A Comparative Study of Blood Sampling From Venipuncture and Short Peripheral Catheters in Pediatric Inpatients.

This prospective, comparative study examined blood test results, hemolysis rates, and patient perceptions related to 2 blood sampling methods in pediatric inpatients (N = 95). Blood specimens were drawn via venipuncture and a short peripheral catheter used for fluid administration. Results revealed no significant differences in potassium and glucose levels.

Family Presence During Resuscitation: Physicians' Perceptions of Risk, Benefit, and Self-Confidence.

Background: Families often desire proximity to loved ones during life-threatening resuscitations and perceive clear benefits to being present. However, critical care nurses and physicians perceive risks and benefits. Whereas research is accumulating on nurses' perceptions of family presence, physicians' perspectives have not been clearly explicated.

Oxygen Requirements for Acutely and Critically Ill Patients.

Oxygen administration is often assumed to be required for all patients who are acutely or critically ill. However, in many situations, this assumption is not based on evidence. Injured body tissues and cells throughout the body respond both beneficially and adversely to delivery of supplemental oxygen.

Increasing Nursing Students' Knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorder by Using a Standardized Patient.

Nursing students participated in a simulation using a standardized patient role-playing an adolescent with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The researchers used student feedback to develop and improve a simulation aimed at increasing learner skills and knowledge for treating ASD patients. Students indicated that the standardized patient provided realism not obtained when using static manikins or high-fidelity simulators.

Connecting in distance mentoring: communication practices that work.

Background: As nursing and healthcare become more global, supported by technology, the opportunities for distance mentoring increase. Mentorship is critical to nurse educator recruitment and retention.

Study Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify communication practices of nurse educators involved in mentoring at a distance.

Contraception for women over 40.

Nurse practitioners can help women 40 and older make contraceptive choices that are effective, safe, and appropriate. The noncontraceptive benefits of some methods may be particularly relevant to women in this age group. Providing women with information about continuing fertility as they approach menopause and when it is safe to discontinue contraception may help to reduce unplanned pregnancies.

A collaborative project to apply and evaluate the clinical judgment model through simulation.

As use of simulations increases in nursing education, nurse educators are challenged to evaluate students' clinical judgment skills. The purpose of this article is to describe faculty development in the use of the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR); faculty application of LCJR in evaluating students' clinical judgment skills during a simulation scenario; and faculty and students' perception transference from the simulation to the clinical setting.Tanner's Clinical Judgment Model was used in an assigned adult health simulation.

An instrument for observational assessment of nausea in young children.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Keller Index of Nausea (KIN), a new instrument for observational assessment of nausea in children 1 through 5 years of age. The KIN and the University of Wisconsin Children's Hospital Pain Scale were used to assess children brought to a general pediatric outpatient clinic for a variety of health problems. There were statistically significant positive point biserial correlations between the KIN scores and three criteria: (a) a medical diagnosis consistent with the presence of nausea, (b) a chief complaint per parent consistent with the presence of nausea, and (c) the parent's statement that the child is experiencing nausea.

The pathophysiology of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting is a major debilitating side effect of oncology treatment despite recent advances in pharmaceutical management. Nurses who provide care to patients experiencing nausea and vomiting are often only marginally aware of the pathophysiological processes involved in the treatment. A better understanding of the science behind current interventions to reduce nausea and vomiting may help nurses use those interventions more effectively.

Long-term care insurance: buy it or not!

Subscribing to a long-term care (LTC) insurance plan for future health care and services is one of the most difficult decisions aging Americans need to make today. Although it may be difficult to predict who will need an LTC plan and for how long, various factors play an important role in determining whether to purchase LTC insurance. This article provides general information about LTC plans including private insurance, their coverage, and implications for gerontologic nurses.

Students' perceptions of online learning: implications for teaching.

Using the Internet to deliver nursing courses via distance education can facilitate learning on demand and promote learner-centered instruction. The authors describe 20 graduate nursing students' experiences with online learning. Students learn through reflection, exploration, use of critical thinking, interacting with others, sharing of information, and using resources.

Osteoporosis prevention in female adolescents: calcium intake and exercise participation.

Adolescence is a critical period for physiologic growth. Calcium consumption and exercise affect bone mass, and both may be the most significant factors in preventing osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to identify problem areas that would place adolescent females at risk for developing osteoporosis.