The purpose of this study was to identify and describe factors perceived to be important to nursing practice by registered nurses. The sample, 170 medical-surgical nurses, was 37% of the total in the primary study (N = 455). An exploratory/descriptive design was used to content analyze the qualitative data obtained from one open-ended question asked in the Differentiated Group Professional Practice in Nursing project. Results showed two concepts in the conceptual framework, Group Cohesion and Job Satisfaction, with regard to Pay and Physician/Nurse Relationships, were supported. Other categories generated included the importance of Administrative Support, both Nursing and Non-Nursing, Education, Adequate Staffing, Flexibility in Hours, and Role Recognition. Another set of responses were categorized as Conflicts - Dissatisfiers. Categories generated included Entry into Practice, Non-Nursing Functions and Changing Attitudes.

The problem this study addresses is the need for nurses to adhere to guidelines on pressure ulcer prevention and treatment, so patients best possible health outcomes. This study created and utilized a new tool to assess nurses’ training, attitudes, knowledge, and skill/ability for adhering to practice guidelines of the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel. The study sought to identity significant predictors of Personal Knowledge Rating Scale (TPKRS-101) and Personal Skill/Ability Rating Scale (TPS/ARS-101). The online study’s convenience sample of nurses (n=190) was 80.5% (n=153) female, 59.5% (n=113) Black, and 18.4% (n=35) Asian—with mean age of 40.27 years (min 23, max 73, SD=10.95). Some 53.2% (n=101) were not born in the US, while 16.8% (n=32) were from Ghana, 7.9% (n=15) from Jamaica, and 7.4% (n=14) from Philippines. Annual household income mean was $50,000 to $99,999 (mean=4.43, category 4, min=2, max=10, SD=1.00). Mean years working in nursing was 8-10 years (mean=4.34, category 4, min=1, max=9, SD=2.14). Nurses rated themselves “good” for performing pressure ulcer care tasks, as follows: (a) Nursing Training Rating Scale (TNRS-101) with global mean of 4.11 (SD=0.60, min= 1.94, max=5.00), or good; (b) Personal Knowledge Rating Scale (TPKRS-101) with global mean of 4.15 (SD=0.57, min=2.79, max=5.00), or good; and, (c) Personal Skill/Ability Rating Scale (TPS/ARS-101) with global mean of 4.13 (SD=0.62, min=2.56, max=5.00), or good. Higher Personal Knowledge Rating Scale (TPKRS-101) scores were significantly predicted by: more positive Attitudes Regarding Practice Guidelines-Relevance Scale (ARPG-R-5) (b = .067, SEB = .029, p = .022); and, higher level of Social Desirability (13 items) (b = .030, SEB = .013, p =.023). For this regression model, R2=.063, and AdjR2=.053, meaning that 5.3% of the variance was explained by model. Personal Skill/Ability Rating Scale (TPS/ARS-101) scores were significantly predicted by: higher level of Social Desirability (13 items) (b = .051, SEB = .014, p = .000). For this regression model, R2=.064, and AdjR2=.059, meaning that 5.9% of the variance was explained by model. Finally, the quantitative data were augmented by qualitative findings for barriers nurses experience to pressure ulcer prevention and treatment, as follows: Category I-External Barriers; and, Category II-Internal Barriers.

The study was designed to identify the-relationship between job satisfaction levels as perceived by staff nurses and levels of motivation for participation in staff development programs. A second purpose was to examine the relationship between the type of educational preparation, area of nursing practice, number of children under twelve years of age living at home, single parent status, size of hospital and years of service of staff nurses with levels of motivation for participation in staff development programs and with job satisfaction. The motivational theories of Maslow and Herzberg were used as the theoretical basis for the study.The Job Descriptive Index and a questionnaire were distributed to randomly selected staff nurses employed in the seventeen non-federal hospitals of the Eastern Indiana District of Hospital Nursing Service Administrators. Usable instruments were returned by 186 staff nurses for an eighty-two percent response rate. Thirteen null hypotheses were tested, five using the Pearson product-moment (r) correlation and eight using a one-way analysis of variance (F Statistic).The first purpose of the study, to examine the relationship between job satisfaction levels and levels of motivation for participation in staff development programs, revealed that job satisfaction was not found to be correlated significantly with motivation for participation in staff development programs. The small correlation found to exist was negative.The findings relative to the second study purpose, to examine the relationship between single parent status, number of children under twelve years of age living at home, length of employment as a staff nurse, level of educational preparation, size of hospital and area of nursing practice, produced only one significant finding. Single parent status and job satisfaction were found to be positively related at the .05 level of significance.The major conclusion was that job satisfaction was not a motivator for participation in staff development programs in the sample of staff nurses in the study.

No description available.

