Date Approved

1999

Graduate Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Nursing (M.S.N.)

Degree Program

College of Nursing

Abstract

Staffing standards in the labor and delivery units of hospitals are based on estimates of the number of patients who will be admitted. Anecdotally, patients, visitors, and healthcare professionals frequently comment that the occurrence of the fell moon brings about an increase in the number of laboring women. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between birthrate and time of day, day of the week, month of the year and new and full moons. Martha Rogers' theory, the Science of Unitary Human Beings, was used as the theoretical framework.

A descriptive ex post facto design using retrospective data was used to determine statistical associations between the variables in this study. The population for the study consisted of all recorded live births occurring at a large Midwest teaching hospital during a one-year period from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 1998.

A statistically significant difference was demonstrated between time of day and spontaneous birthrate, and between day of the week and spontaneous birthrate. Influence of the new or fell moon on the incidence of birth was not supported by the data.

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