Building Health Policy Advocacy Expertise in Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Through Civic-Based Experiential Learning.

Background: Many nurses work largely as policy implementers rather than policy developers. The literature posits several multifaceted reasons for this lack of policy acumen including interprofessional power dynamics, marginalization of nurses in policy making, and lack of formal training in public policy advocacy.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of a targeted teaching strategy on increasing political astuteness, perceived skill, and comfort in health policy advocacy among a cohort of acute care pediatric nurse practitioner students.

Optimal Fat-Modified Diet Duration for the Treatment of Postoperative Chylothorax in Children.

Background: Dietary modification is the mainstay of treatment for postoperative chylothorax in children. However, optimal fat-modified diet (FMD) duration to prevent recurrence is unknown. Our aim was to determine the association between FMD duration and chylothorax recurrence.

Helping Residents Excel in Team-Based Care: An Interactive Case-Based Interprofessional Education Curriculum.

Introduction: Communication and collaboration with an interprofessional team is vital for patient care, yet teaching these skills to resident physicians faces multiple challenges.

Methods: We developed an interactive, case-based curriculum on interprofessional communication and collaboration and implemented it at a large Veterans Affairs hospital. A pre/post survey study design was used to evaluate the curriculum, with 31 residents completing both surveys (100% response rate).

Integration of a Simulation Curriculum Across Semesters in an Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program.

Introduction: Simulation is a common strategy for health care education. Research regarding simulation for nurse practitioner education is sparse. This paper describes the integration of a nine simulation session curriculum into a nurse practitioner program, including motivating factors, process description, and lessons learned.

The Missing Record of Mental Status in Written Sign-Outs.

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine how frequently mental status and mental status changes are documented in the written patient summary ("sign-out") provided to covering physicians.

Patients And Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of general medical patients hospitalized between March 16, 2009, and March 15, 2010, conducted at 2 teaching hospitals. Participants included patients with mental status change adverse events (MSAEs) and their providers.

A Comparative Effectiveness Meta-Analysis of Drugs for the Prophylaxis of Migraine Headache.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness and side effects of migraine prophylactic medications.

Design: We performed a network meta-analysis. Data were extracted independently in duplicate and quality was assessed using both the JADAD and Cochrane Risk of Bias instruments.

Feedback to achieve improved sign-out technique.

To maximize the quality of sign-out documents within the internal medicine residency, a quality improvement intervention was developed and implemented. Written sign-outs were collected from general medicine ward teams and graded using an 11-point checklist; in-person feedback was then given directly to the ward teams. Documentation of many of the 11 elements improved: mental status (22% to 66%, P < .

Treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax in Switzerland: results of a survey.

Few trials to guide clinical management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) exist. This study aims to reveal current practice in the management of PSP in Switzerland, to define the level of consensus and to provide evidence in guiding clinical practice. Questionnaires were sent to 355 departments of internal medicine and surgery in Switzerland and 114 (32.

Video thoracoscopic surgery used to manage tuberculosis in thoracic surgery.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the indications and results of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for the management of tuberculosis in 10 patients with unusual clinical and radiologic presentation for the disease.

Methods: From March 2000 to March 2002, 96 diagnostic VATS operations for unclear thoracic lesions were performed at the authors' institution. Their final diagnosis for 10 (10.

Rank relations of juvenile and subadult natal males of Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) at Affenberg Salem.

Rank relations of more than 100 juvenile and subadult natal Barbary macaque males were analyzed. Hierarchical relations among individuals of the same age were established early during the first year of life. With few exceptions concerning infants from very high-ranking genealogies, males dominated female peers regardless of maternal rank.

Male-infant relationships in semifree-ranging Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) of affenberg salem/FRG: Testing the "male care" hypothesis.

The infant-directed behavior of Barbary macaque males was analyzed in order to determine whether it is essential for an infant's survival during the first year and whether males interact selectively with closely related infants. Dyadic male-infant contacts were recorded in a large group of semifree-ranging Barbary macaques. Data collected during the first 12 weeks of life on each infant born in 1983 (n = 36) were analyzed.

Intergroup transfer and incest avoidance in semifree-ranging barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) at Salem (FRG).

During a long-term study of social behavior of semifree-ranging Barbary macaques, data on group transfer and sexual behavior were collected. A large population containing five groups living in a 14.5 ha outdoor enclosure was studied.