Perceptions of and Experiences in a Clinical Externship Program During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The clinical externship program for nursing students was developed and implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic at a multi-site healthcare organization. The program aimed to address the critical shortage of health human resources by hiring qualifying undergraduate nursing and diploma program practical nursing students as unregulated care providers to meet staffing needs. The program incorporated a structured orientation, providing a mix of e-learning modules, in-person learning and shifts with an assigned preceptor.

Building Research Capacity: A Case Study of a Registered Practical Nurse's Research Fellowship.

A research fellowship geared toward registered practical nurses was designed to support the nurse's knowledge development in practice-based research. In this paper, we describe a six-month fellowship experience, which comprised research education, application and mentorship. Through the implementation of the research fellowship, we identified six components necessary for success, which include program infrastructure, application of training and leadership development.

Evaluation of Machine Learning Approaches for Predicting Warfarin Discharge Dose in Cardiac Surgery Patients: Retrospective Algorithm Development and Validation Study.

Background: Warfarin dosing in cardiac surgery patients is complicated by a heightened sensitivity to the drug, predisposing patients to adverse events. Predictive algorithms are therefore needed to guide warfarin dosing in cardiac surgery patients.

Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate an algorithm for predicting the warfarin dose needed to attain a therapeutic international normalized ratio (INR) at the time of discharge in cardiac surgery patients.

Perceptions on implementation of a new standardized reporting tool to support structured morning rounds: Recommendations for interprofessional teams and healthcare leaders.

Structured morning rounds have been used to improve communication, provide learning opportunities, and support patient care in various healthcare settings. The leadership team in an inner-city Inpatient Mental Health Unit identified a gap in the structure of morning rounds; to remedy this, a standardized reporting tool and structured morning rounding process were implemented. This short communication reports on an evaluation of staff.

Effectiveness of a manuscript writing workshop on writing confidence amongst nursing and health disciplines clinicians.

Background: Dissemination of practice-based research findings is critical to advancing evidence and improving practice. While frontline clinicians are well-positioned to identify gaps in practice-based evidence, many barriers exist that challenge their ability to write and submit manuscripts for publication.

Purpose: Our study examined whether a manuscript writing workshop effectively increased nursing and health discipline clinicians' self-perceived confidence in manuscript writing.

Advancing Practice-Based Research among Nursing and Health Disciplines Professionals by Creating a Network of Leaders.

Representatives from various practice-based research programs have come together to establish a Canadian Practice-Based Research Network (CP-BRN). CP-BRN is a collective of healthcare leaders focused on identifying approaches and leveraging resources to support clinician-led research to advance evidence-based practice. This paper presents an overview of the development of the CP-BRN, the proceedings from the inaugural meeting of CPBRN members, and recommendations for nursing and allied health profession leaders considering establishing their own practice-based research programs.

The educational needs of Canadian homeless shelter workers related to traumatic brain injury.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has a higher prevalence in the homeless population. Caregivers to individuals who have TBIs may require better education surrounding screening, diagnosis and management of this disease to tailor interventions to their clients' needs.

Objective: To assess the insight and educational needs of homeless care providers in recognizing and dealing with clients who had experienced a TBI.

Behaviors Indicative of Pain in Brain-Injured Adult Patients With Different Levels of Consciousness in the Intensive Care Unit.

Context: Many brain-injured patients are unable to self-report their pain during their hospitalization in the intensive care unit (ICU), and existing behavioral pain scales may not be well suited.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to describe and compare behaviors in brain-injured patients with different levels of consciousness during nociceptive and nonnociceptive care procedures in the ICU and to examine interrater agreement of individual behaviors as well as discriminative and criterion validation of putative pain behaviors.

Methods: Brain-injured ICU patients were observed using a 40-item behavioral checklist before and during soft touch (i.

Pros and Cons of 19 Sport-Related Concussion Educational Resources in Canada: Avenues for Better Care and Prevention.

