<p> The American Nurses Association (ANA) proposes an ethical obligation for nurses to deliver compassionate care as found in Provision I of the ANA Code of Ethics. Understanding the stages of suffering and implementing unique nursing care interventions is vital when delivering patient centered care. Although research regarding self-reported empathy scores is available, limited research involved an educational intervention with concepts of suffering, compassion, care, and empathy. </p><p> Utilizing Janice Morse&rsquo;s Praxis Theory of Suffering and Jean Watson&rsquo;s Theory of Human Caring, the researcher developed a two credit elective Compassionate Care Course for RN-BSN students at a mid-western liberal arts University. Nine students enrolled with eight students completing the course. From the same cohort of students, the researcher recruited a control group. This quasi-experimental pilot study utilized the Jefferson Scale of Empathy- Health Professional Student (JSE-HPS) version as the measurement instrument. Although the mean and medians scores of the experimental group improved from the pre-course survey to the post-course survey, at the bivariate level of analysis there were no significant findings from the independent samples t-test, Chi-Square test, or correlation analysis of empathy scores. </p><p> The methodology of the study limited the results to quantitative data. After a review of the completed course assignments, qualitative findings were evident. In the discovery of a holistic approach to understanding and applying the concepts of suffering and compassionate care in order to create empathetic responses for use in nursing practice, the qualitative approach may provide valuable findings that quantitative results cannot reflect.</p>

The purposes of this study were to describe the relationship of life-change, spiritual perspective and perceived well-being to hope in 24 adults with recurrent cancer, and to describe the personal meaning of cancer recurrence in the same population. A significant relationship between hope and spiritual perspective was identified (r =.39, p =.03). No significant relationship was identified between hope and life-change or perceived well-being, although life-change was inversely related to perceived well-being (r =.39, p =.01). Subjects were moderately hopeful despite their knowledge of a potentially limited life span. The experience of cancer recurrence was described as unique requiring cognitive adaptation to assimilate the changes imposed by the diagnosis and treatment. Implications for nursing practice and further research were identified.

A secondary data analysis was conducted to explore differences between registered nurses (RNs) in urban and rural hospitals regarding professional nursing practice as indexed by self-reported organizational commitment, autonomy, control over nursing practice, and group cohesion; to explore differences in job satisfaction; and to describe the influence of professional nursing practice on nurse satisfaction. Baseline data collected for the Differentiated Group Professional Practice project (#1-UO1-NR02153) was the primary source of data. This secondary analysis utilized a two-group, cross-sectional descriptive design with a sample of 271 urban and 196 rural RNs. Urban RNs reported higher organizational commitment. Although overall job satisfaction was similar between urban and rural RNs, urban RNs reported higher satisfaction with organizational policy, while rural RNs were more satisfied with nurse interaction. Organizational commitment, autonomy, control over nursing practice, and group cohesion influenced job satisfaction positively, but with different patterns, in urban and rural subjects.

This study investigated the variables influencing community cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) course participation. Forty-seven adults, male and female, participated in a descriptive study. Three questionnaires were given to participants of two community CPR courses: the Cues to Action questionnaire, the Health Belief Model in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation questionnaire, and the Health Self-Determinism Index. The results indicated positive relationships between an individual's perceived susceptibility of others and perceived benefits in CPR course participation and utilization, and between cues to action and intrinsic motivations, specifically health judgments. The results also demonstrated an expected negative correlation between perceived benefits and perceived barriers; i.e., the benefits outweighed the barriers to CPR course participation and utilization. The results are all marketable concepts which can be utilized in promoting CPR course utilization and participation.

