Violent traumatic events impact communities and demand ministerial responses that are not only pastoral in nature but also prophetic, challenging institutional and sociocultural roots of violence through vision and analysis. There is a noticeable gap in qualitative studies of the prophetic pastoral practices of organized trauma response ministries in addressing violence. This dissertation addresses this gap through qualitative case studies of two trauma response ministries operating in diverse cultural contexts. The dissertation forges a beginning constructive practical theology of trauma from the voices, experiences, and practices of survivors and their trauma response ministry providers, lifting up the need for an intercultural approach and examining the results for untapped theological resources for constructive practical theologies of trauma. By integrating trauma studies into lived religion approaches, this dissertation conceptualizes survivors' use of material objects, rituals, and surroundings to enact a 'theopoetics of material religion.' This theopoetics captures the constructive theological significance of survivors' use of material objects, rituals, and surroundings for prophetic and performative testimony and witness. The introduction and chapter one make the case that addressing the problem of violent trauma in the American context calls for an approach rooted in prophetic pastoral care practices, one that is attentive to the particular contextual realities and resources of communities living in the aftermath of trauma. Using a lived religion methodological approach enhanced by trauma studies and a theopoetics of material religion, chapter two presents a case study of an inner-city lay-led trauma response ministry that serves family survivors of homicide. Chapter three presents a case study of a denominational-based trauma response ministry's services to a suburban congregation following a gun assault. Chapter four illustrates the theological themes witnessed in each case study and places these in intercultural dialogue. The final chapter engages current constructive theologies of trauma and brings the insights of the case studies to bear on interpretations of theology in the aftermath of trauma. The dissertation begins to forge of a constructive practical theology of trauma and concludes with strategic recommendations for constructive practical theologians, pastoral care providers, and social and ecclesial structures.

Cyberbullying continues to be a rising problem facing many households. As teenagers are the primary victims of cyberbullying, it is ultimately up to victims' parents to mediate and address cyberbullying incidents. The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to explore the lived experiences of parents who had addressed and/or mediated an incident following their adolescent's cyberbullying victimization. Bandura's self-efficacy theory was the theoretical framework that guided this study. Participants were recruited using purposeful sampling. Individual semistructured telephone interviews were held with 9 participants who were parents of adolescent cyberbullying victims. Themes were generated and data were analyzed using Colaizzi's method of descriptive data analysis. This analysis involved a multistep process to inductively develop themes from participant responses. Findings revealed that participants experienced negative emotions as a result of their teens' victimization. Results further revealed that despite a lack of preparedness, participants found their efforts to intervene in the cyberbullying incident to be effective. Themes emerging from the study highlight participants' desire to raise awareness regarding cyberbullying. The impacts that the cyberbullying incident had on the parent-adolescent relationship were also documented in this study. This study provided an opportunity for participants to share their perceived self-efficacy in responding to incidents of adolescent cyberbullying. Findings from this study may be used to promote positive social change by informing various professionals of the challenges that parents face in addressing cyberbullying incidents.

Greenwashing means the advertisement of goods and services that are alleged to be of benefit to the environment, and is a phenomenon that persists as an advertising tactic in corporate marketing. Research has found that consumers are distrustful of greenwashing, as many claims of eco-friendly products have been shown to be false. This crisis of confidence recalls scandals of the past decade related to insider trading, price fixing, and lack of corporate social responsibility placing the brand equity of major corporations at risk. Given a limited understanding among corporate leaders of consumers' experiences with greenwashing, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the essence of these experiences. Research questions explored the phenomenon of greenwashing, informed by stakeholder theory, social identity theory, consumer culture theory, and the theory of corporate social responsibility. Interview questions were distributed to a purposeful, convenience sample of 20 research participants at a U.S. Military base in Germany. Interview data were collected via e-mail, transcribed, coded using open techniques, and analyzed to identify themes or patterns. Key themes included feelings of distrust in green advertising, indifference (business as usual), betrayal, and concern for the environment. Consumers also expressed a conscious awareness that educating themselves and exercising prudence when purchasing such goods and services is the best defense against greenwashing. The findings underscored the need for theorists of consumer culture and social identity to make trust a central topic when discussing consumers' identification with brands and products. The findings of this study may contribute to positive social change by educating consumers about greenwashing, which could help empower them to demand better environmental conduct from corporations.

