Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oklahoma. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Au.D.)--James Madison University, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 47-02, page: 0987. Adviser: Nuria Homedes. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Florida, 2004. / Typescript. Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 121 pages. Includes Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D. in Clinical Sciences) -- University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-110). Free to UCDHSC affiliates. Online version available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations;

Thesis (M.S.) -- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 2006. / Not embargoed. Vita. Bibliography: 92-100.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Florida, 2004. / Typescript. Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 33 pages. Includes Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Os enfermeiros tÃm responsabilidade especÃfica, junto aos pacientes com riscos de lesÃo de pele, pois sÃo eles que, em diversas situaÃÃes, iniciam e controlam o cuidado da ferida. De forma particular, as Ãlceras venosas sÃo lesÃes crÃnicas que acarretam prejuÃzos significativos. Assim, a ClassificaÃÃo dos Resultados de Enfermagem (NOC) pode ser um instrumento relevante, a fim de avaliar o estado de saÃde referente aos aspectos da pele e circulaÃÃo em pacientes com esta alteraÃÃo. O estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar o estado de saÃde referente à integridade e perfusÃo tissular dos membros inferiores de portadores de Ãlceras venosas com base nos indicadores da NOC. O estudo à transversal exploratÃrio e descritivo. A populaÃÃo constituiu-se de pacientes com Ãlceras venosas e a amostra obteve 49 indivÃduos. A coleta de dados deu-se por meio de um formulÃrio fechado e exame fÃsico, em um ambulatÃrio situado na regiÃo metropolitana em MaracanaÃ.- CE. Todos os itens do instrumento foram descritos baseados na NOC e literatura. Utilizou-se o programa estatÃstico SPSS versÃo 13.0, para armazenamento e avaliaÃÃo dos dados. O projeto obedeceu aos aspectos da ResoluÃÃo196/96. Os achados da amostra mostraram predominÃncia do sexo feminino com idade acima de 60 anos. A maioria dos participantes eram aposentados ou pensionistas e viviam com companheiros. A hipertensÃo arterial sistÃmica assumiu destaque entre as demais co-morbidades. O Ãndice tornozelo-braquial, de forma geral, assumiu um valor normal; 75% dos sujeitos eram obesos. As caracteristicas mais presentes das Ãlceras venosas foram bordas irregulares, exsudato seroso e em pouca quantidade, tecido de granulaÃÃo e extensa Ãrea da ferida. A gelÃia de metronidazol foi muito utilizada nos curativos. Entre os indicadores operacionais que mostraram-se mais comprometidos estÃo crescimento de pÃlos e edema perifÃrico. Os Resultados de Enfermagem Integridade e PerfusÃo Tissular apresentaram moderado comprometimento. A variÃvel idade mostrou ter relaÃÃo inversa com a Integridade Tissular. Evidenciou-se que a presenÃa de doenÃa cardÃaca exerce influÃncia sobre o resultado integridade tissular, assim como a presenÃa da hipertensÃo arterial sistÃmica interfere negativamente na perfusÃo tissular. A variÃvel pressÃo arterial diastÃlica mostrou correlaÃÃo negativa com o resultado perfusÃo tissular. Foi possÃvel desenvolver parÃmetros de classificaÃÃo para os indicadores propostos pela NOC e verificar sua aplicabilidade. Um instrumento clÃnico com termos claros e bem definidos pode ser um guia para dispor eficazmente os recursos fÃsicos e humanos.

