Association of Socioeconomic Status With Ideal Cardiovascular Health in Black Men.

Background Black men are burdened by high cardiovascular risk and the highest all-cause mortality rate in the United States. Socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with improved cardiovascular risk factors in majority populations, but there is a paucity of data in Black men. Methods and Results We examined the association of SES measures including educational attainment, annual income, employment status, and health insurance status with an ideal cardiovascular health (ICH) score, which included blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, body mass index, physical activity, and smoking in African American Male Wellness Walks.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Pain Sensitivity and Unpleasantness in People with Vascular Dementia.

Objective: Advanced age is associated with a higher risk of both pain and dementia, with many studies finding that dementia often heightens sensitivity to pain. Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common type of dementia. Only a few observational or retrospective studies have examined pain responsiveness in VaD, suggesting that it could increase pain unpleasantness (i.

Key strategies in scholarly writing instruction for doctor of nursing practice students: A Q-methodology study.

Background: Development of scholarly writing skills in Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students is essential to their capacity to advance nursing science after graduation.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to inform instructional design choices and teaching strategies for DNP writing courses by examining student viewpoints before and after completing a scholarly writing course.

Design: Q methodology was used to explore student self-perceptions of scholarly writing skills.

CE: Nurses Are More Exhausted Than Ever: What Should We Do About It?

For nurses, the challenges posed by demanding work environments and schedules often lead to fatigue, and this can be exacerbated during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, the authors discuss causes and challenges of nurse fatigue and consider several evidence-based strategies and solutions for individual nurses and organizations. Barriers to implementation, including a negative workplace culture and inadequate staffing, are also described, and several resources are presented.

Evidence-Based Communication with Critically Ill Older Adults.

Communication is a critical component of patient-centered care. Critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients are unable to speak and this condition is frightening, frustrating, and stressful. Impaired communication in the intensive care unit (ICU) contributes to poor symptom identification and restricts effective patient engagement.

Maintenance phase of a physical activity intervention in older kidney transplant recipients: A 12-month follow-up.

Daily walking activities are associated with improving cardiovascular outcomes in older kidney transplant recipients. However, little is known regarding physical activity adherence outcomes in older kidney recipients. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial 12-month follow-up study was to evaluate the feasibility of the intervention (SystemCHANGE™ + activity tracker) during the maintenance period (7-12 months), compared to an attention-control group (activity tracker only) in older kidney recipients (age 60 and older).

Effect of family cohesion on symptom distress during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Purpose: Family may play an important role in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recovery; however, little is known about the effect of family functioning on an individual's health. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of family cohesion (family functioning) on the trajectory of HSCT recipients' symptom distress (symptom frequency and symptom bother) before, during, and after HSCT.

Methods: Secondary analysis was conducted using data collected from178 individuals who underwent HSCT.

SystemCHANGE™ Solutions to Improve Medication Adherence in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Secondary Data Analysis.

The SystemCHANGE™ intervention has led to great improvements in medication adherence, which is a challenge for nearly one-third of kidney transplant recipients. This secondary data analysis sought to measure the frequency of individual solutions utilized by participants in a previously conducted randomized controlled trial of the SystemCHANGE™ intervention and to determine which classes of solutions had greatest impact on improved medication adherence. Solutions that were significant predictors of improving medication adherence to the 85% or higher level included alarm cues (p ≤ 0.

Examining the Association of Billed Advance Care Planning With End-of-Life Hospital Admissions Among Advanced Cancer Patients in Hospice.

Background: Advance care planning (ACP), or the consideration and communication of care preferences for the end-of-life (EOL), is a critical process for improving quality of care for patients with advanced cancer. The incorporation of billed service codes for ACP allows for new inquiries on the association between systematic ACP and improved EOL outcomes.

Objective: Using the IBM MarketScan® Database, we conducted a retrospective medical claims analysis for patients with an advanced cancer diagnosis and referral to hospice between January 2016 and December 2017.

