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<p> The process of how nurses work in relationships to accomplish their work is presented in this dissertation. This study has made the relational work process of nurses explicit. While research demonstrates that increased nurse staffing is associated with better patient outcomes and with nurses experiencing less burnout and job dissatisfaction, the process is not explored in the empirical literature. The research question was: &ldquo;What is the process of relational work of the nurse?&rdquo; Data collection and analysis conformed to the process of classical grounded theory. Interviews were face to face with 23 registered nurses working as direct care staff nurses on inpatient units. Data analysis (constant comparison) occurred concurrently with data collection. </p><p> The core category, Coming Together to Get Through, emerged from the data as how nurses worked collectively to accomplish their work. Without the help from their nursing, and physician, colleagues they could not finish each day&rsquo;s work completely and do the best for their patients. The ten temporal categories of the process are: Spending Time, Knowing Other Nurses and Doctors, Asserting Authority, Trusting and Respecting, Being Approachable, Relying on One Another, Needing Each Other, Helping Each Other, Getting the Work Done, and Did the Best for Our Patients. This is the first study to empirically discover a basic social process that demonstrates how the nurse works in relationships. The importance of social and relational constructs and their creation in an organization posits relationships as work and the building blocks of work in organizations. Discovery of this substantive theory of relational work allowed for conceptualization of an explicit work process. This empirical knowledge fills a gap in the literature that may affect appropriate staffing levels which in turn impact both patient and professional outcomes. Future research will focus on creation of a scale of the relational work of nurses, the process of interprofessional relational work, and if high levels of relational work are a pathway to decreased levels of moral distress and burnout, as well as improved professional satisfaction, and better patient outcomes.</p>

<p> This qualitative study explores the personal and intimate lived experiences of stroke survivors who suffer the comorbid emotional sequelae of Post Stroke Depression (PSD) and how it affects their rehabilitation and interpersonal relationships post stroke. By using Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT), the idea of Social Construction of Identity, the epistemology of Narrative Inquiry (NI), and conversational interviews (CI), with stroke survivors, their spouses/significant others, friends, and other family members, the aim of this body of research has been to take on the difficult task of observing how stroke survivors navigate the difficult and sometimes daunting path that all stroke survivors must travel as they attempt the reconstruction of their <i> self</i> post stroke. They face every new day with the knowledge of who they once were and who they are now. The person that they are now has become their reality.</p><p> Many stroke survivors regardless of the hemisphere in which the brain lesion occurs, suffer from some degree of the post stroke emotional sequelae, or a condition following and resulting from a disease, of post stroke depression (PSD). With the comorbid occurrence of PSD comes yet another challenge to their reconstruction process. The findings of this research study have remained consistent with the current research data and literature on stroke, stroke recovery, PSD, and aphasia.</p>

<p> Issues of sexual assault have become pervasive across all social strata in American society. Citizens need to start having conversations regarding these issues. To combat the issue of sexual assault, children need to be educated regarding the multifaceted aspects of sex through sex education in order to understand consent and resources they have available to them. Utilizing grounded theory methodology, this thesis analyzes sex education literature provided to Palm Beach County Middle School students. Using Burke&rsquo;s theory of terministic screens and Foucauldian theories of power and control; an understanding of the ideological underpinnings of this literature and discourse were acquired. After analysis, suggestions for disclosure and sex education programs are provided.</p>

<p> The literature established that online instruction consists of cognitive, teaching, and social presence. Studies on the element of social presence linked text-based delivery of instruction with learners&rsquo; feelings of isolation and disengagement. This research findings prompted this facilitator creation of five-to-seven-minute companion videos that aligned and complemented weekly text-based learning modules to ascertain students&rsquo; perceptions of these videos as a medium for channeling social presence. </p><p> Post-video viewing surveys yielded responses to pragmatic and emotional questions. Pragmatic questions were aimed at the visual impact of professor&rsquo;s delivery of information. Emotional questions gauged the students&rsquo; feelings of connectivity with the facilitator. Triangulated interpretations of student responses showed that students perceived that the videos enhanced social presence by decreasing feelings of isolation in their online course. Key results included the feeling of a real classroom and appreciation of the visuality of the videos. The viewed videos supported affective associations, learner cohesion, interaction intensity, instructor involvement, and active learning. The videos helped draw the students from their inner secluded online environment to the outside world. The research includes recommendation of the use of a larger sample size; online facilitator theatrical training, college budget to include production of video funds for further quality video productions, and video cataloging of facilitator-created subject- specific videos.</p><p>

