Reject the "Practice Readiness Myth": Ask if systems are ready for nursing graduates instead.

The nursing profession is engaged in robust national dialogue on how to implement competency-based education. This dialogue often conflates the concept of "competency-based education" with nursing "competence" or "practice readiness." Our aim is to discuss the potential harms of conflating "competency-based education" with "competence" or "practice readiness.

Saliva and Exhaled Breath Condensate Correlate With Serum in 4-12-Year-Olds Exposed to Secondhand Electronic Cigarette Vapors: A Pilot Study.

Electronic cigarette use is highest among adults of child-bearing age. Many parents that use electronic cigarettes believe that secondhand exposure of electronic cigarette vapors for their children is not dangerous and is less harmful than secondhand exposure to traditional cigarette smoke. These beliefs may prompt excessive secondhand exposure to electronic cigarette vapors for their children.

Oral microbiome of electronic cigarette users: A cross-sectional exploration.

Objective: Electronic cigarettes have increased in popularity globally. Vaping may be associated with oral symptoms and pathologies including dental and periodontal damage, both of which have an underlying microbial etiology. The primary aim of this pilot study, therefore, was to compare the oral microbiome of vapers and non-vapers.

A Framework for Coordination between Obstetric and Pediatric Providers in Public Health Emergencies: Lessons Learned from the Zika Outbreak in the United States, 2015 to 2017.

Emergency response to emerging threats with the potential for vertical transmission, such as the 2015 to 2017 response to Zika virus, presents unique clinical challenges that underscore the need for better communication and care coordination between obstetric and pediatric providers to promote optimal health for women and infants. Published guidelines for routine maternal-infant care during the perinatal period, and models for transitions of care in various health care settings are available, but no broad framework has addressed coordinated multidisciplinary care of the maternal-infant dyad during emergency response. We present a novel framework and strategies to improve care coordination and communication during an emergency response.

The oral health impact of electronic cigarette use: a systematic review.

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use is becoming more prevalent and is particularly popular among adolescents and conventional smokers. While the oral health sequelae of conventional smoking are well-established, the impact of e-cigarettes on oral health is still unknown. This study aims to systematically review the available research evidence on the oral health impact of e-cigarette use.

Weight Gain and Blood Pressure in Toddlers Born Very Preterm.

Background: Preterm birth is a risk factor for elevated blood pressure in childhood and the development of hypertension and cardiometabolic disease in adulthood; however, mechanisms for the development of both are poorly understood. Rapid weight gain early in childhood may serve as a driver directly and indirectly through cortisol levels found to be elevated in early childhood in individuals born preterm.

Objectives: The objective of this pilot study was to examine the effect sizes of the relationships between weight gain and blood pressure in toddlers born very preterm.

Advancing the symptom science model with environmental health.

Objective: Globally, indoor and outdoor pollutants are leading risk factors for death and reduced quality of life. Few theories explicitly address environmental health within the nursing discipline with a focus on harmful environmental exposures. The objective here is to expand the National Institutes of Health Symptom Science Model to include the environmental health concepts of environmental endotype (causative pathway) and environmental exposure.

Infant Feeding Practices and Weight Gain in Toddlers Born Very Preterm: A Pilot Study.

Purpose: Long-term consequences of prematurity are a public health concern. A pattern of slow initial weight gain followed by a period of rapid weight gain has been associated with poor cardiometabolic health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between infant feeding practices and weight gain in a sample of 18-to-24-month olds corrected age born very preterm.

The Neonatal Microbiome: Implications for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurses.

Nursing care of the neonate in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is complex, due in large part to various physiological challenges. A newer and less well-known physiological consideration is the neonatal microbiome, the community of microorganisms, both helpful and harmful, that inhabit the human body. The neonatal microbiome is influenced by the maternal microbiome, mode of infant birth, and various aspects of NICU care such as feeding choice and use of antibiotics.

Progressive Dosing of Observed Real-Life Clinical Exposure for Nurse Practitioner Training.

Background: In most advanced practice programs, preceptors are relied on for providing student clinical experiences. Preceptor feedback often indicates that many students show competency deficits in well child care, case presentation, and clinical skills.

Method: An innovative preclinical experience was developed using nonscripted pediatric patient and family volunteers from the local community.

Child and Maternal Factors That Influence Child Blood Pressure in Preschool Children: An Exploratory Study.

Purpose: Hypertension is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults and children and has its origins in childhood. While the prevalence of hypertension in children is estimated to be 2 to 5%, instance elevations in blood pressure readings (BPRs) in school-age children and adolescents are more common, track to adulthood, and are an independent risk factor for CVD. Less information is available about BPR in the preschool period and what child factors could influence those BPR.