Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S E Ward

Publications and source records attributed to S E Ward.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

The common sense model: an organizing framework for knowledge development in nursing.

The common sense model emphasizes the importance of persons' perceptions or beliefs about their health and illness, and has potential for guiding knowledge development in nursing. This paper describes the model, reviews the existing relevant literature, and organizes the literature within the framework of the model. Suggestions are made as to how the model can be used for further research in nursing.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1991

1990 census round: meeting users' needs is seen as key to successful dissemination.

"Dissemination and marketing of census products were...major topics at the Thirteenth Population Census Conference of census directors from the Asian-Pacific region, held in Honolulu in December 1990. Drawing upon papers presented at the conference,...this article describes technological developments and marketing techniques being used in the region to increase the demand for census information."

Advertising↗
PubMed1990

High incidence of cardiomyopathy in beta-thalassaemia patients receiving regular transfusion and iron chelation: reversal by intensified chelation.

Cardiac scintigraphy has been performed in 60 beta-thalassaemia major patients aged 8-35 years who received regular blood transfusions and subcutaneous desferrioxamine (DFX) chelation. Fifty-seven showed no clinical, radiological or electrocardiographic evidence of heart disease and 3 had clinically apparent cardiac failure. Twenty-two patients (37%) showed severe cardiac functional impairment defined by a resting left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) less than 45% and/or a drop of greater than 12% on stress, while 19 were normal and 19 had a mild abnormality. There was no significant correlation between abnormality of LVEF and age, serum ferritin, number of units transfused, dose and duration of subcutaneous DFX therapy, liver disease or sexual maturation. Non-compliant patients (defined as the use of subcutaneous DFX less than 4 times weekly) generally showed worse cardiac function. Repeat study on 17 patients after 6-28 months of better compliance with subcutaneous or intravenous DFX (using an indwelling catheter) showed a significant overall improvement in LVEF associated with a significant drop in serum ferritin. We conclude that cardiac scintigraphy uncovers a high incidence of cardiac functional abnormality in asymptomatic, well-transfused thalassaemia patients, particularly those poorly compliant with chelation. Those with poor LVEF results should be offered intensive chelation therapy to improve cardiac function.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Caregiving demands and appraisal of stress among family caregivers.

Ambulatory treatment for cancer has increased patients' self-care requirements and placed demands on family members to manage the illness and treatment side effects at home. This exploratory study was undertaken to assess family caregiving demands (load) and to examine caregivers' appraisals of the illness/caregiving experience. Forty-seven persons involved in the care of patients receiving radiotherapy for cancer were observed. Appraisal of stress was measured with the Appraisal of Caregiving Scale (ACS). This newly developed measure, derived from cognitive appraisal theory, is designed to assess the intensity of four possible appraisals of caregiving: harm/loss, threat, challenge, or benign. Participants also completed the Caregiver Load Scale, a measure of the time spent in caregiving activities. Satisfactory reliabilities were obtained for both measures. Family caregivers reported spending the most time in providing transportation, giving emotional support, and in extra household tasks. They received the most assistance from family and friends, and made minimal use of professional services. Caregiver load was correlated positively with the length of time on treatment and with patient dependency. Caregivers in the poorest health, those with less education, and those of lower socioeconomic status had higher scores on the ACS appraisals of harm/loss and threat. Older caregivers had significantly higher challenge and benign appraisals. There was a strong positive correlation between caregiver load and the harm/loss and threat appraisals. Findings suggest a need for frequent reassessment of demands on family caregivers throughout the course of treatment and offer direction for future research.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Reducing acute confusional states in elderly patients with hip fractures.

The extent to which the incidence of postoperative acute confusional states could be reduced in elderly (greater than or equal to age 60) patients with hip fractures was tested. Interpersonal and environmental nursing interventions were carried out with 57 patients on orthopedic units in three hospitals. The incidence of confusion was reduced from 51.5% in the comparison group (n = 170) to 43.9%. Analysis that controlled for risk factors in the two groups showed the drop in incidence to be significant (p less than .02). The most effective interventions appeared to be those that provided orientation and clarification, corrected sensory deficit, and increased continuity of care.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

Responding maintained under intermittent schedules of electric-shock presentation: "Safety" or schedule effects?