Since 2006, international student enrollment in U.S. higher education institutions has increased significantly, which has precipitated an increase in the institutions' multiculturalism. A mechanism to facilitate the integration of students of different cultures within a multicultural institution would be valuable to fostering positive educational experiences for all students. The purpose of this phenomenological study was the inclusion of multiculturalism within U.S. higher education institutions. Banks' multiculturalism theory provided the study's conceptual framework. Six international students were interviewed, and their responses were analyzed to answer 2 research questions concerning the lived experiences of international students enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions and the inclusion of multiculturalism in the institution's curriculum, programs, policies, and practices and regarding their institutions' efforts to assist them in adjusting to and integrating. Data were analyzed to identify the emerging themes. According to the study's findings, multiculturalism was included in most of the participants' higher education institutions; however, the students felt their expectations had not been met, and that the institutions could have done more to assist them with cultural and social integration and navigation through the institutions' educational systems. The findings of this study create an opportunity for social change by informing U.S. higher education institutions on the ways to enhance programs, service, and curriculum to best meet the needs of enrolled international students.

Discrimination, racism, and class bias affects the accessibility of resources available to African American males who are exoffenders. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of African American, male exoffenders' ability to access resources postincarceration. Guided by Bell and Freeman's critical race theory, a purposeful sample of 6 African American, male exoffenders were recruited from 2 reentry programs in the Northeast United States. A semistructured interview approach was employed to examine the life history, details of experience, and reflection on the meaning of the lived experience from the participants. The modified Stevick, Colaizzi, and Keen method of analysis was used to analyze the interview data. Seven themes emerged that included the stigma of a criminal record, lack of resources, good family support, the importance of employment, accountability, responsibility, lack of education, and the environment that can impact the success or failure of an exoffender's reentry. Policymakers in the criminal justice system can change the current policy that underestimates the extent to which the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 has affected the resources that African American, male exoffenders need to reintegrate into society. The positive social change implication is that service providers can use the results of this study to better serve the needs of African American, male exoffenders as they transition from prison into society.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experience of adolescents who live with chronic pain. All 10 participants were between the ages of 13 and 17 and have lived with chronic pain for at least 6 months. Data sources for the study were two interviews for each participant, participant drawn depictions of their chronic pain, and researcher journaling. The person-environment-occupation model was used to frame the research design. The study found four main themes among the data: pain identity, invisible disease, occupational loss, and uphill climb to regain life. Each theme described the essence of the common experience of adolescents living with chronic pain. Occupational therapists can benefit from incorporating this knowledge base into their practice when providing intervention for individuals living with chronic pain to improve their overall quality of life and occupational performance.

A projected deficit in the perioperative workforce of 32,000 perioperative nurses retiring by 2024, creates an inability to meet the nursing needs of the United States population. The need for experienced perioperative nurses has been increasing while the availability of nurses with perioperative education has been decreasing. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of post-licensure nurses who participated in a perioperative clinical rotation within their baccalaureate nursing program and did that experiential experience affect the recruitment and employment for perioperative nursing to halt the impending shortage. The integrations of Kolb’s experiential learning theory and Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy model was the framework that supported the study. Thirteen interviews were conducted using van Manen’s (1990) method for researching the lived experience. The two themes emerging from the data were value and attitude. Subthemes under value are gaining knowledge and skill set and a different type of nursing. Subthemes under attitude are (a) communication with the medical team and advocacy for families and patients. The experiential perioperative clinical rotation affected the study participants’ interest for working in the operating room (OR). Most had a highlighted interest in the specialty, and those participants’ not choosing the OR as their choice of employment expressed that the experience positively affected the type of nurse they are today. Experiential learning can build the fundamental knowledge necessary to understand the novice perioperative nurse’s role as a career choice.

Bakgrund: Svårläkta bensår är symtom på underliggande sjukdom och drabbar cirka två procent av befolkningen. Det är ett plågsamt tillstånd som kräver kontinuerlig omvårdnad under långa perioder.  Syfte: Syftet var att belysa vuxna personers erfarenheter av att leva med svårläkta bensår. Metod: En litteraturstudie genomfördes utifrån tio kvalitativa empiriska studier och analyserades med Fribergs femstegsmodell. Studierna återfanns i CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus och Google scholar. Resultat: Utifrån analysen formades fyra huvudkategorier och tio underkategorier. ’Förlorad makt över kroppen’: ’Outhärdlig smärta’ och ’Outhärdlig lukt’. ’Förlorad kontroll över livet’: ’En begränsad vardag’, ’Svårt att upprätthålla relationer’ och ’Måsta härda ut’. ’Betydelsen av delaktighet’: ’Svårt att känna tillit’, ’Att känna sig nonchalerad’ och ’Att känna samhörighet’. ’Ständig ovisshet’: ’Att inte veta varför’ och ’Rädsla för framtiden’. Bensåren orsakade ett stort lidande i livets fysiska, psykiska och sociala aspekter.  Konklusion: För att lindra lidandet behöver sjuksköterskor ökad kunskap samt förståelse för att kunna ge en god omvårdnad. Vården måste prioritera denna patientgrupp och omorganisera för en bättre struktur vid diagnostisering, behandling och uppföljning. Det behövs fler interventionsstudier om svårläkta bensår. / Background: Hard-to-heal leg ulcers are symptoms of underlying disease and affects about two percent of the population. It is an agonizing condition that requires continuous care for long periods.  Aim: The aim was to shed light on adults' experiences of living with hard-to-heal leg ulcers.  Methods: A literature study was conducted based on ten qualitative studies and analyzed with Friberg's five-step model. The studies were found in CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus and Google scholar.  Results: Based on the analysis, four main categories and ten subcategories were formed. ’Lost power over the body’: ’Unbearable pain’ and ’Unbearable odour’. ’Lost control over life’: ’A limited everyday life’, ’Difficult to maintain relationships’ and ’Must endure’. ’The importance of participation’: ’Difficult to feel trust’, ’To feel neglected’ and ’To feel affinity’. ’Constant uncertainty’: ’Not knowing why’ and ’Fear of the future’. The leg ulcers caused great suffering in the physical, psychological and social aspects of life. Conclusion: To ease the suffering, nurses need to increase their understanding and knowledge to provide a good care. The healthcare organization must prioritize this patient group and reorganize for a better structure in diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. More intervention studies are needed about hard-to-heal leg ulcers.

