Date Approved

1989

Graduate Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Nursing (M.S.N.)

Degree Program

College of Nursing

First Advisor

Linda Bond

Second Advisor

Patricia Underwood

Third Advisor

Judeth Javorek

Abstract

Health care professionals continue to be concerned about the relief of pain and anxiety associated with childbirth. There are recent anecdotal reports in the literature which describe showering as an effective nonpharmaceutical alternative for labor pain management. The effectiveness of showering can most likely be explained physiologically by the "gate control" theory of pain.; The purpose of this descriptive-correlational study was to examine the labor patient's perception of the effectiveness of showering as a comfort measure and the relationship between showering in labor and outcome variables such as analgesia use, anesthesia use, and childbirth satisfaction. After approval by appropriate human subjects review committees, data was collected by written questionnaires and review of the patient's medical record. Qualified primiparous patients (n = 46) became part of a "shower" or "no shower" group depending upon their utilization of the shower during labor. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)

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