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articles can be accessed for their personal and reference use. The articles should not be reproduced in large quantities for distribution in classrooms or seminars without obtaining the rights from Slack Incorporated. We provide licensed reprints for distribution purposes for an appropriate fee. Abstract:There is a need for aging theories to become holistic and multidisciplinary with a life span focus. A theory is the construction of explicit explanations in accounting for empirical findings. A good gerontological theory integrates knowledge, tells how and why phenomena are related, leads to prediction, and provides process and understanding. In addition, a good theory must be holistic and take into account all that impacts on a person throughout a lifetime of aging. Based on these criteria, the authors created the Theory of Thriving, with a holistic life span perspective for studying people in their environments as they age. This article proposes a theory for studying people over time in a holistic, encompassing manner. Article:Since the early work on a Theory of Thriving approximately 10 years ago, the Theory has evolved from a gerontologic theory to a life span theory. Originally based on the concept of failure to thrive (FTT) in older adults (Newbern A. Krowchuk, 1994) and infants (Lobo, 1992), thriving is now applicable to many life span issues. However, for the purposes of this article, the Theory of Thriving will be discussed as one that fills gaps within the theories of aging. The Theory will be applied to a person's life in a nursing home environment. In a 1996 issue of The Gerontologist, Lynott and Birren examined the state of gerontologic theory and reported little growth in the area during the past 10 years. Since Birren and Bengston (1988) Gerontologists have been remiss in creating models and concepts that link variables together and serve as blueprints for conducting studies and exploring ideas. Life span development theories have served as aging theories, but other than addressing the progression of time in relation to the development of individuals, aging theories do not link variables. There is little emphasis placed on theory development or presentation by gerontologic journals that publish research findings. Perhaps this absence of a holistic gerontologic theory exists because gerontology is derived from several other fields, specifically biology, psychology, and sociology. Each of these fields has developed separate explanatory theories, but there are no multidisciplinary explanatory theories that combine the fields and examine aging as a whole over time.

The purposes of this study were to: (1) describe the level of professional self-concept among new graduate nurses working in critical care and general medical surgical unit six months after completing a nursing program, (2) examine the professional self-concept in relation to age, marital status, and educational level of new graduate nurses, and (3) examine graduate nurses' perceptions of their nursing educational preparation for their clinical area. One hundred thirty two (n=132) new graduate nurses completed the professional self-concept nurses instrument (PSCNI) and answered two open ended questions focused on their educational preparation. Scores on the PSCNI ranged 58-106 with an overall mean of 83. There was a positive correlation between age and level of professional self-concept. Single factor ANOVA showed no statistical differences between levels of professional self-concept, marital status (p=0.43), and educational level (p=0.09). New graduate nurses identified themes as they assessed their educational preparation for their work experiences.

When hemodialysis (HD) became practical as an intervention for patients with end-stage renal disease, most were on home HD. The numbers of patients requiring dialysis are increasing as the resources for them are decreasing. Simultaneously, there is a move toward home health care. This study investigated the psychosocial reactions of patients on home HD and their dialysis partners, how decisions were made to choose home HD, and the patients' perception of HD stressors. The participants were 14 patients on home HD and their dialysis partners; 7 were husband-wife pairs, 2 mother-daughter pairs, 1 sister pair, and 1 friend pair. Instruments included the Clinical Anxiety Scale, the Generalized Contentment Scale, the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale Self-Report, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale, and the Hemodialysis Stressor Scale. Interview data and the psychosocial adjustment levels of patients and partners support the effectiveness of HHD. Further research with a larger sample is needed.

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a chronic illness that challenges the coping ability of patients and their families, demanding behavioral and emotional lifestyle changes. The purposes of this comparative descriptive study were to explore the anxiety, depression, and psychosocial adjustment of male patients on three types of dialysis--home hemodialysis (home HD), in-center hemodialysis (in-center HD), and peritoneal dialysis (PD)--and to identify perception of hemodialysis stressors for those on home HD and in-center HD. Five subjects in each of the three groups (N = 15), matched for age, gender, education, and dialysis type, participated in the study. Although the convenience sample size is too small to generalize, subjects on home HD demonstrated higher psychosocial adjustment. The study supports further research with larger, randomized samples. Information about psychosocial adjustment of patients on each type of dialysis provides information for nurses as they guide patients in choosing dialysis type.