Fear of cancer recurrence therapy (FORT): A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Most fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) interventions have small effects, and few target FCR. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) with breast and gynecological cancer survivors evaluated the efficacy of a cognitive-existential fear of recurrence therapy (FORT) compared to an attention placebo control group (living well with cancer [LWWC]) on FCR.

Method: One hundred and sixty-four women with clinical levels of FCR and cancer distress were randomly assigned to 6-weekly, 120 min FORT (n = 80) or LWWC (n = 84) group sessions.

A proof-of-concept study of iCope: A nurse-led psychoeducational telephone intervention for women attending a rapid diagnostic centre for breast abnormality.

The period between the initial discovery of a suspicious breast lesion and a confirmed diagnosis is a time of significant psychological distress, heightened anxiety, and uncertainty for many women. This proof of concept (PoC) study explored the clinical outcomes and acceptability of iCope, a nurse-led psycho-educational telephone intervention aimed to assist with uncertainty, anxiety and coping in women going through a Rapid Diagnostic Centre (RDC) offering quick diagnosis of breast cancer (same day to three-day post-investigation). Guided by the Uncertainty Theory, and using a one-arm pretest-posttest design, two brief 15-minute telephone sessions were delivered by a nurse prior to the women's day of testing at the RDC and three days after the receipt of their results.

Mentorship in nursing in Canada - A scoping review.

Aim: To review the literature on mentoring of nursing students in Canada.

Background: Mentorship in nursing has been in existence for a long time. Supportive, nurturing guidance by an experienced individual in the profession has been found to have many benefits both to the giver and the receiver.

Evaluation of Usability and Satisfaction of Two Online Tools to Guide Return to Work for Cancer Survivors on the Cancer and Work Website.

Prompt services and work-focused support systems are needed to aid cancer survivors returning to work or finding work. Purpose This knowledge translation and implementation project focused on the knowledge users' experience and need for refinement of three work-focused tools to support return to work and maintain work following cancer through their participation in a hands-on workshop. The tools assessed for their utility are a Job Analysis Tool (JAT), a Return to Work (RTW) tool, and a bilingual Canadian website on Cancer and Work.

Fear of Cancer Recurrence, Health Anxiety, Worry, and Uncertainty: A Scoping Review About Their Conceptualization and Measurement Within Breast Cancer Survivorship Research.

Fear of Cancer Recurrence (FCR), Health Anxiety (HA), worry, and uncertainty in illness are psychological concerns commonly faced by cancer patients. In survivorship research, these similar, yet different constructs are frequently used interchangeably and multiple instruments are used in to measure them. The lack of clear and consistent conceptualization and measurement can lead to diverse or contradictory interpretations.

Towards the validation of a new, blended theoretical model of fear of cancer recurrence.

Objective: Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is defined as "fear, worry, or concern about cancer returning or progressing". To date, only the seminal model proposed by Lee-Jones and colleagues has been partially validated, so additional model testing is critical to inform intervention efforts. The purpose of this study is to examine the validity of a blended model of FCR that integrates Leventhal's Common Sense Model, Mishel's Uncertainty in Illness Theory, and cognitive theories of worry.

The psychological impact of the rapid diagnostic centres in cancer screening: A systematic review.

The purpose of this review is to assess the state of the literature and identify implications for nursing practice and future research on the psychological impact of rapid diagnostic centres (RDC) for women related to breast cancer. A systematic literature review was conducted on the topic and six studies were identified for data extraction and analysis. There is evidence that RDCs decrease short-term anxiety in women undergoing further cancer tests after cancer screening, and who receive a benign diagnosis.

Benefits and challenges in the use of art as an intervention for making sense of the cancer experience: a qualitative systematic review protocol.

How does art contribute as a psychotherapeutic tool in making sense of the cancer experience? What is the meaningfulness of integrating art (as either creator or consumer) for patients throughout the cancer experience?

Protocol of a randomized controlled trial of the fear of recurrence therapy (FORT) intervention for women with breast or gynecological cancer.

Background: Clinically significant levels of fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) affect up to 49% of cancer survivors and are more prevalent among women. FCR is associated with psychological distress, lower quality of life, and increased use of medical resources. Despite its prevalence, FCR is poorly addressed in clinical care.

An evaluation study of the implementation of stroke best practice guidelines using a Knowledge Transfer Team approach.

Introduction: Strokes will become an increasing burden on the Canadian health care and social systems in coming years. Caring for people who have experienced a stroke is a challenging issue. The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) developed Stroke Assessment Across the Continuum Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs) to support the best possible care for this population.

Breast and ovarian cancer survivors' experience of participating in a cognitive-existential group intervention addressing fear of cancer recurrence.

Purpose: Currently, very few clinical approaches are offered to cancer survivors dealing with fear of cancer recurrence (FCR). This paper provides an overview of cancer survivors' experience and satisfaction after taking part in a six-week, cognitive-existential (CE) group intervention that aimed to address FCR.

Method: In this qualitative descriptive study, 12 women with breast or ovarian cancer provided in-depth interviews of their experience in taking part in the CE group intervention.

Empowerment and mentoring in nursing academia.

