Deciphering chest pain in women.

The causes of chest pain range from benign sources such as muscle strain to life-threatening diagnoses such as aortic dissection and myocardial infarction. The likelihood and presentations of disorders causing chest pain are different between women and men. This article highlights important features in determining a correct diagnosis.

Gender differences in nurse practitioner salaries.

Background And Purpose: While male nurses have been shown to earn considerably more than female nurses, there is less evidence on gender disparities in salary among nurse practitioners (NPs). This study examines whether the gender gap in NP salaries persists after controlling for differences in work setting and demographic factors.

Methods: We analyzed the relationship between gender and salary (2011 pretax earnings) among 6591 NPs working as NPs at least 35 h per week, using the 2012 National Sample Survey of Nurse Practitioners.

Implementation and Impact of Patient Lay Navigator-Led Advance Care Planning Conversations.

Context: Advance care planning (ACP) improves alignment between patient preferences for life-sustaining treatment and care received at end of life (EOL).

Objectives: To evaluate implementation of lay navigator-led ACP.

Methods: A convergent, parallel mixed-methods design was used to evaluate implementation of navigator-led ACP across 12 cancer centers.

Preeclampsia and the Risk of Future Vascular Disease and Mortality: A Review.

Introduction: Preeclampsia increases a woman's long-term risk of vascular disease and/or death including chronic hypertension, myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, and venous thromboembolism. The literature suggests that maternity care providers may be unaware of this association.

Methods: A database search was conducted examining the long-term effects of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy using MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, ISI Web of Knowledge, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

How important are autonomy and work setting to nurse practitioners' job satisfaction?

Purpose: Nurse practitioners (NPs) have reported aspects of their jobs that they are more and less satisfied with. However, few studies have examined the factors that predict overall job satisfaction. This study uses a large national sample to examine the extent to which autonomy and work setting predict job satisfaction.

Does Prior RN Clinical Experience Predict Academic Success in Graduate Nurse Practitioner Programs?

Background: There is limited evidence on whether prior RN clinical experience is predictive of academic success in graduate nurse practitioner (NP) programs. The purpose of this study was to explore whether the frequently held assumption that more prior clinical experience is associated with better academic success in The George Washington University online NP programs.

Method: Applications (n = 106) for clinical NP students entering from 2008-2010 were examined along with data on academic performance.

Effect of a disease-specific advance care planning intervention on end-of-life care.

Objectives: To compare patient preferences for end-of-life care with care received at the end of life.

Design: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with individuals with congestive heart failure or end-stage renal disease and their surrogates who were randomized to receive patient-centered advance care planning (PC-ACP) or usual care.

Setting: Two centers in Wisconsin with associated clinics and dialysis units.

Effect of a disease-specific planning intervention on surrogate understanding of patient goals for future medical treatment.

Objectives: To determine whether a disease-specific planning process can improve surrogate understanding of goals of patients with life-limiting illnesses for future medical treatments.

Design: A multisite randomized controlled trial conducted between January 1, 2004 and July 31, 2007.

Setting: Six outpatient clinics of large community or university health systems in three Wisconsin cities.

Peer review for advanced practice nurses: what does it really mean?

Peer review has multiple manifestations and purposes. Two stated purposes are the demonstration of professionalism and clinical competency. The American Nurses Association (ANA) defines nursing peer-review as a process for evaluating the care provided by an individual according to accepted standards.

Using the stages of change model to improve communication about advance care planning.

Topic: Advance care planning (ACP) is a term intended to describe the dynamic process of discussing wishes for future medical care.

Purpose: To demonstrate how a behavior change model can be used to enhance ACP.

Sources: Authors' personal experience, workshops, literature review.

Patient-centered advance care planning in special patient populations: a pilot study.

The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of a patient-centered advance care planning (PC-ACP) approach to patients with chronic illnesses and their surrogates with respect to promotion of shared decision-making outcomes-congruence between patient and surrogate, patient's decisional conflict, and knowledge of advance care planning. An experimental design was used. The settings were the heart failure, renal dialysis, and cardiovascular surgery clinics at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI.