bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predominant Source of Interpersonal Influence in Relationships Between Psychiatric Patients and Nursing Staff
Authors: Topf Margaret , Dambacher Betty
Published: April 2007

Observer ratings of two 1/2‐hour interviews between the same randomly selected nurse‐patient pairs were undertaken. It was hypothesized that (a) nurses and patients would emit complementary dominant and submissive behaviors, respectively, on a status dimension during both interviews; (b) neither nurses nor patients would exert greater interpersonal influence for change on the status dimension; (c) patients would not reciprocate higher levels of nurse friendliness during the first interview but would during the second; and (d) nurses would exert greater interpersonal influence for change in feeling toward reciprocal friendliness in patients. Interviews were rated using the Leary Interpersonal Check List. Interjudge reliability was established for Leary's coding system as used in the present study. The results of four separate† tests supported the hypotheses related to nurse and patient positions on the status and feeling dimensions during each of the two interviews. The patterns of correlation coefficients in two separate cross‐lagged panel analyses provided strong support for a lack of greater influence by either party for status and some support for greater nurse influence for change in patient feelings. The results support the position that a social psychological model emphasizing the rules of interpersonal complementarity can be used to understand and generate remedies for maladaptive interpersonal behavior.
Attitudes of Nursing Personnel Toward Death and Dying: I. Linguistic Indicators of Avoidance
Authors: Mood Darlene W. , Lakin Barbara A.
Published: April 2007

Two sequential studies were conducted to examine the suitability of quantitative linguistic analysis for the study of attitudes. Attitudes of nursing personnel toward death and the care of dying patients were examined unobtrusively by observing changes in selected linguistic behaviors. Avoidance was defined as the substitution of a pronoun for a negatively affected noun. Both studies supported the hypotheses that the use of the pronoun it would be greater in death‐related than in non‐death‐related responses (ps<.01). The initial study demonstrated that general pronoun usage was also increased in selected death‐related response categories (p<.01), but this finding may have been related to more standard pronoun usage in English rather than to use as a substitute for purposes of avoidance. The inference of increased use of it as a substitute for negatively affected nouns was substantiated by a review of it‐referents for a segment of the data. The scientific and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Some Conceptual and Methodological Issues in Nurse Practitioner Research
Authors: Diers Donna , Molde Susan
Published: April 2007

Selected literature was reviewed to identify conceptual and methodological issues in research on nurse practitioner practice. Conceptual issues include definitions of the independent and dependent variables. Methodological issues discussed include samples, comparison groups, sources of data, quasi‐experimental design, standards of care, and cost analysis. Implications for increasing the meaningfulness and rigor of research in primary care are presented.
Attitudes of nursing personnel toward death and dying: II. linguistic indicators of denial
Authors: Mood Darlene W. , Lick Catherine F.
Published: April 2007

This study was conducted to examine the attitudes of nursing personal toward death and dying by means of quantitative linguistic analysis. Previous research findings on the attitudinal concept of avoidance support the suitability of the approach. This study sought to examine the proposition that denial, another attitudinal concept appearing frequently in the literature on death and dying, would be manifested in language by increased use of negative lexical forms. It was hypothesized that the use of negatives would increase significantly in death‐related responses as compared with non‐death‐related responses. The sample consisted of 40 nursing personnel interviewed on their expectations and care of terminally ill patients. Dependent variable measures include the ratio of negative lexical forms to total number of words for all death‐related and all non‐death‐related responses. Similar proportions were obtained for selected response categories. Significantly more negatives were used in death‐related responses, thus supporting the hypothesis. The value of these methods is discussed, as are the clinical implications for nursing.
Effects of individual and group relaxation therapy on blood pressure in essential hypertensives
Authors: Nath Charlotte , Rinehart Joan
Published: April 2007

To determine if progressive muscle relaxation could be taught as effectively in group situations as in individual situations and if progressive muscle relaxation reduced blood pressure, 15 essential hypertensives were taught progressive muscle relaxation. Nine were taught individually, whereas the remaining six were taught as a group. The sessions were once weekly for 4 weeks. Blood pressure measurements were made at the beginning and end of each session, as well as at the beginning of the first and last session. No differences were found between these methods of instruction. Decreases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures from the beginning to the end of each session were found, as well as decreases in systolic pressure from session one to session four. It was concluded () that group instruction and individual instruction are equally effective, () that progressive muscle relaxation is effective in reducing blood pressure, and (c) that 4 weeks is inadequate for reducing diastolic blood pressure.
Labor market competition and nurses' earnings: An economic analysis
Authors: Link Charles R. , Settle Russell F.
Published: April 2007

