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Biomedical subjects

K E Dennis

Publications and source records attributed to K E Dennis.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Beta-blocker therapy: identification and management of side effects.

The purpose of this study was to develop and test a new beta-Blocker Visual Analog Scale designed to identify and quantify the impact that the side effects of beta-blocker therapy have on people's lives, and the self-management practices people use to mediate their influence. Instruments included the 20-item beta-Blocker Visual Analog Scale and the Profile of Mood States. Subjects had hypertension; 51 men were involved in a larger study involving antihypertensive medications and exercise, and 19 men and women were receiving beta-blocker therapy as first-line drug of choice. Estimates of internal consistency reliability, content validity, and concurrent and discriminant validity were moderately strong. The most problematic side effects were related to lack of sleep, vivid or active dreams, lack of energy and pep, diminished interest in sexual activity, and changes in vision. Among self-management practices used to mediate side effects were planning rest and activity periods, thinking carefully before reacting, and seeking out others for support.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1989

Identifying nursing research priorities: a first step in program development.

This study determined nursing research priorities and focused on the development of a nursing research program within a single institution. Of the 715 nurses within the Department of Nursing, 286 (40%) responded to the first round of a two-round Delphi technique, and 137 (48%) responded to the second. The following clinical priorities were determined: prevention and treatment of pressure sores, pain management, treatment of nosocomial infections, and patient education. Nonclinical priorities included staffing and its effects on turnover and patient care, job satisfaction, and factors influencing the quality of nursing care. Serendipitous findings underscored the relevance of the Department of Nursing's conceptual framework to nursing practice and research, revealed the need for dissemination of current research results, and suggested that nurses want to participate in research without assuming responsibility beyond their expertise.

Delphi Technique↗
PubMed1987

The clinical nurse researcher: institutionalizing the role.

The role of the clinical nurse researcher is central to the conduct of clinically relevant research and the integration of research findings into nursing practice, particularly within inpatient settings. Interviews with clinical nurse researchers revealed that implementation of the role occured under four major models: nursing research unit, dual roles, collaborative roles, and functional role division. Organizational and colleague support were critical to the visibility and viability of the clinical nurse researcher role.

Health Facilities↗
PubMed1986

Q methodology: relevance and application to nursing research.

Q methodology is a unique research tradition with an epistemology and technique that is much more than the Q-sort form of instrumentation used to gather data. Developed to explore and understand the richness of human subjectivity, Q methodology, with its emphasis on the individual, is relevant to many substantive areas of scientific inquiry within nursing. This article presents an overview of the technique and delineates special considerations for implementing Q methodological investigations.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Florence Nightingale: yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Nurses today continue to incorporate in their practice the insight and foresight of Florence Nightingale, although her clinical acumen and the historical tie are seldom recognized or documented. Qualitative research data that describe good nursing practice from the perspectives of nurses and physicians reflect the relevance and timeliness of Nightingale's century-old yet visionary works to the practice of nursing as it exists in contemporary hospitals. In both eras, the patient is the focal point of nursing care, as nurses concern themselves with disease prevention, health promotion, the physical environment, and psychosocial processes.

Environmental Health↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Optimization of estrogen growth response in MCF-7 cells.

The factors involved in estradiol-17 beta induced growth stimulation of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells have been examined. Wild type MCF-7 cells (and clone E3) were shown to undergo slow growth in phenol-red-free medium containing specific calf sera. The E3 clone was used to document a mean 6-day growth stimulation of 3.35-fold (doubling time = 33 +/- 3 h) in cultures supplemented with 10(-11) M estradiol-17 beta. The serum batch utilized in the culture medium is most important in acquiring significant growth stimulation of MCF-7 cells by estradiol-17 beta. Regardless of the absence of phenol-red, only selected sera (2 out of 14 tested) supported minimal growth of MCF-7 cells in the absence of added estradiol 17 beta (doubling time = 55 +/- 11 h). When a calf-serum-supplemented culture failed to display a complete growth response to estradiol-17 beta, it was due to the rapid growth of the cells in the control (minus estradiol-17 beta) flasks. Sera that promoted shorter doubling times for MCF-7 cells cultured in the absence of estradiol-17 beta were rendered less supportive of growth if treated with dextran-coated charcoal or when cultures were supplemented with the estrogen antagonist ICI 164,384 (10(-7) M). Pooled extracts of these sera were shown to contain stimulatory levels of estradiol-17 beta. Dextran-coated charcoal treatment of sera removed or deactivated factors (other than estradiol-17 beta) which were not only required for the growth of MCF-7 cells, but were necessary for estrogen-stimulated growth. Varying the serum-containing medium, buffer, and nutrient mix or the addition of insulin has no effect on the growth response of these cells to estradiol-17 beta. These investigations document the culture conditions required to produce a maximal and consistent proliferative effect of E2 on MCF-7 cells without exposing the serum constituent to damaging chemical or absorbent agents.

Blood↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Components of the doctoral curriculum that build success in the clinical nurse researcher role.

Increasing numbers of hospitals and medical centers are creatively allocating positions for clinical nurse researchers. Since this type of position offers an outstanding opportunity to develop and test nursing theory, as well as to conduct and apply nursing research, it is important that doctoral programs provide students with the skills required to implement a research role within the context of a hospital organization. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how doctoral programs in nursing can develop the foundation graduates need to implement the clinical nurse researcher role, not necessarily by revising the curriculum, but by adding occasional single seminars, guiding students to specific learning experiences, and deliberately emphasizing the links between course content and role applications.

Clinical Nursing Research↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Patients' control and the information imperative: clarification and confirmation.

This study is a replication and extension of research on the types of activities which contribute to patients' sense of control during their hospitalization. The original research involving two samples, each consisting of 30 medical-surgical patients in a military medical facility, revealed that in addition to being informed, patients found control through fulfilling the patient role, being involved in decision-making processes, and directing interpersonal and environmental interactions (Dennis, 1987). Through a similar use of Q-methodology, this sample of 30 adults, hospitalized with a greater diversity of medical-surgical diagnosis in a civilian medical center, demonstrated control-related perspectives that were similar to their military medical center counterparts. Information about diagnosis, treatment, and the lifestyle implications of the disease process was central to facilitating patients' sense of control. Data from the 90 subjects comprising all three subsamples across both studies were integrated through second-order factor analysis, a procedure unique to Q-methodology. This analysis clarified and confirmed four types of patient control orientations: patient role fulfillment, health care decision making, personal integrity preservation, and global self-determination.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Dimensions of client control.

The purposes of this study were to identify activities that give patients a sense of control during their hospitalization and to characterize the kinds of people who find control in various ways. Bandura's (1977) social learning theory and the relationship between control and stress formed the theoretical framework; Q methodology was central to implementation and replication of the descriptive design. Consistent with Q methodology, major and replication samples were purposively selected, each consisting of 30 medical-surgical inpatients of both sexes, ranging from 24 to 75 years of age. Instruments used were the Client Control Q Set, Health Opinion Survey (HOS), a demographic data form, and a semi-structured interview. Q factor analysis and the construction of factor arrays resulted in three dimensions of client control in the original data set which replicated and were supported by interview and HOS data. These orthogonal dimensions were: knowing and fulfilling the patient role, being involved in making decisions, and directing interpersonal and environmental components. A theme common to all dimensions was the importance patients attached to having cognitive control over diagnostic tests, surgery, and treatment and to understanding concomitant life-style implications. Identification of the kinds of people who find control in various ways remains elusive, although patients hospitalized for diagnosis and/or treatment of cancer were predominant among those who wanted to be involved in making decisions.

Adult↗