In 2011, there was an expected shortage of 200 full-time faculty. While there are an estimated 322 graduate students in Nurse Practitioner and Masters/PhD programs in Canada today, the supply of potential new faculty falls short of the anticipated demand in the years ahead (Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing). This mixed method study explored how organizational culture and the perceived level of psychological and structural empowerment are associated with one's work environment among Canadian nursing faculty and to explore the state of mentorship in schools of nursing.

Charting the territory: symptoms and functional assessment in children with progressive, non-curable conditions.

Background: Children with progressive, non-curable genetic, metabolic, or neurological conditions require specialised care to enhance their quality of life. Prevention and relief of physical symptoms for these children needs to begin at diagnosis, yet, little is known about their patterns of symptoms and functional abilities.

Aim: To describe these children's symptoms, as well as how the children's condition affects them physically.

Addressing fear of cancer recurrence among women with cancer: a feasibility and preliminary outcome study.

Background: Evidence suggests that fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is one of the most frequently cited unmet needs among cancer survivors and is associated with psychological distress, stress-response symptoms, and lower quality of life, as well as increased use of health care resources. Despite these factors, few manualized interventions exist to address FCR among cancer survivors.

Purpose: To develop, manualize, and pilot test the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 6-week cognitive-existential (CE) group intervention designed to address FCR in women with breast or ovarian cancer.

Inclusive mosaic: promoting diversity in nursing through youth mentorship.

In this paper we describe the Inclusive Mosaic project, a community-university partnership in an outer-city community in a large Canadian metropolis aimed at promoting diversity in nursing. The project brought together nursing student mentors with middle school and high school youth from diverse backgrounds in a mentoring program aimed at increasing participants' interest in, and confidence in pursuing, higher education and a career in nursing or other health profession. The concepts of emancipatory education, self-efficacy, and possible selves provided the theoretical foundation.

Learn the game but don't play it: nurses' perspectives on learning and applying statistics in practice.

Background: An integrative review regarding undergraduate level statistics pedagogy for nurses revealed a paucity of research to inform curricula development and delivery.

Objective: The aim of the study was to explore alumni nurses' perspectives about statistics education and its application to practice.

Design: A mixed-method approach was used whereby a quantitative approach was used to complement and develop the qualitative aspect.

Patients' perceptions of their roles in goal setting in a spinal cord injury regional rehabilitation program.

Goal setting is a common practice in rehabilitation, yet there is a paucity of literature exploring patients' perceptions of their roles in this process. This study was conducted using a qualitative descriptive methodology to explore patients' perceptions of their roles in setting goals in a spinal cord injury regional rehabilitation program. Imogene King's theory of goal attainment was used to frame the study.

Voices of internationally educated nurses: policy recommendations for credentialing.

Background: The authors advance general policy recommendations for credentialing Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) who migrate to practice nursing in developed, high-income countries. While examples are drawn primarily from a qualitative study exploring IEN experiences in Canada, the suggestions presented have broader application to any nursing, or midwifery, internationally educated professionals wanting, or needing, to practice outside their home country of education. Examples of credential processing are drawn from Australia, the European Union, New Zealand, the UK and the USA.

Bates-Jensen wound assessment tool: pictorial guide validation project.

Purpose: A group of 3 WOC nurses and a nurse researcher, in partnership with the author of the Bates Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT), sought to validate wound photographs depicting each characteristic of the instrument.

Instrument: The BWAT contains 13 items that assess wound size, depth, edges, undermining, necrotic tissue type, amount of necrotic, granulation and epithelialization tissue, exudate type and amount, surrounding skin color, edema, and induration. These are rated using a modified Likert scale; a score of 1 indicates the healthiest and 5 indicates the most unhealthy attribute for each characteristic.

Paradox of a graduate human science curriculum experienced online: a faculty perspective.

Background: Program evaluation contributes to evidence-based nursing education. Exploring graduate faculty experience with developing and teaching an online master's of science in nursing program contributes to building a science of nursing education.

Methods: A multimodal methodology for conducting a program evaluation is participatory and demonstrates both formative (improve the quality of the program) and summative (determine the worth of the program) components.

A critical care bridging program to prepare fourth-year baccalaureate students for specialty practice.

Background: The preparation, recruitment and retention of qualified critical care nurses represents a major challenge in this era of health human resource constraints.

Purpose: To assess the impact of a critical care bridging program (CCBP) on students' confidence (self-efficacy) to care for critically ill patients.

Method: A convenience sample of students and their preceptors was used in this pilot study.

Factor structure and reliability of the brain impairment behavior scale.

Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability because of its physical and cognitive consequences. Cognitive changes are important contributors to family caregivers' experiences of emotional distress. To date, measures to assess cognition treat it as a global construct, but it is more likely that unique domains differentially affect family caregivers.

Evaluation framework for nursing education programs: application of the CIPP model.

It is advised that all nursing education programs conduct program evaluations to address accountability requirements and information for planning and guiding the delivery of the programs. Stufflebeam's CIPP Model, supported by triangulation of multiple modes of data collection provides such a theoretical framework for evaluations. This article proposes a total CIPP evaluation framework for nursing education programs.