Two hypotheses concerning the earnings of professional nurses were tested: () that increased competition among hospitals for the services of nurses will increase nurses' earnings; () that adoption of collective bargaining arrangements will lead to higher nursing salaries. Data for the study were obtained mainly from the 1‐in‐100 public use sample of the 1970 U.S. Census of Population and the 1970 American Hospital Association annual survey of hospitals. The sample consisted of 694 married registered nurses who worked full time in hospitals and resided in the 123 largest metropolitan areas of the United States in 1969. Multivariate regression analysis of these data yielded evidence supporting both hypotheses. Nursing salaries in one‐hospital metropolitan areas were found to be 10%–11% less than those in areas with many hospitals, other things being equal. In addition, the presence of collective bargaining agreements appeared to enhance nursing salaries.
Disability among schizophrenics in a rural community: Services and social support
Authors: Turner Sarah L.
Published: April 2007

Formerly hospitalized schizophrenics referred to a rural North Carolina Community Mental Health Center for aftercare were interviewed for evidence of disability in social functioning and for information on the extent and quality of their community ties. Of the 103 respondents, 25% were classified as severely disabled. Inadequate functioning was significantly (r < .001) associated with a low level of social support, whether this was measured by the amount of recent interaction with associates or by qualitative indices of respondents' beliefs about and attitudes toward intimates. Psychiatric treatment histories for these respondents were summarized from service records. There were no statistically significant differences between the disabled and nondisabled on the basis of duration or number of hospitalization experiences, amounts or categories of outpatient care, or intake of medication. The two groups were similar in terms of age, sex, and race.
The use of modeling to teach empathy to nursing students
Authors: Layton Janice M.
Published: April 2007

Various combinations of modeling, labeling, and rehearsal (videotaped) were used to teach empathy to four experimental groups; a fifth group served as a no‐treatment control. The subjects were 56 junior and senior baccalaureate nursing students, all of whom were women. A repeated‐measures design was employed, with posttesting immediately following treatment and 3 weeks later. Learning was measured by means of a written test (Empathy Test) and an interview that was evaluated using the Barrett‐Lennard Relationship Inventory and the Carkhuff Empathy Scale. The treatment was effective for junior students but not for senior students, and only the groups receiving the rehearsal conditioning performed better than the control group. There was also an interaction between treatment and time, with juniors improving on the second posttesting. A secondary hypothesis about correlations between the instruments was partially confirmed, thus lending support to their construct validity. The Carkhuff scale was correlated with itself for both testings, with the Barrett‐Lennard inventory for both testings, and with the Empathy Test on the second testing.
Changes in mental status in older adults with four days of hospitalization
Authors: Roslaniec Anita , Fitzpatrick Joyce J.
Published: April 2007

The purpose of this study was to describe changes that occur in mental status in older adults during 4 days of hospitalization in an acute‐care setting. It was hypothesized that elderly patients would experience significant changes in all components of mental status (i.e., level of consciousness, orientation, attention/concentration, memory, higher cognitive functions) during this period of time. A sample of 25 individuals ranging in age from 65 to 89 years was obtained from the medical and surgical units of an acute‐care hospital. Each individual's mental status was evaluated twice using a mental status examination designed for the study. The first assessment was conducted on the afternoon of admission day, and the second was completed on the fourth hospital day. Statistically significant changes in three components of mental status were found: disorientation increased, level of consciousness declined, and memory improved. The significance of these findings for nursing is discussed.
Employment activity of baccalaureate and diploma nurses
Authors: Fogarty Brian E.
Published: April 2007

In this study, the general hypothesis tested was that differences in rate of employment activity between baccalaureate and diploma nurses are due to effects of extraneous and intervening variables and not to intrinsic differences in the educational process. Mailed questionnaires from 1,475 nurses registered in the State of Indiana provided data on two measures of employment activity, as well as four control variables: marital status, spouse's income, presence of young children at home, and disillusionment with career. Among recent graduates, there was a negative association between possession of the baccalaureate degree and current employment status (γ = ‐.359, p <.05). It was expected that holding constant the four control variables would reduce this association to or near zero. The opposite was generally the case, however; controlling for marriage, children, and disillusionment actually increased the association between type of education and employment status. Differences in employment activity between the two types of graduates therefore can not be accounted for by “traditional” variables used in the study of female labor‐force participation.
Needs assessment for hospital‐based home care services
Authors: Inui Thomas S. , Stevenson Kay M. , Plorde Diane , Murphy Ileana
Published: April 2007

