Jane Georges | University of San Diego (original) (raw)

Papers by Jane Georges

Research paper thumbnail of What has philosophy ever done for nursing: A discursive shift from margins to mainstream

Nursing Philosophy

This paper is a personal dialogue of maneuvering the landscape of scholarship in the United State... more This paper is a personal dialogue of maneuvering the landscape of scholarship in the United States as a nurse faculty. The principal thesis of this paper is that a discursive shift from margins to mainstream literature has occurred within nursing discourse during the past 20 years as the result of a growing body of work by nurse philosophers. I utilize my own work in nursing philosophy as an exemplar and provide a narrative situated in a feminist‐critical paradigm. This paper: (1) presents a historical background through a critical‐feminist lens of the discursive shift using my own work and lived experiences as exemplars; (2) examines a contemporary mainstream ‘authoritative’ text as an exemplar of this discursive shift and (3) proposes both potential positive intersections and threats in the future development of nursing philosophy resulting from this discursive shift.

Research paper thumbnail of Nursing Gaze of the Eastern Front in World War II

Advances in Nursing Science, Apr 1, 2008

Grounded in a feminist perspective, a narrative analysis of letters written by Martha Lohmann, a ... more Grounded in a feminist perspective, a narrative analysis of letters written by Martha Lohmann, a nurse who served with the German Army on the Eastern Front in World War II, is undertaken. Utilizing "gaze" as a focus, an exploration of the narrative and the multiple gazes embedded within it is performed. Implications for future analysis of nurses' textual accounts of violence, armed conflict, and war are presented.

Research paper thumbnail of An Emancipatory Theory of Compassion for Nursing

Advances in Nursing Science, 2013

The purpose of this article was to critique and synthesize the trajectory of the work of Dr Jane ... more The purpose of this article was to critique and synthesize the trajectory of the work of Dr Jane Georges in Advances in Nursing Science over the past decade in the development of an emancipatory theory of compassion, with implications for contemporary nursing. Specifically, this article (1) summarizes and critiques the work in each stage of its development, describing missing elements at each stage and subsequent development of ideas built upon previous work, and (2) proposes future directions for the work, including the proposal of a theory of compassion within the emancipatory paradigm to guide further scholarly inquiry in nursing.

Research paper thumbnail of Comparison of Diet Composition in Women with and without Functional Bowel Disorder

Gastroenterology Nursing, Jun 1, 1994

Research paper thumbnail of Moral Distress, Compassion Fatigue, and Perceptions About Medication Errors in Certified Critical Care Nurses

Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing, Nov 1, 2011

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the previously untested relationships between mo... more The primary purpose of this study was to examine the previously untested relationships between moral distress, compassion fatigue, perceptions about medication errors, and nurse characteristics in a national sample of 205 certified critical care nurses. In addition, this study included a qualitative exploration of the phenomenon of medication errors in a smaller subset of certified critical care nurses. Results revealed statistically significant correlations between moral distress, compassion fatigue, and perceptions about medication errors in this group. Implications for critical care nurses seeking to create work environments conducive to the reduction of medication errors are explored.

Research paper thumbnail of Refocusing a Nursing Lens Distorted by Perfection: The Call for a Mid-Range Theory

Journal of Theory Construction and Testing, Apr 1, 2015

Research paper thumbnail of Interdisciplinary Development of Electronic Palliative Care Decision Support

Sigma's 29th International Nursing Research Congress, Jun 20, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Dietary Fiber and Distressing Gastrointestinal Symptoms In Midlife Women

Nursing Research, Nov 1, 1994

Research paper thumbnail of Compassion, Biopower, and Nursing

Routledge eBooks, Jul 17, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of An Ethics of Testimony

Advances in Nursing Science, Apr 1, 2006

Research paper thumbnail of Suffering: Toward a Contextual Praxis

Advances in Nursing Science, Sep 1, 2002

Janice M. Morse's article in Advances in Nursing Science ... more Janice M. Morse's article in Advances in Nursing Science (24:1) revised and summarized the major findings of a research program exploring the behavioral-experiential nature of suffering. Using a feminist critical theory stance, this article addresses Morse's conceptualization of a praxis of suffering. First, it identifies the strengths and contributions of Morse's body of research to nursing science. Next, it undertakes a critique situated in feminist critical theory in which the limitations of Morse's work are explored using exemplars from the Western literary tradition. Finally, the article proposes a new conceptualization of an alternative contextual praxis of suffering in which nurses' responses to suffering are situated in an emancipatory paradigm of authentic presence.

