A Project Team Analysis Using Tuckman's Model of Small-Group Development.

Background: Concerns about equitable workloads for nursing faculty have been well documented, yet a standardized system for workload management does not exist. A project team was challenged to establish an academic workload management system when two dissimilar universities were consolidated.

Method: Tuckman's model of small-group development was used as the framework for the analysis of processes and effectiveness of a workload project team.

Reduction of 30-Day Preventable Pediatric Readmission Rates With Postdischarge Phone Calls Utilizing a Patient- and Family-Centered Care Approach.

Introduction: The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of postdischarge phone calls on 30-day preventable readmission rates within the pediatric hospital setting. Because the unit of care identified was patients and their families, a patient- and family-centered care approach was used.

Method: The project used an exploratory design and was conducted at a 154-bed pediatric hospital facility.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of oral coenzyme Q10 to relieve self-reported treatment-related fatigue in newly diagnosed patients with breast cancer.

Background: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a common antioxidant supplement with known cardioprotective effects and potential anticancer benefits.

Objectives: We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of oral CoQ10 in female breast cancer patients with the primary objective of determining CoQ10's effects on self-reported fatigue, depression, and quality of life (QOL). Methods Eligible women with newly diagnosed breast cancer and planned adjuvant chemotherapy were randomized to oral supplements of 300 mg CoQ10 or placebo, each combined with 300 IU vitamin E, divided into 3 daily doses.

Health-related quality of life in long-term breast cancer survivors: differences by adjuvant chemotherapy dose in Cancer and Leukemia Group B study 8541.

Background: The Survivor's Health and Reaction (SHARE) study examined health-related quality of life (HRQL) in breast cancer patients who had participated in Cancer and Leukemia Group B Trial 8541 from 1985 to 1991.

Methods: In total, 245 survivors (78% of eligible patients) who were 9.4 to 16.

Applying a conceptual model for examining health-related quality of life in long-term breast cancer survivors: CALGB study 79804.

Objectives: The Survivor's Health and Reaction study used a quality-of-life model adapted for cancer survivors by Dow and colleagues to identify factors related to global health-related quality of life (HRQL) and to document the prevalence of problems and health-oriented behaviors in a follow-up study of breast cancer patients who participated in CALGB 8541.

Methods: A total of 245 survivors (78% of those invited) who were 9.4-16.

Cancer screening among Native Americans in eastern North Carolina.

The purpose of the study is to explore cancer screening predictors and practices among Lumbee Indians in eastern North Carolina. Interviewers from the community conducted phone interviews with 333 men and 456 women aged 40 and older randomly selected from the Lumbee Tribal roll as part of the Lumbee Diabetes and Health Survey. The survey has sections on demographic information and health conditions, family history of chronic conditions, and health behaviors.

Economic outcomes of breast cancer survivorship: CALGB study 79804.

Background: Over 80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer will be survivors. We sought to determine the economic consequences of surviving breast cancer.

Methods: Disease-free survivors who had received adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II breast cancer on CALGB study 8541 participated in a study of long-term outcomes.

Understanding biological safety.

A biocompatible device is one that can coexist with living tissue without causing harm. A lack of biocompatibility is usually caused by a chemical interaction between a reactive molecule in or on the device and the tissue with which it comes in contact (although tissue injury may also be caused by mechanical interaction). This article explains the causes and the effects of bioincompatibility.

Clinical trial enrollment of rural patients with cancer.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to examine the effect of a rural community clinical oncology program-based cancer-care intervention program that was launched to increase the number of rural patients with cancer enrolled in clinical trials.

Description Of Study: Five rural counties in eastern North Carolina served as intervention communities, and five rural counties in South Carolina served as the comparison region. The intervention counties used a rapid tumor-reporting system, a nurse facilitator who identified and prompted oncologists to enter patients into clinical trials, a quarterly newsletter to primary-care physicians about cancer treatment and clinical trials, and a health educator who focused on community-wide education regarding cancer prevention, treatment, and clinical trial information.

Increasing participation of minorities in cancer clinical trials: summary of the "Moving Beyond the Barriers" Conference in North Carolina.

A day-long seminar was held at Wake Forest University School of Medicine to address barriers among ethnic minorities in cancer clinical trials and explore ways that individuals who design and conduct clinical trials could increase minority representation. Speakers addressed implications of under-representation of minorities and identified barriers to minority participation. State-wide focus group results were presented and revealed suspicion of medical research among minorities and the need for bridging to minority communities to improve participation in cancer clinical trials.

Lymphedema: Knowledge, Treatment, and Impact Among Breast Cancer Survivors.

Lymphedema is an understudied consequence of surgery for breast cancer. It is estimated that as many as 60% of breast cancer survivors report symptoms of lymphedema. Few studies have examined the impact of lymphedema on the lives of women with breast cancer.