Careful needs assessment is a prerequisite to addressing issues of health care program effectiveness and program planning from a population‐based perspective. Home care program evaluation literature is lacking in examples of strategies for such assessment. A nurse‐screening of admissions was conducted at an acute care general hospital to estimate need for hospital‐based home care (HBHC) services among the 2,613 patients discharged from medical and surgical services over a 5‐‐month period. After careful delineation of inclusion and exclusion criteria for identifying HBHC patients and participant‐observer training, the nurse's judgments on patient appropriateness for HBHC care were shown to agree reliably with those of the HBHC staff (k = +.45). In the study hospital under current conditions, an estimated 64% of discharged patients appropriate for home care do not receive these services. A comparison of the incidence according to service of HBHC‐appropriate patients and patient‐referral rates to HBHC suggests that one service over‐refers (neurology), but most under‐refer. Screening nurse salary expenditures constitute the major costs of this approach to home care needs assessment, which is recommended only for addressing major, infrequent programmatic policy issues.
Toward scholarliness in doctoral dissertations: An analytical model
Authors: Meleis Afaf Ibrahim , Wilson Holly Skodol , Chater Shirley
Published: April 2007

The dissertation is one of the most important vehicles for providing the novice researcher with the necessary socialization for a future of productive and scholarly research activities. Research productivity and the scholarliness of research are needed in developing nursing science. In this article, the processes that have the potential to enhance the quality of the doctoral dissertation are addressed; the psychological, social, and structural processes involved in completing a quality dissertation are delineated and discussed; and a model for the development of scholarliness and scholarship in doctoral programs is presented. The authors address three major areas for consideration: (a) the dependence of scholarship and scholarliness on researchable questions that are important, evolve in the context of theoretical considerations, and improve the scientific base of nursing knowledge; (b) the development of these qualities as enhanced by the resolution of several dilemmas that revolve around decisions made throughout the dissertation process; and (c) the recommendation that these qualities (scholarship and scholarliness) be fostered meticulously during doctoral education in nursing and, preferably, earlier.
Comparison of glucosuria in the first‐ and second‐voided specimens and the time of day as tested by four commercial testing products
Authors: Geden Elizabeth A. , Cohen Phyllis D.
Published: April 2007

The questions addressed in this study were whether testing first‐ and second‐voided urine specimens yielded different results and whether selected commercial testing products (Clinitest 2 drop, Clinitest 5 drop, Tes‐Tape, and Keto‐Diastix) yielded similar estimates of glucosuria. Twenty adult diabetics experiencing glucosuria served as subjects. First‐ and second‐voided specimens were collected before meals and before retiring. Data were analyzed using a three‐way ANOVA with repeated measures on all factors. The findings indicated significant main effects for product type, F (3,57) = 7.61, p = .0004, and time of day, F (3,57) = 8.60, p = .0002. The main effect for first‐ and second‐voided specimens did not approach significance.
Patient‐centered variables in primary and team nursing
Authors: Hamera Edna , O'Connell Kathleen A.
Published: April 2007

Patient‐centered variables and their relationship to primary and team nursing have rarely been studied. In the present study the investigators focused on the following patient‐centered variables: nurturance received, patient involvement, and frequency of nurse‐patient contacts. Baseline observational data were collected on 12 adult medical patients experiencing team nursing care. A primary nursing care approach was then implemented on the same nursing unit, and 6 months later 12 patients were observed under this system. Patients were directly observed 24 hours a day for 5 days of hospitalization and audiotaped, using a specimen record method. This method produced transcripts that were coded for nurturance, involvement, and nurse‐patient contacts. Results of the study showed that there were no differences between primary and team nursing care groups in the number of contacts, nurturance, or patient involvement with all nursing personnel or with professional nurses. However, when the primary group was adjusted to include only those patients for whom primary nursing care was fully implemented, the primary group received more nurturance (p≤.05) and had a tendency to be more actively involved than did the team group (p≤.10). These findings indicate that the institution of primary nursing care is related to increased quality of nursing care.
Nursing care for the emerging family: Promoting paternal behavior
Authors: Kunst‐Wilson William , Cronenwett Linda
Published: April 2007

In the last decade, nursing care related to childbirth has expanded from a narrow emphasis on the physical health needs of the mother and infant to a broader focus on more family‐related, socioemotional needs. One prominent feature of this family‐centered approach is the recent movement toward designing services to promote the formation of the mother‐infant attachment bond. It is argued in this paper, however, that to achieve a truly family‐centered practice, nursing must make a comparable commitment to understanding and meeting the needs of the father in the emerging family. Evidence is reviewed that suggests the father's potential contribution to the infant's overall development has been misperceived or devalued and that the father's ability and willingness to assume a more active role in the infant's care may have been underestimated. Questions for future research that would lead to a better understanding of the father's role in the emerging family are raised.
Functions of preschool children's questions in coping with hospitalization
Authors: Pidgeon Virginia
Published: April 2007

