Nursing Undergraduate Theses

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    Parents’ Lived Experience with a Child Who Has Asthma
    (2008) Ramberg, Courtney
    In the past year, more than four million parents brought their children to the hospital with asthma symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. Purpose: To increase knowledge and understanding of the experience for mothers caring with a child who has asthma. Demographics: Three women who have a child with asthma. Type of Study: Phenomenological method using Giorgi’s method of analysis. Data Collection: Closed session with in-depth interviews. Findings: The themes of this study were Vigilant Watching, Increase Parental Responsibility, and Lack of Knowledge and Education. Most mothers had a heightened sense of responsibility and feeling of guilt. They were cautious about making sure their child had an inhaler or a nebulizer. The mothers stated the importance of education and being able to better care for their child by having relaxation and breathing techniques available for their child. Nursing Implications: The information in this study will increase nurse’s awareness and understanding of how children living with asthma and their parents cope with the everyday stressors and more specifically the importance of medication administration. Generalization: The findings cannot be generalized to all parents living with a child who has asthma. More studies can be done on a larger scale to get more representative results.
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    The Forgotten Tool of Breastfeeding Success: Cup-Feeding the Infant Who is Struggling to Breastfeed
    (2020) Baer, Marissa; Burkholder, Stephanie; Krutar, Meredith; Wagner, Katherine
    Though a mother’s body is ready to provide nourishment through breastfeeding after birth, not every infant may be ready to feed at the breast. Cup feeding is one of many tools that can be used to support successful breastfeeding. A cup (e.g. medicine cup, bottle lid, paladai cup) is placed to the infant’s lips to simulate the natural suckswallow-breath pattern and to allow the infant’s own control of intake. The World Health Organization recommends cup feeding as a tool for infants who require an alternative feeding method. However, whether cup feeding has actually been implemented into practice or recommended by healthcare providers remains unclear. The objective of this study was to inquire if cup feeding has been recommended to mothers in Lewis & Clark County, MT compared to Snohomish County, WA as a tool to increase breastfeeding success. Using a convenience sample, surveys (either paper or online) were completed by over 200 mothers between November 2019 and March 2020. The survey was anonymous, offered in English or Spanish, and asked mothers to answer questions about their demographics, past maternal history, and experiences with breastfeeding and cup feeding. Very few mothers in both counties have been offered or suggested cup feeding as a tool to help with breastfeeding. The majority of participants in the study reported being open to cup feeding if educated on cup feeding benefits. Therefore, the results suggest that there is an interest in cup feeding but a lack of implementation and education regarding it as a tool for breastfeeding success.
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    Space Race, Siri and the Central Dogma: A Contemporary Nursing Analysis of Antibiotics Resistance
    (2019-04-01) Lucibello, Donovan; Jennifer Glowienka; Stefanie Otto-Hitt; Janet Johnson
    In the age of information, antibiotic resistance is still a black-box problem in clinical practice; pathogens are often defined in terms of which pharmaceuticals are no longer effective, and treatment protocols are prescribed prophylactically; often at strengths that are in excess of what is known about the pathogen’s susceptibilities or even its identity. All antibiotic resistance mechanisms involve the expression of proteins that provide resistance capabilities. These modified proteins should be detectable by analyzing DNA (or RNA intermediates) that code for them in order to determine a pathogen’s threat profile. Next-Generation and nanopore DNA sequencing technologies are capable of delivering prompt identity and virulence capabilities for bacterial pathogens, thereby delivering precise information for prescribing appropriate antibiotic solutions. Nursing is well positioned to deliver evidence-based care to patients by advocating for rapid empirical diagnoses where possible.
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    The Lived Experience of Multiple Sclerosis: A Qualitative Study
    (2006-04-01) Kossler, Kelsey; Joni Walton; Jocie Waldron; Annette Moran
    The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experience of people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a degenerative neurological disease. This phenomenological study used Georgi's Method to analyze the data obtained from the audio tape-recorded interviews of three individuals with MS. The data was then grouped into six themes that were common within each of the participants' interviews. The following themes illustrate the participants' experience of living with MS: (a) seeking an explanation for symptoms, (b) financing and familial concerns, (c) identifying supportive relationships, (d) establishing trust with the Ml physician, (e) adapting to change, and (f) rejecting the MS label. These themes may provide nurses and other health care workers with knowledge and understanding of the struggles that patients with MS face. Using these themes as tools may help nurses to educate newly diagnosed MS patients about common feelings and struggles that have been felt by others diagnosed with the disease.
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    The Experience of Families Living with a Child with Type I Diabetes
    (2008-04-01) Franchini, Joni
    The goal of aggressive treatment for type 1 diabetes mellitus is the prevention of chronic neuropathic complications that are most notably related to metabolic alterations of hyperglycemia. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a deep understanding of the lived experience among children and their families with type 1 diabetes in relation to care and knowledge of diabetic neuropathy. This is a qualitative study, based on phenomenological research, which describes experiences as they are lived. The study consisted of three families; each with a child diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for more than one year and one individual who developed type 1 later in life. The participants of the study described living with diabetes as affecting all aspects of life from activities, meal times, daily routines, and food provided in the home. Many of the families felt isolated and abandoned in maintaining care for their child with diabetes by healthcare providers; furthermore, knowledge related to complications was reflective of fear rather than understanding and prevention. Nursing implications for this study include increased support and education about acute and chronic complications of diabetes as well as access to new medications and care practice for families.