Interruptions During Medication Administration: A Descriptive Study.

Interruptions decrease the efficiency of the medication administration process. In this study, interruptions were found in 63% of the medication passes on four medical-surgical units in a community hospital. However, interruptions do not always lead to negative outcomes.

Latino Adolescent Perspectives Toward Sexually Transmitted Infection Educational Programs.

Purpose: The study aims to identify knowledge about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among Latino adolescents, to explore programmatic components that are essential for an effective educational program, and to explore gender differences regarding STI knowledge and essential components.

Methods: A naturalistic inquiry approach was used.

Findings: Knowledge of specific STIs was minimal.

Pain management after total knee arthroplasty: a case–control study of continuous nerve block therapy.

Background: Continuous femoral nerve block infusions (CFNBIs) have been found to both decrease patient postoperative pain and improve postoperative joint mobilization, both of which impact patient satisfaction, outcome, and length of stay. When we began the use of CFNBIs, we needed to create a policy, process, standing order form, and staff education plan as well as a means to maximize therapy efficacy and believed that a research study would best meet those needs.

Purpose: To evaluate the patient response to the institution of CFNBI therapy, identify process improvement areas, and suggest areas for future study.

Factors related to sexual practices and successful sexually transmitted infection/HIV intervention programs for Latino adolescents.

Objective: The purpose of this integrative literature review was to explore factors that are related to sexual practices among Latino adolescents and identify which of those factors are common across successful sexually transmitted infection (STI)/HIV intervention programs for Latino adolescents.

Design: An integrative literature review was conducted. Search terms included Latino, Hispanic, education, intervention/prevention programs, sex, sexuality, reproductive health, health risk behaviors, multiple sex partners, contraception, STI/HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, delay in initiation of sexual intercourse, consistent use of birth control, avoidance of STI/HIV infections, unintended pregnancy, cultural factors, and gender roles.

Eating behaviors among early adolescent African American girls and their mothers.

African American (AA) girls aged 10-12 living in urban communities designated as food deserts have a significantly greater prevalence of overweight and obesity than girls that age in the general population. The purpose of our study was (a) to examine the agreement in nutritional intake between AA girls aged 10-12 and their mothers and (b) to determine if the girls' weight categories were associated with their or their mothers demographic characteristics, eating behaviors, nutritional intake, and health problem. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in predominantly low-income AA communities in Chicago.

Stressors related to depression among elderly Korean immigrants.

While depression in the elderly is well documented, little is known about depression in specific groups of immigrant elderly. In this study, 160 elderly Korean immigrants completed measures of depression, stressful life events, acculturative stress, family relationships, social support, and demographic variables. Findings revealed that income, acculturative stress, and living place were significant predictors of depression.

Family Relationships and Depression among Elderly Korean Immigrants.

The purposes of the study were to describe family relationships within the context of living arrangements (living with adult children or without adult children) and support network, and to further determine associations of these factors to depression in elderly Korean immigrants. Over 70% (N = 160) of Korean elders were found to live apart from their adult children. However, Korean elders who were living independently reported higher levels of depression in spite of their expressed desire to live independently and to be less dependent upon their adult children.

Promoting cardiovascular health: special considerations for the elderly.

Although clinicians and researchers understand the need to promote cardiovascular health in people of all ages, with population aging there are particular insights/issues that should be considered when counseling and caring for elderly patients. The focus here is to present current statistics relative to aging in the United States, discuss risk factors and lifestyle with a particular focus on those 65 years and older, and further discuss the need to continuously monitor activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living in elderly persons to ensure that whatever is done to promote cardiovascular health does not interfere with functional independence.

Bridges to the Doctorate: mentored transition to successful completion of doctoral study for underrepresented minorities in nursing science.

Nursing has a shortage of doctorally-prepared underrepresented minority (URM) scientists/faculty. We describe a five-year University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Bridges program for URM master's students' transition to doctoral study and factors in retention/graduation from the PhD program. Four master' students from two partner schools were recruited/appointed per year and assigned UIC faculty advisors.

Evidence-based practice: a falls prevention program that continues to work.

The successful implementation of an evidence-based falls prevention protocol in an acute care facility is described. The number of falls per 1000 patient days decreased by 50% without rebound over a 5-year period.

Analysis of measures of functional and cognitive ability for aging adults with cardiac and vascular disease.

Baseline and follow-up assessments of functional and cognitive status are essential for aging patients who survive acute cardiac and vascular disease, as they are faced with new medications and implementing changes in lifestyle. Because declining functional and/or cognitive status will interfere with treatment regimens and taking prescribed medications, it is imperative that healthcare providers develop an understanding of approaches to functional and cognitive assessment that can be used with aging patients, selecting those most appropriate for the venue in which they practice and for their particular patient population.