This study was designed to determine the functions of hospitalized preschool children's questions. Subjects were 24 hospitalized preschool children ranging in age from 3 years to 5 years, 11 months. Subjects' spontaneous questions, addressed to adults in a hospital setting, were recorded and categorized using Piaget's functional classification. The categories were: (a) causal explanation, (b) reality and history, (c) actions and intentions, (d) classification and evaluation, (e) rules, and (f) calculation. The frequency distribution of questions was determined by categories. The largest percentage of questions (53%) was about actions and intentions of persons, primarily hospital personnel. Small percentages dealt with classification and evaluation (13%) and reality and history (12%) Causal explanation questions (8%) were uncommon. A larger percentage of actions and intentions questions was found in the hospital than in nonstressful school settings. The findings suggest that hospitalized preschool children need orientation to the actions and intentions of personnel in regard to therapeutic activities, routine care, and play and social activity.
Psychometrics in nursing research: Construction of an interpersonal conflict scale
Authors: Hoskins Carol Noll
Published: April 2007

A step‐wise description of a self‐report instrument to measure interpersonal conflict between marital partners illustrates the primary aspects of the development of a psychometric tool. Definition of the construct to be measured, formulation and classification of items, and appropriate methods to establish validity and reliability are discussed. Indications are considered for alternate forms of a scale, which include repeated measurement over time for the purpose of identifying patterns in human behavior in interaction within the family system. The procedure for constructing alternate forms of equal reliability is outlined.
Research publication credit assignment: Nurses' views
Authors: Werley Harriet H. , Murphy Patricia A. , Gosch Susan M. , Gottesmann Helene , Newcomb B. Joan
Published: April 2007

A national survey of 1,693 persons (primarily nurses) from eight target groups was done to assess views on publication credit assignment. Data were collected using scenarios in a questionnaire based on the instrument developed by Spiegel and Keith‐Spiegel (1970). Scenario items and the percentages of 897 respondents selecting each response alternative are presented in an appendix. Response rates indicated that authorship credit assignment is an important issue for nurses functioning primarily in academic settings. Among items selected by 85% or more of 620 nurses in four subsample groups (American Academy of Nursing, Council of Nurse Researchers, authors, and nursing doctoral students) with response rates greater than 50%, 10 points of agreement were found. These points are summarized as possible guidelines for publication credit assignment. Few differences were found among scenario item responses of: (a) subjects classified as high and low publishers, (b) those with research as their major role responsibility and others, and (c) doctoral students and others.
Empathic perceptions of nursing students: Self‐reported and actual ability
Authors: Kunst‐Wilson William , Carpenter Linda , Poser Ann , Venohr Ingrid , Kushner Kenneth
Published: April 2007

Clearly, one of the goals of nursing education is to enhance the empathic functioning of nursing students. In this study we examined one major component of empathic functioning — accuracy of empathic perceptions — in both undergraduate (n = 66) and graduate nursing students (n = 50) We predicted that actual ability (Kagan's Affective Sensitivity Scale) and self‐perceived ability would vary as a positive function of educational level. The results supported the first prediction, even when the effects of the subjects' age and amount of prior nursing experience were controlled. Self‐perceived ability, however, was not reliably related to educational level, although it did relate to actual ability. Compared with students in other “helping” professions, the students in this study appeared relatively empathic. Finally, students' perceptions of their difficulty in detecting and handling other particular feeling states suggest that nursing needs to take a more “affect‐specific” approach to empathic functioning.
Correlates of depression in chronic dialysis patients: Morbidity and mortality
Authors: Numan Ina M. , Barklind Kenneth S. , Lubin Bernard
Published: April 2007

A group of 74 end‐stage renal disease outpatients on dialysis completed one of seven forms of the Depression Adjective Check List (DACL) (Lubin, 1981) once a month over a 12‐month period. Patient cooperation in filling out the DACL was 95%, indicating patient's acceptance of this fairly unobtrusive instrument. The distribution of usable DACL scores of 53 patients was trifurcated: high = one SD above the mean; medium ± one SD from the mean; and low = more than one SD below the mean. A one‐way ANOVA on the mean number hospitalizations during the 12‐month period for each group was significant, F (2,50) = 8.11, p < .01. The mean number of hospital admissions was highest for the high depression group and lowest for the low depression group. DACL scores of seven patients who died were significantly higher than for the 46 survivors, t (60) = 4.44, p < .01.
Issues and approaches to estimating interrater reliability in nursing research
Authors: Goodwin Laura Driscoll , Prescott Patricia A.
Published: April 2007

Following a general discussion of the meaning of and need for reliability estimates, four different approaches to the estimation of interrater reliability are discussed: correlational techniques, comparison of means, percentage of agreement, and generalizability theory techniques. Data from a nursing research project are used to illustrate the method and to interpret reliability estimates obtained by each approach. The estimates vary widely, from a low of .03 (using a percentage of agreement technique), to a high of .68 (using a correlational approach). The usefulness and advantages of generalizability theory techniques, which afford the most comprehensive and complex means of assessing reliability, are emphasized.
Discriminant Analysis to Predict Graduation – Nongraduation in a Master's Degree Program in Nursing
Authors: Tripp Alice , Duffey Margery
Published: April 2007

