Legal and financial issues associated with providing services in schools to children with swallowing and feeding disorders.

Purpose: This review of federal statutes and regulations, state and federal administrative and case law, and policy documents is designed to provide information regarding the treatment of children with swallowing and feeding disorders in the law for the purpose of identifying best practice procedures for school personnel serving children with swallowing and feeding disorders.

Method: A narrative review of federal statutes and regulations, state and federal administrative and case law, and policy documents was conducted. The review identified prevailing and emerging policies related to serving children with swallowing and feeding issues in schools.

Invasive species and coal bed methane development in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming.

One of the fastest growing areas of natural gas production is coal bed methane (CBM) due to the large monetary returns and increased demand for energy from consumers. The Powder River Basin, Wyoming is one of the most rapidly expanding areas of CBM development with projections of the establishment of up to 50,000 wells. CBM disturbances may make the native ecosystem more susceptible to invasion by non-native species, but there are few studies that have been conducted on the environmental impacts of this type of resource extraction.

Nurses' promise to safeguard the public: is it time for nationally mandated background checks?

A historical perspective on healthcare regulation is provided along with the details of the process of fingerprinting and background checks. Issues are raised concerning the validity and reliability of background checks. Information on the status of the individual states is provided by means of a chart and a discussion ensues regarding the rationalization for requiring background checks and fingerprinting.

Choosing or becoming an interim administrator.

Filling an administrative position on an interim basis requires careful deliberation even when the decision has to be made quickly. A poor fit, even for a short-term position, can lead to problems for the interim administrator, the subsequent permanent administrator, faculty, staff, students, and the nursing program. This article poses questions for decision makers who are contemplating filling a position with an interim appointee.

Moral turpitude: a benchmark toward eligibility for registered nurse licensure?

The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the concept of moral turpitude and related terms as they are used in the process of licensing professional nurses. The researchers reviewed applications for licensure and nurse practice acts or rules and regulations for nursing for the 50 states and Washington, DC. Terms such as moral turpitude, moral character, and morality are used by approximately half of the states and, when used, are not usually defined.