The association of gender-affirming hormone therapy duration and body mass index on bone mineral density in gender diverse adults.

Introduction: Feminizing and masculinizing gender-affirming hormone therapy (fGAHT, mGAHT) results in bone mineral density (BMD) maintenance or improvement over time in transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults. Mostly European TGD studies have explored GAHT's impact on BMD, but the association of BMI and BMD in TGD adults deserves further study.

Objective: To determine whether GAHT duration or BMI are associated with BMD and Z-scores among TGD young adults.

Determining high touch areas in the operating room with levels of contamination.

Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put forth the recommendation to clean areas considered high touch more frequently than minimal touch surfaces. The operating room was not included in these recommendations. The purpose of this study was to determine the most frequently touched surfaces in the operating room and their level of contamination.

Crew Resource Management for Obstetric and Neonatal Teams to Improve Communication During Cesarean Births.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of crew resource management training and interventions on the quality and quantity of communication during cesarean births in a tertiary academic hospital's labor and birthing services.

Design: A prospective pre-post crew resource management training intervention.

Setting: Tertiary academic hospital in the Western United States.

Mentoring Clinical Nurses to Write for Publication: Strategies for Success.

: Clinical nurses often find writing a challenge, but it's important to disseminate clinical practice initiatives that result in notable patient outcomes. Nurses have a responsibility to share what they do to improve patient care. The increased emphasis on the development and evaluation of evidence-based practice has made it necessary for nurses to share best practices that are associated with improved patient outcomes.

Skin Irritation during Video-EEG Monitoring.

Objectives: Video-EEG (VEEG) monitoring, indicated to characterize and diagnose seizures, is recorded over several days with electrodes glued to the patient's scalp. Our investigation was designed to determine the incidence of electrode-related skin irritation during VEEG in the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) and implement a series of interventions to reduce the incidence of moderate to severe irritation.

Methods: Between May 2012 and March 2015, EMU patients were assessed for skin lesions before electrode placement and at discharge.

Evaluating palliative care needs in Middle Eastern countries.

Background: Cancer incidence in Middle Eastern countries, most categorized as low- and middle-income, is predicted to double in the next 10 years, greater than in any other part of the world. While progress has been made in cancer diagnosis/treatment, much remains to be done to improve palliative care for the majority of patients with cancer who present with advanced disease.

Objective: To determine knowledge, beliefs, barriers, and resources regarding palliative care services in Middle Eastern countries and use findings to inform future educational and training activities.