Research paper thumbnail of The Politics of Suffering

Advances in Nursing Science, Oct 1, 2004

Drawing on newly emergent conceptualizations of suffering in the social sciences that emphasize p... more Drawing on newly emergent conceptualizations of suffering in the social sciences that emphasize political dimensions, this article uses a critical-feminist, self-reflective approach to propose a reconceptualization of suffering for nursing science. Discourse analysis of local narratives and metanarratives is undertaken as a basis for proposing alternative methods, including a critical humanities approach, for nurse scholars to use in creating a transformed, politicized epistemology of suffering.

Research paper thumbnail of Evidence of the Unspeakable

Advances in Nursing Science, Apr 1, 2011

This philosophical article utilizes the concept of "the ... more This philosophical article utilizes the concept of "the Unspeakable," referring to the creation of biopolitical spaces for nursing in which compassion is rendered severely diminished to impossible. The effect of the Unspeakable in shaping nursing practice is explored in contemporary health care. Local, autobiographical narratives are used to illustrate the effect of the Unspeakable on nursing in both the academic and clinical settings. Alternative strategies for resisting the Unspeakable and promoting compassion as an essential element of effective nursing practice are proposed.

Research paper thumbnail of An Emerging Discourse

Advances in Nursing Science, 2003

Grounded in a postmodern feminist methodology, this article undertakes an initial analysis of a n... more Grounded in a postmodern feminist methodology, this article undertakes an initial analysis of a newly emerging discourse in contemporary nursing academia in the United States. Two currently prominent discourses in nursing, a dominant discourse informed by the processes and values of "science" in the Enlightenment sense and a concurrent marginalized discourse informed by postmodernism, are described as a context for the emerging discourse. A genealogy informed by the work of Foucault is presented as a basis for an analysis of the power effects resulting from the conflict between these 2 discourses. Finally, 3 recent texts in nursing are analyzed and common themes identified as indicative of a new intertextual discourse, termed "epistemic diversity," emerging from this discursive conflict.

Research paper thumbnail of Validation of the Presence of Nursing Scale Using Data Triangulation

Nursing Research, Aug 2, 2019

Background: Nursing presence has been developed as a distinct concept with identifiable behaviors... more Background: Nursing presence has been developed as a distinct concept with identifiable behaviors but remains only partially defined as a quantifiable construct. Objectives: This study asked if the Presence of Nursing Scale (PONS) is a reliable and valid instrument to measure nursing presence from the patient's perspective. Methods: A convenience sample of 75 adult acute care inpatients were verbally administered the 25-item PONS considering the registered nurse taking care of them on the day of data collection. Open-ended questions elicited the patients' explanations of their ratings. They also rated their overall satisfaction with the nursing care provided by the subject nurse using a 5-point scale. Results: The mean PONS score was 104.5 (SD = 17.26) on the 25-125 scale. Instrument reliability reported as a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .95 was .94 in this study. Instrument validity was tested correlating PONS scores to the satisfaction rating. The Spearman's rho correlation was large and statistically significant, r (73) = .708. The higher the PONS score, the more satisfied the patient was with care from that nurse. Nineteen narratives selected from the lower quartile PONS scores (PONS < 99) and 11 from the upper quartile (PONS > 116) were thematically analyzed. Lower PONS scores corresponded with themes of patients being objectified as the work of the nurse without a respectful and caring nurse-patient relationship. Higher PONS scores coincided with patients' perceptions of enhanced nurse-patient rapport, feelings of better coping, and decreased anxiety. Discussion: These results demonstrate reliability and validity of the PONS and add to the body of evidence about nurse behaviors exhibited in the nurse-patient relationship, which influence patients' feelings of being cared for and satisfied with nursing care. These findings may be useful in the development of educational materials aimed at the advancement of nursing presence competency.

Research paper thumbnail of Undocumentedness and Liminality as Health Variables

Advances in Nursing Science, Jul 1, 2003

The growing exodus of indigenous people from Mexico into the United States, especially from the m... more The growing exodus of indigenous people from Mexico into the United States, especially from the multiethnic state of Oaxaca, is used as an exemplar of the global phenomenon of transnational migration and its effects on health. Lately, indigenous Oaxacan women have become a predominant part of this diaspora in the United States. Driven by economic desperation most arrive across the border as undocumented persons that configure them into multiple liminal spaces inimical to health and well-being. This article provides a venue for some of their voices to be heard, some major concerns understood, and for proposing links between postcolonial Mexico, neoliberal globalization, and immigration border policy as driving forces that undergird these conditions. An emancipatory praxis of nursing to promote health and reduce suffering within transnational migrants is proposed as a starting place for future nursing scholarship.

