Celebrating 40 Years of the Midwest Nursing Research Society.

The Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) recently held its 40th annual conference and celebrated four decades of nursing research in the Midwest. MNRS continues to be one of the largest nursing research societies in the United States. Over the years, a vast majority of programmatic initiatives included education and tangible support for novice and experienced nurse researchers.

Factors influencing professionalism in nursing among Korean American registered nurses.

Although significant numbers of foreign nurses are currently employed in the United States, little research about nursing professionalism exists for this population. The study assessed the levels of professionalism and examined factors associated with professionalism among Korean American registered nurses (RNs). Hall's Professionalism Inventory (HPI) scale was used for this correlational descriptive study.

Meta-analysis as a tool for evidence-based practice: an example using the Rice meta-analysis of smoking cessation interventions.

Enhanced quality of patient care and the prevention of errors are emphasized greatly in today's health care settings. Nurses are now held accountable for the care they provide and, as a result, nurses are responsible for incorporating solid scientific evidence into their practice. Published meta-analyses represent one source of such evidence.

Employee health fair data: evidence for planning health promotion programs.

Purpose/objectives: This study describes actual and perceived health status as well as health habits and needs of hospital employees. The Transtheoretical Model "stages of change" provided the study framework. SETTING, SAMPLE, AND METHODS: Employees (N = 1,295) from a large Midwestern hospital participated in 3 annual health fairs and completed questionnaires and received physical measurements of height, weight, blood pressure, and blood lipid levels.

Smoking patterns, beliefs, and the practice of healthy behaviors in abstinent, relapsed, and recalcitrant smokers.

The purpose of this study was to perform a secondary analysis of smoking patterns and beliefs related to healthy behaviors in adult smokers (N = 71). Data for the secondary analysis were obtained from an original study that examined guided health imagery as a smoking cessation intervention. The imagery intervention resulted in significantly higher 2-year smoking abstinence rates for the intervention group of participants (26% vs.

Smoking patterns, beliefs, and the practice of healthy behaviors in abstinent, relapsed, and recalcitrant smokers.

The purpose of this study was to perform a secondary analysis of smoking patterns and beliefs related to healthy behaviors in adult smokers (N = 71). Data for the secondary analysis were obtained from an original study that examined guided health imagery as a smoking cessation intervention. The imagery intervention resulted in significantly higher 2-year smoking abstinence rates for the intervention group of participants (26% vs.

Guided health imagery for smoking cessation and long-term abstinence.

Purpose: To examine the effectiveness of guided imagery for immediate smoking cessation and long-term abstinence in adult smokers.

Design: A repeated measures design was used with 71 smokers recruited from a hospital outpatient clinic, 38 in the intervention group, and 33 in the control group.

Methods: Both study groups received educational and counseling sessions in their homes.

Factors predicting health behaviors among Army Reserve, active duty Army, and civilian hospital employees.

This study identified health-risk and health-promoting behaviors in military and civilian personnel employed in hospitals. Intrinsic self-motivation and extrinsic organizational workplace factors were examined as predictors of health behaviors. Because reservists represent a blend of military and civilian lifestyles, descriptive analyses focused on comparing Army Reserve personnel (n = 199) with active duty Army (n = 218) and civilian employees (n = 193), for a total sample of 610.

Health promotion and cardiovascular health in adult monozygotic twins.

Purpose: To describe relationships among cardiovascular health indicators and health-promoting behaviors in adult monozygotic (MZ) twins.

Design: The descriptive, correlational design with a convenience sample of adult twins (77 twin pairs, or N = 154) obtained during a public conference held in the Midwestern United States.

Methods: Bivariate correlational analyses with twins as their own controls and with each twin pair.

Current factors contributing to professionalism in nursing.

A serious nursing shortage is creating a crisis in the nation's health care system. Many experienced nurses are leaving the field and young people are not selecting nursing as a potential career. Reassessment of professionalism in nursing therefore is indicated.

Two quantitative approaches for estimating content validity.

Instrument content validity is often established through qualitative expert reviews, yet quantitative analysis of reviewer agreements is also advocated in the literature. Two quantitative approaches to content validity estimations were compared and contrasted using a newly developed instrument called the Osteoporosis Risk Assessment Tool (ORAT). Data obtained from a panel of eight expert judges were analyzed.

Testicular self-examination in young adult men.

Purpose: To describe patterns of testicular self-examination (TSE) in a sample of young adult men and to identify factors distinguishing between men who do and do not practice TSE.

Design: A comparative descriptive design with a convenience sample of 191 adult men aged 18-35 years, recruited from a large industrial complex in the U.S.

The osteoporosis risk assessment tool: establishing content validity through a panel of experts.

Twenty-three items were initially developed for the Atkins Osteoporosis Risk Assessment Tool (ORAT) after a thorough examination of the literature. These items were reviewed for relevance to the domain of content by a panel of eight experts using Lynn's (1986) two-stage process for content validation. The Content Validity Index and the kappa coefficient of agreement were analyzed from panelists' quantitative ratings and 15 items were retained.