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Biomedical subjects

Linda S Smith

Publications and source records attributed to Linda S Smith.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Temperature measurement in critical care adults: a comparison of thermometry and measurement routes.

PURPOSE: To describe within- and between-subject mean differences between and among temperature sites (oral, axilla, PA) and instruments. METHODS: A convenience sample (N = 35) of volunteering, adult (> or = 18 years), 1st-day postcardiac surgery inpatients was obtained. Temperature-sensing instruments included Geratherm DataTherm and SolarTherm, and Abbott Opticath fiber optic PA catheters. For 21 min, simultaneous temperature readings (degrees C) at 4 temperature sites with 3 thermometry devices were monitored. RESULTS: Mean difference at 21 min PA and between DataTherm axilla and PA = 0.72 degrees C (SD 0.30); between PA and SolarTherm oral = 0.62 degrees C (SD 0.34); and between PA and SolarTherm axilla = 0.46 degrees C (SD 0.16). Temperature levels were not a factor relative to difference scores between study and reference devices. CONCLUSIONS: Both test devices, SolarTherm (an intermittent-use device) and DataTherm (a temperature-monitoring device), performed well, and correlated strongly with PA temperature assessments.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Teaching undergraduates how to write and submit a research manuscript.

Undergraduate nursing students have long been excluded from performing original theory-based nursing research due to severe time and work constraints. However, without actual research opportunities, students also lack research-writing experiences. This author describes successful strategies for teaching an undergraduate class how to write and submit a manuscript that describes an original research project.

Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate↗
PubMed2003

Reexamining age, race, site, and thermometer type as variables affecting temperature measurement in adults - A comparison study.

BACKGROUND: As a result of the recent international vigilance regarding disease assessment, accurate measurement of body temperature has become increasingly important. Yet, trusted low-tech, portable mercury glass thermometers are no longer available. Thus, comparing accuracy of mercury-free thermometers with mercury devices is essential. Study purposes were 1) to examine age, race, site as variables affecting temperature measurement in adults, and 2) to compare clinical accuracy of low-tech Galinstan-in-glass device to mercury-in-glass at oral, axillary, groin, and rectal sites in adults. METHODS: Setting 176 bed accredited healthcare facility, rural northwest USParticipants Convenience sample (N = 120) of hospitalized persons GreaterEqual; 18 years old.Instruments Temperatures ( degrees F) measured at oral, skin (simultaneous), immediately followed by rectal sites with four each mercury-glass (BD) and Galinstan-glass (Geratherm) thermometers; 10 minute dwell times. RESULTS: Participants averaged 61.6 years (SD 17.9), 188 pounds (SD 55.3); 61% female; race: 85% White, 8.3% Native Am., 4.2% Hispanic, 1.7 % Asian, 0.8% Black. For both mercury and Galinstan-glass thermometers, within-subject temperature readings were highest rectally; followed by oral, then skin sites. Galinstan assessments demonstrated rectal sites 0.91 degrees F > oral and FullEqual; 1.3 degrees F > skin sites. Devices strongly correlated between and across sites. Site difference scores between devices showed greatest variability at skin sites; least at rectal site. 95% confidence intervals of difference scores by site ( degrees F): oral (0.142 - 0.265), axilla (0.167 - 0.339), groin (0.037 - 0.321), and rectal (-0.111 - 0.111). Race correlated with age, temperature readings each site and device. CONCLUSION: Temperature readings varied by age, race. Mercury readings correlated with Galinstan thermometer readings at all sites. Site mean differences between devices were considered clinically insignificant. Still considered the gold standard, mercury-glass thermometers may no longer be available worldwide. Therefore, mercury-free, environmentally safe low-tech Galinstan-in-glass may be an appropriate replacement. This is especially important as we face new, internationally transmitted diseases.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Using low-tech thermometers to measure body temperatures in older adults. A pilot study.

Many studies compare temperature sites and equipment, but none have examined the validity of groin temperatures in older adults, or compared Galinstan-in-glass with mercury-in-glass thermometer products. The purpose of this pilot study was to collect and analyze data related to human body temperature monitoring in adults 50 and older. Groin temperature (Tg) was compared with simultaneous oral (To) and rectal (Tr) temperature measures for each participant using two thermometer types (i.e., mercury-in-glass and Galinstan-in-glass). A high degree of correlation was found among sites and devices. Further study will be needed to include a larger, more diverse study population for the Galinstan non-mercury thermometer devices. Further study will also be needed to assess various temperature assessment sites for a larger, more diverse study population (e.g., age, gender, race, disease state).

Aged↗
PubMed2003

The target-journal approach: teaching manuscript submission skills.

All of my students learned to appreciate the written contributions of others and to recognize their own responsibilities as consumers and writers of nursing literature. By preselecting one familiar target journal, students were able to learn the manuscript submission process, identify with their nurse-author colleagues, and perceive themselves as contributing members of the profession. I found this project to be fun for the teacher and students! Helping new writers see their names in print is an honor, an inspiration, and a total joy!

Authorship↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Increasing RN attendance at community-wide CE programs.

The author identifies specific chronological steps to follow when the need and desire is to increase RN attendance at continuing education (CE) programs. A brief discussion of why nurses choose not to attend CE offerings is followed by descriptions of topic discovery and collaboration. Important marketing principles and activities in using electronic, networking, postal, and media sources are described.

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