Self-rated competency and education/programming needs for Care of the Older Adult with Cardiovascular Disease: a survey of the members of the Council of Cardiovascular Nursing.

An online survey, Care of the Older Adult with Cardiovascular Disease (COA-CVD), was used to describe self-rated competency in the care of the aging adult with cardiovascular disease and subsequently determine the future education and programming needs of the Council of Cardiovascular Nursing. Respondents indicated that developing relationships, patient teaching, and assessment were areas where they felt most competent. The areas of highest priority for future programming included assessment of the older adult, diagnosis of health status, deriving a plan of care, implementing a treatment plan, patient teaching, and ensuring quality care.

Quality of life in women following coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery on the quality of life of women. Wilson and Cleary's conceptual model of health-related quality of life, which examines five major outcomes (biological variables, symptom status, functional status, general health perceptions, perceived quality of life), was used. Participants included 61 women who provided information by self-report questionnaires before and three months after surgery.

Relationship between soft tissue body composition and bone mass in perimenopausal women.

Objectives: Perimenopause, the transition into menopause, marks the beginning of accelerated bone loss, contributing to the development of osteoporosis, a major public health problem. This perimenopausal transition has also been associated with a decrease in body lean mass, an increase in fat mass, and an increase in body weight. How these changes in fat mass and lean mass may influence bone mineral density (BMD) is currently unknown.

Frequency and outcomes of transient myocardial ischemia in critically ill adults admitted for noncardiac conditions.

Background: Critically ill adults admitted for noncardiac conditions are at risk for acute myocardial ischemia.

Objectives: To detect myocardial ischemia and injury in patients admitted for noncardiac conditions and to examine the relationship of myocardial ischemia, injury, and acuity to cardiac events.

Methods: Transient myocardial ischemia, acuity, elevations in serum troponin I, and in-hospital cardiac events were examined in 76 consecutive patients.

Clinical reasoning in experienced nurses.

As an essential component of nursing practice, clinical reasoning is used to assimilate information, analyze data, and make decisions regarding patient care. Little is known about the reasoning strategies of experienced nurses who are not yet experts. This qualitative descriptive study explored the cognitive strategies used by experienced nurses as they considered assessment findings of assigned patients.

The coronary artery bypass experience: gender differences.

Objective: The primary purpose of this study was to examine differences between women and men on physical, social and psychological domains of health quality of life before, 1 month after, and 3 months after coronary artery bypass surgery.

Design: A prospective, longitudinal design was used.

Setting: The study was conducted at a Midwestern, 500-bed community hospital with an ongoing cardiothoracic surgical program.

Physical activity alone and in combination with hormone replacement therapy on vasomotor symptoms in postmenopausal women.

The purposes of this study were (a) to examine the influence of physical activity alone, and in combination with, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on vasomotor symptoms and (b) to identify factors that are predictive of vasomotor symptoms at menopause. A total of 239 postmenopausal women completed a modified Women's Health Assessment scale, a Usual Physical Activity questionnaire, and a Health History and Demographic questionnaire. It was found the inactive women without HRT experienced more vasomotor symptoms than women with HRT, regardless of their levels of physical activity.

Self-management decision influences in heart failure: a preliminary investigation.

Self-management decision making places significant cognitive demands on individuals with heart failure (HF). Before theoretically valid decision supports can be developed, a better understanding of underlying decision characteristics is needed. The purpose of this preliminary study was to describe sources of self-management decision influences for individuals (N = 38) with varying levels of HF (New York Heart Association (NYHA) classifications).

A longitudinal study of bone density in midlife women.

A longitudinal study of 386 healthy Black and White women aged 35-60 years was conducted to determine the effects of physical activity and other related factors on lumbar bone mineral density over 24 months. Bone mineral density of the lumbar spine, L2-L4, was measured using dual energy x-ray (Hologic 1000). Physical activity levels in three dimensions (leisure, household, and occupational) from both a lifelong and current perspective were obtained by questionnaire.

Assessment of the pain experience in relation to selected nurse characteristics.

This study was designed to investigate the impact of select nurse characteristics (years in practice, age, relative job satisfaction, educational preparation, clinical practice area, cultural background and shift assignment) on assessments of patient pain and psychological distress. Fifty registered nurses were randomly selected from two surgical units, two medical units, and a combined intensive care unit/coronary care unit. Upon agreement to participate, an appointment was scheduled to administer the Standard Measure of Interferences of Suffering, the Job Descriptive Index, and a sociodemographic questionnaire.