Nursing leadership and influence in practice domains at a Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

Background: Studies in Veteran populations have examined disparities in health service use, care quality, outcomes and increased demands for behavioral health.

Purpose: The purpose is to describe the development of nursing leadership roles that influenced practice improvements and demonstrated outcomes related to health disparities in a Veterans Affairs (VA) population over a 12-year period.

Methods: The Sundean and colleagues' concept analysis of nurse leadership influence was applied to frame the initiative process and impacts.

Quad Bike Riders' Attitudes toward and Use of Safety Technologies.

Worldwide, the number of quad bike-related injuries and fatalities has increased over the last 30 years and, although quad bike safety has become increasingly important over the last decade, greater understanding of the risks associated with these vehicles is required. This study aimed to improve understanding of the interrelationships between risk perception, risk management, and the use of safety technologies in quad bike operation. A total of 70 quad bike riders were interviewed in two sets of interviews: one targeting riders visiting two forestry fairs, and the other targeting riders with quad bikes equipped with ROPS.

An institution-wide faculty mentoring program at an academic health center with 6-year prospective outcome data.

Background: There is discontent and turnover among faculty at US academic health centers because of the challenges in balancing clinical, research, teaching, and work-life responsibilities in the current healthcare environment. One potential strategy to improve faculty satisfaction and limit turnover is through faculty mentoring programs.

Methods: A Mentor Leadership Council was formed to design and implement an institution-wide faculty mentoring program across all colleges at an academic health center.

How 15- to 16-year-old Swedish adolescents experience social relationships and health-related behaviours: A qualitative study.

Health-related behaviours are associated with social relationships. Adolescence is a time when healthy and unhealthy behaviours are established. There is a need to investigate adolescents' views on how social relationships are related to health-related behaviours of adolescents in the Scandinavian welfare system.

Improving Glycemic Control in a Geriatric Population.

This quality improvement project evaluated whether offering a series of 5 structured interdisciplinary diabetic educational teaching sessions would improve glycemic control as measured by random blood sugars (RBS) in a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Five diabetic educational sessions were held over a 4-week period with 50 participants (N = 50). Data were analyzed and displayed using descriptive statistics and figures.

Improving Blood Pressure and Weight in Patients with Diabetes.

The purpose of this study was to improve healthcare outcomes by reducing blood pressure and weight in adult patients with diabetes at afederally qualified health center. NextGen electronic health record was used to review aggregate data of blood pressures and weight pre-intervention and post-intervention for women and men (N = 304) between 20 and 87 years of age with type 2 diabetes and a BMI : 30. Findings from this study showed that blood pressure and weight did not improve as anticipated using a variety of educational approaches and strategies within the study population.

Adult Children and the Transition of Aging Parents.

This study explores the experiences of adult children as they transition their functionally and/or cognitively declining aging parents from independent living to supervised housing. A qualitative grounded theory approach was used to chronicle the experiences of adult children as their caregiving responsibilities intensified and their parents' health declined. Purposive, snowball sampling was used to enlist adult children (n = 16) who were in the process of transitioning an aging parent from an independent living situation to one providing assistance with everyday care and tasks.

Appointment Reminders to Decrease 30-Day Readmission Rates to Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitals.

Purpose Of Project: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to reduce 30-day readmission rates to inpatient psychiatric hospitals by standardizing discharge processes by including scheduling outpatient psychiatric appointments for all patients at discharge and also to include the mailing postal reminders to prompt patients to attend their first outpatient mental health appointment following treatment.

Primary Practice Setting: Inpatient psychiatric hospital.

Methodology And Sample: The project design was an analysis of readmission data obtained both 3 months before and after implementation of the postal reminder letters.

Psychosocial vulnerability underlying four common unhealthy behaviours in 15-16-year-old Swedish adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Factors that influence unhealthy behaviours in adolescents may have different impacts in different sociocultural settings. There is lack of research on the association between psychosocial vulnerability and unhealthy behaviours in adolescents, particularly outside the United States. The aim was to investigate both direct and indirect relationships between psychosocial conditions (subjective well-being, social relationships and self-esteem) and four health-related behaviours (smoking, alcohol consumption, meal frequency and physical activity) in Swedish adolescents aged 15-16 years.

