The healthcare industry is undergoing rapid changes. Nursing is in the midst of this dynamic process and is experiencing increased stress as a result. This is especially true of the oncology nurse speciality. The responsibilities of the oncology nurses are becoming more complex. Methods to intervene or master the stress are needed. If mastery of the stress is not achieved, oncology nurses may abandon their speciality and enter another field of nursing or leave the nursing profession. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of the stress perceived by oncology nurses and the mastery of this stress.The conceptual framework used in this study was the theory of mastery developed by Younger. The Mastery of Stress Instrument (MSI) developed by Younger was used to measure the stress component and the mastery component. A descriptive correlational study design was used. The population for this study was a convenience sample of the responding members of a midwestern chapter of the oncology nursing society (n= 39). Participation in the study was voluntary, with the MSI and the demographic data being returned by self-addressed postage-paid envelope. The MSI was identified by number only. No names were assigned to the numbers to insure anonymity of the subjects. The data was discussed as group data. No risks to the participants were identified in this study. The benefit of this study was to contribute to the data base for the MSI and to increase the awareness of stress and mastery.The research question was analyzed using the Pearson Moment Correlation Coefficient. A small but significant correlation coefficient was found between the acceptance and the growth subscales of the Mastery of Stress Instrument (r=.33, p <.05). No other significant correlation were found.Rapid changes are occurring in the healthcare environment of today. Nurses are in the center of this change and must master the increased stress experienced. The author concluded that the oncology nurses in this sample have mastered the stress they experienced possibly due to the length of time in the oncology nursing speciality. Also, the high level of education in this sample of oncology nurses indicates that the oncology nurses are more efficient at the mastery of the stress they experience. / School of Nursing

In balancing the divergent needs of staff, patients, families, support services and upper management, the nurse middle manager (NMM) in the acute care hospital faces daily stresses in dealing with the demands of the management role. The purpose of the study was to identify the relationship between hardiness, a stress resistance buffer, and coping effectiveness among NMMs. The conceptual framework used in the study was Lazarus' theory of stress and coping. The study was based on a descriptive correlational comparative design. The instruments used were: (a) the Health Related Hardiness Scale (HRHS), measuring hardiness; (b) the .Jalowiec Coping Scale (-JCS), measuring coping mechanisms and coping effectiveness; and (c) a demographic data form, describing the sample. A convenience sample of 201 (37.2X) NMMs representing 31 Indiana acute care hospitals participated in the study. Confidentiality of the subjects was maintained throughout the study. A Pearson r correlation, used to analyze the data of the HRHS and .JCS, indicated a weak: positive relationship at a significant level (r=.2S; p=':.OO1) between hardiness and coping effectiveness. Descriptive statistics wereused to determine that the most frequently used coping mechanisms were confrontive, optimistic, and self-reliant. No relationship was identified between hardiness and age (r=-.07; p=.33). No differences were identified between: (a) hardiness and present level of NMM educational preparation, and (b) hardiness and NMMs that reported 'adequate' and 'inadequate' social support (work and family). It was concluded that NMMs in the study had a high level of hardiness. A lower level of coping effectiveness (mean ;: effectiveness score, 3.30) indicated the use of a limited number of coping mechanisms, which may be the result of limitations in the work setting. The low correlation between hardiness with coping effectiveness may be the result of: (a) a low level of coping effectiveness, or (b) the use of a limited number of coping mechanisms resulting from limitations in the work setting. Confrontive, optimistic, and self-reliant coping mechanisms may be the most appropriate styles in the work setting for NMMs. The use of healthy coping mechanisms by the NMMs may be the result of the programs supporting the transition from clinician to manager provided by the participating hospitals. Organizations should plan strategies to help NMMs (both established and those new to the position) develop a sense of commitment to the organization, a feeling of challenge from the job demands, and a plan to provide control of the responsibilities of the position in order to sustain the present high levels of hardiness for the NMMs. / School of Nursing

