<p> The purpose of this project was to write a grant to fund the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Empowerment Program, through Olive Crest, a mental health agency in Santa Ana, California. This program seeks to support adolescents with ADHD and their caregivers by educating them about this mental health disorder. The ADHD psycho-education support groups, offered in English and Spanish, will educate families on ADHD causes, symptoms, treatments, and behavioral interventions. Actual submission of this grant was not a requirement of this project.</p>

<p> There is little research addressing caregiver stress while in the hospital setting. This study sought to answer the question, Would utilization of an oncology care partner program during hospitalization increase communication and preparedness for discharge while decreasing caregiver stress? A two phase study was utilized to generate standard of care data and data resulting from the intervention. A quantitative pre and post survey method was used. Qualitative data was included from conversations between the researcher and subjects. Communication and comfort upon discharge improved with the intervention, but there was no significant change in caregiver stress levels. Though this study had a small sample size, there are positive implications for the patient, family caregiver, nurses and hospital. The utilization of such a program has merit and further research is needed to validate the findings.</p>

<p> Physiologic insulin protocols are replacing conventional sliding-scale practices in hospitals because of their flexibility in adapting doses to the patient's nutritional intake and insulin sensitivity. Although many noncritical wards have updated their prandial therapy to insulin-to-carbohydrate ratios, most hospitals continue fixed preprandial dosing. If patients are receiving fixed dose insulin based on prescribed nutrition and they are not consuming what is provided, the obvious outcome is an increased risk for hypoglycemia. Despite this, there are no studies aimed at profiling nutritional intake for patients with diabetes in the noncritical setting. This study was conducted for that purpose. The results validated the positivistic knowledge that these patients do not generally eat all of their rations. Further, this study included an ancillary investigation for the quality of compliance to new diabetic protocols as recorded in paper-based patient records compared to computerized medical records.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to locate a potential funding source and write a grant to provide support and services to emancipated foster youth that will enable youth to obtain self-sufficiency and a healthy lifestyle. Emancipated foster youth experience many challenges once they exit the foster care system. The proposed program will give them an opportunity to increase their ability to live independently. An extensive literature review was performed to investigate the best ways to assist emancipated foster youth with addressing their needs such as housing, employment, education, social support, safe sex practices and mental health concerns. A search was conducted to locate an appropriate funder for this program.</p><p> California Community Foundation is the funder that was chosen to fund this program. This foundation is committed to assisting transition aged youth attain self-sufficiency. The program will provide support and services to emancipated foster youth in the city of Los Angeles, California. </p>

<p> A spinal cord injury (SCI) can be debilitating and research is necessary to examine how patients' quality of life (QOL) can be improved through both psychological and physical remedies. This study's central research question was: Does participation in surfing improve perceptions of quality oflife in an individual with spinal cord injury? By interviewing eight individuals with SCis, the researcher attempted to assess, by means of a qualitative semi-structured interviews, whether participation in surfing activities had a positive impact on the respondents' perceived QOL. Respondents experienced improved QOL as a result of their participation in surfing with the Life Rolls On foundation because they felt supported, independent, relaxed, and exhilarated. Their perceived QOL was improved by the benefits of making friends and feeling like part of a community. It was hypothesized that respondents would report psychological benefits from recreational post-injury physical activities. These findings indicate support for the hypothesis.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between the variable duration of case management and outcomes represented by the variables quality of life and functional ability. The samples were selected from archival data collected from the Maryland Medicaid pediatric rare disease population receiving REM case management services during fiscal year 2002. The Barthel Index measured the functional ability from the clinician perspective and PedsQL measured quality of life from the parent and child perspectives. Results indicated the perspectives of clinicians, parents, and children were significantly different for the same patient. Clinicians reported no significant correlations between duration of case management and functional ability as measured by the Barthel Index. Duration of case management was negatively correlated with physical and social functioning from the parent perspective for child-parent dyads. Duration of case management was also negatively correlated with children&rsquo;s perceptions of physical functioning for the child-parent dyads. Duration of case management in a randomly selected patient sample demonstrated similar trends toward significance for physical and social functioning. Children and parents from the same family demonstrated significant differences in perceived quality of life for the patient.</p>

