1,721,006 research outputs found
Saying no to childhood immunization : perceptions of mothers and health care professionals in Southern Alberta
Get PDFxiii, 275 leaves ; 29 cmThe purpose of this grounded theory study was two-fold; first, to explore how mothers develop an understanding of childhood immunization which contributes to the decision¬making process resulting in a decision not to participate in immunization. Second, the perceptions of childhood immunization of health care professionals were also examined. The understanding and decision-making process of eight mothers was compared with the perceptions of twelve health care professionals. A number of themes were constructed from the research and a grounded theory was developed which emphasizes the importance of collaboration between non-immunizing mothers and health care professionals to promote positive health outcomes in children. The findings will assist health care professionals in understanding the factors contributing to the immunization decision-making process, which will subsequently support in delivering immunization programs. Recommendations to promote support and respect for parents' decision not to immunize their children, and assist in educating parents on immunization are also included
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Urban First Nations grandmothers : health promotion roles in family and community
Get PDFix, 146 leaves ; 29 cmThe purpose of this participatory action research study was to gain an awareness of the meanings of health for urban First Nations grandmothers, and how they promote it in their families and communities. Active participation of 7 urban First Nations grandmothers in the research process involved 4 group and 1 individual interview. Meanings of health included maintaining balance in all areas of life; physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Control imposed through the residential schools resulted in secrets kept, yet the survival and resiliency of the grandmothers were identified as part of being healthy.
Personal health was linked with the health of their families and communities, and an awareness of living in two cultures vital in the intergenerational transmission of knowledge. Relationships with grandchildren were catalysts for change, and the grandmothers described working to “turn it around” throughout their challenges in health and life, as one strategy for health promotion
Being a man who cares : experiences of rural male caregivers who care for spouses with dementia in southern and central Alberta
Get PDFTo my past and present instructors and professors, for helping me to realize the potential that I have. Thank-you also for encouraging me to write and recognize the power of the written word.The purpose of this grounded theory study was to understand how male caregivers of spouses with dementia in rural southern and central Alberta perceive their role as a caregiver. Informed by the theoretical framework of masculinity theory, this research describes how rural masculinity is conceptualized and expressed by male spousal caregivers. Themes were created, with all themes and sub-themes being connected to the core category of separating the wheat from the chaff. Rural Male Caregiving Theory is a substantive theory that describes the perceptions and experiences of rural male caregivers. The research findings and how they are similar and contribute to the current literature on rural male caregiving is discussed. The findings from this research study will assist health care professionals in understanding what male caregivers are experiencing when in a caregiving role
Mental health perceptions of rural community members and firefighting personnel after a wildfire
Get PDFxi, 193 leaves ; 29 cmWildfires in Canada and around the world are increasing in frequency each year from factors such as accumulated fuel load, climate changes, and pine beetle infestation. Due to an increased proportion of individuals living in the wildland–urban interface areas within Canada and due to the increasing need for firefighters to fight the growing number of fires that burn each year, the potential threat for humans is also becoming greater. Conducted on the 2009 West Kelowna, British Columbia wildfires, this descriptive, exploratory, qualitative study incorporates quantitative validity measurements to investigate factors related to individual variations in psychological distress and posttraumatic growth (PTG). The findings revealed that perception of control, social support, compounding stressors (i.e., dual roles, ongoing responsibilities and personal issues), and coping methods (i.e., debriefing, humour, self-care behaviours, and reflection) were precursors to psychological health and resilience. Since wildfires are increasing in Canada as well as on a global scale, understanding how they affect residents and firefighting personnel from a mental health perspective is important to research, as it can lead to identifying more effective interventions, better provision of disaster relief services, and increase individual resilience
Preparing to care : creating a culture of caring in problem based learning tutorial groups
Get PDFx, 131 leaves ; 29 cmThe purpose of this study was to explore with fourth year nursing baccalaureate students, their perceptions of experiences of caring using ethnographic design, and examine the phenomenon of caring and whether the development of caring relationships occurs among students and faculty members. Furthermore, the study sought to understand how nursing students perceive these relationships as influential in their learning, and ability to cope with stress. The sample consisted of ten fourth year nursing students who volunteered to be interviewed as well as one focus group of seven faculty members. The major findings of the study illuminated five general constructs: (1) The caring art of nursing in large part is a way of being in the world, an attitude that is inherent in the personality; (2) the caring science of nurse doing can indeed be taught and learned; (3) non-caring behaviors, experiences and relationships negatively impact the learning environment and therefore the learning outcomes for students; (4) Problem Based Learning (PBL) method cultivates a safe and caring learning environment; (5) caring is valued by students and positively impacts their educational experience, including learning outcomes, clinical experiences and their ability to cope with stress. The findings of the study may be utilized as a component of faculty growth and development as well as internal curriculum review
An apple a day won't keep the violence away : listening to what pregnant women living in intimate partner violence say about their health
Get PDFxi, 153 leaves ; 29 cmResearchers have provided evidence that living in intimate partner violence while pregnant negatively impacts the health of both the women and their unborn children. The purpose of this narrative study was twofold, first to gain understanding of the meaning of health as described by pregnant women who lived in intimate partner violence, and second to gain strategies for health care professionals. Six purposefully selected women participated in two interviews. The data were arranged under five themes: loss of body health, loss of mind health, loss of spirit health, coping with loss of body, mind and spirit health, and advice for health care professionals. The results revealed that these women’s health was negatively affected by living in intimate partner violence while pregnant. Universal screening, coalition building, further research, changes in health care policies, and changes in nursing education and practice are needed to properly address this serious health issue
Theorizing the barriers and facilitators to relicensing and resettling of Albertan International Medical Graduates
Get PDFThe purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore how Albertan International Medical Graduates (AIMGs) negotiated barriers and facilitators during their journey to Canadian medical licensure by incorporating the views and perceptions of two study groups: practicing and non-practicing. This research used Charmaz’s (2014) constructivist grounded theory approach and was informed by six non-practising and seven practising AIMGs. The participants were individually interviewed with open-ended, in-depth questions. This research provided rich insight into the Canadian medical licensure experiences of AIMGs. Seven key factors to the successful licensure of AIMGs were identified: finances, language, family, culture, networks, institutional rules, and intrapersonal characteristics. A theoretical framework was developed to explain how AIMGs negotiated those factors to obtain their Canadian medical license. Furthermore, acculturation theory was used to explain the acculturation strategies of AIMGs, and institutional theory was used to explain how the existing policies and regulations acted as barriers to the licensing of AIMGs. AIMGs used two acculturation strategies, integration was the preferred choice of adaptation to the Canadian society, and assimilation was the only possibility when adapting to the hospital culture. Health care administrators and policy makers can use the concepts identified in this study to integrate more AIMGs into the Canadian health care system
Understanding perspectives among young adults regarding immunization in the Chinook Health region of southern Alberta
Get PDFx, 223 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.This thesis was designed to explore and describe the beliefs and behaviours of young adults (parents or future parents) in relation to immunization. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with 36 young adults (current university students) that resulted in more than 600 pages of documnetation for detailed analysis. Nursing and non-nursing student informants were compared under the categories of young adults who delay or refuse immunizations due to alternative health practices, vaccine concerns or religion. What emerged from the study was that young adults displayed lack of knowledge and disinterest about the immune system, immunizations and communicable diseases. This display of apathy towards disease prevention could subsequently contribute to a decrease in the population's herd immunity in the next generation. A review of more than 300 published journal articles and books was completed and integrated into a mosaic of Canadian immunization practice. Policy recommendations based on these findings are presented
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