Effects of Associate Degree Nursing Students' Characteristics on Perceptions and Experiences of Mentoring.

Background: Mentoring has been identified as a key education program support structure to facilitate student success.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate how associate degree nursing program students experience mentoring and persistence. Mentoring perceptions were evaluated using the College Student Mentoring Scale.

A pilot study of occupational injury and illness experienced by classical musicians.

Limited attention is paid to the hazards experienced by orchestra musicians in the occupational health and safety literature. Within that literature, the primary focus has been on noise exposure. A focus on this area is warranted because high sound pressure levels are a product of this work environment.

Testing decisional balance and self-efficacy applied to workers' use of hearing protection.

Background: The continued prevalence of low rates of hearing protection device (HPD) use by workers exposed to hazardous noise requires ongoing efforts to investigate ways to increase HPD use.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) for research with factory workers' use of HPDs, specifically focusing on the model suppositions related to the constructs of decisional balance and self-efficacy.

Methods: Using secondary analysis, pretest measures were obtained through a randomized controlled clinical trial of an intervention to increase use of HPDs.

Predictors of hearing protection use for Hispanic and non-Hispanic White factory workers.

The 2000 United States Census reported significant growth in the number of Hispanic workers. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, 1996) has identified noise-induced hearing loss as a significant occupational threat. Current theoretical models need to be evaluated for their utility with Hispanic workers.

Staging workers' use of hearing protection devices: application of the transtheoretical model.

The threat of noise-induced hearing loss is a serious concern for many workers. This study explores use of the transtheoretical model as a framework for defining stages of workers' acceptance of hearing protection devices. A secondary analysis was performed using a cross-section of data from a randomized, controlled clinical trial of an intervention to increase use of hearing protection.

Effectiveness of a tailored intervention to increase factory workers' use of hearing protection.

Background: In the United States it is estimated that more than 30 million workers are exposed to harmful levels of noise on the job. When engineering or administrative controls cannot be used to reduce noise, workers should always use hearing protection devices (HPDs) when exposed to loud noise to prevent noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Previous research has shown that workers do not always use HPDs when required; therefore, it is essential that workers assume personal responsibility for preventing NIHL by increasing their use of HPDs.

Impacting health through the worksite.

The achievement of the Healthy People 2010 objectives will require community involvement of health care providers. The worksite remains the best place to access the adult population for health promotion and disease prevention. In addition, it is essential that non-worksite primary care services be attuned to the effects of work on health and illness.