Weight-Related Perceptions and Self-Reported Lifestyle Behaviors among Black Nurses in the United States (Published)
Obesity is a growing epidemic for both the general population and nursing profession. 50% of nurses are overweight or obese (Miller, Alpert, & Cross, 2008), with more than 40% of Black women obese in 2008 (CDC, 2011). This descriptive study examined weight-related perceptions and lifestyle behaviors of Black nurses (N=41) living in the US. Participants were recruited from the graduate and undergraduate nursing programs at Kean University. IRB-approved Informed Consent was obtained before completion of a 13-item questionnaire assessing weight perceptions and lifestyle behaviors. Body Mass Index (BMI; kg/m2) assessed weight (women, n = 33, M = 28.64, SD = 5.58; men, n = 8, M = 26.60, SD = 5.58). Mean BMI for US born nurses was 27.88 1.78 and 28.57 1.31 for non US born, not statistically significant at t = – 3.18, p = .752. 41% of the group perceived their weight as normal. A negative correlation (r = -.41, p =.008) existed between BMI and “Are you currently exercising?” Findings reinforce the need for additional study to understand whether current exercise reduces the BMI or whether those with increased BMI lack motivation to exercise.
Keywords: Attitudes, body mass index, body size, nurse-patient relations, obesity management, stereotypes
Somatic Countertransference Experiences Of Nurse Therapeutic Touch Practitioners: A Content Analysis. Part 1: Body (Published)
This qualitative study describes somatic countertransference (SCT) experiences of nurse Therapeutic Touch practitioners. Defined by Orbach and Carroll (2006), SCT is “the therapist’s awareness of their own body, of sensations, images, impulses, and feelings that offer a link to the client’s healing process” (p. 64). Use of purposeful sampling recruited eight experts. Audiotaped sixty-minute face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide with six open-ended questions. Sandelowski’s (2010) preferred method of latent content analysis produced codes and subcategories grounded exclusively in the saturated data (Krippendorff, 2004). Ten subcategories and three categories were inductively generated. Consensus on coding and data analysis led to the emergent theme, “A Language for Healing Trauma.” Consistent with social science communication research (Krippendorff, 1989), SCT was found to be a factor in the healing of trauma, experienced during the verbal and nonverbal communication of one group of nurse TT practitioners in interaction with traumatized clients.
Keywords: Therapeutic Touch practitioners, communication, integrative medicine, nurse-patient relations, somatic countertransference, trauma therapy