Research paper thumbnail of Author Response

Advances in Nursing Science, 2003

Research paper thumbnail of Pain and Spiritual Distress at End of Life: A Correlational Study

Journal of Palliative Care, May 9, 2022

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between unmanaged pain and sp... more Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between unmanaged pain and spiritual distress in adults newly admitted to hospice. Background: Current evidence supports the presence of a positive relationship between increased physical pain and spiritual distress for those with advanced cancer and/or receiving palliative care services. Nonetheless, spiritual distress remains a relatively understudied area; anecdotally, assessment and management of physical symptoms often take precedence over interventions for spiritual distress in patients at end of life (EOL) on hospice. Further research is needed to examine the relationships between physical pain, spiritual distress, and factors such as age, gender, and religious affiliation/spiritual practice specific to EOL patients receiving home hospice care. The Total Pain Model underpins this study. Methods: In this cross-sectional correlational study, pre-existing data were extracted from a hospice agency's electronic health record (EHR) to examine age, gender, marital status, race/ethnicity, religious affiliation and/or spiritual practice, hospice diagnosis, pain severity, and spiritual distress in adult patients (age 18 and over) admitted to home hospice services (N = 3484). Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyzes were conducted. Results: The age range for this sample was 25 to 107 years old (M = 82, SD = 12.08). Over half of the sample were female and white. One third of the patients were married or had a designated life partner. Over 85% identified as either Catholic or Protestant. Sixteen percent reported moderate to severe pain and 9.6% experienced spiritual distress. Marital status (χ2 (3, N = 2483) = 20.21, P &lt; .001, Cramer's V = .09), hospice diagnosis (χ2 (5, N = 3481) = 22.66, P &lt; .001, Cramer's V = .08), pain severity (χ2 (1, N = 3464) = 19.75, P &lt; .001, Cramer's V = .08), and age ( t (393.17) = 2.84, P = .005, d = .17) were significantly related to spiritual distress. The binary logistic model was statistically significant, χ2 (11) = 45.25, P &lt; .001, and cases indicating the highest odds of experiencing spiritual distress had pulmonary disease (OR = 1.8, P = .02), were single (OR = 1.6, P = .02), and had moderate to severe pain (OR = 1.4, P = .04). Conclusions: Moderate to severe pain, marital status, and diagnosis should be considered for inclusion in a refined spiritual distress hospice admission screening process. Future research should examine the unique contributions of diagnosis in predicting spiritual distress, particularly pulmonary disease.

Research paper thumbnail of Glucose management and nutritional support of low-birth-weight neonates

Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing, Jun 1, 1992

Research paper thumbnail of Pilot Evaluation of Auricular Acupressure in End-Stage Lung Cancer Patients

Journal of Palliative Medicine, May 1, 2016

Background: Dyspnea is a common symptom in end-stage lung cancer patients and is only infrequentl... more Background: Dyspnea is a common symptom in end-stage lung cancer patients and is only infrequently controlled. Currently, the use of complimentary therapies using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), including auricular application of Vaccaria segetalis (a small seed), is understudied. Acupressure using auricular Vaccaria segetalis application has been reported as effective in reducing dyspnea when applied to a specific area of the ear associated with lung function in the TCM paradigm. Objective: The purpose of this feasibility study was to evaluate the effects of standardized auricular acupressure therapy using Vaccaria segetalis on dyspnea intensity and distress and oxygen saturation in end-stage lung cancer patients. Methods: The experimental design was three conditions with eight measurement points in time. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: (1) Standard Care (SC); (2) SC with Vaccaria segetalis taped to random auricular locations (placebo); and (3) SC with Vaccaria segetalis taped to the auricular location deemed specific to lung function in TCM. Subjects were 11 hospice patients with advanced lung cancer and dyspnea. Dyspnea intensity and distress were measured by the Cancer Dyspnea Scale (CDS) and oxygen saturation was measured by pulse oximeter at eight time points. Results: Non-parametric statistical analyses suggest the presence of acupressure effects with medium to large effects and significant effect for dyspnea effort. Conclusions: This pilot information suggests the need for further study of auricular acupressure using Vaccaria segetalis in the dyspneic advanced lung cancer population.

