Analyzing traditional and accelerated nursing student exam answer changing behaviors: A retrospective study.

Objective: This study examined differences in exam answer changing behavior among baccalaureate students based on program pace, semester in the program, exam scores, and grade point average.

Design: The study is a retrospective review of quantitative data.

Setting: The data was collected using standardized testing results taken by students at a private, liberal arts university in the midwestern United States.

Identification and Management of Acute Cardiac Tamponade.

Although incidence is rare, acute cardiac tamponade (CT) is a cardiovascular condition often resulting in a high mortality rate. In acute CT, rapid accumulation of fluid occurs in the pericardial sac and prevents the heart's chambers from adequately filling with blood, leading to reduced diastolic filling, diminished stroke volumes, and subsequent hemodynamic instability. Health care providers should be aware of at-risk patients and the earliest signs and symptoms because an acute CT is considered a medical emergency.

Identifying Barriers to Hospitalized Patients' Participation in a Free Smoking Cessation Support Program.

Hospitalized patients who smoke were surveyed to determine per- ceived barriers to participation in a smoking cessation support pro- gram. Identification of barriers allows.healthcare teams to develop support programs that maximize participation.

Care of the patient with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Patients presenting with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), the rarest of the groups of pulmonary hypertension diagnoses, are infrequently seen in the critical care arena. However, when patients with PAH present in the intensive care unit, it is generally related to an exhaustion of treatments. This article focuses on the current state of the literature addressing the group designation, pathophysiology, symptom expression, and treatment modalities of the patient with PAH.

Development of a Conceptual Model for Smoking Cessation: Physical Activity, Neurocognition, and Executive Functioning.

Purpose: Considerable research has shown adverse neurobiological effects of chronic alcohol use, including long-term and potentially permanent changes in the structure and function of the brain; however, much less is known about the neurobiological consequences of chronic smoking, as it has largely been ignored until recently. In this article, we present a conceptual model proposing the effects of smoking on neurocognition and the role that physical activity may play in this relationship as well as its role in smoking cessation.

Methods: Pertinent published peer-reviewed articles deposited in PubMed delineating the pathways in the proposed model were reviewed.

Free-living physical activity characteristics, activity-related air trapping and breathlessness, and utilization of transtheoretical constructs in COPD: A pilot study.

Objective: Many patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) experience air trapping at rest and during exercise. This study examined the relationship between air trapping and air hunger breathlessness during acute physical activity (PA) engagement. In addition, we examined free-living movement patterns of COPD patients, as well as their utilization of psycho-behavioral factors known to influence PA behavior.

Exercise and cognitive function: a randomized controlled trial examining acute exercise and free-living physical activity and sedentary effects.

Objective: To simultaneously examine the effects of acute exercise intensity and free-living physical activity and sedentary behavior on cognitive function in young, healthy adults.

Patients And Methods: Using a counterbalanced, crossover, randomized controlled design, 87 young adults (mean age, 21.4 years) completed various cognitive assessments with and without an acute bout of exercise preceding the assessment.

Care of the patient with an acute pulmonary embolism.

There are evidence-based prevention strategies known to reduce the risk of pulmonary embolism formation. However, pulmonary emboli remain a leading cause of death in critically ill patients with a 3-month mortality of 10% to 15%. This article addresses patients' risk factors, pulmonary embolism prevention strategies, clinical manifestations, and treatment modalities the interdisciplinary team should understand.

Physical activity and nicotine dependence among a national sample of young U.S. adults who smoke daily: evaluation of cross-sectional and longitudinal associations to determine which behavior drives this relationship.

The association between nicotine dependence and physical activity (PA) is relatively unknown. No study has concurrently examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between PA and nicotine dependence, which was the primary purpose of this study. A secondary purpose was to examine how well nicotine dependence and PA behavior track over a two-year period.

Physical activity moderates the association between nicotine dependence and depression among U.S. smokers.

Purpose: Research demonstrates that nicotine dependence and depression are associated and that physical activity is effective in reducing depression symptoms. However, our understanding of the potential beneficial effects of physical activity on depression in current smokers is more limited. The purpose of this study was to examine whether physical activity moderates the association between nicotine dependence and depression in U.

Association between physical activity and major depressive disorder among current or former smokers with pulmonary disease.

Objective: To examine the association between physical activity and major depressive disorder (MDD) in a nationally representative sample of current or former smokers with pulmonary impairments.

Methods: The analyzed sample from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2010 included 536 adults who indicated that they were current or former smokers, had at least mild pulmonary impairment (FEV1/FVC<0.70), and provided depression and physical activity data.

Do nicotine intake and acute heart rate response to smoking rank nicotine dependence the same?

In this study, two proposed scales of nicotine dependence were compared: self-administered nicotine intake and acute heart rate sensitivity to smoking. Our aim was to determine if these nicotine dependence scales would rank relative dependence the same in a sample of 15 male chronic smokers who smoked their first cigarette in the morning after overnight abstinence. Heart rate and plasma nicotine levels were measured before and 5, 10, 15, and 30 min after smoking.

Chest tubes in the critically ill patient.

This article is meant as a review for critical care nurses caring for patients with chest tubes. The types of chest tubes, equipment needed, types of chest drainage systems, chest tube placement and setup, nursing care, chest tube removal, and complications will be discussed.

Caring for the critically ill patient with tuberculosis.

Pulmonary tuberculosis is still a major health problem in the United States as well as around the world. The purpose of this article is to provide critical care nursing staff as well as other healthcare providers with a foundation to recognize and manage patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Topics discussed include etiology, risk factors, pathophysiology, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, extrapulmonary tuberculosis, signs and symptoms, diagnostic testing, and the role of the critical care nurse in the management of these patients.

Understanding the alphabet soup of mechanical ventilation.

Invasive mechanical ventilation has evolved from a fairly simplistic, basic machine with just a few knobs into an exceedingly complicated, microprocessor-based life support system. This article sorts out the "alphabet soup" concerning mechanical ventilation and focuses on invasive procedures.

Trends in caring for adult respiratory distress syndrome patients.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome is considered the most severe form of acute lung injury resulting in high morbidity and mortality. This syndrome is characterized by noncardiogenic pulmonary edema, diffuse pulmonary infiltrates, and hypoxemia refractory to oxygen delivery. Critical care nurses should be aware of newer treatment modalities available for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.