Abstract

Statement of the Problem: The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether nursing care currently being given to hemiplegic patients in the area of body mechanics was adequate; to develop a standard from current literature in the field of medicine, physical therapy, and nursing by which nursing care given to hemiplegic patients could be evaluated; and to learn if better prepared nursing personnel were giving better nursing care.

Method: The descriptive survey was the method used in this study. The data were gathered by making actual observations of nursing care given to hemiplegic patients in the area of body mechanics in two selected hospitals. The nursing care was evaluated by the standards accepted as found in current literature.

Ten patients were selected for the study, five from each of two hospitals. Five days were spent observing care at each hospital. Three code systems were used to tabulate the data. These code systems were respectively: (1) code A — quality of nursing care given; (2) code B — level of preparation of nursing personnel; (3) code C — identification of patients observed. The data were coded, tabulated, and analyzed.

Summary of Findings: The findings of this study revealed that the average percentage of quality of nursing care given to hemiplegic patients in the area of body mechanics in both hospitals was 40.3 percent of ideal care. These findings bear out the hypothesis that there was a difference between standards as developed in this study for giving nursing care to hemiplegic patients in the area of body mechanics and current nursing care. It vas concluded that the quality of nursing care given to hemiplegic patients in the area of body mechanics was not satisfactory.

The nursing personnel in each hospital were compared as a further means of discerning whether better prepared personnel were giving better nursing care. The findings agree with the hypothesis that better prepared personnel were giving better nursing care.

Therefore, it was recommended that there is a need for a strong in-service education program; better supervision; and cooperative activity among nursing personnel to upgrade the quality of nursing care given to hemiplegic patients.

LLU Discipline

Nursing

Department

Nursing

School

Graduate Studies

First Advisor

M. Anabelle Mills

Second Advisor

Ernest C. Christensen

Third Advisor

Sadie B. Sinclair

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1961

Date (Title Page)

5-1961

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Hemiplegia; Nursing Care

Type

Thesis

Page Count

vi; 70

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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