The recent expansion of focus within medicine to include palliative care has created a new corps of professionals who fulfill a role that might be considered antithetical to their profession. This new medical role calls for individuals who have personality characteristics that will allow them to constantly face death. This study was concerned with examining, in Adlerian life style terms, the personality characteristics of one segment of that corps--the hospice home care nurse. The subjects used in this study represent the population of nurses (N = 6) who provide the care within the framework of the home care program of Hillhaven Hospice of Tucson. A structured interview was held by the researcher at which time the subjects responded to each of the items on the Life Style Interview Guide. Three experts trained in Adlerian psychology and life style interpretation collectively analyzed each life style in order to arrive at a life style summary for each nurse as well as a composite summary. The results of this study showed a high degree of similarity and consistency with regard to attitudes, personality characteristics and life style themes of the hospice home care nurses studied.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge and attitudes of hospital postpartum and public health nurses towards postpartum depression (PPD) using interpretive description. Postpartum depression is the leading complication after childbirth and impacts negatively on the health of the mother and her child. The nurses in this study participated in focus groups and/or participant observation. The five patterns that describe participants experiences related to PPD were: “Nurses understand PPD in different ways”, “Nurses recognize that women need support”, “Nurses reported that teaching about PPD makes a difference”, “Strong relationships with a primary care provider is essential in the post partum period”, and “a key role of the nurse is to listen”. The nurses in this study revealed a rich understanding of PPD leading to recommendations for practice by hospital and public health nurses related to PPD contributing to better care for women experiencing PPD.

This thesis provides the rationale for the necessity of a redefining of the holistic back into nursing after the consequences of technological restructuring. This study revealed that the impact of modern technology-based, prescriptive changes on professional nursing practice in Canada has resulted in an increasing alienation of labour for nurses, including direct interference with patient-based nursing care, authority, necessity for broader knowledge systems, stability and fragility in job security. The implications of this examination have demonstrated that this shift has not been the result of mechanical technologies alone, but the science-based management philosophies and communicative nature of technologies as well. / This project has verified that more importantly than the advancing technological shift itself the danger for professional nursing has been in what these systems are actively replacing. Namely, prescriptive technologies work to establish a managerial or 'expert' presence and authority within the practice of nursing serving to change professional understandings for nurses as well as to decrease value in the judgement and holistic care skills of registered nurses.

Computerization is changing how hospitals do business as well as how nursing is practiced. Use of computer applications depends on the attitudes and motivation nurses have about computers.The purpose of this replication study is to examine relationships between nurses' attitudes toward computer use satisfaction, beliefs, and motivation. This study used an adaptation of Vroom's expectancy theory as a framework to identify and relate nurses' attitudes and identify variables that may relate with computer use.An instrument developed by Burkes (1991), the Nurses' Computer Use Attitude Questionnaire was used to measure nurses' attitudes toward computer usage. This includes satisfaction, beliefs, and motivation.The convenience sample included 101 (67%) nurses from three rural hospitals who agreed to participate in the study. Confidentiality was maintained, and only group data was reported.Findings in this study support Vroom's theory that there is a relationship between beliefs and motivation, between satisfaction and motivation, and between beliefs and motivation. Findings in this study were the longer the nurses duration of computer experience the more satisfied they were with using them. Age and level of nursing experience did not determine satisfaction, beliefs or motivation to use computer applications. Conclusions from this study were that knowledge levels can vary in regard to use. In this study the Beliefs subscale accounted for 46% of the variance in predicating motivation. Therefore what one comes to expect or believe will be a factor in how much effort is put into behavior changes.Further research should try to determine what if any demographic information is consistently a predictor of attitudes scores. This information could be helpful in enhancing the chances for successful implementation and utilization of computers. There should also be research in the variables that impact attitudes of nurses toward utilization of computers.This study is significant because findings will provide information about attitudes and usage of computers in rural hospitals. If attitudes are recognized, attitudes can be improved and better utilization will follow. / School of Nursing

The effectiveness of a training workshop to combat burnout in nurses was investigated in this study. An attempt also was made to determine whether or not benefits of that workshop would be maintained over a three month period.Burnout is a phenomenon which affects those in the helping professions. Much has been written of a descriptive nature but little has been done to empirically determine procedures which might reduce burnout in those who are already experiencing it.Ninety-five staff nurses, representing two hospitals, volunteered to participate in this study. One hospital was a neuropsychiatric facility and the other was a general medical hospital.The dependent variable for this study was a burnout score as determined by the Staff Burnout Scale for Health Professionals (SBS-HP). This is a 30 item self-assessment inventory, which addresses cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and physiological reactions.Subjects were randomly assigned to either a treatment condition or a control condition. The experimental group attended a 7 ½ hour workshop which utilized didactic presentations, group discussion and problem solving, audio-visual material, self-assessment, training in progressive relaxation, an introduction to cognitive restructuring, and the development of social support systems.The research design chosen was a one-way or single factor design utilizing a test and retest of the SBS-HP. The method of data analysis was a one-way multivariate analysis of variance with a step-down F test. The selected level of significance was .05.The null hypothesis was not rejected. There was no significant difference between the treatment group and the control group on the long-term posttest after covarying the short-term posttest scores. Also, there was no significant difference between the treatment group and the control group on the short-term posttest.