Discriminant analysis was used to predict graduation and two categories of nongraduation from readily available admissions data at the University of Kansas nursing master's degree program. The traditional admissions indices, baccalaureate grade point average (GPA) and Graduate Record Examination (GRE)‐verbal and ‐quantitative scores, were used as predictors. Criterion categories were composed of 102 graduates, 103 individuals who dropped out of the program, and 65 individuals who were not accepted. The first discriminant function was, X2(6)=87.567, p < .0001, and extracted 98% of the variance of the discriminant space. Follow‐up procedures using one‐way ANOVA's and Scheffé multiple comparisons indicated that the baccalaureate GPA and the GRE‐verbal and ‐quantitative scores independently differentiated the graduate and dropout groups from the not‐accepted group at a statistically significant level (p < .05). Pratical significance of the independent contribution of these variables to group differentiation, as measured by ω2 was 22% for the baccalaureate GPA, 13% for the GRE‐verbal scores, and 10% for the GRE‐quantitative scores. Implications for future research are discussed.
Sources of social support related to single‐parent functioning
Authors: Norbeck Jane S. , Sheiner Michael
Published: April 2007

Factors related to successful functioning of single parents have not been identified. In this study, relationships among sources of social support and criterion measures of functioning were examined. To isolate the role of social support, a population was selected that was relatively homogeneous on variables considered important in coping with single parenthood: economic status, educational or vocational opportunities, access to day‐care, and length of time as a single parent. A check list and structured interview were administered to 30 unmarried women to determine their sources of social support. Ratings of parenting adequacy and of the preschool child's emotional development and behavior by three professional staff members at the day‐care centers were used as criterion measures of functioning. Based on the staff ratings, the adequately functioning group was distinguished from the inadequate one. Significant correlations were found between these staff ratings and one social support variable: support from talking with network members. Key sources of social support were identified through discriminant analyses.
Development of sucking in term infants from birth to four hours postbirth
Authors: Anderson Gene Cranston , McBride Melen R. , Dahm Janet , Ellis Marla K. , Vidyasagar Dharmapuri
Published: April 2007

The development of the sucking response was investigated in 30 clinically normal infants from 1 or 5 minutes postbirth until their first feeding 4 hours later. Maximum sucking pressures were measured with a research nipple attached to a portable electronic suckometer. Mean suction (negative pressure) began at 5 Torr at birth, peaked at 103 Torr at 90 minutes, and decreased thereafter to 65 Torr at 4 hours. Expression (positive pressure) began at 12 Torr, rose to 29, and decreased to 25. Mean expression pressures correlated with feeding scale scores, r = +. 44(24); p < .025, but suction pressures did not, r = + .26(24); < .1. Normative data were gathered on 10 additional stabilized newborns who had been fed twice successfully. Suction pressures were 96 Torr on Day 1, and 103 Torr on Day 2; expression pressures were 25 and 24 Torr, respectively. These pressures approximate those recorded in newborns between 1 and 2 hours postbirth.
Correlations of two quality of nursing care measures
Authors: Ventura Marlene R. , Hageman Paul T. , Slakter Malcolm J. , Fox Richard N.
Published: April 2007

A correlational design was used to examine two process instruments designed to measure the quality of nursing care: the Quality Patient Care Scale (QualPacs) and the Methodology for Monitoring Quality of Nursing Care (Rush‐Medicus). Pearson product‐moment correlations indicated that the Physical and Psychosocial subscales of the instruments were unrelated; in a replication, the subscales were weakly correlated. The results indicate that these two process instruments measure different dimensions and underscore the idea that quality of nursing care is complex and multidimensional.
Sudden infant death syndrome: Parents' perceptions and responses to the loss of their infant
Authors: Williams Reg Arthur , Nikolaisen Sally M.
Published: April 2007

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the number one killer of infants under one year of age. Families are left in a state of crisis after a baby dies of SIDS. Thus, crisis counseling has been offered routinely to SIDS parents in King County, Washington. The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess whether mothers differed significantly from fathers in their perception of the situation, their feelings experienced and expressed, their approaches to problem solving, and the support they received. Differences in reactions between single and married parents were also studied. The 48% return rate produced a sample of 54 parents, 37 mothers and 17 fathers, who had lost their infant to SIDS. Statistically significant differences were found between mothers and fathers, as well as between single and married parents, in their view of the SIDS event, their problem solving approaches, and support systems. The results provide useful information for nurses in counseling SIDS parents and in working with families during and after subsequent pregnancies.
Estimating perimenstrual distress: A comparison of two methods
Authors: Woods Nancy Fugate , Most Ada , Dery Gretchen Kramer
Published: April 2007

