Patient Comfort During Cataract Surgery: A Comparison of Troche and Intravenous Sedation.

Advancements in ophthalmologic procedures warrant exploration of alternative approaches to standard intravenous (IV) anesthesia sedation. One new approach, a sublingual troche containing midazolam, ketamine, and ondansetron, allows for IV catheter-free administration of sedation. This project compared the effectiveness and equivalency of sublingual troche during monitored anesthesia sedation with traditional IV sedation for maintaining comfort in patients undergoing cataract surgery.

Comparison of High-Sensitivity Troponin T Assay to Conventional Troponin T Assay for Rule Out of Acute Coronary Syndrome in the Emergency Department.

Approximately 5% of all emergency department (ED) visits require evaluation of chest pain and atypical symptoms for diagnosis or exclusion of myocardial infarction or acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (P. ). Health care providers rely on effective tests and assessment protocols for definitive diagnosis of ACS.

Improving Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in NICU Patients.

Background: Premature infants experience stressors such as external stimulation with sounds, light, touch, and open positioning in NICU that negatively affect outcomes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure the effectiveness of a developmental positioning intervention on length of stay, weight gain, and tone/flexion compared with neonates without structured positioning.

Methods: Study design was quasi-experimental with nonequivalent groups.

Implementation of a Standardized Evaluation Tool to Improve Preceptor Confidence.

Preceptors guide the transition of new graduate nurses into practice. Having access to evidence-based tools for evaluation of new graduate nurses promotes preceptor confidence and consistent measures of performance. The Norwegian Nurse Competence Scale was implemented across three acute care organizations for evaluation of new graduate nurse performance.

Evaluating an Order Set for Improvement of Quality Outcomes in Diabetic Ketoacidosis.

The timely management of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is essential to avoid lengthy hospitalizations and poor clinical outcomes. There is often an absence of ownership for glycemic management in hospitalized patients, most notably in those with a diagnosis other than diabetes. Evidence supports the use of evidence-based DKA protocols.

Life Skills Interventions to Improve Social Confidence, Self-Management, and Protection against Drug Use in Rural Elementary School Aged Children.

This pilot project evaluated the effectiveness of a life skills training program for elementary-school-aged children for development of social confidence, self-management, and general social and drug resistance skills. The setting was a rural community after-school program. Children participated in 30-min weekly sessions for 8 weeks.

The school wellness nurse: a model for bridging gaps in school wellness programs.

Incidence of pediatric overweight continues to pose significant national health threats due to associated co-morbid, chronic conditions, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and others. Interventions to address health behaviors of children often focus on the school environment because of the opportunity to have an impact on child health through nutrition education and optimization of the school food and physical activity environments. Federally mandated school wellness policies provide schools with clear objectives to address poor health behaviors of their students.

The incidence of infant physical abuse in Alaska.

Objectives: To determine the incidence of and risk factors associated with infant (< 1 year of age) physical abuse in Alaska.

Methods: A population-based retrospective cohort study for the 1994-2000 resident birth cohort was conducted by linking data from birth certificates, Child Protective Services, a statewide hospital-based trauma registry, hospital discharge data, and the Alaska Infant Mortality Review (including death certificates). The main outcome measures were the incidences of overall physical abuse and abuse resulting in hospitalization or death.