Publications by authors named "Erlinda Wheeler"

The aim of this study was to identify medical-surgical clinical error near-miss events (ENME) and causative factors as reported by senior-level nursing students. Qualitative and quantitative ENME data were obtained using a survey tool during clinical courses. Students identified cognitive and behavioral/performance issues, human factors, system issues, and communication as contributing factors, with 97 percent of the errors reported as preventable.

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Objective: Patients who are frequent users (≥4 visits/year) comprise ∼10% of patients, but account for ∼34% of total yearly emergency department (ED) visits. Non-emergent care provided to frequent ED users affects operating costs and usage. The majority of reports characterising frequent ED use are from urban teaching centres.

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Research skills education is needed for nurses at all levels: novice, intermediate, and advanced. Nurse educators can help novice nurse researchers develop skills such as performing literature searches and critiquing research articles, which are necessary to develop and update clinical practice guidelines and implement evidence-based practice. The purpose of this article is to describe an innovative approach to encourage nurses to perform literature searches and critique research articles as a means to eventually engage in evidence-based practice.

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Pain is the leading reason individuals seek emergency care. Studies have concluded that acute pain conditions are underevaluated and undertreated in the emergency department (ED). There is a paucity of information about how the severity of pain influences the time spent in the ED before being seen by a physician.

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This 12-month longitudinal prospective study tracked the depression and anxiety levels of implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients after implantation of the device. Depression and anxiety levels dropped significantly over time. These findings suggest that interventions should be implemented early because the needs are greatest in the first few weeks after device implantation.

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Background: Surgery is the only treatment that has been proved to have beneficial long-term effects for the morbidly obese (body mass index >40 kg/m(2)). One of the requirements for the Centers for Excellence program instituted by American Society for Bariatric Surgery is to have a system in place to provide comprehensive follow-up care. A recent study showed that the complication rate after bariatric surgery is 39.

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Although teaching is the major focus of academia, research and professional publications frequently determine faculty eligibility for promotion and tenure. In universities where funded research is scarce, faculty need creative means to accomplish research goals. Research is an essential part of baccalaureate nursing education.

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Community care for heart failure patients is difficult due to multiple comorbidities, polypharmacy, and advanced age of patients. Studies show that hospital admissions and emergency room visits decrease with increased nursing interventions in home and community settings. The purpose of this study(1) was to assess the effectiveness of regular telephone interventions by nursing students on outcomes of heart failure patients in the home.

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Building strong partnerships between academic institutions and community health agencies requires a commitment to time, tactful communications, talented leaders, and trust. The essential elements of partnership building are discussed based on experiences of a mid-Atlantic nursing center, an academic health center established to provide care to underserved and vulnerable populations.

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The demands placed on cancer caregivers are well documented. Support for informal caregivers has been shown to increase hope and decrease psychosocial morbidity. The Internet is a readily available means of support for cancer caregivers, however little research on online support for informal caregivers of cancer patients exists.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of race on length of hospital stay (LOS) and number of procedures on elderly persons hospitalized with chronic heart failure (CHF). Secondary data analysis was used to obtain data on 99,543 hospitalized Medicare patients with CHF age 65 years or older. MANOVA was utilized to examine the effects of race, age, and total hospital charges on LOS, number of procedures, and diagnosis.

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Purpose/objectives: To investigate whether differences in age and death rates exist between hospitalized Asian/Pacific Islander American (APIA) women and women of other racial groups.

Design: Secondary data analysis of a national data set.

Setting: The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample, Release 6, was used to obtain hospitalization data on women with breast cancer based on racial status.

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With greater numbers of chronically ill clients cared for in their homes rather than in acute care hospitals, nursing schools need to create and implement innovative strategies for experiences in the community setting. A telephone intervention program was initiated in the last semester of the medical-surgical clinical course to promote the health of patients with congestive heart failure and provide meaningful community experiences for senior nursing students. Students' journals from this semester-long clinical experience were analyzed and showed outcome benefits to both patients and students.

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