Somatic Awareness and Daily Hassles in Women with Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Dissertation

iv Dedication In loving memory of my son, Christopher R. Stone, whose passion for life served as my guiding light in the darkest of times. v Acknowledgements I would like to thank my committee: James A. Fain, for his excellent statistical skills and willingness to share this knowledge; Kathleen Miller, for her excellent editorial skills and knowledge of cardiac disease in women; and Jeffrey Latham MD, for his knowledge of treatment of AMI in women and support of nursing research. Without their encouragement, hard work, and dedication this would not be possible. I would like to thank Carol Lamoureux, whose support of my research at The Miriam Hospital was pivotal in allowing me to complete my research project. Also, a special thanks to all the nurses working on 4 East and 4 West, whose support and encouragement I acknowledge and will be eternally grateful. I want to express my appreciation to the participants who volunteered their participation in their research study. A heartfelt thank you to all whose support and friendship and love of philosophy and research and long discussions helped me to complete this project.