Four experiments were conducted in which lever pressing by squirrel monkeys was maintained under multiple, mixed, or chained schedules of electric-shock presentation. In the first two experiments, a multiple schedule was employed in which a fixed-interval schedule of shock presentation alternated with a signaled two-minute component. Initially, no events were scheduled during the two-minute component (a safety period). In the first experiment, the safety period was "degraded" by introducing and systematically increasing the frequency of periodic shocks presented during that component. In the second experiment, the proportion of overall safe time to unsafe time was decreased by decreasing the value of the fixed-interval schedule while holding constant shock frequency during the two-minute component. In the third experiment, the overall arrangement was changed from a multiple to a mixed schedule in an attempt to determine whether fixed-interval responding would be maintained when a single exteroceptive stimulus was associated with both components. In the fourth experiment, the overall arrangement was changed from a multiple to a chained schedule in an effort to determine whether fixed-interval responding would be maintained when its consequence was presentation of a signaled "unsafe" period. Fixed-interval responding was well maintained under all experimental conditions; the varied relationships obtained lend more support to conceptualizations of shock-maintained behavior as exemplifying schedule-controlled behavior than to suggestions that such behavior may be readily accounted for by "safety theory."

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Funding and socialization in the doctoral program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

This article describes the model of funding and socializing doctoral students that has been used by the School of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The goal of the Madison program is to educate persons who are capable of conducting research that will contribute to the scientific knowledge base of nursing. This goal is accomplished through immersing students in all aspects of the research process. Critical components of socialization are described. These include the mentor-student relationship, participation in a research group, and participation in informal discussions of faculty and students' research programs. The importance of establishing funding mechanisms and faculty work loads that support socialization is also emphasized.

Education, Nursing, Graduate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Patients' reactions to completion of adjuvant breast cancer therapy.

Thirty-eight women with breast cancer were studied to determine the psychological distress they experienced at the completion of adjuvant treatment. Measures were completed at the start of adjuvant chemotherapy, one week after chemotherapy was completed, and following completion of radiotherapy. Approximately 30% of the women reported the termination of treatment was upsetting. For the group as a whole, depression scores decreased significantly from the first to the last measurement. Those who were most upset by termination of treatment had been more depressed since the onset of treatment, tended to view their illness as chronic rather than acute, and had more side effects during their last cycle of chemotherapy. Some women stated they were upset by the termination of treatment per se, but many other problems were reported including side effects that had continued after treatment ended.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The role of the self in adjustment to cancer in elderly women.

One way that people may adjust to illness is through a redefinition of the self, especially with respect to the relationship between ideal self and actual self. To investigate psychological adjustment in community-dwelling elderly women, women with cancer (n = 17) were compared to women with other health problems (n = 30) based on measures of psychological distress and well-being, actual self, ideal self, and the discrepancy between actual self and ideal self. Women with cancer scored no differently than other women on measures of psychological well-being, psychological distress, and actual self, but their ideal-self ratings were lower. The positive adjustment of women with cancer may be the result of their ability to lower their ideal-self expectations, thereby reducing self-discrepancies that can result in psychological distress.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nurse and patient satisfaction with three types of venous access devices.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To examine patient and nurse satisfaction with three types of venous access devices (VADs)--port, Groshong (Bard Access Systems, Salt Lake City, UT), and Hicman (Bard Access Systems)--and to identify the problems and benefits experienced with each type of device. DESIGN: A descriptive, correlational quality-assurance study. SETTING: An outpatient oncology/hematology clinic in a midwestern United States academic hospital with a comprehensive cancer center. SAMPLE: A convenience sample of 85 patients who had a port, Groshong catheter, or Hickman catheter and the clinic nurses who provided their care. METHOD: Consecutive patients meeting study criteria were invited to complete self-report questionnaires at the time of their clinic visits. Clinic nurses who cared for these patients also completed questionnaires. FINDINGS: Patients' reports of benefits did not differ by device, but they reported fewer blood-drawing problems with ports than with Groshong on Hickman catheters. Patients and nurses reported infections and clots more often with Groshong catheters than with the other two devices, Patients indicated that healthcare workers seemed most knowledgeable about Hickman catheters. Patients with ports reported more problems with access to the device, development of hematomas, and anxiety. Nurses reported more flow rate problems with Groshong catheters than with Hickman catheters. Patients and nurses reported no flow rate problems with ports. CONCLUSIONS: Each device was associated with a specific problem, yet in the global satisfaction ratings, patients expressed the greatest satisfaction with Hickman catheters and ports. Nurses tended to be least satisfied with Groshong catheters. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Nurses need to ensure that other care providers have appropriate information on the care of VADs. This could be accomplished via written instructions on VAD care and followup telephone calls to care providers. A need exists for continued patient education on VAD care to minimize complications. The selection of an appropriate VAD should be based on the patient's best interests rather than on nurses' preferences.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