Journey to Becoming a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner: Making the Decision to Enter Graduate School.

Background: Neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) play an important role in caring for premature and ill infants. Currently, there is a shortage of NNPs to fill open positions. Understanding how nurses decide to become NNPs will help practicing nurse practitioners, managers, and faculty encourage and support nurses in considering the NNP role as a career choice.

Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Adolescents Entering Child Protective Services.

Study Objective: Persons aged 15-24 years have the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Adolescents in protective services custody may be at even greater risk of acquiring STIs, but little is known about the prevalence of STIs among this population. We therefore set out to assess the prevalence of STIs among adolescents seen in the Harris County Child Protective Services Clinic.

The simulated hospital environment: a qualitative study applying space industry techniques.

Patterned after the integrated simulation approach utilized in the space industry, we report results of an innovative simulation in nursing, a 96-hour continuous simulated hospital environment. Training objectives for our study emphasized the integrative and critical thinking skills needed by new graduate nurses. The purpose of this study was to determine the process for development and the experience of participating in a simulated hospital environment.

Development of the American Indian Enculturation Scale to assist counseling practice.

Understanding the extent of commitment to and identification with traditional cultural experiences is essential for working with American Indian (AI) people (Whitbeck, 2006). The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of a practical measure of enculturation for AI people by examining its reliability and validity within the context of three previous studies.

Management of constipation and encopresis in children.

Constipation is a common problem in primary care. Nurse practitioners should be able to diagnose and treat constipation appropriately and to recognize which children require referral to a gastroenterologist. Referral to a gastroenterologist is necessary for the child with simple constipation or encopresis fails to respond to treatment, an organic etiology is suspected, or complex management is required.