National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists Affiliate Support for Professional Growth of Clinical Nurse Specialist Students.

Purpose/objectives: The purpose of this article was to describe how a National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists affiliate partnered with a local university to engage clinical nurse specialist (CNS) students, enhance its mission and activities, and create succession planning opportunities, while providing mentorship and professional growth opportunities.

Description Of The Project: Academic preparation of CNS students endeavors to instill professionalism. A 3-pronged partnership incorporating the inclusion of a student liaison on the board, presentation of student clinical work at the affiliate's annual conference, and development of a student scholarship was implemented.

Increasing Nursing Documentation Efficiency With Wearable Sensors for Pressure Injury Prevention.

Background: Documentation presents an overwhelming burden to bedside clinical nurses. Nurses must manually enter several hundred data points into electronic health record flow sheets, taking time from direct patient care and introducing opportunity for documentation errors.

Local Problem: A patient record audit revealed a significant gap in documented patient repositioning events.

Making the Most of Midlines: A Retrospective Review of Outcomes.

Decision-making for vascular access device selection is becoming increasingly complex as new technologies come to market and efforts to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections increase. This retrospective review of 165 midline catheter outcomes was undertaken after a cluster of unexpected failures occurred in a large academic medical center in the southeastern United States. Mean dwell time for midline catheters was 8.

Investigation of the role of infusate properties related to midline catheter failure in an ovine model.

Purpose: Infusate osmolarity, pH, and cytotoxicity were investigated as risk factors for midline catheter failure.

Methods: An experimental, randomized, controlled, blinded trial was conducted using an ovine model. Two 10-cm, 18-gauge single-lumen midline catheters were inserted into the cephalic veins of sheep.

Creating and measuring social presence in online graduate nursing courses.

The literature has shown that social presence is one of the most significant factors in building a sense of community in online education. This pilot study examines the outcomes of integrating social presence strategies into an online graduate nursing course and lays the groundwork for a larger study into dimensions of social presence and student satisfaction. Using a two-group comparison design, the results demonstrate that the purposeful incorporation of specific social presence techniques had a positive impact on student perceptions of social presence and group interaction as well as online learning expectations.

Group mentoring: a transition-to-work strategy.

Current financial constraints and workplace staffing shortages challenge the viability of using one-on-one mentoring models to support new graduate nurses. This article describes an innovative strategy for mentoring a large cohort of new nurses. Using a Group Mentoring Team, education specialists in a small rural hospital implemented a cost-effective program to help new nurses gain confidence and competence in the first year of nursing practice.

New graduate nurse transitioning: necessary or nice?

This study investigated the influence of personal factors, orientation, continuing education, and staffing shortage on the satisfaction, intent to leave their job, and intent to leave the profession of a random sample of new graduate nurses from varied facilities and geographic locations. It further examined the influence of personal factors and orientation on turnover rates among new graduate nurses. The findings indicate that orientation programs are essential to the retention and satisfaction of new graduate nurses.

The effect of faith or spirituality in pregnancy: a content analysis.

This study used a qualitative descriptive research design to discover the relevance and meaning of spirituality in the lives of 130 urban low-income pregnant women by asking the open-ended question, "How does your faith or spirituality affect your pregnancy if at all?" Forty-seven percent of the women in this study described how spirituality affected their pregnancy positively, 45% described that spirituality did not affect them, and 5.4% were unsure. A content analysis of those who answered positively revealed six themes from the data describing the meaning of faith or spirituality in pregnancy: (a) guidance and support; (b) protection, blessing, or reward; (c) communication with God; (d) strength and confidence; (e) help with difficult moral choices; and (f) a generalized positive effect.

Inequities in screening for sexually transmitted infections in African American adolescents: can health policy help?

Although rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in African Americans are higher than other populations, there are disparities in the screening and treatment of STIs for African American adolescents. Many African Americans distrust the health care system, resulting in a reluctance to seek health care. Adolescents may lack access to and the resources to pay for health care.

Collaborative strategies to enhance research and evidence-based practice.