Research paper thumbnail of What has philosophy ever done for nursing: A discursive shift from margins to mainstream

Nursing Philosophy

This paper is a personal dialogue of maneuvering the landscape of scholarship in the United State... more This paper is a personal dialogue of maneuvering the landscape of scholarship in the United States as a nurse faculty. The principal thesis of this paper is that a discursive shift from margins to mainstream literature has occurred within nursing discourse during the past 20 years as the result of a growing body of work by nurse philosophers. I utilize my own work in nursing philosophy as an exemplar and provide a narrative situated in a feminist‐critical paradigm. This paper: (1) presents a historical background through a critical‐feminist lens of the discursive shift using my own work and lived experiences as exemplars; (2) examines a contemporary mainstream ‘authoritative’ text as an exemplar of this discursive shift and (3) proposes both potential positive intersections and threats in the future development of nursing philosophy resulting from this discursive shift.

Research paper thumbnail of Nursing Gaze of the Eastern Front in World War II

Advances in Nursing Science, Apr 1, 2008

Grounded in a feminist perspective, a narrative analysis of letters written by Martha Lohmann, a ... more Grounded in a feminist perspective, a narrative analysis of letters written by Martha Lohmann, a nurse who served with the German Army on the Eastern Front in World War II, is undertaken. Utilizing &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;gaze&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; as a focus, an exploration of the narrative and the multiple gazes embedded within it is performed. Implications for future analysis of nurses&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; textual accounts of violence, armed conflict, and war are presented.

Research paper thumbnail of An Emancipatory Theory of Compassion for Nursing

Advances in Nursing Science, 2013

The purpose of this article was to critique and synthesize the trajectory of the work of Dr Jane ... more The purpose of this article was to critique and synthesize the trajectory of the work of Dr Jane Georges in Advances in Nursing Science over the past decade in the development of an emancipatory theory of compassion, with implications for contemporary nursing. Specifically, this article (1) summarizes and critiques the work in each stage of its development, describing missing elements at each stage and subsequent development of ideas built upon previous work, and (2) proposes future directions for the work, including the proposal of a theory of compassion within the emancipatory paradigm to guide further scholarly inquiry in nursing.

Research paper thumbnail of Comparison of Diet Composition in Women with and without Functional Bowel Disorder

Gastroenterology Nursing, Jun 1, 1994

Research paper thumbnail of Moral Distress, Compassion Fatigue, and Perceptions About Medication Errors in Certified Critical Care Nurses

Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing, Nov 1, 2011

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the previously untested relationships between mo... more The primary purpose of this study was to examine the previously untested relationships between moral distress, compassion fatigue, perceptions about medication errors, and nurse characteristics in a national sample of 205 certified critical care nurses. In addition, this study included a qualitative exploration of the phenomenon of medication errors in a smaller subset of certified critical care nurses. Results revealed statistically significant correlations between moral distress, compassion fatigue, and perceptions about medication errors in this group. Implications for critical care nurses seeking to create work environments conducive to the reduction of medication errors are explored.

Research paper thumbnail of Refocusing a Nursing Lens Distorted by Perfection: The Call for a Mid-Range Theory

Journal of Theory Construction and Testing, Apr 1, 2015

Research paper thumbnail of Interdisciplinary Development of Electronic Palliative Care Decision Support

Sigma's 29th International Nursing Research Congress, Jun 20, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Dietary Fiber and Distressing Gastrointestinal Symptoms In Midlife Women

Nursing Research, Nov 1, 1994

Research paper thumbnail of Compassion, Biopower, and Nursing

Routledge eBooks, Jul 17, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of An Ethics of Testimony

Advances in Nursing Science, Apr 1, 2006

Research paper thumbnail of Suffering: Toward a Contextual Praxis

Advances in Nursing Science, Sep 1, 2002

Janice M. Morse&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s article in Advances in Nursing Science ... more Janice M. Morse&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s article in Advances in Nursing Science (24:1) revised and summarized the major findings of a research program exploring the behavioral-experiential nature of suffering. Using a feminist critical theory stance, this article addresses Morse&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s conceptualization of a praxis of suffering. First, it identifies the strengths and contributions of Morse&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s body of research to nursing science. Next, it undertakes a critique situated in feminist critical theory in which the limitations of Morse&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s work are explored using exemplars from the Western literary tradition. Finally, the article proposes a new conceptualization of an alternative contextual praxis of suffering in which nurses&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; responses to suffering are situated in an emancipatory paradigm of authentic presence.