The goal of this research was to assess the effectiveness of available concussion educational resources in Canada, the means used to disseminate this knowledge and the impact of these educational resources on players' concussion prevention knowledge. We assessed concussion knowledge before and after exposure to one or more of 19 resources introduced through a national program aimed to increase awareness and knowledge of concussion. The effectiveness of the mode of delivery was measured by changes in concussion knowledge scores (CKS) between pre and pro scores.

Content validation of behaviours and autonomic responses for the assessment of pain in critically ill adults with a brain injury.

Background: The evidence shows that brain-injured patients express behaviours that are related to their level of consciousness (LOC), and different from other patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Therefore, existing behavioural scales should be revised to enhance their content and validity for use in these patients.

Objectives: The aim was to evaluate the content relevance of behaviours and autonomic responses for pain assessment of brain-injured ICU patients from the perspective of critical care clinicians.

Twitter and traumatic brain injury: A content and sentiment analysis of tweets pertaining to sport-related brain injury.

Objectives: Sport-related traumatic brain injuries are a significant public health burden, with hundreds of thousands sustained annually in North America. While sports offer numerous physical and social health benefits, traumatic brain injuries such as concussion can seriously impact a player's life, athletic career, and sport enjoyment. The culture in many sports encourages winning at all costs, placing athletes at risk for traumatic brain injuries.

Factors Influencing the Underreporting of Concussion in Sports: A Qualitative Study of Minor Hockey Participants.

Objective: The present study is to identify factors contributing to underreporting of concussion in adolescent athletes.

Design: Qualitative interviews.

Setting: Participants were interviewed in an office environment.

Factors affecting the concussion knowledge of athletes, parents, coaches, and medical professionals.

Objectives: To determine the predictors of knowledge and awareness of concussion symptoms and outcomes through a survey of athletes, parents of players and coaches in sports settings in Canada.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of athletic communities in Canada was conducted. Respondents' concussion knowledge score consists of responses to questions about the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of a concussion and the timing of return-to-sport post-concussion.

Neurofeedback as a form of cognitive rehabilitation therapy following stroke: A systematic review.

Neurofeedback therapy (NFT) has been used within a number of populations however it has not been applied or thoroughly examined as a form of cognitive rehabilitation within a stroke population. Objectives for this systematic review included: i) identifying how NFT is utilized to treat cognitive deficits following stroke, ii) examining the strength and quality of evidence to support the use of NFT as a form of cognitive rehabilitation therapy (CRT) and iii) providing recommendations for future investigations. Searches were conducted using OVID (Medline, Health Star, Embase + Embase Classic) and PubMed databases.

The high burden of traumatic brain injury and comorbidities amongst homeless adults with mental illness.

Objective: characterize the prevalence of self-reported head injury with loss of consciousness (LOC) and associated demographic, clinical and service use factors in a sample of homeless adults with mental illness.

Method: Participants in the At Home/Chez Soi study were interviewed at the time of study enrollment regarding their history of head injuries, mental and physical health diagnoses and justice system and healthcare interactions. Sociodemographic and clinical data were also collected.

The Use of Social Media in Recruitment for Medical Research Studies: A Scoping Review.

Background: Recruiting an adequate number of participants into medical research studies is challenging for many researchers. Over the past 10 years, the use of social media websites has increased in the general population. Consequently, social media websites are a new, powerful method for recruiting participants into such studies.

Application and Evaluation of Knowledge Retention Related to Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (ATCN) Course Content: A Preliminary Study.

The Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (ATCN) course was designed to help nurses increase their knowledge in management of the multiple trauma patient. To determine whether the trauma-related knowledge of ATCN course takers differed from nontakers, assess the factors associated with ATCN content knowledge among course takers, and explore the extent to which the ATCN content was used by course takers in their clinical practice. A cross-sectional online survey of 78 ATCN takers (nurses who had successfully completed the ATCN course within the previous 3 years) and 58 ATCN nontakers (a control group of nurses who had not taken the course but who worked in comparable clinical settings) was conducted.

