Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Alberta, 2009. / A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, Centre for Neuroscience. Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on November 8, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 136-166).

Thesis (M.A.)--Northern Kentucky University, 2009. / Made available through ProQuest. Publication number: AAT 1462147. ProQuest document ID: 1680713791. Includes bibliographical references (p. 60-63)

Thesis (M.A.)--Northern Kentucky University, 2006. / Made available through ProQuest. Publication number: AAT 1435882. ProQuest document ID: 1136092781. Includes bibliographical references (p. 34-36)

Using an information processing approach, this study examines how nurses working in the area of continuing care for older people in Scotland use the Waterlow scale to inform their judgement and decision making in risk of pressure ulcers and plan of care. While assessment tools are commonly used, a number of assumptions surround their use for nurse practice and for patient care. To date, there appears to be no research which actually examines how nurses use assessment tools to assess patient's needs and plan care, despite the emphasis placed on evidence based practice. Assessment is a fundamental activity when caring for an older person where multipathology and the potential for health state deterioration are likely. This study consists of 3 parts. Part 1 identified the number and type of assessment tools that are routinely used within continuing care settings using a postal survey, revealing that the Waterlow scale is the most routinely used tool to assess pressure ulcer risk. Part 2 examined how continuing care nurses assess pressure ulcer risk through the use of observation and interview. Part 3 involved a detailed examination of the cognitive processes used by nurses when assessing pressure ulcer risk and planning care using simulation and a technique known as `Think aloud'. The results of this study indicate there were no differences between continuing care nurses working in either hospital wards or nursing homes in how the assessment was carried out, as neither group based their assessment or plan of care solely on the Waterlow scale. However, the Waterlow scale was found to be used differently according to the nurses' experience with those with more than 2 years experience, less likely to base their assessment of pressure ulcer risk or plan of care on Waterlow derived information.

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.

Thesis (M.A.)--Northern Kentucky University, 2007. / Made available through ProQuest. Publication number: AAT 1447084. ProQuest document ID: 1414126921. Includes bibliographical references (p. 36-37)