Research paper thumbnail of The Politics of Suffering

Advances in Nursing Science, Oct 1, 2004

Drawing on newly emergent conceptualizations of suffering in the social sciences that emphasize p... more Drawing on newly emergent conceptualizations of suffering in the social sciences that emphasize political dimensions, this article uses a critical-feminist, self-reflective approach to propose a reconceptualization of suffering for nursing science. Discourse analysis of local narratives and metanarratives is undertaken as a basis for proposing alternative methods, including a critical humanities approach, for nurse scholars to use in creating a transformed, politicized epistemology of suffering.

Research paper thumbnail of Evidence of the Unspeakable

Advances in Nursing Science, Apr 1, 2011

This philosophical article utilizes the concept of &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;the ... more This philosophical article utilizes the concept of &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;the Unspeakable,&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; referring to the creation of biopolitical spaces for nursing in which compassion is rendered severely diminished to impossible. The effect of the Unspeakable in shaping nursing practice is explored in contemporary health care. Local, autobiographical narratives are used to illustrate the effect of the Unspeakable on nursing in both the academic and clinical settings. Alternative strategies for resisting the Unspeakable and promoting compassion as an essential element of effective nursing practice are proposed.

Research paper thumbnail of An Emerging Discourse

Advances in Nursing Science, 2003

Grounded in a postmodern feminist methodology, this article undertakes an initial analysis of a n... more Grounded in a postmodern feminist methodology, this article undertakes an initial analysis of a newly emerging discourse in contemporary nursing academia in the United States. Two currently prominent discourses in nursing, a dominant discourse informed by the processes and values of "science" in the Enlightenment sense and a concurrent marginalized discourse informed by postmodernism, are described as a context for the emerging discourse. A genealogy informed by the work of Foucault is presented as a basis for an analysis of the power effects resulting from the conflict between these 2 discourses. Finally, 3 recent texts in nursing are analyzed and common themes identified as indicative of a new intertextual discourse, termed "epistemic diversity," emerging from this discursive conflict.

Research paper thumbnail of Validation of the Presence of Nursing Scale Using Data Triangulation

Nursing Research, Aug 2, 2019

Background: Nursing presence has been developed as a distinct concept with identifiable behaviors... more Background: Nursing presence has been developed as a distinct concept with identifiable behaviors but remains only partially defined as a quantifiable construct. Objectives: This study asked if the Presence of Nursing Scale (PONS) is a reliable and valid instrument to measure nursing presence from the patient's perspective. Methods: A convenience sample of 75 adult acute care inpatients were verbally administered the 25-item PONS considering the registered nurse taking care of them on the day of data collection. Open-ended questions elicited the patients' explanations of their ratings. They also rated their overall satisfaction with the nursing care provided by the subject nurse using a 5-point scale. Results: The mean PONS score was 104.5 (SD = 17.26) on the 25-125 scale. Instrument reliability reported as a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .95 was .94 in this study. Instrument validity was tested correlating PONS scores to the satisfaction rating. The Spearman's rho correlation was large and statistically significant, r (73) = .708. The higher the PONS score, the more satisfied the patient was with care from that nurse. Nineteen narratives selected from the lower quartile PONS scores (PONS < 99) and 11 from the upper quartile (PONS > 116) were thematically analyzed. Lower PONS scores corresponded with themes of patients being objectified as the work of the nurse without a respectful and caring nurse-patient relationship. Higher PONS scores coincided with patients' perceptions of enhanced nurse-patient rapport, feelings of better coping, and decreased anxiety. Discussion: These results demonstrate reliability and validity of the PONS and add to the body of evidence about nurse behaviors exhibited in the nurse-patient relationship, which influence patients' feelings of being cared for and satisfied with nursing care. These findings may be useful in the development of educational materials aimed at the advancement of nursing presence competency.

Research paper thumbnail of Undocumentedness and Liminality as Health Variables

Advances in Nursing Science, Jul 1, 2003

The growing exodus of indigenous people from Mexico into the United States, especially from the m... more The growing exodus of indigenous people from Mexico into the United States, especially from the multiethnic state of Oaxaca, is used as an exemplar of the global phenomenon of transnational migration and its effects on health. Lately, indigenous Oaxacan women have become a predominant part of this diaspora in the United States. Driven by economic desperation most arrive across the border as undocumented persons that configure them into multiple liminal spaces inimical to health and well-being. This article provides a venue for some of their voices to be heard, some major concerns understood, and for proposing links between postcolonial Mexico, neoliberal globalization, and immigration border policy as driving forces that undergird these conditions. An emancipatory praxis of nursing to promote health and reduce suffering within transnational migrants is proposed as a starting place for future nursing scholarship.