Increasing physical activity for veterans in the Mental Health Intensive Case Management Program: A community-based intervention.

Aims And Objectives: Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI), experience increased mortality-20 years greater disparity for men and 15 years greater disparity for women-compared to the general population (Thornicroft G. Physical health disparities and mental illness: The scandal of premature mortality. Br J Psychiatr.

Streamlining Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Procedures to Promote Early-Career Faculty Success.

A critical component of the progression of a successful academic career is being promoted in rank. Early-career faculty are required to have an understanding of appointment, promotion, and tenure (APT) guidelines, but many factors often impede this understanding, thwarting a smooth and planned promotion pathway for professional advancement. This article outlines the steps taken by an APT committee to improve the promotion process from instructor to assistant professor.

Implementing school based telehealth for children with medical complexity.

Purpose: This quality improvement project aimed to improve parental experiences with healthcare delivery and collaborative health care offered at a school serving children with medical complexity (CMC) by implementing telehealth services.

Methods: Parents of students at an urban public charter school for CMC were surveyed before and after telehealth was implemented at the school for two months, and again one year later, using the Measure of Processes of Care (MPOC-20).

Results: Parental scores on the MPOC-20 were generally high both before and after the implementation of telehealth.

Implementing a Pediatric Fall Prevention Policy and Program.

Preventing patient falls begins with an accurate assessment of a patient's risk of falling followed by the initiation and continued evaluation of a fall prevention program based on patient-specific identified risks. Children have a normal tendency to fall based on developmental growth, and each child is different in physical and cognitive abilities. Falls may occur both in and out of the hospital setting.

Scaffolding behavioral health concepts from more simple to complex builds NP students' competence.

Background: Behavioral health disorders (psychiatric illness and substance abuse disorders) represent a significant burden across the nation's health care system. About one half of the problems that present in primary health care settings are behavioral in nature. There is urgent need to improve the integration of behavioral health care services into primary care.

Implementation of Recovery Programming on an Inpatient Acute Psychiatric Unit and Its Impact on Readmission.

Background: Recovery-oriented models of care are evidence based and have been shown to improve patient satisfaction and outcomes as well as decrease the percentage of readmissions to inpatient psychiatric units.

Methods: This quality improvement project was implemented on a 16-bed inpatient adult mental health unit in a Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Percentages of readmissions were compared throughout the course of implementation of the recovery model.

Improving Follow-Up for Failed Newborn Hearing Screening in Emirati Infants.

This column shares the best evidence-based strategies and innovative ideas on how to facilitate the learning and implementation of EBP principles and processes by clinicians as well as nursing and interprofessional students. Guidelines for submission are available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.

Depression Screening in Chronic Disease Management: A Worksite Health Promotion Initiative.

This pilot project aimed to improve depression symptoms and quality-of-life measures for individuals in a worksite disease management program. Two hundred forty-three individuals were invited to participate, out of which 69 enrolled. The participants had a history of diabetes, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia, and demonstrated depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).

Association between parental depressive symptoms and impaired bonding with the infant.

Impaired bonding with the infant is associated with maternal postpartum depression but has not been investigated extensively in fathers. The primary study aim was to evaluate associations between maternal and paternal depressive symptoms and impaired bonding with their infant. A secondary aim was to determine the associations between parents' marital problems and impaired bonding with the infant.

Recognizing depression in late life.

Depression presents differently in older adults than in younger adults and frequently occurs with many chronic illnesses in later life, though it is not a normal part of aging. The astute practitioner will screen for depression in this population and appropriately treat to improve chronic illness management and quality of life in older adults.

Making the Move: A Mixed Research Integrative Review.

The purpose of this mixed research integrative review is to determine factors that influence relocation transitions for older adults who are considering a move from independent living to supervised housing, such as assisted living, using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a conceptual guide. PubMED, CINAHL, and PsychInfo databases were queried using key words: relocation, transition, older adults, and, elderly and time limited from 1992 to 2014. Sixteen articles were retained for review.

Preventing ventilator-associated events: complying with evidence-based practice.

The leading cause of death due to health care-associated infections is ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The lack of clarity in the definition of VAP has made it difficult to execute and evaluate the effectiveness of prevention strategies. Beginning in 2013, hospitals were expected to implement a new surveillance definition algorithm to identify ventilator-associated events (VAEs).