<p> This study analyzes different demographic groups and the ability to understand a physician and how this contributes to feeling carefully listened to. There are four hypotheses being tested, each predicting a different group within each variable will feel the most carefully listened to. The Statistical Package for Social Services (SPSS) was used to analyze data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). The portion of the survey that focused on adults was utilized in this study. Data was analyzed using t-tests and ANOVA tests. The results of the study determined that the elderly, males, and participants that could understand their physician felt the most carefully listened to for each variable. As for race, Whites, African American, and participants that identified as more than one race felt more carefully listened to when compared to Asians and participants that identified as a race not specified. These finding only supported one hypothesis, participants that understood their physician would feel that most carefully listened to. Theses result are a valuable tool that can be used to being quality improvement efforts focused on patient centered communication.</p>

<p> VitalSmarts^&reg; Crucial Conversations^TM general program theory might be a possible countermeasure addressing organizational culture and communication factors affecting quality and safety. This practice inquiry reports: a VitalSmarts^&reg; Crucial Conversations^TM general program logic model, a major medical center's Crucial Conversations^TM historical implementation program logic model, a clinical exemplar central line associated blood stream infection program logic model; and, findings that describe the fidelity of the major medical center's Crucial Conversations^TM historical implementation and clinical exemplar central line associated blood stream infection program logic model to the VitalSmarts^&reg; Crucial Conversations^TM general program logic model. The results demonstrated there was no fidelity between the major medical center's Crucial Conversations^TM program logic model and the VitalSmarts^&reg;^&reg; Crucial Conversations^TM general program logic model. The clinical exemplar CLABSI program logic model and VitalSmarts^&reg; Crucial Conversations^TM general program logic model fidelity differed in intended outcomes. The results might suggest that program adaptability along with program fidelity are factors that influence program strength, and these factors must be uniquely balanced within organizational dynamics to realize intended outcomes. The formative evaluation and program logic model might be a feasible methodology and applicable tool for exploring quality and safety within complex adaptive systems, such as organizational culture, where constraints possibly could exclude more rigorous scientific methodologies until factors are more understood</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-11, Section: A, page: 4523. Adviser: Carole L. Palmer. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 292-315) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1981. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 43-46).

<p> Problem: Servant leadership scholars have claimed that servant-led business organizations are more financially viable, but these claims are based on anecdotal evidence. This quantitative study examines the relationship of servant leadership to revenue generation in business organizations by analyzing the predictability of servant leadership attributes on sales performance. This was accomplished by studying salespersons in the healthcare industry. </p><p> Method: One hundred ninety-four study participants completed questionnaires providing quantitative measurements of the seven factors of servant leadership: (a) developing and empowering others, (b) humility, (c) authentic leadership, (d) open participatory leadership, (e) inspiring leadership, (f) visionary leadership, and (g) courageous leadership, utilizing the Servant Leadership Profile&mdash;Revised (SLPR). Sales performance was measured by sales ranking within each respective salesperson's company, and broken down into three categories; (a) Top 20%, (b) 21%&ndash;40% and (c) 41% and below. </p><p> Results: Discriminant function analysis generated two discriminant functions that were significant. The first discriminant function was labeled <i> Voice</i> and had the strongest relationship with the following factors of servant leadership: developing and empowering others, authentic leadership, and visionary leadership. The first discriminant function was a good predictor of sales performance. The second discriminant function was labeled <i> Human Resource Management</i> and had the strongest relationship with the following factors of servant leadership: open participatory leadership, courageous leadership, and inspiring leadership. The second discriminant function predicted membership in the 21%&ndash;40% sales-ranking group, mediocre sales performance. One factor of servant leadership, humility, was eliminated as a predictor of sales performance. </p><p> Conclusions: Developing and empowering others, authentic leadership, and visionary leadership are good predictors of sales performance. Open participatory leadership, courageous leadership, and inspiring leadership predict mediocre sales performance. Humility was eliminated as a predictor of sales performance. Business leaders with high mean scores for developing and empowering others, authentic leadership, and visionary leadership are likely to have a positive impact on the financial viability of a business organization.</p>