Bakgrund: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) är en neuropsykiatrisk sjukdom. Klassiska symtom för ADHD är bristande impulskontroll, hyperaktivitet samt koncentrationssvårigheter. Det saknas systematiska översiktsstudier som beskriver vuxna personers erfarenheter av att leva med ADHD och dessa kan vara viktiga för att sjuksköterskan ska kunna ge en god omvårdnad.  Syfte: Att beskriva vuxna personers erfarenheter av att leva med ADHD. Metod: Åtta kvalitativa artiklar granskades och sammanställdes till denna litteraturstudie. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i ett övergripande tema: “Att uppleva ADHD både som hinder och styrka i vardagen”. Huvudtemat bestod av följande subteman: “Att utsätta sig för risker på grund av stress och dålig impulskontroll”, “Bristande impulskontroll och koncentrationssvårigheter försvårar relationer”, “Att uppleva svårigheter i skola och arbetsliv på grund av koncentrationssvårigheter”, “Att uppleva hur ADHD leder till positiva erfarenheter”, “Att uppleva stigmatisering och brist på förståelse från samhället” och “Att självkänslan och självbilden påverkas negativt”.      Konklusion: Litteraturstudiens resultat visar att personer med ADHD har en ökad risk för ett sämre välmående. Sjuksköterskan kan genom personcentrerad omvårdnad bidra till högre vårdkvalité. Att hitta strategier och metoder som kan bidra till att personer med ADHD får möjlighet att hantera diagnosen bättre kan sannolikt leda till ett ökat välmående men fler studier behövs. / Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder. Classic symptoms of ADHD are lack of impulse control, hyperactivity and difficulty concentrating. There are no systematic reviews that describes the lived experience among adults living with ADHD. These could be important for nurses to provide good nursing care.Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the lived experience among adults living with ADHD. Methods: Eight qualitative articles were reviewed, analyzed and compiled for this literature study. Results: The analysis resulted in an overall theme: “Experience ADHD both as an obstacle and a strength in everyday life”. The main theme consisted of sub-themes: "Exposing oneself to risks due to stress and poor impulse control", "Lack of impulse control and concentrating difficulties impact on relationships", "Experiencing difficulties in school and work due to concentration difficulties", "Experiencing how ADHD leads to positive experiences”, “Experiencing stigma from lack of understanding from society” and ”That self-esteem and self-image are negatively affected ”. Conclusion: This literature study shows that people with ADHD have an increased risk for a poorer well-being. The nurse can contribute to higher quality care through person-centered nursing. Finding strategies that can help people with ADHD handle their diagnosis could lead to increased well-being, more studies are needed.

Although Merleau-Ponty did not write a book that would explicitly deal with the philosophy of nature, it is clear - thanks to the published transcripts of lectures at the College de France - that he considered this issue to be very important. A philosophy which in its anthropological and ontological concepts overlooks nature is not able to give, according to Merleau-Ponty, a realistic picture of human existence. If the philosophy of nature is not to be subordinated to metaphysics or exact science, it must be based on thinking about our physical, and therefore perceptual- emotional being in the world. Part of this interest in nature is also an interest in non-human animals who bodily inhabit the natural world and relate to it in their own way, although they may share significant biological and behavioral traits with us. In Merleau-Ponty's philosohy, the phenomenology of not only human corporeality and vitality meets with considerations of the being of nature, and the reflection of certain scientific conceptions meets with the clarification of the philosophical concept of nature.