Whether the goal is to generate new knowledge through basic research or to effectively use existing knowledge in evidence-based clinical practice, collaborative exchange between service and academia is essential. The authors describe 2 successful strategies that have been mutually beneficial to a clinical agency and a school of nursing in fostering research and evidence-based practice. These strategies can be used by other institutions as they strive to meet standards for excellence in academia and service.

Risks and protective factors associated with symptoms of depression in low-income African American and Caucasian women during pregnancy.

This article describes the risks and protective factors for symptoms of depression in pregnancy among low-income African American and Caucasian women. Data were collected from 130 women who were between 16 and 28 weeks' gestation and enrolled in an urban prenatal clinic. The questionnaires used in the face-to-face interviews consisted of sociodemographic items, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), the Prenatal Psychosocial Profile (PPP), 3 items from the Jarel Spiritual Well-Being Scale, the Spiritual Perspective Scale, and 4 items on health risk behaviors.

International nursing research and educational exchanges: a review of the literature.

For more than 40 years, nurses have been involved in international programs and networks established to strengthen nursing education and research in developed and developing countries. After discussing international educational and research exchanges at the American Academy of Nursing's International Expert Panel, we reviewed the state of the literature about these collaborations to evaluate the results. MEDLINE and CINAHL were searched for papers between 1982-2003 on international nursing education exchange programs.

Prevention of foot ulcers in patients with diabetes and end stage renal disease.

This quasi-experimental pilot study used a convenience sample of 23 adult men and women with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes who received hemodialysis three times a week. The experimental group received a four-part intervention that included individual and group foot care education, foot assessment, and special shoes. Pre- and posttesting of foot care knowledge was done using the Siriraj questionnaire.

Slow stroke back massage: its effect on patients in a rehabilitation setting.

A quasi-experimental design was used to determine the effects of three consecutive days of slow stroke back massage (SSBM) on adult patients in a rehabilitation setting. This study used the Huckstadt Touch Instrument to assess physiological and psychological responses to touch, as well as the recipients' perceptions of touch. The convenience sample comprised 24 adult patients in a rehabilitation hospital in southeastern North Carolina.

Structured and nonstructured exercise in a corporate wellness program. A comparison of physiological outcomes.

The devastating effects from cardiovascular disease are the largest contributors to employers' health care costs, insurance premiums, disability insurance, and worker's compensation. The purpose of this study was to establish baseline data regarding physiological outcomes comparing two participant groups in a corporate wellness program. Results suggest that a corporate wellness program can be beneficial in assisting employees to improve their health behaviors and outcomes.

Control theory in dying: what do we know?

As we try to develop appropriate models for end-of-life care, it is important to review theoretical applications as they relate to current models of care. It is also vital to listen carefully to what patients and theirfamily caregivers tell us about their needs at the end of life. This article explores the issue of control: its application to wellness at the end of life, and patient and family caregiver perceptions about end-of-life control.

The effects of unit morale and interpersonal relations on conflict in the nursing unit.

Background: Health care organizations face major changes, and these changes are likely to increase conflict in organizations. Although numerous studies have focused on conflict management, few have considered causes and effect of conflict in nursing units.

Methods: The investigation tested a structural equation that examined the relationships among individual and contextual variables and intragroup conflict, job satisfaction, team performance effectiveness, and anticipated turnover.

Hydrotherapy in labor.

Maternal anxiety and pain prolong labor and contribute to fetal distress. Hydrotherapy during labor may promote relaxation and decrease pain without the risks caused by other treatments. In this pilot study the psychophysiological effects of hydrotherapy on maternal anxiety and pain during labor were examined.

Living with a chronic wound: the voices of sufferers.

As the American population continues to age and people live longer, a growing number of individuals have chronic health problems. Of these health problems, chronic wounds are among the costliest. The focus of this research was to understand the meaning of having a nonhealing wound.

A community pediatric prevention partnership: linking schools, providers, and tertiary care services.

Integrated school health services traditionally have been provided through the local board of education or health department. However, increased competitiveness in the health care arena has challenged providers to find innovative models to deliver health services to school-aged children. This article describes a partnership among a hospital, a university, private providers, and a local school system and health department to provide school health services.