ECHO: A Model for Professional Development in Nursing Through Learning Networks.

Health research is published at a breathtaking pace and quantity; however, even when research is systematically developed into best practices and/or clinical guidelines, it often is not implemented into practice. Project ECHO (xtension for ommunity ealthcare utcomes) is an evidence-based professional development approach that can help nurses to stay current and apply new knowledge to practice. The purpose of this article is to describe ECHO as a model for professional development and capacity building through learning networks.

How Giving and Receiving Information Has Shaped My Cancer Journey.

I have been a nurse for 40 years and I now have metastatic breast cancer. I have learned a lot, especially about giving bad news, disclosing the diagnosis to others, and using the hospital's patient portal. First, how bad news is given to patients is important and should provide clear next steps for follow-up and treatment.

Academic nursing leadership in a rural setting: Different game, same standards.

The call for transformation of nursing education and practice continues to be a national priority. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing recommends enhanced partnerships between academic nursing and academic health centers to advance nursing and healthcare. For academic leaders in rural settings, the context of health and healthcare means that these partnerships are vastly different from academic health centers.

ReNEW: Wyoming's Answer to Academic Progression in Nursing.

Aim: The aim of the study was to describe Wyoming's approach to academic progression and its projected impact. The collaborative process used to develop the shared statewide BSN curriculum is described along with recommendations.

Background: Successful educational models that address the Institute of Medicine's recommendation that 80 percent of RNs have a baccalaureate degree by 2020 face numerous challenges, especially in rural states.

A pressure ulcer and fall rate quality composite index for acute care units: A measure development study.

Background: Composite indices are single measures that combine the strengths of two or more individual measures and provide broader, easy-to-use measures for evaluation of provider performance and comparisons across units and hospitals to support quality improvement.

Objective: The study objective was to develop a unit-level inpatient composite nursing care quality performance index-the Pressure Ulcer and Fall Rate Quality Composite Index.

Design: Two-phase measure development study.

Nurses Returning to School: Motivators, Inhibitors and Job Satisfaction.

Health care employers and national nursing organizations are placing increased emphasis on nurses earning a baccalaureate degree or higher. This study examines the impact of motivators (professional and personal motivation), inhibitors (time constraints and employer discouragement), and job satisfaction on intent to return to school. Approximately half of the employed nurses in Wyoming were surveyed using a mailed questionnaire in the summer of 2013.

Linking evidence-based nursing practice and patient-centered care through patient preferences.

Calls for both patient-centered care and evidence-based practice (EBP) have increased dramatically over the last decade despite a tension between the two. Patient preferences, one of the cornerstones of EBP, can provide the link between the two. Although current research supports the added value of patient preferences in care, there is currently a "gap" between EBP and patient-centered care, with the two often viewed as opposing ideas.

Reconceptualizing the core of nurse practitioner education and practice.

Purpose: The movement to the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) is progressing rapidly with new programs emerging and curricular documents being developed. We argue that the implementation of the DNP is a good move for nursing, provided that we use the opportunity to reconceptualize the core of advanced practice nursing, especially nurse practitioner (NP) practice.

Data Sources: Theory and research articles from nursing focused on advanced practice nursing, NPs, and doctoral education.

Role transition during RN-to-FNP education.

This study examines the role transition that occurs during RN-to-family nurse practitioner (FNP) education, described in an earlier qualitative study that identified a role transition framework of influential positive forces and obstacles. The purposes of the study were to validate the educational phase of the original framework and explore other role transition issues. The study used a descriptive correlational design by asking all FNPs in two rural western states to participate by answering a questionnaire.

Depression and anxiety outcomes at a free clinic in a rural state.

Purpose: To describe the diagnostic and treatment patterns for depression and anxiety in clients receiving care at a free clinic.

Data Sources: Charts for 43 clients who received antidepressant or anxiolytic medications were randomly selected and reviewed.

Conclusions: Clients presented to the clinic symptomatic; almost two thirds had been treated elsewhere.

Diagnosis and Management of Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Evidence-Based Practice.