The purpose of this study was to compare two methods of measuring menstrual distress. Seventy‐three women, 18 to 35 years of age, selected from lower‐middle to upper‐middle income neighborhoods kept a daily diary for a two‐month period. Following completion of the diary, the women responded to the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) with reference to their last menstrual period. Estimates for all symptoms on the MDQ exceeded those in the diary. The greatest discrepancies between the two methods were found for water retention and negative affect symptoms. Concordance of perimenstrual symptom reporting across the two measures was statistically significant only for menstrual cramps, κ = .248, p < .021, and premenstrual backache, κ = .203, p < .036). Although these results suggest that estimates of dysmenorrhea symptoms are least affected by the data collection method, they are consistent with the hypothesized joint effects of menstrual stereotypes and recall bias on retrospective symptom reports; these sources of bias should be considered in future menstrual distress research.
A model for assessing potential adaptation to stress
Authors: Erickson Helen , Swain Mary Ann
Published: April 2007

The purposes of this study were to determine if hospitalized medical‐surgical patients could be classified reliably according to their potential to adapt to stress; and to explore the relationship between their adaptive potential and length of hospital stay. Forty‐six patients were selected for participation by use of a table of random numbers. Three classes of significantly different adaptive potential were identified: the Alarm and Impoverished states were considered as stress states, while the state of Equilibrium was considered a nonstress state. Although it was possible to distinguish stress from nonstress states, using only physiological parameters, psychological parameters were required to distinguish between the two stress states. The differentiation among the three coping states was used to predict subjects' potential for mobilizing adaptive resources. Length of hospitalization was then related to classification of adaptive potential.
Professional socialization to a research role: Interest in research among graduate students in nursing
Authors: Brogan Donna R.
Published: April 2007

This study was conducted to determine whether graduate coursework in research methods and statistics resulted in socializing graduate students in nursing into a research role. Two cohorts, each of about 60 female graduate students in nursing, completed self‐administered questionnaires at three different times during their 6 month coursework in research methods and statistics. Subjects indicated significantly more interest in research methods than in statistics (p < .01), although they rated statistics as valuable to nursing. At the beginning of graduate work, subjects with more work experience in nursing were significantly more interested (p < .05) in conducting research. Graduate coursework in research methods and statistics produced no significant change in students' interest in doing research in their future nursing careers.
Multidimensional assessment of psychological problems in children with cancer
Authors: Armstrong Gordon D. , Wirt Robert D. , Nesbit Mark E. , Martinson Ida M.
Published: April 2007

The Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) was administered to 88 children 3 to 16 years of age who had cancer. A variety of dimensions of psychological adjustment of these children, who were compared with a sample of nonsick children, was assessed. The PIC indicated that children with cancer exhibited cognitive development‐related problems and internalized forms of psychopathology more often than their age‐ and sex‐matched cohorts. In the cancer sample, no differences in problems as a function of diagnoses were observed when controlling for age of the child. No differences related to length of time since diognosis were observed when controlling for age of the child. About 26% of the children with cancer exhibited PIC profiles indicating problems of such magnitude that professional intervention would be appropriate.
Healthy elderly: Social bonds and locus of control
Authors: Thomas Paula D. , Hooper Elizabeth M.
Published: April 2007

An investigation into social relationships and their connection to health was integrated into a 5‐year prospective study of nutrition and immunobiology in 300 healthy elderly persons. The data were collected from a subsample of 40 individuals by interview, using the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI), the Rotter I‐E Locus of Control Scale, and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC). This group did not differ from the general population in terms of their social relationships. The mean locus of control expectancy score was 6.5 3.3, indicating an internal group. There was a statistically significant relationship between internality and availability of social integration, but no differences based upon sex or age for the ISSI or Rotter's I‐E Locus of Control Scale.
Relationships between temperament and development in preschool children
Authors: Moller Jill Strathman
Published: April 2007

In this study the relationship between temperament and development in preschool children was determined. Thirty‐one children, age 3 and 4 years old, were selected from day‐care centers. The child's temperament was measured with the Behavioral Style Questionnaire. Cognitive‐verbal and motor development were assessed using the Pea‐body Picture Vocabulary Test, the Goodenough Draw‐a‐Person Test, and the developmental subtests of the Comprehensive Identification Process. Significant correlations (p < .05) using the Pearson product moment were found between development and six categories of reactivity for temperament: activity, rhythmicity, approach, adaptability, mood, and persistence. All significant correlation coefficients showed an inverse relationship between temperament and developmental scores. This suggests that children who are mildly active, rhythmic, adaptable, persistent, approachable, and have a positive mood attain a more advanced developmental level during their preschool years.
Predicting tenure decisions of psychiatric nursing assistants: Individual and work‐related factors
Authors: Depp Frederick C. , Arnold Elizabeth , Dawkins Joan , Selzer Nancy
Published: April 2007

