Inpatient falls in freestanding children's hospitals.

Patient falls are considered a significant safety risk, but little evidence regarding the significance of falls in children is available. A multisite, observational study of fall events occurring in pediatric inpatients (younger than 18 years of age) from Child Health Corporation of America member hospitals was conducted to determine the prevalence and significance of falls. Fall prevalence was 0.

A telephone coaching intervention to improve asthma self-management behaviors.

Long recognizing that asthma, one of the most common chronic childhood diseases, is difficult to manage, the National Asthma Education Prevention Program developed clinical practice guidelines to assist health care providers, particularly those in the primary care setting. Yet, maintenance asthma care still fails to meet national standards. Therefore, in an attempt to improve and support asthma self-management behaviors for parents of children 5 to 12 years of age with persistent asthma, a novel nurse telephone coaching intervention was tested in a randomized, controlled trial.

Comparison of central venous catheter and peripheral vein samples of antibiotics in children with cystic fibrosis.

PURPOSE.: To determine if accurate serum antibiotic levels can be obtained from central venous catheters (CVCs) in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis. DESIGN AND METHODS.

The role of the nurse research facilitator in building research capacity in the clinical setting.

With little guidance in the literature regarding best practices, clinical institutions have used different organizational models to meet the challenges of building research capacity. This article provides recommendations regarding the most productive models based on review of historical clinical research facilitation models and the results of a survey regarding extant models conducted among research facilitators who were members of the Midwest Nursing Research Society.

Collaborative research partnerships in support of nursing excellence.

Nursing leadership is committed to advancing the profession of nursing through research and evidence-based practice. Partnerships between the hospital and area academic institutions were formed to develop a comprehensive research program that supported active involvement for frontline staff and provide clinical research opportunities for area faculty. Through this collaborative model, the research program has continually expanded and provided clinical research that is making a difference for patients and families.

Nursing Student Research Assistant Program: A strategy to enhance nursing research capacity building in a Magnet status pediatric hospital.

For busy clinicians, time to conduct research is scarce. A novel solution, the Nursing Student Research Assistant Program (NS-RAP), was designed in collaboration with area nursing schools to build research capacity at a pediatric hospital. Undergraduate and graduate nursing students participated in a variety of research experiences that, in turn, aided the conduct of clinician-initiated research at the pediatric hospital.

Evaluation of the role of the pediatric nurse practitioner in an inpatient asthma program.

Introduction: In 1994, pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) at St. Louis Children's Hospital developed a program to improve the care of children admitted with asthma. In the Asthma Intervention Model, PNPs directly manage the care of children hospitalized with asthma and are instrumental in hospital-wide education.

Improving healthcare and outcomes for high-risk children and teens: formation of the National Consortium for Pediatric and Adolescent Evidence-Based Practice.

Although major healthcare and professional organizations as well as key leaders have long emphasized the importance of evidence-based practice (EBP) in improving patient care and outcomes, the majority of healthcare professionals do not implement EBP. There is a huge gap in time that exists between the generation of research findings and the translation of those findings into clinical practice. Many efficacious interventions are not being used in clinical practice even though research findings suggest that they improve child and adolescent health and development.

Developing an infrastructure for research in a free-standing hospital.

Hospital leaders who are not part of a university system often are not aware of the complexities associated with conducting research or the infrastructure required to successfully support a hospital-based research program. The author discusses a research program, provides recommendations for building a hospital-based infrastructure, and shares one hospital's experience.

Fathers' perceptions of supportive behaviors for the provision of breast milk to premature infants.

Purpose: To explore fathers' perceptions of behaviors used to support the provision of breast milk to hospitalized premature infants.

Subjects: Sixteen English-speaking fathers who, each were at least 15 years of age, had a hospitalized premature infant between 24 and 32 weeks gestation and a partner who had decided to provide breast milk.

Design: As part of a larger, exploratory study, a qualitative descriptive study was conducted to analyze fathers' perceived contributions to the process of providing breast milk.

The NICU experience of lactation and its relationship to family management style.

Purpose: To describe the impact of having a premature infant hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on the parents' management of the lactation experience.

Study Design And Methods: A descriptive study using interviews was conducted with nine couples who had decided to breastfeed, and who were parents of premature infants, 24 to 32 weeks gestation, hospitalized in a large, Midwestern NICU. The family management style conceptual framework guided the study.

The association between acute fatty liver of pregnancy and fatty acid oxidation disorders.

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy is a relatively rare but potentially fatal liver disorder of late pregnancy. Recent advances in molecular diagnostic procedures provide evidence of a genetic basis for this condition and a link to offspring disorders in fatty acid oxidation. This relationship implies the need for genetic testing and follow-up of at-risk women and their neonates.

The school nurse role in asthma management: can the action plan help?

Asthma is the most common chronic disorder in American schoolchildren, and school nurses play a valuable role in its management. A study was conducted in which school nurses were asked to describe their role in caring for students with asthma and their use of Asthma Action Plans (AAPs). The nurses indicated that they frequently provided direct care and education.

Running a successful campaign against unionization.

Unions, once rare in healthcare, are now targeting hospital employees as potential members. In an industry that has seen an increase in regulations, mergers and acquisitions, rising financial pressures, and changing working conditions, it is easy to understand why discontented employees are being targeted by unions now more than ever. Hospital leaders must look to lessons learned in other organizations to develop strategies that will ensure a successful campaign.

Neurobehavioral effects in rat pups whose sires were exposed to alcohol.

Developmental neurobehavioral effects associated with maternal exposure to alcohol during pregnancy are well described, but little is known about the effects of paternal exposure prior to conception. Using a quasi-experimental, within-subjects design, neurobehavioral outcomes (reflex acquisition, activity, gait) and cerebral cortical layer thickness were assessed in Sprague-Dawley rat pups from breeding pairs where the sires were exposed to alcohol. Comparisons were made on the basis of the timing of conception relative to alcohol exposure: phase 1 (controls), prior to initiation of alcohol exposure; phase 2, during the period of treatment with 20% alcohol; and phase 3, following cessation of alcohol exposure.