and reliable. The authors suggest that certain prior studies failed to find significant associations largely because their samples contained many organizations for which the administrative ratios were unreliable or not helpful for donor needs. Model specification issues also affect prior studies but are less critical than sample composition. When the authors replicate prior studies on samples containing established, donation-dependent organizations with nontrivial amounts of fund-raising and administrative expenses, they generally detect a significant negative association.
The Quality and Comparability of Survey Data on Charitable Giving
Authors: Wilhelm Mark O.
Published: June 2007

This article examines six major household surveys of charitable giving and attempts to trace differences in estimates to underlying differences in survey methodology. The main result is that surveys that cue respondent recall by directing attention to charities’ outputs and use interviewers experienced in obtaining information about dollar amounts measure larger amounts of giving. Even so, it is very difficult to estimate giving at the top of the distribution without a high-income oversample: Only one of the surveys not containing a high-income oversample produces estimates around the 90th percentile similar to that obtained with a high-income oversample.
The Ingredients of Financial Transparency
Authors: McCarthy Jack
Published: June 2007

The demand for financial accountability by nonprofit organizations has dramatically increased. This includes church organizations that historically have not been very forthcoming or transparent with financial reports. This article examines the practices employed by the Archdiocese of Boston, which released a groundbreaking report in the spring of 2006. This was a multifaceted communications project that provided meaningful financial information to a broad group of stakeholders. In recent years, many of these stakeholders had been critical of the archdiocesan leadership for its lack of accountability. This report substantively answered the questions of all the stakeholder groups, winning high praise for its clarity and conciseness. The article highlights the key lessons learned in the process and how they might be applied to other church organizations.
Who Do You Trust? Comparing Data on Skilled-Nursing Facilities from the Internal Revenue Service and Health Care Financing Administration
Authors: Gantz Marie
Published: June 2007

This article explores the finances of nonprofit skilled-nursing facilities (SNFs) by comparing two sources of data: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 990s and Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) cost reports. The result shows that the amounts reported to both agencies for bottom-line figures, such as total assets and liabilities, are consistent. More than 80% (263) of the 412 SNFs examined reported either total liabilities or total assets to the HCFA and the IRS that matched within 10%; nearly 60% (235) reported both variables within 1%. However, as the breakout of the financial data becomes more detailed, more inconsistencies are found. Agreement between sources drops rapidly from more than 80% for total liabilities and assets to below 10% for expenses. This may be due to differences in the way that the IRS and HCFA define financial variables, or it may be because preparers are not knowledgeable or careful enough, or because organizations lack adequate accounting systems that allow for accurate, consistent reporting.
"Everyone does it": Unpaid Work in a Rural Peripheral Region
Authors: Felt Lawrence F. , Sinclair Peter R.
Published: June 2007

In this paper we document the extensive informal sector of unpaid productive labour in an isolated, peripheral area in Canada. The study is based on interviews with all adults in 250 households. We consider various socio-economic characteristics as determinants of participation in the informal economy with respect to home construction, other types of subsistence activity and the unpaid work that is done for other households. Our central hypothesis is that the extent of participation is independent of socio-economic status. Our analysis challenges the general adequacy of accounts by Pahl and by neo-Marxist authors. We argue that the informal economy is best understood partly as a constructive response to deprivation and partly because many of the activities are culturally valued.
Legislation and Labour Market Gender Inequality: An Analysis of OECD Countries
Authors: Whitehouse Gillian
Published: June 2007

This paper presents the results of statistical analysis of workplace gender equality in OECD countries, including a time series regression analysis from 1974 to 1986. Two models of approaches to gender inequality in labour markets are set up - a `liberal' and a `collective' model - and the characteristics of each examined for their effects on measures of gender equality. The results suggest that aspects of the `collective' model, such as a centralised industrial relations system, high levels of public employment relative to total employment and sustained expenditure on active labour market programmes are most likely to deliver relatively high earnings for women, although not all these factors are conducive to high levels of female participation in labour markets. No clear evidence was found to support the efficacy of legislative measures in the pursuit of gender equality. The paper argues that the emancipatory potential of legislative moves will be best enhanced within a `collective' framework