The Reformulated theory of learned helplessness emphasizes maladaptive explanatory style and its influence on depression, achievement, health, and coping. Individuals who habitually explain unpleasant/uncontrollable events by internal, stable and global causes (and good events by external, unstable, specific causes) are said to have a maladaptive explanatory style. Researchers speculate that negative life events (such as parental divorce or death) contribute to the development of this style. Researchers have sought to explain adjustment-related difficulties by focusing on traumatic life events, such as divorce or death of a parent and their adverse effects on childhood development.Literature concerning the correlates of father absence, divorce, parental death, attachment and stressful life events shows that closeness to parents can mediate the impact of these events on adjustment and development. The mediating effects of closeness to parent may explain why not all children who experience these events actually develop maladaptive explanatory styles.This investigation examined the relations between Negative Life Events, Closeness to Parent and Explanatory Style. By looking at these relations, we can determine which variable is more influential in developing the maladaptive style. It was expected that Closeness to Parent would be a better predictor of explanatory style than Negative Life Events.Participants were 86 college students who completed a questionnaire that assessed explanatory style, closeness to parent, negative life events, and level of depression. Multiple regression was used to determine the significant predictors of explanatory style and depression. Results showed that none of the variables were significant predictors of explanatory style. Recent life events, closeness to mother and explanatory style were significant predictors of depression. Discriminant analysis was used to determine whether participants whose parents were divorced could be differentiated from those whose parent's marriage was intact using explanatory style, closeness to parent and depression as predictors. Results showed no significant differences between these groups. Sample group means for depression and life events were higher than those from normative studies for the Beck Depression Inventory and the Life Experience Survey.As the literature showed, closeness to parent and negative life events should account for some of the variance in the maladaptive style. The absence of these relations may be attributed to theoretical and methodological issues concerning closeness to parent and explanatory style.However, since this sample had high levels of depression and life stress, theoretically these relations should have been found. This points to the importance of the problems discussed.Prospective longitudinal studies, although costly and time consuming may be useful in determining the antecedents of a maladaptive explanatory style. / Department of Psychological Science

As the development of medical treatments and the increase in longevity of human life interface with the rising cost of medical care, the issue of quality of life appears to be coming to the forefront in understanding how health care decisions will best be realized for patients. Ethical questions relating to matters such as cost-effective economics, physician-assisted suicide, and quantity of life versus quality of life make the construct of quality of life even more important to ascertain.Quality of life can be an elusive construct to define as well as a difficult one to measure; however, recent literature has shown promising trends. Many quality-of-life measures have been developed in recent years. Initially these measures focused on life satisfaction in general. Then instruments for healthrelated concerns were developed. In the last decade such measures have become more specific as several have emerged to identify the quality-of-life experience regarding a particular illness, such as cancer. The current step is the development of measures for specific populations in oncology. Another trend is the move from objective to subjective measures of assessment. A third trend is movement toward a multidimensional perspective, with the latest addition being the inclusion of a spiritual domain.This project explored the unique experience of cancer patients with recurrent or metastatic disease by utilizing qualitative methodology to describe common themes which emerged from the data. Focus group sessions centered around defining quality of life and discussing the factors that diminish or enhance a meaningful quality of life. A unique contribution of this study was the involvement of the participants as co-researchers in the analysis of the data. Thirteen central themes were identified: control, attitude, humor, death, gratitude, faith, fear, pain, social comparison, social support, financial concerns, information and knowledge, and the focus group experience. The findings confirmed the recent trends in quality-of-life research--multidimensionality, subjectivity, and the uniqueness of a specific cancer population, those with recurrent or metastatic disease. With this elicitative data, future research could include the development of a quality-of-life instrument for this population of oncology patients with more advanced cancer. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

This study was designed to determine if the Deming approach to monitoring manufacturing processes could be successfully adapted to monitoring lifestyle processes. This study tested a new self-monitoring instrument that provides quick, accurate, personal feedback. The usability of this new instrument was tested. Validity of the instrument was established through review by experts in appropriate lifestyle management disciplines.The pilot test of this new instrument was done in a program with a convenience sample of 29 people who used the instrument for 28 days. A high percentage of the participants used the instrument and found the instrument to be helpful in developing a healthy lifestyle, although they desired a less cumbersome format. It is recommended that the instrument be adapted for use in lifestyle change programs. / Institute for Wellness