Aggression, Violence and Injury in Minor League Ice Hockey: Avenues for Prevention of Injury.

Background: In North America, more than 800,000 youth are registered in organized ice hockey leagues. Despite the many benefits of involvement, young players are at significant risk for injury. Body-checking and aggressive play are associated with high frequency of game-related injury including concussion.

Treating Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo in the Patient With Traumatic Brain Injury: Effectiveness of the Canalith Repositioning Procedure.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the canalith repositioning procedure (CRP) in the treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) among patients after mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury.

Methods: An unblinded, nonrandomized, case comparison interventional study with repeated measures (1, 5, 9, and 12 weeks postenrollment) of three groups of patients with traumatic brain injury (BPPV, n = 21; nonspecific dizziness, n = 23; no dizziness, n = 12) was conducted. Patients in the BPPV group received the CRP at baseline and repeatedly until a negative Dix-Hallpike Maneuver was observed.

Inflammatory cytokine and chemokine profiles are associated with patient outcome and the hyperadrenergic state following acute brain injury.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) elicits intense sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation with profuse catecholamine secretion. The resultant hyperadrenergic state is linked to immunomodulation both within the brain and systemically. Dysregulated inflammation post-TBI exacerbates secondary brain injury and contributes to unfavorable patient outcomes including death.

Antisaccadic Eye Movements Are Correlated with Corpus Callosum White Matter Mean Diffusivity, Stroop Performance, and Symptom Burden in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Concussion.

Antisaccades are thought to involve higher level inputs from neural centers involved in rapid eye movement inhibition and control. Previous work has demonstrated that performance on the antisaccade task can help in the assessment of injury in acute and/or chronic mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). In this exploratory study, we performed cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons of rapid eye movement, followed by correlations of antisaccade performance with assessments of symptom burden, diffusion tensor imaging, and a neuropsychological test of response inhibition.

Recognizing the Symptoms of Mental Illness following Concussions in the Sports Community: A Need for Improvement.

Objective: To evaluate the awareness of concussion-related symptoms amongst members of the sports community in Canada.

Methods: A cross-sectional national electronic survey was conducted. Youth athletes, parents, coaches and medical professionals across Canada were recruited through mailing lists from sports-related opt-in marketing databases.

Technology-adaptable interventions for treating depression in adults with cognitive impairments: protocol for a systematic review.

Background: Depression is a common comorbidity in individuals with cognitive impairment. Those with cognitive impairments face unique challenges in receiving the benefits of many conventional therapies for depression, and may have poorer outcomes in areas such as recovery and quality of life. However, the stigmatization of mental health disorders, cost barriers and physical disabilities may prevent these individuals from seeking mental health care.

Web-based intervention programs for depression: a scoping review and evaluation.

Background: Although depression is known to affect millions of people worldwide, individuals seeking aid from qualified health care professionals are faced with a number of barriers to treatment including a lack of treatment resources, limited number of qualified service providers, stigma associated with diagnosis and treatment, prolonged wait times, cost, and barriers to accessibility such as transportation and clinic locations. The delivery of depression interventions through the Internet may provide a practical solution to addressing some of these barriers.

Objective: The purpose of this scoping review was to answer the following questions: (1) What Web-delivered programs are currently available that offer an interactive treatment component for depression?, (2) What are the contents, accessibility, and usability of each identified program?, and (3) What tools, supports, and research evidence are available for each identified program?

Methods: Using the popular search engines Google, Yahoo, and Bing (Canadian platforms), two reviewers independently searched for interactive Web-based interventions targeting the treatment of depression.

Traumatic brain injury among men in an urban homeless shelter: observational study of rates and mechanisms of injury.

Background: Little empiric research has investigated the interrelationship between homelessness and traumatic brain injury. The objectives of this study were to determine the rate, mechanisms and associated outcomes of traumatic brain injury among men in an urban homeless shelter.

Methods: We recruited participants from an urban men's shelter in Toronto, Ontario.