Research paper thumbnail of Author Response

Advances in Nursing Science, 2003

Research paper thumbnail of Pain and Spiritual Distress at End of Life: A Correlational Study

Journal of Palliative Care, May 9, 2022

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between unmanaged pain and sp... more Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between unmanaged pain and spiritual distress in adults newly admitted to hospice. Background: Current evidence supports the presence of a positive relationship between increased physical pain and spiritual distress for those with advanced cancer and/or receiving palliative care services. Nonetheless, spiritual distress remains a relatively understudied area; anecdotally, assessment and management of physical symptoms often take precedence over interventions for spiritual distress in patients at end of life (EOL) on hospice. Further research is needed to examine the relationships between physical pain, spiritual distress, and factors such as age, gender, and religious affiliation/spiritual practice specific to EOL patients receiving home hospice care. The Total Pain Model underpins this study. Methods: In this cross-sectional correlational study, pre-existing data were extracted from a hospice agency's electronic health record (EHR) to examine age, gender, marital status, race/ethnicity, religious affiliation and/or spiritual practice, hospice diagnosis, pain severity, and spiritual distress in adult patients (age 18 and over) admitted to home hospice services (N = 3484). Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyzes were conducted. Results: The age range for this sample was 25 to 107 years old (M = 82, SD = 12.08). Over half of the sample were female and white. One third of the patients were married or had a designated life partner. Over 85% identified as either Catholic or Protestant. Sixteen percent reported moderate to severe pain and 9.6% experienced spiritual distress. Marital status (χ2 (3, N = 2483) = 20.21, P &lt; .001, Cramer's V = .09), hospice diagnosis (χ2 (5, N = 3481) = 22.66, P &lt; .001, Cramer's V = .08), pain severity (χ2 (1, N = 3464) = 19.75, P &lt; .001, Cramer's V = .08), and age ( t (393.17) = 2.84, P = .005, d = .17) were significantly related to spiritual distress. The binary logistic model was statistically significant, χ2 (11) = 45.25, P &lt; .001, and cases indicating the highest odds of experiencing spiritual distress had pulmonary disease (OR = 1.8, P = .02), were single (OR = 1.6, P = .02), and had moderate to severe pain (OR = 1.4, P = .04). Conclusions: Moderate to severe pain, marital status, and diagnosis should be considered for inclusion in a refined spiritual distress hospice admission screening process. Future research should examine the unique contributions of diagnosis in predicting spiritual distress, particularly pulmonary disease.

Research paper thumbnail of Glucose management and nutritional support of low-birth-weight neonates

Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing, Jun 1, 1992

Research paper thumbnail of Pilot Evaluation of Auricular Acupressure in End-Stage Lung Cancer Patients

Journal of Palliative Medicine, May 1, 2016

Background: Dyspnea is a common symptom in end-stage lung cancer patients and is only infrequentl... more Background: Dyspnea is a common symptom in end-stage lung cancer patients and is only infrequently controlled. Currently, the use of complimentary therapies using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), including auricular application of Vaccaria segetalis (a small seed), is understudied. Acupressure using auricular Vaccaria segetalis application has been reported as effective in reducing dyspnea when applied to a specific area of the ear associated with lung function in the TCM paradigm. Objective: The purpose of this feasibility study was to evaluate the effects of standardized auricular acupressure therapy using Vaccaria segetalis on dyspnea intensity and distress and oxygen saturation in end-stage lung cancer patients. Methods: The experimental design was three conditions with eight measurement points in time. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: (1) Standard Care (SC); (2) SC with Vaccaria segetalis taped to random auricular locations (placebo); and (3) SC with Vaccaria segetalis taped to the auricular location deemed specific to lung function in TCM. Subjects were 11 hospice patients with advanced lung cancer and dyspnea. Dyspnea intensity and distress were measured by the Cancer Dyspnea Scale (CDS) and oxygen saturation was measured by pulse oximeter at eight time points. Results: Non-parametric statistical analyses suggest the presence of acupressure effects with medium to large effects and significant effect for dyspnea effort. Conclusions: This pilot information suggests the need for further study of auricular acupressure using Vaccaria segetalis in the dyspneic advanced lung cancer population.