Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2014

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Tappen, Ruth M.

Abstract

Patients who are hospitalized and are without voice would like to participate in their care. This requires clear communication. Speak for Myself™ (SFM) was developed for use at the bedside so that communication may be facilitated between patient and nurse when the patient is voiceless. The objective of this study was to evaluate Speak for Myself™ at the bedside and to measure the outcomes. This was a mixed methods, one group pre-test-post-test, quasi-experimental study. Twenty adult patients in three hospitals in South Florida agreed to use Speak for Myself™ during their acute care hospital stay (M = 8.86 hours). This group of participants (n = 20) ranged from 45 to 91 years old (males = 14; females = 6). Of the participants, 15 (75%) self-identified as European American, 2 (10%) self-identified as Hispanic, 2 (10%) self-identified as African American, and 1 (5%) self-identified as Asian. Ten of the participants (50%) were in respiratory failure. Two (10%) were receiving oxygenation measures related to unspecified complications of their illnesses. Of the remaining eight participants (40%), one each was receiving oxygenation measures due to atrial fibrillation, arteriosclerotic heart disease, cardiogenic shock, endocarditis, neck abscess, renal failure, status post seizure activity, and tongue metastasis.

Extent

116 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Includes bibliography.

Identifier

FA00004298

Format

pdf

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