Models were developed to predict the tenure status of 106 psychiatric nursing assistants at 3, 6, and 12 months after beginning employment at a large public psychiatric inpatient facility. The attrition rate of this sample was 40% which was consistent with trends reported in the literature. The predictive power of four groups of variables—personal, training, ward related, and organizational—was shown to change over time. Personal and training variables were significant early determinants of tenure, while ward and organizational factors gained more importance during the course of the year. Certain factors that appear important in reducing turnover of nursing assistants are discussed, with recommendations for program changes.
Psychometrics in nursing research—further development of the interpersonal conflict scale
Authors: Hoskins Carol Noll
Published: April 2007

The importance of ongoing refinement of measurement tools is illustrated by describing the methodology for further development of an Interpersonal Conflict scale. A third dimension, that of Sexual Need, was defined and added to the original sub‐scales of Interaction Need and Emotional Need. Thirty‐one Sexual Need items were formulated and incorporated into the original scale and the revised list was submitted to a sample of 212 subjects. The methods used to study content and face validity are discussed; factor analytic techniques for assessing construct validity and reliability of the Sexual Need dimension are presented. Six alternate forms of approximately equal reliability were developed for repeated measurements over time. The overall analyses are discussed within a framework of the relationship between fulfillment of psychosocial needs and marital conflict.
Communicating probability in clinical reports: Nurses' numerical associations to verbal expressions
Authors: Damrosch Shirley Petchel , Soeken Karen
Published: April 2007

Verbal estimates of probability (such as likely or certain) commonly used in laboratory, radiological, and clinical reports may be a barrier to effective communication between health care professionals. In this study the investigators sought to determine whether a consensus of numerical meaning existed in a sample of nurses for each of 30 widely used verbal expressions of probability. Seventy female nurses enrolled in a graduate course were surveyed by means of a test‐retest procedure using a questionnaire designed to elicit assignments of numerical probability (0% to 100%). The results showed wide inconsistency both between subjects and within subjects.
The Relation of Life Stress and Social Support to Emotional Disequilibrium During Pregnancy
Authors: Tilden Virginia Peterson
Published: April 2007

A convenience sample of 141 medically normal adult women in the mid‐trimester of pregnancy were tested with standardized instruments during a routine prenatal visit. Life stress was measured for the 12‐month‐period preceding testing. The dependent variable, emotional disequilibrium, was a factor‐analyzed construct derived from measures of state anxiety, trait anxiety, depression, and self‐esteem. Life stress accounted for 29.71% of the variance in emotional disequilibrium (p = .0001), and social support accounted for a separate and non‐interactive 3.11% of the variance (p = .01). Emotional disequilibrium in pregnancy decreased as a function of decreasing life stress and increasing social support.
A Computer‐Compatible Method for Observing Falling Asleep Behavior of Hospitalized Children
Authors: White Marjorie A. , Wear Elise , Stephenson Gordon
Published: April 2007

A family‐organizational linkage framework was used to conceptualize the nighttime separation behaviors of 18 hospitalized children, ages 3 to 8, whose parents did not room‐in. All children were observed for three consecutive nights during the falling asleep period. A bedtime story, tape recorded by the parent, was played on the second and third nights for one group. Frequency and duration of falling asleep behaviors were recorded and analyzed with the Senders Signals and Receivers System, a computer‐compatible method of recording behavioral data. Eight conceptual behavioral categories emerged from the data: sleepy, contact, active, inactive, neutral, communication, distress, and pleasure. The story‐children fell asleep sooner (23 minutes vs. 28 minutes), exhibited more sleepy behaviors, and displayed fewer active behaviors. Duration of contact behaviors also was greater in this group (22 minutes vs. 14 minutes). Hospitalized children who hear a bedtime story recorded by a parent appear to use self‐soothing behaviors to cope with the separation experience.
Muscle Tension and Its Relation to Symptoms in the Premenstruum
Authors: Coyne Christine
Published: April 2007

Muscle tension as a function of sympathetic arousal may play a causal or contributory role in symptomatology in the premenstruum. The purpose of this study was to determine whether women exhibit an increase in muscle tension in the premenstrual phase over that in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, and whether the incidence and severity of premenstrual symptoms were associated with premenstrual muscle tension. A sample of 22 women with variable levels of predicted premenstrual symptomatology was chosen. A report of symptoms was obtained in the premenstrual and follicular phases of the menstrual cycle. Frontalis and trapezius muscle tension levels also were obtained during these cycle phases, during relaxation, and during focus on an emotional image. A difference was found in the subjects' premenstrual and follicular phase frontalis electromyogram (EMG) levels both in the initial relaxation period and while focusing on an emotional image. A significant positive correlation was found between the premenstrual physiologic symptoms women predicted they would have and the premenstrual frontalis EMG levels measured during relaxation. The results suggest that training in muscle tension reduction may benefit premenstrual symptoms.
Health Beliefs, Adjustment to Illness, and Control of Hypertension
Authors: Devon Holli A. , Powers Marjorie J.
Published: April 2007

