Maturation of Heterogeneity in Afferent Synapse Ultrastructure in the Mouse Cochlea.

Auditory nerve fibers (ANFs) innervating the same inner hair cell (IHC) may have identical frequency tuning but different sound response properties. In cat and guinea pig, ANF response properties correlate with afferent synapse morphology and position on the IHC, suggesting a causal structure-function relationship. In mice, this relationship has not been fully characterized.

Changing unit culture: an interdisciplinary commitment to improve pain outcomes.

Patients discharged from The Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, are contacted post discharge and asked to assess the care provided; specific questions are focused on pain management. Responses to these questions were initially unfavorable: only approximately 72.4% of patients were completely satisfied.

Improving patient satisfaction through multidisciplinary performance improvement teams.

Hospitals today are challenged by high patient census, rising acuity, and workforce issues that can result in a serious decline in overall patient satisfaction. This article discusses how one hospital tackled the issue of declining patient satisfaction scores on five "troubled" patient care units through a performance improvement strategy that included MD-RN partnerships, co-mentoring, and unit staff development and involvement in the problem-solving process. The result was a steady improvement in patient satisfaction over a 6-month period.