Identifying the need for a nurse-driven palliative care intervention for American Indian and rural family caregivers.

Objective: The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the needs of family caregivers (FCGs) from the perspectives of health care professionals delivering cancer care to American Indian and rural populations.

Method: A descriptive content analysis of 18 interviews with multidisciplinary health care professionals delivering cancer care at a rural cancer institute in the Great Plains region was conducted.

Results: We identified three themes: access, support, and awareness with six subthemes.

Intentional Learning in Nursing Education: Can It Foster Success in Competency-Based Education?

Background: The defining attributes of intentional learning match the needed characteristics of students in competency-based education (CBE). The Learning Orientation Questionnaire measures these characteristics and can be used to facilitate improvement in these attitudes and skills, which results in higher order thinking and lifelong learning.

Method: A longitudinal study was performed with nursing students ( = 53) to determine if intentional learning scores continued to improve over time and were associated with student performance.

Shared Governance Through Bylaws: Transformation Within a College of Nursing.

Background: Enhancing faculty voice and promoting shared governance within academia has long been called for but has not been well-reported. A college of nursing in the midwestern United States identified shortcomings in its organizational structure including lack of faculty voice, communication barriers, lack of faculty participation in decision making, and academic programs operating independently.

Method: A workgroup was formed to transform the bylaws to promote shared governance, including faculty voice, equality, and engagement.

Top Ten Tips Palliative Clinicians Should Know About Rural Palliative Care in the United States.

Palliative care improves outcomes, yet rural residents often lack adequate and equitable access. This study provides practical tips to address palliative care (PC)-related challenges in rural communities. Strategies include engaging trusted community partners, addressing cultural factors, improving pediatric care, utilizing telehealth, networking with rural teams including caregivers, and expanding roles for nurses and advanced practice providers.

Healthcare professionals' perspectives of barriers to cancer care delivery for American Indian, rural, and frontier populations.

Objective: This descriptive qualitative study sought to understand the barriers affecting cancer care delivery from the perspective of healthcare professionals (HCPs) serving American Indian (AI), rural, and frontier populations.

Methods: One-on-one, semi-structured interviews with multidisciplinary HCPs ( = 18) who provide cancer care to AI, rural, and frontier populations were conducted between January and April 2022. Interviews were conducted via Zoom.

New ways to impact primary palliative care practices using online continuing education.

Background: Healthcare professionals trained in palliative care (PC) improve satisfaction and decrease healthcare overutilization for patients with serious illness and their families. A continuing education (CE) series on primary PC aligned to the National Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality PC was developed by local, interdisciplinary experts for a target audience of rural, primary care healthcare professionals. The modules were accessed on an online learning management system platform.

Palliative Care Knowledge Following an Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Seminar.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic created a unique opportunity to evolve an interdisciplinary palliative care seminar (IPC) into a virtual platform. This seminar provides foundational palliative and hospice concepts, introductions into palliative care disciplines, integration of teamwork, and incorporates interdisciplinary student led patient encounters. Traditionally, this experience had been in person, however during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare restrictions transitioned the educational delivery to a virtual platform.

Access to Palliative Care Services: Innovative Development of a Statewide Network.

In 2018, the Avera Sacred Heart Hospital and two partners were awarded a planning grant to improve palliative health care services in South Dakota (SD), United States, by assessing palliative care in rural SD communities. Through this effort, a newly formed South Dakota Palliative Care Network (SDPCN) convened statewide partners to develop a palliative care strategy for improving quality palliative care access for individuals with serious illness. Guided by a multidisciplinary governing board, the SDPCN completed needs assessments to (1) better understand the perception of palliative care in SD; (2) assess the palliative care landscape in the state; and (3) explore possible solutions to address the uneven access to palliative care.

The Project ENABLE Cornerstone randomized controlled trial: study protocol for a lay navigator-led, early palliative care coaching intervention for African American and rural-dwelling advanced cancer family caregivers.

Background: Family caregivers play a vital, yet stressful role in managing the healthcare needs and optimizing the quality of life of patients with advanced cancer, from the time they are newly diagnosed until end of life. While early telehealth palliative care has been found to effectively support family caregivers, little work has focused on historically under-resourced populations, particularly African American and rural-dwelling individuals. To address this need, we developed and are currently testing Project ENABLE (Educate, Nurture, Advise, Before Life Ends) Cornerstone, a lay navigator-led, early palliative care coaching intervention for family caregivers of African American and rural-dwelling patients with newly diagnosed advanced cancer.

Perceptions of Palliative Care: Voices From Rural South Dakota.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore health professional, patient, family, and caregiver perceptions of palliative care, availability of palliative care services to patients across South Dakota, and consistency and quality of palliative care delivery.

Methods: Six focus groups were conducted over two months. Participants included interprofessional healthcare team members, patients, family members of patients, and caregivers.

Intentional learning: a student-centered pedagogy.

Objective The objective was to test the assumption that characteristics of intentional learning are not fixed and if an interview assignment enhanced intentional learning. Methods In order to meet the needs of practice, nursing educators have trialed student-centered pedagogies, often with resistance from students. Intentional learning appears to mirror the characteristics, such as autonomy, responsibility of one's own learning, self-regulation, and motivation, needed by students to be successful in student-centered pedagogies.

Intentional learning: A concept analysis.

Aim: To use a concept analysis to determine a clear definition of the term "intentional learning" for use in nursing.

Background: The term intentional learning has been used for years in educational, business, and even nursing literature. It has been used to denote processes leading to higher order thinking and the ability to use knowledge in new situations; both of which are important skills to develop in nursing students.