Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / In general terms it is hoped that this study will add in some small measure to the ever growing body of knowledge in the field of personality adjustment and human inter-relationships. Perhaps it will serve to broaden the scope of our general understanding of emotional illness, its relation to marital or family situations, and its effect tpon the significant figures in the patient's life. [TRUNCATED]

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / This study was concerned with the methods by which members of the nursing staffs of four selected hospitals become aware of official notices from the nursing offices of the respective hospitals. It was further concerned with the effectiveness of the methods in use as determined by the numbers of persons in each hospital who were aware of a specific notice.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / The main purpose of this study is to discover the attitudes of parents toward play and to reveal how they recognize the play needs of their children at home and in the hospital. Play, especially in the preschool period, is an integral part of every child's life and necessary for his continuing development. The child entering the hospital brings with him his everyday needs along with those presented by his particular illness. Thus play as a tool for the child's growth and as a medium for expression of feeling would seem even more important in the potentially traumatic hospital setting. [TRUNCATED]

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Transition of the newly qualified nurses from an educational focus to professional practitioner has long been identified as a conflicted time of critical personal and professional adjustment and staggering reality shock. This study explored the experiences of newly qualified R425 professional nurses during their first year of practice in the Eastern Cape Province at three selected hospitals. The study followed a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive design using a phenomenological approach. The sample included newly qualified professional nurses in their first year of employment. Convenience sampling was used to select the participants. Data collection was conducted by means of semi-structured interviews from ten (n=10) participants. Each interview took about 45 minutes. Ethical codes of research were followed. Data was coded manually and analyzed using content analysis Four themes and seven subthemes emerged from the data collected The findings revealed positive experiences such as sense of belonging and feelings of independence; negative experiences such as feelings of rejection, as well as management challenges The study identified challenges which impacted on the performance of new nurses, namely shortage of human and material resources and inadequate support in the working environment Recommendation: Introducing mandatory education by service institutions on transition as well as extended, sequential and structured orientation and mentoring programs for newly qualified professional nurses as this will assist them in their career development Managers to use different strategies in enhancing quality environments in order to reduce frustration for these newly qualified nurses.

M.Cur. / By studying the literature, the use of the computer in the administration of health services and a nursing unit in overseas countries, was described. Criteria were set to measure the use of the computer in a South African hospital. The research done, showed that the computer is not used to its full capacity and that the nursing staff has a need for the better use of the computer. Aspects that need attention are the methods of communication, record keeping and the duplication of records as well as personnel administration and the relevant record keeping ...

A sample of motor vehicle accident victims hospitalized at Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, was chosen to analyze the relationship between hospital costs and the severity of the patient's injury or illness. Severity was measured using two scales, specifically, the Injury Severity Scale and the Abbreviated Injury Scale. Hospital costs were also measured, using two different methodologies. The first was the Per Diem costs that were derived by dividing all related annual costs by the number of patient separation days in 1975. A Per Diem episodic cost was determined by multiplying length of stay by the daily average cost. The second approach used a step-down technique that distributed all non-patient care related hospital services across direct patient care departments, cost centres or programs. Unit costs were then developed for each cost centre, depending upon their annual workload. The 1975 medical record for each patient in the sample was analyzed to determine the number of work units used in each cost centre during the patient's hospital stay. A Step-Down episodic cost was determined by totalling all costs from each cost centre that provided services to the patient. A paired t-Test did not show a significant difference between the Per Diem and Step-Down episodic costs. It was assumed that the range of severity of the patient in the sample weakened this t-Test, severity measured by I.S.S. was grouped in low, medium, and high categories, or when severity was measured by A.I.S., the paired t-Test did show that there was a significant difference in the two costing methodologies. The regression analysis identified a significant relationship between both episodic costs and severity. The strongest relationship occurred when severity was measured by I.S.S. and costs were determined, using the Step-Down methodology (R² = 0.26, F = 35.45). When other related independent variables (i.e., death as outcome and operation not performed) and all interaction terms were introduced, the regression co-efficient increased to R² = 0.45 and the F value increased to F = 24.9. Recommendations were made to include a severity rating on all hospitalized patients' records to assist in patient classification. A final outcome of this study was identifying the value of a Step-Down approach to determining hospital costs and identifying the limitations of the Per Diem methodology of hospital accounting. / Medicine, Faculty of / Population and Public Health (SPPH), School of / Graduate

The purpose of this study is to describe the communication networks in the emergency department of a large general hospital. , The system was composed of 104 full-time permanent staff members, from the Director to the Cleaners. A data-set, using a roster-type questionnaire and demographic data sheet, was collected. The data were processed using a network analysis programme compiled by William Richards Jr. Analysis showed that the system was structured as follows: Network 1, Getting The Job Done - .353, Network 2, planning or innovations - .294, and Network 3, socialization or tension relief - .311. Where 0.0 indicates complete randomness and 1.0 indicates complete structuring. Two distinct groups were identified and found to be a function of the geographical space in which the members carry out their activities: namely, the psychiatric assessment unit and the remainder of the emergency department. It was concluded that communication networks in the emergency department are closely knit, reflecting the intense activities of the tasks carried on there, as well as the overlapping of multiple shifts and rotations. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Nursing, School of / Graduate