Master's Papers
This collection contains theses, scholarly papers, and papers-in-lieu-of-thesis that have been previously un-disseminated, cataloged in university library/repository collections, and/or that have appeared in the ProQuest database. These items have not gone through the Sigma Repository's peer-review process, but have been accepted by the indicated academic institution in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the specified degree.
The Sigma Repository has received express permission from the authors as copyright holders to post the items in this collection, or the authors have self-submitted. Copyright remains vested with the authors.
The views, research findings, and opinions expressed in these materials are not necessarily held or endorsed by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, or the Sigma Repository.
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Copyright remains vested with the author(s).
Recent Submissions
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Nurses' experience of family-centered rounds in the intensive care unit
A paradigm shift in the Canadian healthcare system has transitioned the patient and family from care recipients to integral and valued members of the multidisciplinary team. Implementation of family-centered care within ... -
The impact of leadership behavior on employee engagement: A qualitative study
Employee engagement has been shown by previous researchers to improve the quality of work that is produced. Previous researchers have focused on how various leadership styles impact engagement. Researchers have revealed ... -
Hopelessness and spiritual well-being in persons with HIV infection
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between hopelessness and spiritual well-being in a population of persons diagnosed to be Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) positive. Demographic variables were ... -
Gatekeeping access to emergency departments: A survey of HMO policies
The purpose of this study is: (1) to determine if the practice of "gatekeeping" to control access to emergency departments by clients is a prevalent practice in nationwide Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs}; (2) to ... -
Comparison of QT and QTc interval measurements from bedside electrocardiograms between expert nurses, bedside nurses, and computerized measurements: A pilot study
Introduction: Prolongation of the QT/QTc (heart rate corrected) >500 milliseconds (msec) measured on the electrocardiogram (ECG) in hospitalized patients is associated with torsade de pointes (TdP). While some bedside ... -
Deprivation of liberty relating to detention in Irish residential care centres for the older person; A legal and ethical analysis
People enter residential care for a wide variety of reasons, with many people stating they would prefer to live in their own homes. Lack of community resources may lead to an older person entering residential care against ... -
Low income housing residents' perceived competency regarding hypertension and diabetes
People of African-American ethnicity are affected by hypertension and diabetes at alarming rates. Prevalence of hypertension and diabetes is thought to be the result of many different factors. When considering why each or ... -
The health impacts of nursing shift work
This descriptive pilot study was intended to evaluate negative outcomes of shift work stress in nursing. Objective analysis of waist-hip-circumference ratios (WHR) and subjective survey reports were utilized to assess ... -
Health service cost and use associated with advance directive documentation among patients with COPD
Little available research has focused on the question of whether advanced-careplanning has the potential to impact health-care related spending especially in patients with chronic and incurable conditions such as Chronic ... -
The missing concept to improve the nursing process: A quality management system
Quality in the healthcare industry has been gaining much importance in the last two decades. Every health professional is carefully trained to provide high quality service. Historically, healthcare providers have done their ... -
Preparing new nurses to improve the systems in which they work: A matter of degree or skillset?
The multitude of players, rules, and economic factors involved in organizing and delivering healthcare in the US today requires a highly skilled workforce, who can go above and beyond excellence at the practitioner level ... -
Evaluating psychiatric nursing competencies applied to emergency settings: A pilot role delineation study
Aims: 1) To examine emergency department (ED) nurses’ reports of a) frequency b) importance and c) self-efficacy related to the application of recommended psychiatric nursing competencies in three domains (i.e., ... -
Racial disparity in health insurance acquisition in the state of California
Racial disparity continues to be a struggle in America. The main purpose of this project was to determine whether there is a relationship between race and the acquisition of health insurance in adult residents of California ... -
Assessing the influences on rural women's reproductive life plans: A cross-sectional descriptive study
Rural women’s unique personal, social, cultural, and economic characteristics influence their health care decision-making processes. To assess the influences on rural women and their Reproductive Life Plans, a ... -
Nursing documentation environment in the hospital setting
Nurses often document in open nurses’ stations exposed to frequent interruptions. Much has been written on the need to limit distractions while collecting and administering medications but little has been published ... -
The role and responsibility of the nurse in caring for the dying patient
The problem undertaken in this study was to learn the specific nursing functions a selected sample of registered nurses performed in an effort to meet the needs of the dying patient and how adequate they felt in performing ... -
Barriers and facilitators to the completion of advance directives in healthy, non-healthcare employed adults aged 45-65
Background: The Patient Self-­‐Determination Act -­‐-­‐ passed in 1991 -­‐-­‐ requires staff in health care facilities -­‐-­‐ such as skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, home health services ... -
A registered nurse's understanding of pressure ulcer prevention and treatment
The goal of this study was to determine what registered nurses’ understanding of the prevention and treatment options for pressure ulcers currently is and do those registered nurses need additional education or ... -
Suffragettes for cesareans: "Every woman should have a choice"
Patient choice for caesarean delivery (CD) is complex. This choice poses a challenge to Health Care Providers (HCPs) in terms of resource allocation, economics, and surgical risks. Yet, women’s understanding of choice ... -
The effect of patient activation on transition clinic adherence
Heart failure (HF) affects more than five million Americans and is one of the most commonly occurring reasons for admission to the hospital among adults aged 65 and over. Evidence is growing that the higher amount of patient ...