Biomedical subjects

E M Slocumb

Publications and source records attributed to E M Slocumb.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

A measure of critical care nurses' post-code stress.

AIM: The purpose of this research was to develop an instrument to measure critical care nurses' post-code stress and then to examine the psychometric properties. BACKGROUND: Critical care nurses experience stress from multiple sources. One source of stress may arise from participation in resuscitation attempts and this has been labelled post-code stress; however, no means exist for measuring this source of stress. DESIGN/METHOD: In phase 1, 47 items were developed and submitted to a panel of experts for content validity. Based on content experts' ratings, 20 items were retained for phase 2 instrument testing. To test the instrument, a convenience sample of critical care nurses was obtained from four institutions in north-eastern United States. Each nurse received the Post-Code Stress Scale and completed it anonymously. A subsample completed the Post-Code Stress Scale a second time to assess stability reliability. The Nursing Stress Scale was also administered to assess construct validity. RESULTS/FINDINGS: An exploratory principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation suggested five dimensions to post-code stress. These five dimensions accounted for 66% of the variance and indicated that stress arose from feeling discomposed, oppressed, uncertain, burdened and morally conflicted. The Pearson product moment correlation between the Post-Code Stress Scale and the Nursing Stress Scale was 0.46, providing preliminary evidence of construct validity. Internal consistency reliability estimates for the five-factor subscales ranged from 0.57 to 0.77 with only one factor being <0.70. The internal consistency reliability estimate for the final 14 items on the scale was 0.79. CONCLUSIONS: The instrument shows promise as a measure of post-code stress based on the evidence obtained in this study; however, further psychometric testing is warranted.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Factors influencing safer sexual behaviors in heterosexual late adolescent and young adult collegiate males.

An exploratory study examined variables characterized as predisposing to the practice of safe sexual behaviors. A sample of 227 male subjects from a state-supported university in southeastern New England returned questionnaires anonymously that contained demographic questions and instruments to measure the study variables. After removing two variables for low internal consistency reliabilities, the remaining five were entered simultaneously into a multiple regression equation. The variables captured 21% of the variance. The direction and magnitude of the statistically significant standardized beta weights are as follows: attitude toward condoms, .41; internal health locus of control, .22; and self-esteem, -.16. These attitudes and characteristics can be incorporated into interventions to reduce sexual exposure to HIV.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1994

Mode of acquiring AIDS and nurses' intention to provide care.

The intention of 322 staff nurses to provide care to male patients who acquired AIDS either through sexual activity with males, sexual activity with females, sharing needles, or a blood transfusion was examined. For each mode of acquiring AIDS, respondents indicated their intent to perform 11 care-giving behaviors, whether they were comfortable performing the behaviors, and if they felt in danger by performing the behaviors. No statistically significant differences related to mode of acquiring AIDS were found in nurses' intention to provide care. Comfort was the only significant predictor of intent to provide care.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1994

Myocardial infarction mortality in the hospital: an exploration of time of death and age.

BACKGROUND: Death is a common complication from myocardial infarction, although little information exists about the pattern of mortality from myocardial infarction and factors associated with this pattern. OBJECTIVES: To identify the periods of greater-than-expected mortality from myocardial infarction in hospitalized patients and to determine whether an association exists between time of death and age of the patient. METHODS: A convenience sample of 1045 death certificates that met selection criteria was reviewed. Time of death and age were documented as they appeared on the death certificate. Data were analyzed by log-linear analysis. RESULTS: Frequency of mortality was determined to be greater than expected between 6 and 6:59 AM, 9 and 9:59 AM and 7 and 7:59 PM. The interaction between time of death and age was statistically significant. DISCUSSION: The periods of greater-than-expected mortality coincide with periods when nurses are occupied with other functions and also coincide with temporal patterns of physiologic events. CONCLUSIONS: A temporal pattern of mortality from myocardial infarction existed for this study. Age was found to be associated with time of death.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed1993

Nurses' attitudes toward patients with AIDS.

To determine whether nurses possess differing attitudes toward AIDS patients depending on how the person acquired the virus, four semantic differential scales, each containing a different mode of acquiring the virus, were developed for this project. All possible combinations of two different scales were created and resulted in six forms that were randomly distributed to currently employed nurses from two south-eastern New England community hospitals in the USA. A total of 357 (39.1%) responded to the questionnaire. Paired t-test was used to examine the two means generated by each form. Bonferroni t procedure was applied to correct for multiple comparisons. For each form, significant differences were found in nurses' attitudes toward AIDS patients according to the mode of acquiring the virus.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1991

A practical approach to content validation.

Often researchers are unable to find instruments to estimate variables they want to investigate. Once the variable of interest has been defined and operationalized, demonstrating content validity is the next step in the instrument development process. It requires that experts confirm that the operational definitions created are congruent with the universe of the theoretical definition of the concept. Grounded in appropriate standards and psychometric theory, the process of content validation is explored. Helpful suggestions are provided for the development of a form, the selection of experts, and the collection and analysis of data. The guidelines and examples presented offer a set of blueprints to assist the nurse researcher with a practical approach to the content validation process.

Delphi Technique↗

PubMed1990

Collaborative nursing research between novices: productivity through partnership.

After graduation from a doctoral program, the novice requires continued development of research skills. Although a mentor may prove beneficial, not all neophyte researchers will be employed at institutions with seasoned nurse researchers. In this situation, the development of a peer association may promote career development and success. Based on the authors' personal experience, this article discusses a collaborative effort between novice researchers that led to development of research skills and improved scholarly productivity.

Education, Nursing, Graduate↗