Mental health in nursing: A student's perspective.

A stigma around mental health issues within healthcare and nursing itself has created a culture of perfectionism in the workplace, and nurses struggle to live up to the expectations while pushing aside their feelings, thoughts, and needs. Inspired by one author's personal experiences, this article explores mental health issues many nurses confront today.

Visionaries in geriatric nursing: A legacy for the future.

There are many nurses who had a significant impact on the development and growth of gerontological nursing. There are those that provided the foundation and were the building blocks of gerontological nursing. Those following served as the cornerstones to fortify the foundation of gerontological nursing.

Growth and specialization of gerontological nursing.

The development and growth of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), specifically those with specialization in geriatrics, has had significant impact on the care of older adults. The purpose of this article is to address the historical growth of gerontological nursing, the advanced practice roles created, and the impact that they have had in meeting the health-care needs of the older adult.

A Model for Sustaining NCLEX-RN Success.

Beginning in 2013, an individualized National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-RN) study process with follow through postgraduation was initiated to achieve benchmark pass rates in a nursing program where pass rates had dropped. Identification of students at risk for NCLEX failure and using resources available through an integrated testing program led to the implementation of an individualized NCLEX preparation process. Since implementation, first-time pass rates exceeded the national norm for baccalaureate test takers by 5.

Shared mental models of cancer survivorship care.

Quality cancer survivorship care relies on care continuity within the healthcare team. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of healthcare team members regarding cancer survivorship care using the framework of shared mental models. Semi-structured interviews of cancer survivors, primary support individuals, oncology providers, primary care providers and registered nurses were completed.

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS): What Nurses Need to Know.

Background: Efforts to decrease adverse effects of tobacco use are affected by emergence of new nicotine delivery products. Advertising, product promotion, and social media promote use of these products, yet a lack of evidence regarding safety leaves nurses unprepared to counsel patients.

Objectives: To critically evaluate current research, reviews of literature, expert opinion, and stakeholder policy proposals on use and safety of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).

Transitions of Adoptive Parents: A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Analysis.

As adoptive parents create a new family, they face myriad changes both pre-and post-placement of their child. The aim of this study was to describe parent perceptions and depressive symptoms during this transition via reports collected with an online survey. Using content analysis, we analyzed a total of 110 responses from 64 parents at three time points: 4-6weeks pre-placement, and 4-6weeks and 5-6months post-placement.

School Nurse Evaluation.

Evaluation of one's school nurse practice is one standard in the school nurse's scope and standards of professional practice. The Virginia School Nurse Institute Partnership (SNIP) identified the need to develop a concise self-evaluation tool that school nurses and their nurse and non-nurse employers could use to appropriately document a school nurse's practice. The purpose of this article is to provide a self-evaluation tool that the school nurse and his or her employers can use to evaluate professional school nurse practice.

Barriers to Clinical Practice.

Access to care along with a shortage of healthcare providers, especially psychiatric specialists is a widespread problem in many areas of Virginia. Patients who have 1 or more chronic illnesses frequently have coexisting psychiatric problems, and psychiatric patients often have at least 1 chronic health condition. To assist in addressing both behavioral health and primary care services for health promotion and disease prevention, a collaborative care model as outlined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health Resources and Services Administration was evaluated.

An Evaluation of Patient Comfort During Acute Psychiatric Hospitalization.

Purpose: To assess the difference in the level of comfort between psychiatric inpatients who received a warmed blanket and psychiatric inpatients who did not receive a warmed blanket.

Design And Methods: A descriptive pilot study from a convenience sample of 37 psychiatric patients aged 18-59. Subject's level of comfort was measured with Kolcaba's verbal rating scale (VRS).

Does skin care frequency affect the severity of incontinence-associated dermatitis in critically ill patients?

Background: Incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD) is a potentially serious skin injury that can lead to pressure ulcers (PUs). Multiple studies have indicated the need for evidence to find the most effective skin care protocol to reduce the incidence and severity of IAD in critically ill patients.

Objective: To compare the incidence and severity of IAD in two groups on a progressive care unit (PCU) using a defined skin care protocol: cleaning with a gentle cleanser and moisturizer, then applying a skin protectant/barrier.

Creating patient-nurse Synergy on a medical-surgical unit.

Medical-surgical nurses care for a complex patient mix. The Synergy Model framed the development of tools to assess nursing competency and patient acuity which yield data for daily staffing assignments. Data support positive outcomes as a result of this model.

Social justice considerations for lesbian and bisexual women's health care.

Lesbian and bisexual women share much with heterosexual women such as the desire to parent and the risk for partner violence. However, these women have unique risks associated with heavy alcohol use, smoking, obesity, and nulliparity. As nurses become increasingly aware of the need for social justice advocacy for marginalized groups, they are in a good position to advocate for lesbian and bisexual women and to bring visibility to their poor treatment in the health care setting.

Helping those who help others: the Modified Caregiver Strain Index.

The Modified Caregiver Strain Index can be given to family members caring for disabled older adults. It helps to determine their level of strain-a combination of stress and burden that has consequences on caregivers' overall health. The index assesses 13 aspects of physical health, family finances, social interactions, time demands, and employment.

Use of PHN competencies and ACHNE essentials to develop teaching-learning strategies for generalist C/PHN curricula.

This paper provides a useful tool for the undergraduate community/public health nursing (C/PHN) faculty member to design courses and learning activities, and to interpret C/PHN education needs to undergraduate curriculum committees and administrators. Specifically, this paper provides a tangible bridge between the Public Health Nursing Competencies (Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations, 2004) and the Association of Community Health Nursing Educators (ACHNE) Essentials of Baccalaureate Education (2000) for both didactic and clinical learning experiences. The tables may be used in multiple ways, including curriculum monitoring and improvement, course development and instructional design, clinical practice planning, and as a foundation for evaluation of conceptual learning and practice competence for the C/PHN generalist.

Behaviors of older men living in the community. Correlates producing active composure.

The correlates of active composure behaviors for older veteran men living in the community were investigated to identify this aspect of the complex domain of health behavior. Cox's (1982) Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior was used to frame this investigation. The independent variables were age, education, race, marital status, children, siblings, income, spiritual well-being, functional status, motivation, health conceptions, and loneliness.

Integration of laptop computer technology into an undergraduate nursing course.

An evaluative study was done to determine the effects of laptop computer use on baccalaureate nursing students' attitudes toward computers, computer knowledge, and computer skills. Students in the experimental group (n = 20) received laptop computers and 9 hours of computer instruction. They were encouraged to use the laptop computers for e-mail, library searches, and word processing.

Promoting maternal infant health in rural communities. The Rural Health Outreach Program.

RHOP is a nurse-managed community-based program that uses a variety of approaches to reduce infant mortality and improve maternal child health. In a rural area, representative of much of the rural South, which has a persistent record of poor maternal-child outcomes, the program is using university and community resources to make a difference. The goal is to empower the community to help it help itself using all the available resources.