Ambiguity Within Nursing Practice: An Evolutionary Concept Analysis.

Purpose: To analyze the concept of ambiguity in a nursing context.

Background: Ambiguity is inherent within nursing practice. As health care becomes increasingly complex, nurses must continue to successfully deal with greater amounts of clinical ambiguity.

Toward a mid-range theory of nursing presence.

Background: Presence is widely accepted as a core relational skill within the nursing profession. Nurse educators are challenged to ensure that the humanistic aspects of client care are included in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) curriculum. Introducing and teaching presence skills early in the BSN curriculum will ensure the essential value of relational engagement with clients.

Radiological abnormalities associated with Aspergillus colonization in a cystic fibrosis population.

Objective: To determine if sputum colonization with Aspergillus species in patients with cystic fibrosis (PWCF) correlates with radiological abnormalities and/or a reduction in pulmonary function (FEV1).

Methods: We prospectively evaluated 32 PWCF utilizing high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the thorax and pulmonary function testing (PFT). The cohort was assessed as two groups: Aspergillus positive (n=16) and Aspergillus negative (n=16) based on sputum culture for Aspergillus species.

Case study method and problem-based learning: utilizing the pedagogical model of progressive complexity in nursing education.

As the complexity of health care delivery continues to increase, educators are challenged to determine educational best practices to prepare BSN students for the ambiguous clinical practice setting. Integrative, active, and student-centered curricular methods are encouraged to foster student ability to use clinical judgment for problem solving and informed clinical decision making. The proposed pedagogical model of progressive complexity in nursing education suggests gradually introducing students to complex and multi-contextual clinical scenarios through the utilization of case studies and problem-based learning activities, with the intention to transition nursing students into autonomous learners and well-prepared practitioners at the culmination of a nursing program.

Multidetector CT of Aortic Dissection: A Pictorial Review.

Aortic dissection is the most common acute emergency condition of the aorta and often has a fatal outcome. Outcome is determined by the type and extent of dissection and the presence of associated complications (eg, cerebral sequelae, aortic branch involvement, pericardial involvement, and visceral involvement), with early diagnosis and treatment being essential for improved prognosis. Aortic dissections are classified on the basis of the site of the intimal tear according to the Stanford classification system.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and computed tomography findings.

Objective: To investigate the severity of bronchiectasis and associated emphysema and the correlation with phenotype in patients with Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

Methods: The scoring system of Ooi and his colleagues for bronchiectasis was modified to include the degree of dilatation of bronchi in affected segments and degree of emphysema. This was applied to 26 high-resolution computed tomography thorax scans of the study population.