This research study was designed to improve the quality of health care received by the Hispanic population in northeast Tennessee. After reviewing past research, it is evident that the Hispanic population reports a lower level of health care satisfaction and a greater number of health disparities. Although attempts to reconcile this problem have included implementing regulations and guidelines on the cultural competency of and the provision of language services by health care providers, no measurable improvement has been noted. To positively impact this pervasive problem, the focus must shift away from how health care agencies can affect health care for Hispanics, and toward how health care providers can improve patient care. It is the responsibility of health care providers to provide quality care to all patients, regardless of their culture, race, or language. By interviewing three primary care nurse practitioners who serve a large Hispanic population in northeast Tennessee, it became evident that even with a language aide present, barriers to caring for this population still exist, although these barriers are not unsurmountable. Through years of experience, these providers have developed skills that have improved communication with, and health-related outcomes of, Hispanic patients, but this type of care should not be impacted by nurse practitioner turnover. Each provider agreed that nursing students’ education and opportunities to work with diverse populations while in basic nursing education programs must be improved, so that when students graduate, they can become part of the solution to this ongoing problem.

In today's competitive home health industry, productivity has become a major concern, and establishing productivity expectations is necessary for survival. Productivity can be described as a relationship between the outputs produced by an organization and the inputs provided to create the outputs. This means that the outputs consist of the number of home visits performed and the inputs consist of the time, supplies, mileage, and administrative support necessary for producing home visits. In order to have a complete understanding of productivity, one must understand the importance of examining significant service delivery factors that are unique to the home health industry. This study focuses on two such factors: nursing employment and patient care and service. The nursing employment quality indicators include the nursing personnel functions such as orientation programs. home health nursing experience, educational preparation, and staff development. The patient care and service quality indicators include activities that are related to direct and indirect patient care such as the actual home visit; geographic area, travel time; amount of time required to admit a patient. caseload expectations. time it takes to complete paperwork requirements; staffing; and follow-up with doctors, other home health team members, and other service providers. This observational cross-sectional study was conducted among Kentucky Medicare and Medicaid certified home health agencies belonging to the Kentucky Home health Association. The necessary data to determine average daily registered nursing patient visits productivity for home health agencies by organizational type was obtained from information in the Kentucky Semi-Annual Home Health Services Report 1991-2. The statistical technique, one-way analysis of variance, was used to analyze whether there were differences in the patient visit productivity outcomes for the home health registered nurses. No significant differences were found. The second part of this study involved surveying the study population to determine the effect that overall average daily registered nursing patient visits productivity had on nursing employment and patient care and service quality indicators. The survey instrument was subjected to a peer review evaluation team process to improve its validity before administration. The questionnaires were mailed to the study population during March 1993. The questionnaire return rate was 63.86%. Results of the survey were demonstrated in regular frequency distribution tables. The questionnaire results demonstrated that in some of the nursing employment and patient care and service areas for quality indicators, differences may exist. Some of the home health organizational types place more emphasis in some quality areas than in others. For example, hospital-based home health agencies allow more time for orientation and in-service training, have more home health experienced registered nurses, provide more time for paperwork completion, and allow more time for follow-up activities.

Sexually active young men are at high risk of contracting HPV and developing genital warts and penile/anal cancers. They contribute significantly to the incidence of HPV in women. The HPV vaccine, Gardasil, was approved in 2009 for use in preventing HPV 6 and 11 in young males ages 9 to 26. Knowledge and awareness of the virus and the vaccine is limited among young men. Promoting education and prevention measures regarding HPV and reducing personal risks to HPV is significant in narrowing the gap between acquisition of the HPV virus and cancer sequelae. A correlational design utilizing cross-sectional survey methodology was used for this study. Seventy participants completed a HPV vaccine survey at a university in Southwestern United States. The survey measured their knowledge and acceptance of the HPV vaccine and their intention to be vaccinated. Male participants were likely to accept or consent to receive the vaccine however they reported low intent to actually get the HPV vaccine. Acceptance of the vaccine was greater among minorities and participants who reported regular doctor visits. Knowledge of HPV and HPV prevention was low. Young men may benefit from HPV vaccine educational marketing strategies that include enhancing their communication skills on HPV, the HPV vaccine and reducing risky sex behaviors.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1982.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (B.A. Hons.) -- University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 1977.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1995. / Includes tables. Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Elizabeth M. Maloney. Dissertation Committee: Herve Varenne. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-167).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1975.