Fellowship in the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

The purpose of this column is to describe the process of application and selection for fellowship in the Fellows of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP). Fellows are invited and selected based on their accomplishments in four priority areas: research, practice, education, and policy. Based on the 10-year history of the FAANP, current members provide guidance for potential applicants on the steps necessary for making a successful application.

Family nurse practitioner clinical requirements: is the best recommendation 500 hours?

Purpose: The purpose of the article was to stimulate further dialog around the recommended number of clinical hours required for students in family nurse practitioner (FNP) programs.

Data Sources: Nursing literature was reviewed for research supporting the current clinical hour requirement. Both authors are faculty in FNP programs that provided experiential data for the article.

Transitioning a classroom-based RN-BSN program to the Web.

Many schools of nursing are transitioning traditional and broadcast registered nurse to bachelor of science in nursing programs to the Web. A variety of options exists when placing material on the Web for nursing programs. Some challenges include having adequate numbers of faculty to implement Web-based education; student access to adequate and available computer and broadband technology; faculty readiness and development; and resources needed for a smooth transition.

Validation of measures of middle schoolers' self-efficacy for physical and emotional health, and academic tasks.

The development and psychometric study of a measure of middle schoolers' perceptions of self-efficacy for physical, emotional, and academic behaviors appropriate to their age and developmental tasks are described. The validation of the Middle School Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (MISSE) included the adaptation of existing items and the generation of new ones. Items were subjected to judges' review by two expert panels and were tested with a large, geographically diverse sample of youngsters aged 11-14.

Holistic healing for women with breast cancer through a mind, body, and spirit self-empowerment program.

This article reports results of an integrated mind-body-spirit self-empowerment program for breast cancer survivors. Fifty-one women at various stages of breast cancer completed a series of eclectic lessons offered in a support group format. The program followed an integrated and cumulative lesson plan that progressively and systematically introduced multiple strategies for creating a balance among mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health.