Ellen

F. Franklin CEO, Kairos Institute of Sound Healing, LLC Creators of the Acutonics Healing System 157 Pacheco Road, Box 8, Llano, NM 87543 575-587-2689 ellen@acutonics.com www.acutonics.com My name is Ellen Franklin and I am a graduate student in the psychology PhD program at Saybrook University. This letter is to inquire into your interest in participating in a pilot research study, which is part of my Case Study Methods course requirement. Participants must currently be employed in a hospital setting and have at least five years of experience as a registered nurse. Participants will be asked to make an 8-hour commitment between October 24th and November 18th, 2011. During this time you will agree to be interviewed twice, both interviews will be approximately 90 minutes in duration. Interviews will be recorded and transcribed by the researcher. In addition to the 2 interviews you will participate in a 4-hour training in which you will be taught a self-care intervention, that incorporates the use of tuning forks on acupuncture points. Research participants will agree to apply this intervention twice per week for a three-week period, and to keep a journal in which they record how they feel before and after the intervention is administered. The initial interview will ask questions related to your experiences as a nurse, with a particular focus on any health related symptoms associated with work place stress, as well as strategies for self-care, if any. Participants will be provided with training, reference materials for the protocol, notebooks for recording observations, and the tuning forks to be used as part of the self-care study. At the conclusion of a three-week period in which participants administer the protocol there will be a second semi-structured interview, which will also be tape- recorded and transcribed by the researcher. The interviews and training will be conducted at a convenient and mutually agreed upon location. Your identity will be protected, and all materials will be kept in locked files. There is no compensation or reimbursement being offered for your participation. However, your participation in the study may contribute to knowledge and theory of the use of sound vibration for the purpose to be studied. If you would like to participate in this study, or you have any questions or concerns please contact me directly by telephone or email. Research participants will be provided with and asked to sign an informed consent, which provides further information on the proposed study. Principal Researcher: Ellen F. Franklin 157 Pacheco Road, Box 8, Llano, NM 87543 575-587-2689; ellen@acutonics.com