Health beliefs influencing compliance and psychosocial adjustment to illness were compared in two groups of hypertensive patients. Based upon clinical judgments of physicians, 15 controlled and 15 uncontrolled hypertensives made up the study group. Subjects came from a white middle to upper class suburban community and were demographically homogeneous. There was no significant difference between groups in health beliefs affecting compliance, but significant differences were found in several domains related to psychosocial adjustment to illness. Uncontrolled hypertensives showed less illness‐related adjustment. They reported significantly greater difficulties in their domestic environments, more disturbances in extended family relationships, and more psychological distress. Less adjustment to illness was significantly correlated with less compliance and with a more complex medication regimen. No relationships were found between compliance and demographic variables, medication variables, or duration of hypertension; nor between adjustment, demographic variables, or illness duration. Clinical assessment of illness‐related adjustment problems may help enhance compliance of hypertensive patients.
Modification of Life Event Questionnaires for Use with Female Respondents
Authors: Norbeck Jane S.
Published: April 2007

The purpose of this research was to increase the relevance of a life‐event questionnaire for adult female respondents of childbearing age. A two‐step procedure with three subject groups was used to develop a modified life‐event questionnaire for this population. First, open‐ended interview questions were used with 32 single mothers to obtain relevant content. Ninety‐eight responses were coded for congruence with existing life‐event questionnaires. Nine new items were created from the noncongruent responses and the wording of existing items modified to reduce bias from sexist assumptions about marital status and other socio‐economic factors. Two samples, 60 female graduate students and 69 single and partnered mothers, were used to study reliability, the frequency of selecting new items, and the validity of the revised 82‐item instrument. As expected, the negative events score was related to negative mood states and psychiatric symptoms.
Perceptions of Sexual Attractiveness Following Ostomy Surgery
Authors: Gloeckner Mary Reid
Published: April 2007

This study was conducted to obtain information regarding sexual adjustment following ostomy surgery and to explore the influence of surgery on an individual's body image. Home interviews were conducted with 40 subjects, where the mean length of time since surgery averaged 4.6 years. Retrospective perceptions of attractiveness decreased in the first year after surgery, then continued to improve with time. Most comments relative to body image during the first year after surgery had a negative connotation. Persons who saw themselves as most sexually attractive at the time of interview were most often female; however, males had seen themselves as more sexually attractive than females before surgery. Management problems significantly decreased feelings of attractiveness no matter when they occurred. Those with ileostomies who had been ill for over 10 years preoperatively tended to have enhanced feelings of attractiveness at the time of interview compared to those with other types of ostomy surgery and lengths of illness.
Effect of a Mental Health Educational Program Upon Police Officers
Authors: Godschalx Susan M.
Published: April 2007

Community‐based psychiatric treatment and domestic crises have precipitated police officers to intervene with emotionally disturbed people. The investigator hypothesized that an 8‐hour educational seminar would significantly improve knowledge and attitudes of police officers toward people experiencing emotional difficulty. A nonequivalent control group pretest‐posttest design (control n = 33, experimental n = 27) was used. A knowledge measure specific to seminar content, the Osgood Semantic Differential, and an evaluative questionnaire were the outcome measures. Police officers' knowledge about working with people experiencing emotional difficulty increased, but attitudes were not altered. All officers reported that the seminar was a valuable experience. These results suggest that educational programs can impact nonhealth care workers in contact with the emotionally disturbed.
Changes in Nurses' Blood Pressure and Heart Rate While Communicating
Authors: Thomas Sue A. , Friedmann Erika , Lottes Linda Sue , Gresty Sally , Miller Cynthia , Lynch James J.
Published: April 2007

Cardiovascular responses of nurses were measured during two communication tasks. In the first experiment 40 nurses' blood pressures and heart rates were taken pre, during, and post change‐of‐shift report. In the second experiment, 30 nurses spoke to an individual nurse and to a group of nurses. Blood pressures and heart rates were recorded pre, during, and post speech in both conditions. Analyses of variances showed that speaking levels of all cardiovascular parameters were higher (p < .001) than resting levels in both experiments. Blood pressures and heart rates were higher (p < .0001) in front of a group than in front of an individual. These findings extend previous work that has shown communication alters blood pressure.