Abstract

A study was conducted to identify factors which deterred twenty-three selected epileptic patients from utilizing public health nursing services. The literature was reviewed in areas relating to factors which may contribute to or deter patients use of clinic or public health services.

The descriptive survey approach employing an interview guide was used. Data on the guide were classified in two areas: (1) personal characteristics and (2) participant responses. The participant responses were further categorized according to (1) perception of the public health department and public health nursing services, (2) perception of the needs of the epileptic patient and his parents, and (3) previous influences of the public health nurse's services. Criteria for the selection of patients were: (1) had a diagnosis of epilepsy not less than three months, (2) lived within the Greater Los Angeles Area, (3) had no hospital record of being known to a health department and (4) part-pay clinic patients at the selected hospital. The number of homes visited was limited to twenty-six due to area involved and lack of time.

Of the twenty-six homes visited, twenty-three were used in the study. Twenty-two of the 23 had never had a public health nurse in their home since the diagnosis of epilepsy. One participant was currently being followed by a public health nurse, thus that participant was not included in the remainder of the study number. Therefore, data dealing with personal characteristics includes twenty-three persons and data which deals with participant responses has a total of twenty-two.

Responses relating to perception of the health department and nurse indicated eleven of the 22 participants were not knowledgeable about the health department and/or the public health nurse. Five were completely unaware of services offered by the health department and public health nurse while six were without knowledge concerning the public health nurse and her services. Responses of the group indicated only three related the work of the public health nurse to home visitation and advice, while nineteen, according to their responses, saw no relationship between the needs of the epileptic and the service of the public health nurse.

Responses relating to perception of the needs of the epileptic showed thirteen of the 22 participants felt a need to talk with someone regarding problems encountered with epilepsy. Nine did not feel a need to talk with anyone regarding epilepsy. Twelve of the 22 would want a nurse to visit in their home while ten would not want a nurse to visit in their home. Of the five who had never heard of the health department or nurse, one would want a nurse to visit in the home and four would not want a nurse to visit in their home. Of this same group, four thought it would be helpful to talk with someone regarding problems encountered with epilepsy and one did not think it would be helpful to talk with anyone.

In regard to previous influence of a public health nurse, five of the 22 had a nurse in their home previous to the diagnosis of epilepsy. Of the five only one expressed negative feelings regarding the nurse and her services. Thus, it did not seem that previous experiences served as deterring factors.

Four major deterring factors were found preventing public health nursing services from being received by the twenty-three selected epileptic patients in this study. These factors are as follows:

  1. Patients and/or their families had not been told about or referred to the health department. In the study group of twenty-three participants, only one had been seen by a public health nurse since the diagnosis of epilepsy had been made.
  2. Participants were unaware of the services of the public health nurse. Of the twenty-two respondents, eleven were not knowledgeable about the health department and/or the public health nurse and their services. Five were completely unaware of services offered by the health department and public health nurse while six were without knowledge concerning the public health nurse and her services.
  3. Participants did not relate the services of the nurse to the needs of the epileptic. Responses of the twenty-two participants indicated that only three related the work of the public health nurse to home visitation and advice while nineteen, according to their responses, saw no relationship between the needs of the epileptic and the services of the public health nurse as useful to them.
  4. The respondents felt no need for public health nursing services. A little over one half of the group, thirteen in number, felt a need to talk with someone about the problems encountered with epilepsy while the other nine did not express a need to talk with someone about difficulties or problems they may have encountered with epilepsy.

LLU Discipline

Nursing

Department

Nursing

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

Marilyn J. Christian

Second Advisor

Betty R. Stinling

Third Advisor

Julie P. Bensonhaver

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1965

Date (Title Page)

5-1965

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Public Health Nursing; Patient Participation

Type

Thesis

Page Count

vi; 41

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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