ARCHWAy: an innovative educational program advancing the public health workforce.

Background: Community health workers (CHWs) are vital yet often invisible contributors to care coordination, health equity, and public health (PH) in medically underserved areas. The Atlanta Regional Community Health Workforce Advancement (ARCHWAy) Program leverages cross-sector partners to increase the number of CHWs on integrated care teams in metro Atlanta in the United States.

Methods: The ARCHWAy Program provides an innovative educational curriculum guided by United States Department of Labor CHW competencies and cross-walked with the Georgia CHW Initiative competencies.

The nurse-led equitable learning framework for training programs: A framework to grow, bolster and diversify the nursing and public health workforce.

Background: Addressing threats to the nursing and public health workforce, while also strengthening the skills of current and future workers, requires programmatic solutions. Training programs should be guided by frameworks, which leverage nursing expertise and leadership, partnerships, and integrate ongoing evaluation.

Purpose Statement: This article provides a replicable framework to grow, bolster, and diversify the nursing and public health workforces, known as the Nurse-led Equitable Learning (NEL) Framework for Training Programs.

Associations between Child Opportunity Index and Pediatric Cardiac Surgical Outcomes.

Objective: To assess the relationship between the Child Opportunity Index (COI), a comprehensive measurement of social determinants of health, and specific COI domains on patient-specific outcomes following congenital cardiac surgery in the metropolitan region of Atlanta, Georgia.

Study Design: In this retrospective chart review, we included patients who underwent an index operation for congenital heart disease between 2010 and 2020 in a single pediatric health care system. Patients' addresses were geocoded and mapped to census tracts.

A Survey of Community Providers on Feeding Problems in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Purpose: Feeding problems, ranging from mild to severe, are common in children with autism spectrum disorder. We conducted a 15-item online survey of community providers to gather information on service demand and current treatment approaches for this clinical population.

Methods: Respondents, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, registered dietitians, and Board-Certified Behavior Analysts, were recruited via e-mail listservs, professional conferences, continuing education programs, social media and electronic newsletters.

Examining adaptations necessary to support the implementation of a parent-mediated intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder and moderate feeding problems.

Moderate feeding problems and disruptive mealtime behaviors are common in children with autism spectrum disorder. Although parent-mediated interventions are able to support feeding problems in autistic children, most research has occurred within specialty clinics when delivered by highly trained clinicians. Thus, the fit of these interventions within community settings is not clear.

Nurses' Perceptions of a Novel Rooming-in Program for Infants With Critical Congenital Heart Disease.

Background: The transition to home for infants who require complex care can be overwhelming for caregivers. Infants with critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) require advanced care management, so their caregivers must acquire extensive training before the infants are discharged home. Rooming-in programs have improved patient outcomes in other settings, such as the postpartum period.

Addressing immunizations in nursing education: Immunization resources for undergraduate nursing.

Nursing faculty are challenged to integrate immunization content in prelicensure nursing curricula. Historically, most immunization content has been delivered in pediatrics courses, with less emphasis on other populations across the lifespan. Skills related to vaccine administration may be prioritized over the most current immunization science, such as pathophysiology, immunology, and epidemiology.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Implications for Care.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties with social interaction and communication and the presence of restrictive and repetitive behavior. Individuals with ASD, particularly those from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, are at higher risk of certain health conditions and mortality over the lifespan. Disparities in timing of diagnosis, access to services, and quality of care have a significant impact on the trajectory of individuals on the autism spectrum.

A framework for evaluating SDOH curriculum integration.

Social determinants of health (SDOH) directly contribute to health inequities among populations and communities. These structural and social forces impact health and health outcomes. Nurses play a vital role in addressing the SDOH and closing gaps relative to disparate outcomes.

Integrating Early Brain Science and Skills Into Prelicensure Nursing Curriculum to Promote Parent-Child Interaction.

Background: Research shows that the number of loving words children hear in their first 3 years of life has a tremendous impact on their health, developmental, and literacy outcomes. Early language transactions should be rich in engagement, quantity, quality, and context-a term called language nutrition.

Problem: The curriculum in most nursing programs does not emphasize the importance of early language exposure and ways to empower families to talk with their babies.

Nurses' Perceptions of Rooming-in for Caregivers of Infants with CCHD.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital defect. Infants with critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) require complex medical care, and their caregivers need extensive training before being discharged home to safely care for their child. The rooming-in process provides caregivers with an opportunity to learn, practice, and manage the skills required for discharge to home during hospitalization.

Assimilation of Expert Clinician Into the Academy: A Competency-Based Faculty Development Plan.

Background: As expert clinicians are recruited to academic positions in response to nursing faculty shortages, comprehensive plans are needed for transitioning and role development.

Problem: Schools of nursing often lack infrastructures to support and develop new faculty.

Approach: Team members from an academic-clinical partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs created a competency-based faculty development plan.

Clinical impact of early diagnosis of autism on the prognosis and parent-child relationships.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a lifelong condition that usually appears in late infancy or early childhood, and is characterized by social and communication deficits that impede optimal functioning. Despite widespread research and greater public awareness, ASD has an unclear etiology and no known cure, making it difficult to acquire accurate and timely diagnoses. In addition, once an ASD diagnosis is made, parents find it challenging to navigate the healthcare system and determine which interventions are most effective and appropriate for their child.

Identifying the Barriers to Early Diagnosis and Treatment in Underserved Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Their Families: A Qualitative Study.

Clinical accounts indicate that disparities exist among families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and that these disparities impede timely diagnosis and intervention. Furthermore, families living in rural areas are more likely to have reduced access to proper care and use alternative, unproven, and potentially harmful treatments. The purpose of this project was to begin addressing these needs by engaging providers and families of children with ASD living in rural and typically underserved areas.