Sandra M. Walsh

Florida International University | FIU · College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Objectives: The study objective was to promote hospitalized veterans’ comfort through an art intervention (AI). Kolcaba’s comfort theory guided the study. Sample and setting: Researchers recruited residents from a Community Living Center (CLC) at Miami Veterans Administration Healthcare System (MVAHS). Nurse researchers and recreational therapists...

Prior analysis in the Open vs Endovascular Repair Veterans Affairs (VA) Cooperative Study (CSP #498) demonstrated that survival, quality of life, and total health care costs are not significantly different between the open and endovascular methods of repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm. The device is a major cost of this method of repair, and the o...

Although numbers of older people are increasing, nursing students have negative attitudes towards older people and do not plan to care for them following graduation. Multiple strategies have been implemented to reverse students' attitudes with mixed results. The purpose of this pilot quasi-experimental study was to test a Creative-Bonding Intervent...

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the responses of people with late-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD) to a creative bonding intervention (CBI). The CBI consisted of simple art activities. Guided by Reed's self-transcendence theory, research questions were "Will persons with late-stage AD show evidence of self-transcendence during th...

Background: Persons with late-stage Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are a vulnerable population, living in residential care as cognitive functions decline. Visiting family and staff continue to search for innovative ways to improve communication with these persons. A standardized protocol of simple art activities functioning as a creative bonding interven...

Nursing students worldwide have little interest in caring for a growing elder population. The purpose of this study, based on self-transcendence theory, was to test the effectiveness of a creative-bonding intervention (CBI) to promote self-transcendence and positive attitudes towards elders in Taiwanese nursing students. A quasi-experimental design...

Many older adults have experienced or witnessed devastating life events including wars, hurricanes, and explosions. This study examined retraumatization and the relationship between certain risk factors, resilience, and psychological distress in the post-9/11 environment among 120 community-dwelling older adults. Results indicate that Holocaust sur...

Nursing students' disinterest in caring for elders presents health care challenges. As the aged population increases, nursing faculty are challenged to improve students' attitudes toward elder care. Reed's self-transcendence theory guided this pilot study with nursing students (n=22) who implemented either a Creative-Bonding Intervention (CBI) or a...

The authors describe the content, implementation, and findings concerning an “Art Future Image Intervention” (AFI) for adolescents. The AFI was designed to help adolescents develop a positive identity and to enhance their self-efficacy by encouraging them to consider their ideal future goals, vocation, and body image. Two randomly selected classes...

To test the effects of an art-making class (AMC) on reducing anxiety and stress among family caregivers of patients with cancer. A pretest and post-test quasi-experimental design. A residential care facility near tertiary treatment centers in the southeastern United States. The convenience sample of 69 family caregivers was aged 18-81 years (X = 48...

Undergraduate students often request "hands-on" research experience but seldom have the time and opportunity during a one-semester introductory course to participate in such a project. The purposes of this educational approach, implemented during a beginning research class for baccalaureate nursing students, were to provide an opportunity for stude...

Faculty at a university school of nursing developed an innovative oncology nursing elective designed to enhance baccalaureate students' knowing and aesthetic appreciation of persons living with cancer. Following completion of the course, students rank ordered class activities they felt would help them most in their nursing careers. Students chose t...

Medical-surgical nurses are an important source of information and guidance for family caregivers during health care crises. The concerns expressed by family caregivers to nurse interventionists during a supportive and informational telephone intervention are described in this study. An analysis of telephone call content using constant comparison m...

To test the efficacy of a creative arts intervention (CAI) with family caregivers of patients with cancer. A pre-posttest quasi-experimental design, with participation in the CAI as the independent variable and stress, anxiety, and emotions as the dependent variables. The 6-month study was implemented at a regional cancer treatment center with fami...

Caregivers have complex needs as they care for a loved one with cancer at the end of life. The objective of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility of conducting a brief telephone intervention, Tele-Care II, for caregivers of hospice patients. Guided by Hogan's Model of Bereavement, nurse interventionists implemented Tele-Care II via tele...

To describe the implementation and preliminary evaluation of an art intervention at the bedsides of patients with cancer and their family caregivers. Field notes from ongoing encounters with family caregivers and patients with cancer, research literature, and descriptions of other programs. An "Art Infusion" intervention was developed and offered t...

During an elective oncology nursing course, students expressed uncertainties about activities that would offer patient and family support during end-of-life care. Following a chaplain's lecture, students in a class reaction paper identified appropriate nurse responses and actions that would offer supportive care to the dying patient and the family....

An abstract is unavailable. This article is available as HTML full text and PDF.

The purpose of the study was to pilot a family centred brief solution-focused therapy model (BSFT) with families and clients diagnosed with schizophrenia. A control group of clients and their families received traditional outpatient therapy, while an experimental group of clients and their families were treated with a BSFT model. All participants w...

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore reactions of hospitalized, suicidal adolescents to an art future image intervention (AFI). During the intervention adolescents were asked to rethink future expectations while creating a caricature of themselves in the future. Seventeen follow-up interviews were coded and analyzed to determine the...

Students Actively Valuing Education (SAVE) is a middle school peer facilitator program. Based on the philosophy that students share and identify needs and problems better with peers. Developed to give disadvantaged students leadership opportunities as peer facilitators. Active for three years, Project SAVE is described as a success. Outlines histor...

An Art Future Image (AFI) intervention was initiated among postpartum adolescent mothers during the hospitalization period in North Carolina. The aim was to improve adolescents self-image and encourage educational goal setting as a means of changing the cycle of poverty. The hope was that mothers would consider alternatives to public assistance. Nu...

The role of faculty in nursing schools is unique. Faculty members belong to the community of scholars, as well as the community of practitioners. The authors describe a program to educate key university leaders about the role of nursing faculty. The program achieved its objectives in a timely, cost-effective manner, and could be easily replicated a...

In this study, the effectiveness of an art future-image intervention (AFI) designed to increase self-esteem, improve future time perspective, and decrease depression in hospitalized suicidal adolescents was tested. A pretest-posttest time series design was used with two groups, an experimental group and an attention placebo group. The experimental...