The self as role model in health promotion scale: development and testing.

Historically, nurses have been expected to be role models of health promotion, conceptualized and operationalized narrowly and indirectly as the practice of healthy behaviors. The purpose of the current study was to develop and test an instrument (The Self as Role Model for Health Promotion [the SARMHEP]) to measure nurses' perceptions of themselves as role models. Data were collected from nurses working in public health, nursing education, and general practice with a 56% return rate.

Living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: insiders' perspectives.

Aim: This paper reports a study of the experiences of older adults with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with the aim of gaining an understanding of how the disease had affected their lives.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a major personal and public health burden and is the fifth cause of mortality worldwide. The brief encounters that healthcare professionals have with patients in hospitals, physicians' offices and other outpatient settings are insufficient to be able to truly understand the challenges that people face in the attempt to integrate a chronic illness into their lives.

Nurses' beliefs about family presence during resuscitation.

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore the beliefs and experiences of RNs about family presence (FP) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Ten RNs with a minimum of 4 years of clinical experience working in diverse acute care units provided data for the study. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method.

Nursing structure, processes, and patient outcomes in army medical centers.

The purpose of this study was to describe patient outcomes in Army Medical Centers, identify differences in outcomes between mixed medical-surgical bed and specialty intensive care units (ICUs), and explore predictive models for outcomes attributable to nursing structure and processes. Data were collected from 138 patients and 103 nurses in four medical-surgical and four ICUs in two Army Medical Centers. Significant differences for unit type were found for length of stay and patient satisfaction with nursing care.

Nurses as imperfect role models for health promotion.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover ways in which nurses describe themselves as health-promoting role models. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with nurses working in a variety of settings. Transcribed interviews were analyzed thematically.

Evaluating the effects of an educational symposium on knowledge, impact, and self-management of older african americans living with osteoarthritis.

The purpose of the study1 was to determine the effects of a 1-day educational symposium on knowledge, impact, and self-management of older African Americans living with osteoarthritis (OA). A 1-group pre- and posttest design was employed. The educational symposium was the intervention variable.

Older adults with osteoarthritis. Psychological status and physical function.

The purpose of this study was to identify how sociodemographic characteristics such as age, race, and socioeconomic status; psychosocial factors of hardiness, health promotion practices, and social support; health status; and pain are related to the ability of older, community-residing individuals with osteoarthritis (OA) to maintain psychological equilibrium and physical function. A total of 81 older adults with OA completed a survey that included a sociodemographic data form, a hardiness scale, a measure of health promoting practices, and five subscales from the Arthritis Impact Measure Scale 2 on social support, general health status, pain, and psychological status and physical function. Analyses using multiple regression showed that hardiness, pain, and social support were significant contributors to psychological status and physical function and, respectively, accounted for 53% and 54% of the variance.

The effect of communication on nursing student outcomes in a Web-based course.

This study compared the effectiveness of different instructional communication methods in a Web-based course on students' cognitive learning, satisfaction, and motivation to complete the course. A total of 174 undergraduate nursing students were selected randomly and assigned to experimental or control groups. Instruments included a demographic data form, two examinations on course material, a course satisfaction scale, and calculation of completion rates.

How nurses learn advocacy.

Purpose: To describe how nurses develop the skill of advocating for patients.

Design & Methods: Hermeneutic phenomenological research methods. Both reserve and active U.

Characteristics of nurses and hospital work environments that foster satisfaction and clinical expertise.

Objective: The purpose of this aspect of a larger study was to describe characteristics of nurses and their work environment at two military hospitals.

Background: Few studies have explored characteristics among nurses who practice in military hospitals. There is reason to believe that differences exist between nurses who work in military and civilian hospitals, some of which are required educational level, leadership experience, officer status, and career development opportunities.