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the new Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Thoracic Society Guideline for Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Adults for nurse practitioner (NP) practice using evidence-based practice principles. The major recommendations for diagnosis, treatment, site of care, and prevention are also summarized. In general, the guideline meets the criteria of evaluation of practice guidelines, although the methods used for the literature search are not adequately described.

Use of oral examinations to teach concepts of evidence-based practice to nurse practitioner students.

Evidence-based practice has become part of nurse practitioner education. One innovative approach to teaching and evaluating evidence-based practice is the implementation of oral examinations, in which students orally present their review of a research article. Prior to the examination, students are given a research article to critique and can prepare for the examination using their notes and textbooks.

Factors related to successful collaboration in community-campus partnerships.

Collaboration and community partnership have become buzzwords in academic settings, which have received little direction regarding how to make these efforts successful and sustainable. This study attempted to discern the factors involved in setting up one successful community-campus partnership. Four years after opening an all-volunteer free health clinic in Laramie, Wyoming, we interviewed community members and university faculty who were involved in the initial partnership.

Multiple perspectives on being uninsured and barriers to health coverage in a rural western state.

The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of being uninsured and barriers to obtaining health care coverage for people in a rural state. Focus groups and in-depth interviews were conducted with uninsured people, small business owners, health care providers, and key informants (such as state health officials, business leaders, and safety net providers). Uninsured people recognize the difficulties they face trying to obtain insurance and health care because of cost and ineligibility for public programs.

Treatment practices and barriers for depression and anxiety by primary care advanced practice nurses in Wyoming.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate barriers to treatment and screening related to depression and anxiety and the diagnostic and treatment practices of primary care advanced practice nurses (APNs) in the state of Wyoming.

Data Sources: Every primary care APN in Wyoming received a mailed questionnaire asking them about treatment barriers, screening and treatment practices, and attitudes toward depression and anxiety.

Conclusions: Wyoming APNs in primary care routinely identify, evaluate, and treat patients with both depression and anxiety.

Complementary and alternative medicine: a qualitative study of beliefs of a small sample of Rocky Mountain area nurses.

In this study, a descriptive, qualitative approach was used to investigate attitudes of a sample of Rocky Mountain area nurses regarding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The major theme was a lack of congruence between acute care nurses' personal experiences with CAM and incorporation of CAM into their practice.

RN to FNP: a qualitative study of role transition.

Registered nurses who return to school in a nurse practitioner program undergo role transition throughout the educational process and into the postgraduate period. This study examined the role transition that occurs in family nurse practitioner (FNP) students. A descriptive, qualitative design was used with in-depth telephone interviews of 9 female FNPs who had recently graduated.

Advanced practice nursing model for comprehensive care with chronic illness: model for promoting process engagement.

New models of providing care to chronically ill persons are needed that can facilitate a more integrative approach to patient care. The purposes of this article are to describe the utilization of a theory synthesis process for development of a client-focused approach for advanced practice nurse (APN) management of chronic illness and to present the Model for Promoting Process Engagement. The model was developed as a theory-driven intervention to address complexities of chronic illness care.

Stroke perceptions of well laypersons and professional caregivers.

Four of every five families in the United States will be affected by stroke at some point during the lifetimes of family members. Although its impact on these families has been explored, little is known about how people perceive stroke. Several studies have documented a variety of misconceptions about the condition.

Complementary and alternative medicine: core competencies for family nurse practitioners.

Recent surveys demonstrate substantial use of complementary and alternative medicine. This growth presents a challenge for family nurse practitioner programs that already have dense curricula due to the explosion of biomedical knowledge. Significant barriers exist to incorporating complementary and alternative medicine into educational programs, such as differing philosophies about health and lack of research on many complementary and alternative medicine therapies.

How do NPs make clinical decisions?

The authors conducted a study to explore the process primary care NPs use in making clinical decisions and the factors that influence the process. By delineating the process used by primary care NPs in therapeutic decision making, we can enhance clinical decision making in students and practicing NPs.