Orientador: José Eduardo Corrente / Coorientador: Magda Cristina Queiroz Dell'Acqua / Banca: Denize Zornoff / Banca: Maria Irene Bachega / Resumo: Pacientes sob cuidados intensivos têm geralmente alto risco para o desenvolvimento de úlcera por pressão (UP), isto devido às condições clínicas e aos fatores extrínsecos que estão expostos até sua reabilitação. Dentre o rol de indicadores de qualidade em unidade de terapia intensiva (UTI), a UP é um dos indicadores pertinente que reflete a qualidade assistencial da unidade. Este estudo teve como objetivos desenvolver um software para identificar os fatores de risco associados à UP, testar o software e descrever suas etapas de desenvolvimento. Tratou-se de um estudo descritivo do desenvolvimento do software. Foi adotado o modelo waterfall para o desenvolvimento do software, obedeceu-se os requisitos de confidencialidade, integridade e disponibilidade dos dados. O teste piloto foi realizado na UTI Central, do Serviço de Terapia Intensiva (SETI) do Hospital das Clínicas da UNESP de Botucatu no período de janeiro a abril de 2012, por meio da transcrição de dados já coletados na unidade. O desenvolvimento resultou num protótipo para a coleta do risco, catalogação da úlcera por pressão (UP), e auxilio na tomada de decisão em relação às condutas assistenciais e gerenciais para UP. Foi possível evidenciar que a comunicação, assim como no processo de enfermagem foi essencial na etapa de desenvolvimento do software. Através da usabilidade foi observado que software permite extrair dados pertinentes ao processo assistencial e também gerencial, podendo ser disponibilizado e/ou consultado em tempo real e impressos quando necessário / Abstract: Patients under intensive care are usually at high risk of developing pressure ulcers (PU) due to clinical conditions and extrinsic factors which they are exposed to until their rehabilitation. Among the quality indicators in intensive care units (ICU), PU is a relevant one which reflects the quality of care in the unit. This descriptive study aimed at developing some software in order to identify the risk factors associated with PU, testing the software, and describing its development steps. The waterfall model was used to develop the software according to the confidentiality and integrity requirements and data availability. The pilot test was carried out in the Central Intensive Care Unity of the Intensive Therapy Service (SETI) of UNESP Botucatu Medical School Hospital from January to April 2012 by transcribing the data that had already been collected in such unity. The outcome of the software development was a prototype for collecting the risk, cataloguing pressure ulcers, and aiding in decision taking regarding the care and management for PU. It should be highlighted that both the communication and the nursing process were crucial in the software development. By using it, one can notice that the software allows accessing relevant data to the care and management processes, which can be made available and/or searched in real time and printed whenever necessary / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2013-02-26Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:57:35Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000736002.pdf: 1950815 bytes, checksum: 5f1c58a562d75c8f2a8c6f06f42d7580 (MD5) / Pacientes sob cuidados intensivos têm geralmente alto risco para o desenvolvimento de úlcera por pressão (UP), isto devido às condições clínicas e aos fatores extrínsecos que estão expostos até sua reabilitação. Dentre o rol de indicadores de qualidade em unidade de terapia intensiva (UTI), a UP é um dos indicadores pertinente que reflete a qualidade assistencial da unidade. Este estudo teve como objetivos desenvolver um software para identificar os fatores de risco associados à UP, testar o software e descrever suas etapas de desenvolvimento. Tratou-se de um estudo descritivo do desenvolvimento do software. Foi adotado o modelo waterfall para o desenvolvimento do software, obedeceu-se os requisitos de confidencialidade, integridade e disponibilidade dos dados. O teste piloto foi realizado na UTI Central, do Serviço de Terapia Intensiva (SETI) do Hospital das Clínicas da UNESP de Botucatu no período de janeiro a abril de 2012, por meio da transcrição de dados já coletados na unidade. O desenvolvimento resultou num protótipo para a coleta do risco, catalogação da úlcera por pressão (UP), e auxilio na tomada de decisão em relação às condutas assistenciais e gerenciais para UP. Foi possível evidenciar que a comunicação, assim como no processo de enfermagem foi essencial na etapa de desenvolvimento do software. Através da usabilidade foi observado que software permite extrair dados pertinentes ao processo assistencial e também gerencial, podendo ser disponibilizado e/ou consultado em tempo real e impressos quando necessário / Patients under intensive care are usually at high risk of developing pressure ulcers (PU) due to clinical conditions and extrinsic factors which they are exposed to until their rehabilitation. Among the quality indicators in intensive care units (ICU), PU is a relevant one which reflects the quality of care in the unit. This descriptive study aimed at developing some software in order to identify the risk factors associated with PU, testing the software, and describing its development steps. The waterfall model was used to develop the software according to the confidentiality and integrity requirements and data availability. The pilot test was carried out in the Central Intensive Care Unity of the Intensive Therapy Service (SETI) of UNESP Botucatu Medical School Hospital from January to April 2012 by transcribing the data that had already been collected in such unity. The outcome of the software development was a prototype for collecting the risk, cataloguing pressure ulcers, and aiding in decision taking regarding the care and management for PU. It should be highlighted that both the communication and the nursing process were crucial in the software development. By using it, one can notice that the software allows accessing relevant data to the care and management processes, which can be made available and/or searched in real time and printed whenever necessary

The three goals of this research were to investigate how normal subjects move while seated, how paraplegic patients move while seated, and whether seated movements can be modeled using a hemi-ellipsoid shape. Pressure readings were recorded at 11 Hz using a 36 by 36 sensor pressure map by XSENSOR. Subjects were instructed to move or perform pressure relief as they normally would while seated. Analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel with Solver and Matrix.xla add-ins and automated with VBA code. Major movements and time intervals between movements were calculated by locating the area of maximum pressure on each hemi-buttock for 20 normal and 6 paraplegic subjects. Statistical analysis revealed movements followed a normal distribution while time intervals followed a lognormal distribution. For both the normal (p=0.041) and paraplegic groups (p=0.007) the number of movements significantly increased from the first hour of recording to the second hour. The time interval between major movements decreased but not significantly for neither the normal subjects nor the paraplegics. No significant differences were identified between the normal and paraplegic groups over the first hour or second hour for number of movements or time intervals. Time series analysis with plotting, trend lines, ARIMA, and periodograms did not reveal patterns in the data. Preference for a side was shown. Next, all areas of identified major movements for one subject and one frame for each of the paraplegic patients were modeled as a hemi-ellispoid shape using minimization with Solver. Eigenvalues were calculated in order to obtain the lengths of the x, y, and z axis of the hemi-ellipsoid with an average error of 39.87% for the normal subject and an error range of 5.10% to 2701.81% for the paraplegic patients.