Image--the journal of nursing scholarship
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To identify major problems that obscure understanding of quality of life; to differentiate quality of life from other closely related concepts, and to offer a definition of quality of life. Quality of life is a term frequently used, but seldom defined, in nursing research. Multiple interpretations and measures make evaluating research difficult. The need to clarify concepts, develop nursing theory, and enhance communication is significant. Concept clarification is also essential for research instrument development and evaluation. ORGANIZING CONSTRUCT AND SCOPE: Concept analysis as proposed by Walker and Avant. Preconceived theories were avoided to keep the analysis as unbiased as possible. The analyst considered many descriptions of quality of life, but eventually included only those in the scientific literature. ⋯ A model showing the relationships among quality of life, well-being, functional status, and satisfaction with life is provided and a definition of quality of life is offered. Researchers and authors should include the definition of quality of life used in their work. Instruments should reflect the theoretic definition used. Care should be taken to clarify if functional status, well-being, satisfaction with life are the concepts under consideration as reflecting a part of overall quality of life.
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To extend the previous model of transitions by including the experiences of low-income Korean immigrant women in the United States during their menopausal transition. The extension results in a situation-specific theory of Korean immigrant women's menopausal transition. ⋯ The proposed situation-specific model is limited in scope. However, it provides understanding of the menopausal transition of Korean immigrant women in context, and is a guide for nursing interventions for immigrant women experiencing transition.
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To describe the clinical validation of symptoms or defining characteristics of three respiratory diagnoses. The contributing factors or etiologies of the diagnoses were identified and the degree of importance of 30 nursing interventions, 15 direct care and 15 teaching, was rated for each diagnosis and each patient. Three nursing diagnoses--ineffective breathing pattern (IBP), ineffective airway clearance (IAC), and impaired gas exchange (IGE)--were among the most frequently used, yet no reported clinical studies validated the defining characteristics of these diagnoses. This study answers the research questions: What are the defining characteristics of IBP, IAC, and IGE? What are the etiologies of IBP, IAC, AND IGE? What are the most important interventions for IBP, IAC, and IGE? ⋯ Clinical validation methods allow discriminating among defining characteristics. Data that are present are not necessarily characteristic of a diagnosis, and the subjective cues of expresses fatigue or anxiety may be important for making these diagnoses.
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To determine the accuracy of bibliographic citations in three widely circulated nursing journals, RN, Nursing Management, and Image: Journal of Nursing Scholarship. Accurate citations facilitate retrieval of the cited documents and establish the judgment and credibility of authors. ⋯ The rate of citation and quotation errors in the three sampled nursing journals is comparable to rates previously reported for medical and nursing journals. Errors of citation and quotation diminish the value of published papers.
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To examine in 1995 the effects of case management on the context of nursing practice-perceived quality of care delivered, work satisfaction, and control over nursing practice-rather than the commonly studied effect on fiscal outcomes. ⋯ Case management was found to have a primarily positive effect on nurses-staff and case managers alike. There were significant increases in several aspects of the nurses' perceptions of the quality of care delivered. Additionally, case managers were more satisfied with the administration, the respect they received, and their pay and rewards in the institution. Most strikingly, case managers perceived themselves to have more control over their practice. Some negative effects of the program were a decrease in satisfaction with the pay and rewards by the staff who were not case managers.