A descriptive design was used to identify the differences between and among the variables studied: sex and age, marital status, amount of physical and occupational therapy, length of stay, total hospital charges, and discharge destination for patients 55 years of age and older, following a total hip arthroplasty. The setting was a 650-bed medical center in a Southwestern city. The population for this study was the medical records of 61 patients (27 male and 34 female, aged 55-84 years) with the DRG 209 assignment, major joint procedure, hip replacements only, and with primary diagnosis of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Data collection was done through a retrospective chart audit of patients discharged during the period from August 1, 1989, through April 5, 1990. The study findings were consistent with the literature in that older persons over 75 years of age have longer length of stay, require more rehabilitation post-operatively, and have an increased probability of being discharged to an intermediate or long-term care facility.

This secondary analysis of data collected in the Self-Help Intervention Project (Braden, Mishel, Longman & Burns, 1990) was undertaken to describe relationships of information seeking styles and sources of information used by women with breast cancer. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data, using frequencies and percentages for the demographic data. Correlation statistics were used to answer the research questions. A moderate statistical relationship (.6165, p =.001) was found to exist between the variable of marital status and the American Cancer Society as a source of information. Other data reflected low statistical correlations. Results indicate the need for more research on this topic with larger samples to discover if relationships may be strengthened.

The purpose of this study was to identify what registered nurses employed in hospitals perceived to be important to their nursing practice. Staff nurse opinions were analyzed to explore similarities and differences between demonstration and comparison sits, and demonstration sties over time, during early implementation of the Differentiated Group Professional Practice (DGPP) model. An exploratory/descriptive design was used to analyze the content of written responses to one open-ended question. Nurses on the demonstration units expressed fewer responses related to administrative and nursing management support and more responses related to lack of recognition from nursing management, continuing education, pay related to responsibility, non-nursing tasks, and group cohesion. Results supported the conceptual framework of the DGPP model. Additional categories revealed by the analysis included administration, education, interdepartmental communication, job alternatives, nursing management, physical environment, and staffing.

The concept being studied was nocturnal behaviors of persons diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Maslow's theory of human motivation and development served as the conceptual perspective for this exploratory study. The purposes of this study were: (1) to identify nocturnal behaviors of persons diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease; and (2) to develop a taxonomy that characterized these identified nocturnal behaviors. Eleven caregivers who were each providing care in the home for a family member with Alzheimer's disease were interviewed. Data were systematically obtained using demographic data sheets, guided interview questions, and a behavior checklist. The classification of two major and five minor categories along with their 22 activity categories comprised the taxonomy of nocturnal behaviors. Presentation of the findings included a narrative description of the analysis of data. Through comparative analysis, a variety of nocturnal behaviors were identified and supported.

The elderly frequently express dissatisfaction with sleep quality and quantity. Disturbed sleep is a common complaint of residents in long-term care facilities. The purpose of this research was to describe the subjective assessment of sleep characteristics identified by elderly individuals living in a long-term care facility. In addition, the subjects perception of sleep prior to and following admission to the long-term care facility was compared. Information about the environmental factors which may have disrupted sleep was also identified. Sixteen female and four male subjects participated in this research. Subjects verbally responded to a 39 item questionnaire which was developed specifically for this study. Forty-five percent of the subjects rated their sleep in the nursing home as being worse than when they lived at home. Their bedtime hour moved to an earlier hour and the use of sleeping medication increased when compared to use at home. Physical illness, emotional stress, and changes in the sleep environment disturbed the sleep of the subjects. Although not quantitatively measured, the subjects reported that emotional stress disturbed their sleep more than physical illness or change in sleep environment.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the congruence between hospitalized cancer patients' self-assessments of symptom distress and nurses' assessments of symptom distress in those patients. Using a comparative descriptive design, a convenience sample of 32 nurse-patient pairs completed the modified Symptom Distress Scale. A major finding was the difference between the nurse and patient groups concerning perceptions of symptom distress from mood. Nurses generally rated mood as the most frequent contributor to higher levels of symptom distress, in marked contrast to patients' self-assessments. Patients and nurses also differed in their perceptions of pain, although to a lesser degree than with mood. Nurses' assessments of patients' moods and pain may be influenced by assumptions related to the cancer diagnosis.