Patient safety culture (PSC) is a critical factor in creating high reliability healthcare organizations. However, few studies to date have correlated PSC measures with actual safety outcomes. In particular, nursing home studies have only recently appeared in the literature. Nursing homes differ from hospitals in that the vast majority of direct care is provided by certified nursing assistants (CNAs), not licensed nurses. Thus nursing home PSC could differ in important ways from PSC in acute care institutions. This dissertation was a secondary data analysis that examined whether CNAs’ perceptions of patient safety culture were correlated with clinical outcomes in a random sample of 74 nursing homes in five randomly selected states. This study matched CNA PSC survey data using the Hospital Survey of Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) with Minimum Data Set (MDS), Area Resource File (ARF) and Online Survey Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) data from those same homes during the first two quarters of 2005. In the original study, 1579 nurse aides out of 2872 completed the survey, for a 55% response rate. In addition to clinical outcomes, this study examined the relationship between CNA PSC scores and staff turnover. The relationship between certain demographic variables, such as level of education, tenure as a CNA, and PSC scores was evaluated. The relationship between certain facility characteristics, such as profit status and bed occupancy was also assessed. An exploratory factor analysis of the original HSOPSC instrument was re-run for this nursing home CNA sample. Data were analyzed using Poisson regression and multilevel techniques; descriptive statistics were compiled for demographic data. Major findings from the regression analyses and combined GEE models suggest that certain factors, such as CNA turnover and LPN staffing may predict CNA PSC scores. CNA PSC scores were associated with rates of falls and restraint use, but were not associated with differences in pressure ulcer rates in this sample. Few associations for CNA PSC with individual subscales were identified. The exploratory factor analysis revealed some potential differences in how items and subscales factored in this nursing home CNA population. This dissertation represents an important step in the evaluation of CNA PSC in nursing homes and the relationship of PSC to safety outcomes. Future work on nursing home PSC and clinical and workforce outcomes is described.

The aim of this study was to measure the effects of audiologic intervention on self-perceived quality of life in the elderly hearing-impaired population. The tested hypothesis was that hearing aid use would result in improved quality of life as measured by utilities. In this study, utilities were obtained using the U-Titer II, an interactive software program designed to measure an individual's health state preference or utility. This study also examined the issue of numeracy, which is described as an understanding of basic probability, and its effect with an individual's ability to accurately complete utilities. Data from 54 individuals fit with hearing aids in this randomized, controlled, pre-test/post-test experimental design study were analyzed. The participants completed the U-Titer II, a test of numeracy and the International Outcome Inventory for hearing Aids (IOI-HA). Three utility approaches were used in this study: Time Trade-Off (TTO), Standard Gamble (SG) and Rating Scale (RS). With each of the utility approaches, disease-specific (e.g., deafness vs. perfect hearing) and generic (death vs. perfect health) anchors were incorporated. Several research questions were posed to examine the sensitivity of utilities to hearing aid intervention. Question 1: Can the effects of hearing aid intervention be determined with a utility approach? Statistically significant differences between pre- and post-intervention utility scores were measured with disease-specific and generic anchors for only the TTO and RS approaches. These findings suggest that hearing aid intervention outcomes can be measured using either the TTO or RS utility approaches. Question 2: Is numeracy ability a factor in the usefulness of a utility approach for assessing the effects of hearing aid intervention? Statistical analysis showed that mean utility scores changed very little as a function of numeracy ability. These findings suggest that numeracy ability does not appear to affect utility scores. Question 3: What, if any, are the relationships between hearing aid benefit as measured by a utility approach and hearing aid benefit as measured by the IOI-HA? Spearman Rho correlations were conducted on the benefit data obtained from the two self-report measures (IOI-HA and utilities). The major findings from these analyses determined that the IOI-HA total scores were significantly correlated with utility outcomes as measured by TTO generic, TTO disease-specific, and RS disease-specific anchors. In general, correlations between the measures were higher with the disease-specific anchors than the generic anchors. Also, none of the correlations between any IOI-HA outcome domains and utility change scores with generic anchors obtained with the RS scale were significant. For utilities measured with disease-specific anchors, significant correlations were found with two IOI-HA outcome domains (benefit and satisfaction) and utility change scores as measured by the TTO technique. When the RS technique was utilized, significant correlations were found for four of the seven outcome domains (benefit, satisfaction, participation and impact of others). Thus, if the IOI-HA is used as a measure against which to validate the utility approach as a measure of hearing aid outcomes, the measure with the most face validity is a RS method with disease-specific anchors. However, if one wished to compare hearing aid intervention to intervention in other areas of health care, these data support the use of a TTO approach.