Setting the Research Agenda for Nursing Administration and Leadership Science: A Delphi Study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify and prioritize research topics for nursing administration and leadership science.

Background: Nursing administration and leadership research priorities should provide a framework for building the science needed to inform practice.

Methods: The Association for Leadership Science in Nursing (ALSN) and American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) Foundation (AONL-F) for Nursing Leadership and Education collaborated on a Delphi study.

Lessons learned in the development of a nurse-led family centered approach to developing a holistic comprehensive clinic and integrative holistic care plan for children with cerebral palsy.

Clinical Problem: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) typically receive care from multiple specialty providers including Developmental Pediatrics, Orthopedics, Physical Medicine, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Clinical Social Work, Clinical Nutrition, Nursing and Orthotists, which often require many individual visits to the hospital annually. The potential for conflicting plans of care is increased by this fragmented approach, which may lead to duplication of services and increased healthcare costs.

Solution: To address the problem and alleviate burden for families, the Comprehensive Cerebral Palsy Program implemented a nurse-led comprehensive interdisciplinary team approach to provide optimal care coordination to patients and families, using an Integrative Holistic Care Plan (IHCP).

VMAT2 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Tardive Dyskinesia.

Psychiatric nurses are at the forefront of optimizing psychiatric care, including educating patients and caregivers on the risks of antipsychotic-induced movement disorders such as tardive dyskinesia (TD). Nurses should be aware that all patients taking antipsychotics should be regularly monitored for the development of TD. Given the current pandemic and increase in telehealth, assessing for TD is challenging; however, evaluation can be successfully completed by implementing the best practices described in this paper.

The Effects of Obesity on Lymphatic Pain and Swelling in Breast Cancer Patients.

Lymphatic pain and swelling due to lymph fluid accumulation are the most common and debilitating long-term adverse effects of cancer treatment. This study aimed to quantify the effects of obesity on lymphatic pain, arm, and truncal swelling. A sample of 554 breast cancer patients were enrolled in the study.

Interactive Television as a Medium to Reduce Social Isolation in Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective: To develop an interactive television program, Room with a View, to address social isolation in older adults residing Rhode Island (RI) and Southern Massachusetts (MA) during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Methods: Using an Omaha System guideline for best practices in reducing social isolation and loneliness in older adults, the project team developed 25 evidence-based television episodes with the help of a production company. The program was aired on commercial, traditional (non-cable) television to allow for easy access.

Simulation Platform Development for Diabetes and Technology Self-Management.

Background: Specialized education is critical for optimal insulin pump use but is not widely utilized or accessible. We aimed to (1) test the usability and acceptability of A1Control, a simulation platform supporting insulin pump education, and (2) determine predictors of performance.

Method: Rural adult insulin pump users with type 1 diabetes (T1D) participated in a mixed methods usability study in 2 separate rounds.

Expect the unexpected: Adolescent and pre-teens' experience of diabetes technology self-management.

Objective: Only 17% of adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are currently meeting their glycemic targets despite advances in diabetes technologies. Self-management behaviors and challenges specific to use of diabetes technologies are insufficiently studied in adolescents. We aimed to describe the experience of diabetes technology self-management, including facilitators and barriers, among preteens/adolescents with low and high A1C.

Calcineurin Inhibitor-Based Maintenance Immunosuppression in Lung Transplant Recipients: Optimal Serum Levels for Managing Acute Rejection and Renal Function.

Background: Although effective for curtailing alloimmune responses, calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) have an adverse-effect profile that includes nephrotoxicity. In lung transplant (LTx) recipients, the optimal serum levels of the CNI tacrolimus necessary to control alloimmune responses and minimize nephrotoxicity are unknown.

Methods: This retrospective, single-center study reviewed tacrolimus whole blood trough levels (BTLs), grades of acute cellular rejection (ACR), acute rejection scores, and creatinine clearance (CrCl) obtained in LTx recipients within the first year after their transplant procedure.