Church Leaders Share and Implement Solution-Focused Health Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural Alabama.

Bridging the healthcare access gap and addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among rural-dwelling Black American adults residing in the Deep South require involvement of faith-based leaders in the community. This study explored perceived barriers and resources to meeting community needs, including vaccination, during the COVID-19 pandemic as reported by 17 Black American church leaders in the rural West Alabama Black Belt geographic region in May 2022. The main themes that emerged included (1) attending to community impact of COVID-19 illness and death; (2) maximizing health literacy and diminishing vaccine hesitancy through engaging in preventive health practices and sharing public health information; (3) addressing challenges created or exacerbated by COVID-19, including reduction in in-person attendance (particularly among adolescents and young adults), limited access to and literacy with technology, and political perceptions influencing engagement in preventive health behaviors; (4) maximizing technological solutions to increase attendance in the church; and (5) engaging in solution-focused and innovative initiatives to meet the identified needs in the congregation and community.

Trends in prostate cancer incidence among Black men in the Caribbean and the United States.

Background: Prostate cancer incidence is highest for Black men of the African diaspora in the United States and Caribbean. Recent changes in recommendations for prostate cancer screening have been shown to decrease overall prostate cancer incidence and increase the likelihood of late stage disease. However, it is unclear how trends in prostate cancer characteristics among high risk Black men differ by geographic region during the changes in screening recommendations.

Increasing lipid screenings in children 9-11 years old at a federally qualified health center - A quality improvement project.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. Atherosclerotic changes leading to CAD begin in early childhood.

Cancer Survivors in Saint Lucia Deeply Value Social Support: Considerations for Cancer Control in Under-Resourced Communities.

Understanding the views of cancer survivors on their experience is important for informing community-based interventions. We studied, for the first time, the views of cancer survivors residing in Saint Lucia on their overall care experience. We used interview data from a cohort of adult cancer survivors from Saint Lucia between 2019 and 2020.

Decision-Making Strategies in Hospital Administrators in the Implementation of Nurse Residency Programs.

Current literature supports the creation and implementation of nurse residency programs to support new graduate nurses. The lack of this important postlicensure resource poses a problem for new graduate nurses who are seeking additional assistance and guidance during the transition to professional practice. This qualitative study revealed the factors, barriers, and benefits that influenced the decision-making process of nurse leaders in the implementation of nurse residency programs.

Implementing a Protocol to Address Risk for Burnout Among Mental Health Professionals.

Background: The magnitude for potential burnout is enormous. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Addiction and Mental Health, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported diagnoses of psychiatric and substance use disorders are at an all-time high for physicians, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, and psychologists.

Objective: Reduce the potential for burnout among outpatient mental health clinicians and staff.

Are Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Associated With Cancer-Related Symptoms in Real Time?: A Daily Diary Study.

Background: Few studies have examined the real-time and dynamic relationship between lifestyle behaviors and treatment-related symptoms.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the associations of daily physical activity and sedentary behavior with symptom burden, pain interference, and fatigue among patients who were undergoing active cancer treatment.

Methods: A total of 22 (mean age = 57 years; 73% women; 55% Black) cancer patients were recruited from a local hospital and reported a daily diary of physical activity, sedentary behavior, symptom burden, pain interference, and fatigue over 10 days.

Evaluating the Use of High-Reliability Principles to Increase Error Event Reporting: A Retrospective Review.

Objective: Assess the relationship between educating caregivers about high-reliability principles and reporting of potential adverse safety events.

Background: Persuading caregivers to report potential safety events is challenging. Learning high-reliability principles may help caregivers identify and report potential safety problems.

Evaluation of the Pronouncement of Death Policy Implementation and Outcomes: Implications for Advanced Practice Nursing.

In 2011, the Veterans Health Administration mandated that Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers develop and implement a policy that allowed registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to pronounce the death of residents who die in Veterans Affairs community living centers, previously known as nursing homes, provided that there is a written do-not-resuscitate order in their medical record. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine the extent to which the implementation of the RN/APRN death pronouncement policy affected death pronouncement time for residents who die after 5 PM and before 7:30 AM, on weekends and holidays. This project is significant because the previous physician-only death pronouncement policy was found to cause unnecessary delays in death pronouncement.

Clinician accountability in a primary care clinic time-interval blood pressure measurements study: Practice implications.

Background: Accurate blood pressure measurements (BPM) are important, as clinicians are tasked daily with using such measurements to make clinical diagnoses and patient care judgments. Research studies and controlled trials hold such measurements to a higher standard than everyday clinical practice.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate difference in BPM outcomes of individuals in a clinic setting when clinicians collect BPM as usual vs BPM after 5- (USPSTF recommendation) and 10- minute (study unique intervention) timed rest interval.