<p> The health care environment is transforming with new demands and expectations to improve patient outcomes including patient satisfaction. Health care organizations expect front line nurse managers to improve patient quality and satisfaction without a clear direction or meaningful understanding of the holistic role, functions, and competencies required to achieve organizational goals. The purpose of the qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of the holistic and changing nature of the projected contemporary nurse manager&rsquo;s roles, skills, practices, and dimensions aligned with the expectations for improving patient satisfaction. The exploration of the lived experiences and perceptions among 21 study participants, and data analysis using the modified van Kaam approach, led to the formulation of eight major themes that explained the nature of the experience with the phenomenon. The eight essential themes that encompass the context of the new contemporary and holistic role of the nurse manager to improve patient satisfaction include the following; (a) new expectations, (b) building a patient caring culture, (c) leader rounding, (d) healthy working environment, (e) staff engagement and empowerment, (f) change agent for continuous quality improvement, (g) impact of organization focus and culture, (h) challenges: sustainability of initiatives; lack of interdepartmental and interdisciplinary teamwork. The new proposed nurse manager role in transformation conceptual model aligns nurse manager contemporary and holistic role with transforming cultures for improved patient outcomes. The study findings are significant to health care organization, leaders, policy makers, and educators, in creating new patient caring and healthy working cultures for improved patient satisfaction. </p>

<p> The need for equality has become one of the most deeply talked about subjects in the health care field. One challenge in this area is to reduce health care disparities and improve access to high-quality health care for diverse patients. There is a vast amount of literature on the implementation of cross-cultural competence in health care to reduce health care disparities. Cultural competence strategies include a racial and linguistic staff, culturally competent education and training, and integrated culturally translated signage. The cultural competence approach that is being investigated in this thesis considers the concepts of sociological factors that contribute to a complete understanding of one's culture. This thesis will examine two separate literatures: first, research on the historical culture context, sociocultural behavior and ethnic identity; and second, research on the cultural competence approach in the health care industry.</p><p> A literature review expands this research by applying a theoretical framework based on Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, Institute of Medicine Principals of Quality, and Minority Populations and Health. A cross-cultural curriculum model through which to consider social psychology variables is presented.</p><p> Keywords: disparities, race, social psychology factors, cross-cultural curriculum, health care.</p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative, grounded theory study was to explore and describe the perceptions and experiences of African-born and educated nurses (ABEN) in order to understand how the nurses influenced systems of professional practice in healthcare systems of Maricopa County of Arizona. The overarching research question for the study directly reflected the purpose statement. Four sub-questions were also used in the study. These centered on was how care experiences shaped ABEN perceptions of the healthcare delivery system, how ABEN informed and shaped their social interactions when caring for patients and residents, the barriers to providing care and to fulfilling work practices and processes that ABEN described and the components of a model to adjust or remove experienced barriers. The sample consisted of 17 registered nurses, 16 females and one male, from five African countries, who participated in individual interviews. Lee's push-pull theory formed the theoretical framework of the study. Responses from interviews and researcher field notes were coded and thematically analyzed to determine answers to research questions. Six categories emerged from conceptual data analysis: optimism, self-development, confronting barriers, discovering, assimilation drive, and adaptability. A four-stage model of acclimation was developed from these six components. Results have implications for healthcare policy changes such that ABEN become fully assimilated and accepted as contributors to healthcare delivery in Maricopa County.</p>

This study, in collaboration with the Montreal Deaf Community, used an anthropological perspective to explore the health care experiences of deaf persons and identify the strategies they use to meet their health needs. Narratives were qualitatively analyzed. Deaf persons see their world as separate from the hearing world of health services. The latter is perceived as lacking understanding of deaf persons, leading to their feeling of exclusion and powerlessness. What is supposed to be a source of support becomes one of anxiety. Nevertheless, deaf people show courage and versatility in coping strategies including affiliation and the notion of culture. The health system focus on 'normalization' contradicts deaf persons' perceptions of deafness as a meaningful human reality. The differing values have implications for health professionals and the organization of services. The McGill Model of Nursing offers an organizational framework for planning accessible health services for deaf persons.