Concept Mapping of Doctoral Dissertation in Public Health Nursing During the Years 1985-2005

Abstract

Few dissertation reports have been fully utilized in Public Health Nursing because of the lack of content mapping, to help create a comprehensible body of existing knowledge. The main purpose of the present study was to explore and classify a profile of doctoral dissertations completed in Faculty of Public Health, specialty area of Public Health Nursing, at Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand, in terms of research issues, designs and area and boundaries of nursing roles and functions. The population and sample was twenty-four dissertation reports that were presented from 1985 to 2005. Data were collected by using sorting record cards. The data were analyzed using concept mapping, meta analysis, and integrative review. Results showed that dissertations were conducted to cover factors relevant to public health nursing roles and functions, health promotion, disease prevention, primary care and rehabilitation. The investigations focused on individual, family and community levels. Research designs focusing on a quantitative approach were the most frequent pattern of investigation. Qualitative research and mixed approach were used only in a few reports. As for meta analysis, it was found that 2 research projects had qualification to meet the required criteria namely, the model of self-care for patients with hypertensions as the effective model to reduce risk in hypertension. These findings suggest that content mapping of dissertations of Public Health Nursing could facilitate and improve the nursing leader’s attention to and utilization of the results to direct and change the nursing curriculum in order to achieve an increase in the academic excellence of the nursing paradigm.