The Cancer Prevention Project of Philadelphia: preliminary findings examining diversity among the African diaspora.

Cancer mortality inequity among persons of African Ancestry is remarkable. Yet, Black inclusion in cancer biology research is sorely lacking and warrants urgent attention. Epidemiologic research linking African Ancestry and the African Diaspora to disease susceptibility and outcomes is critical for understanding the significant and troubling health disparities among Blacks.

Preparation and Planning for Future Care in the Deep South: Adapting a Validated Tool for Cultural Sensitivity.

Background And Objectives: This study describes the adaptation and validation of Sörensen et al. (2017)'s preparation for future care (PFC) scale with diverse samples including rural dwelling African Americans and certified nursing assistants (CNAs), and subsequent psychometric development.

Research Design And Methods: Responses to the five-subscale PFC survey from 33 rural African American men across 12 months and cognitive interviews with a subset of 12 of these men are described.

A pilot study of prostate cancer knowledge among African American men and their health care advocates: implications for screening decisions.

Purpose: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer death in U.S. men [American Cancer Society (ACS)], most often affecting men age 50 and older.

Nurse Practitioner Perceptions of a Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool in the Retail Clinic Setting.

This article describes a study to gain insight into the utility and perceived feasibility of the American Diabetes Association's Diabetes Risk Test (DRT) implemented by nurse practitioners (NPs) in the retail clinic setting. The DRT is intended for those without a known risk for diabetes. Researchers invited 1,097 NPs working in the retail clinics of a nationwide company to participate voluntarily in an online questionnaire.

Differences in Colorectal Cancer Risk Knowledge Among Alabamians: Screening Implications.

Purpose/objectives: To explore differences in cancer risk knowledge and colorectal cancer (CRC) knowledge among adults in Alabama. 
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Research Approach: Telephone interviews were conducted using an 80-item questionnaire that included 14 demographic questions and 26 general questions regarding healthcare quality, sources of health-related information, and cancer fears and risk factors.

PROMOTING CANCER SCREENING AMONG RURAL AFRICAN AMERICANS: A SOCIAL NETWORK APPROACH.

Obstacles that prevent rural African Americans (AAs) from regularly engaging in cancer screening were explored, and a theoretical approach was formulated utilizing social networks as a culturally sensitive form of health promotion. Disparities in cancer morbidity and mortality continue to exist between AAs and Caucasians in the United States. Often rural dwellers are further disadvantaged because of a potential lack of medical and financial resources and low health literacy.

An Evidence-Based Protocol for Protecting Newborns From Pertussis.

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a vaccine-preventable disease most commonly affecting infants and young children. This article describes a project to develop an evidence-based protocol for implementing prenatal vaccination and cocooning in a major medical center in Georgia.

A Clinical Protocol for the Assessment of Obesity: Addressing an Epidemic.

The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of addressing obesity, a national epidemic. Furthermore, the paper focuses on the utilization of a clinical practice protocol for identifying patients who are obese or at risk for obesity in the primary care setting. The practice protocol includes guidelines for assessment, documentation, and a consistent educational intervention for the identified priority population.

Memory and cancer: a review of the literature.

The mental health of cancer survivors has not always been the primary emphasis of treatment protocols since physical health outcomes have taken precedence. Older cancer survivors experience a double jeopardy since they are at risk for memory impairments and mild cognitive impairment and because they are greater than 55 years of age. Of the 9.

Meeting the information needs of lower income cancer survivors: results of a randomized control trial evaluating the american cancer society's "I can cope".

The American Cancer Society is a leader in the development of cancer survivorship resources. One resource of the American Cancer Society is the I Can Cope program, an educational program for cancer survivors and their families. Evaluations of this program indicate that cancer patients highly rate its objectives.

The emerging Doctor of Education (EdD) in instructional leadership for nurse educators.

The nursing faculty shortage is directly related to the ongoing shortage of nurses. As a result of many nursing faculty retiring, the discipline of nursing is losing its most experienced educators. The need is great for programs that will increase access and prepare nurse educators.

Gender differences in colon cancer treatment.

Unlabelled: Abstract Background: Despite women suffering a disproportionate burden of colon cancer mortality, few studies have examined gender differences in evidence-based treatment, especially in poorer states like Alabama.

Objective: To describe colon cancer treatment in older patients diagnosed in Alabama by gender.

Methods: Colon cancer patients 65 years and older diagnosed in 2000-2002 were identified from the Alabama Statewide Cancer Registry (N=1785).