Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R York.
The United States ranks 20th in infant mortality among industrialized nations. This exceptionally high mortality rate primarily is attributable to the low-birth-weight rate. A reduction in infant mortality will require prevention of low-birth-weight births. Risk factors, social issues, and preventive services must be identified to effectively address the prevention of low-birth-weight births.
A major goal in management of pregnancies complicated with diabetes is strict control of blood glucose levels. After glucose control is achieved, home visits by the Perinatal Clinical Nurse Specialist (PCNS) who has advanced knowledge and skills in the management of high risk pregnancies can be invaluable. The PCNS systematically assesses the client's environment and its effects upon the client's ability to carry out the many therapeutic self-care demands associated with the diabetic pregnancy. These include the client's ability to: identify and act upon episodes of hypo- or hyperglycemia, monitor blood glucose levels, self-administer insulin, self-monitor fetal activity, and identify and act upon danger signs in pregnancy and signs of labor. The PCNS, by assessing and planning within the framework of the client's environment, facilitates continued control of diabetes as the woman makes the transition from the hospital to the home and/or work environment.
Various studies have been conducted which explore the different functions of the clinical nurse specialist (CNS). This study details the functions of CNSs providing direct patient care before and following hospital discharge of very low birthweight infants and effect on patient outcome. The study reports on CNS interactions with 36 families whose infants were discharged early from the hospital, and who received discharge planning, teaching, and home followup for 18 months.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Early discharge is becoming a practice as well as a goal for the acute care institution. It is essential that nursing investigate the effects of this shift in the care delivery site from the acute care institution to the home and community. Brooten et al. describe a research model designed to do just that. Transitional care, as this team calls it, may soon become familiar jargon in community health care.
To characterize the symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), the menstrual symptom calendars of 100 women diagnosed with PMS were factor-analyzed. Scores on 18 symptoms were recorded daily for one menstrual cycle prior to the women's first clinic visits. Two factors were found to predominate throughout the cycle: The first included emotional and behavioral symptoms and the second included physical and cognitive symptoms. The two factors were constant throughout all the phases of the menstrual cycle. Emotional symptoms clustered together throughout the menstrual cycle and were the dominant symptoms on factor I. However, they loaded (correlation of the variable with the factor) on factors I and II during the postmenstrual phase. Behavioral symptoms loaded on factor I throughout the menstrual cycle; however, they were prevalent predominantly in the later half of the intermenstrual and the premenstrual phases. Physical symptoms loaded predominantly on factor II and were less prevalent than the emotional symptoms. The cognitive symptoms loaded on factor II during the premenstrual phase. These findings are relevant for defining PMS criteria for women who seek treatment.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
This study examined the pre- and postdischarge teaching needed by parents of very low birth weight infants (less than or equal to 1,500 g). The sample consisted of 36 families observed from the births of their infants to 18 months' postdischarge. Content analyses yielded five major teaching categories of infant, mother, family, home, and resources. Major predischarge teaching included feeding, recognition of infections, and growth and development. Major postdischarge teaching included feeding, current health problems, growth and development, and managing within the health-care system.
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Each year 90,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with gestational diabetes. The transition from diagnosis to home management is a time of high stress for these women. Anxiety may lead to difficulty with self-care in general and the diabetic diet in particular. Follow-up education by a diabetes educator can help clients plan meals that comply with the nutritional meal plan without disrupting the family's eating habits. The client should be taught to measure portions, to recognize sugar as an ingredient in foods and medicines, and to deal with special occasions such as holiday meals, travel, and illness. If extended home care is not feasible, the creative diabetes educator will devise other educational opportunities, such as home videos, telephone support networks, special childbirth classes for women with gestational diabetes, and luncheon meetings at which nutritionally correct meals are served.
The purpose of this study was to compare two common psychologic stress responses, anxiety and depression, in 27 mothers of very low birthweight (VLBW; less than or equal to 1500 grams) preterm infants and 35 mothers of low birthweight (LBW; 1501-2500 grams) preterm infants from the time of the infant's birth until the infants reached 5 months adjusted gestational age. There were significant differences in the patterns of anxiety and depression experienced by mothers of LBW and VLBW infants over time. Mothers of VLBW infants had higher anxiety and depression until 2 months adjusted gestational age while mothers of LBW infants had higher anxiety and depression at 3 and 4 months. Nursing interventions designed to decrease stress during the first postpartal week and to counsel mothers about patterns of anxiety and depression they may experience over time may be useful.
The purposes of this study were to examine visiting and telephoning patterns of families of very low birth-weight (VLBW) infants during their initial hospitalization and to identify factors related to visiting and telephoning. The sample of 65 VLBW infants (less than or equal to 1,500 gm) and their families was followed for 6 weeks in the special care nurseries. Mothers were the primary visitors, with the typical mother visiting the nursery twice per week. Fathers and other family members made most of their visits in the first few weeks with minimal involvement thereafter. During a typical week the number of telephone calls to the nursery from mothers ranged from one to three. Fathers and other family members made minimal calls. Significantly fewer visits were made by families in which the mother was unmarried, the mother was younger, Medicaid was the type of insurance, annual income was less than $10,000, and private transportation was unavailable. There were no significant relationships between total number of telephone calls made and maternal demographic variables.
This cross-sectional descriptive study investigated the type and frequency of physical and psychological symptoms experienced by pregnant and postpartal women and their spouses. The sample of 70 married couples included 23 pairs in an early pregnancy group, 24 in a late pregnancy group, and 23 in a postpartum group. Both spouses completed a symptoms checklist of 20 physical and 3 psychological symptoms and the Beck Depression Inventory. Findings indicate that both spouses experienced some physical and psychological symptoms during pregnancy and the postpartum, although the women reported many more symptoms than did the men. Women in the late pregnancy group reported the highest number of physical symptoms; those in the postpartum group, the lowest number. No differences, however, in reports of psychological symptoms were found among the three groups of women. No significant differences in reports of either physical or psychological symptoms were found among the three groups of men.