Bronfenbrenner (2001) proposes that individual development is based on reciprocal interactions between personal variables, social interactions and the environment. If exposed to a non-accepting environment, individuals are assumed to have poorer adjustment as compared to those in accepting environments. Once exposed to a more accepting environment, psychosocial adjustment is expected to increase. D’Augelli (1994b) also sees sexual identity development as influenced by interpersonal interactions occurring in one’s environment. Sexual minority adolescents have high rates of depression, suicidality and victimization, and lower levels of self-esteem and social support. Methodological issues, including recruitment and inclusion of only those who are “out”, have potentially inflated previous results regarding psychosocial maladjustment. Therefore, the current study was designed to address those methodological flaws. A sample consisting of 286 sexual minority college students completed the following measures: demographics questionnaire, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire-Revised, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and victimization questionnaires. It was hypothesized that when controlling for social support, rural participants would report higher rates of psychological maladjustment (depression, suicidality, self-esteem) and victimization (in person and electronic), as compared to non-rural participants; males would have higher rates of suicidality and victimization as compared to females, whereas females were expected to have higher levels of depression and lower self-esteem as compared to males; and sexual minorities spending more time in an accepting macrosystem (greater than two years in college) were expected to have lower levels of psychological maladjustment and victimization than those spending less time in an accepting macrosystem (less than two years in college). It was also hypothesized that participants would report higher rates of victimization prior to college, as compared to when in college. Results showed that psychological maladjustment did not differ based on gender, environment or time spent in college. However, rates of psychological maladjustment were found to be lower than previous studies reported. This may indicate that previous research is skewed due to using a non representative sample. Rates of victimization were higher for participants prior to entering college, as compared to when in college, and were higher for men than women. No differences were found between rates of victimization between environments, however. These results may indicate different things. It is plausible that persons in rural environments are more accepting of sexual minorities than has been noted in the past. This may be due to the increased exposure of sexual minority issues in the media and the internet. However, rates of perceived social support were high for the current sample, and essentially the same between those from rural and non-rural areas. Such results may confirm Bronfenbrenner’s assertion that microsystemic processes combat psychological maladjustment. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Many historically disadvantaged South Africans are entering into universities, where they are expected to perform academically not only to secure themselves a continued place at university, but also to secure themselves a place in the competitive job-market post university. Not only have these individuals been disadvantaged by an inferior schooling system, which is the legacy of apartheid, but they also struggle against the grasp of poverty, attempting to sustain themselves financially in order to afford the necessities for their survival, while still attempting to cope academically. Resilience has been presented as a process that helps individuals deal effectively with stressful events and adverse conditions. An attempt is therefore made to investigate whether resilience plays this role in the experience of disadvantaged students at university, where academic performance and adjustment represent the expected measures of coping. The aim of the study was therefore to explore the role of resilience constructs in the relationship between socio-economic and demographic variables and academic coping. The study is based within the broad framework of Psychofortology, which is the science of psychological strengths. The resilience constructs used included fortitude (measured by the Fortitude Questionnaire), hardiness (measured by the Personal Views Survey) and sense of coherence (measured by the Sense of Coherence Scale). Demographic variables included age, sex, language, town (urban/rural), with household income as an indicator of socio-economic status. Academic coping (outcome) was measured using students&rsquo / academic performance (average grade) and their adjustment to university (measured by the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire). Participants included 164 third year Psychology students from the University of the Western Cape. Results indicate statistically significant relationships between various demographic and resilience variables / between various demographic and outcome variables / and between various resilience and outcome variables. Resilience variables were also found to play a role in the relationship between demographic and outcome variables, as various resilience variables emerged as significant predictors of outcome variables, or as having either direct, moderating, mediating or indirect effects on the relationship between demographic and outcome variables. Research suggesting the health-sustaining and stress-reducing (buffering) roles of resilience constructs, as well resilience constructs as influencing the perceptions of adverse conditions or stressors is therefore supported by these findings. Limitations of the study were also discussed, as well as recommendations for future research put forward.

Thesis (PhDBusinessandManagement)--University of South Australia, 2003.

Typescript (photocopy) / xxviii, 436 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 1982

Typescript (photocopy) / xxviii, 436 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 1982