Mentors' perspectives on supporting nurse faculty scholars.

Purpose: Describe mentors' perceptions of the purpose, processes, outcomes, and challenges of mentoring; self-ratings of effectiveness in performing aspects of the mentoring role; and overall ratings of the quality of their mentoring relationship and the likely contributions of their junior faculty fellow to academia and the profession, the body of knowledge related to health and healthcare, and mitigation of the nursing faculty shortage.

Participants: Fifty-one (of 86 possible) mentors of junior faculty who participated in a competitive methods: qualitative and quantitative data were gathered via an online investigator-developed survey. Narrative texts were content analyzed.

Measurement and structural invariance of the US version of the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R) in a large sample.

Background: The 10-item Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R) is being increasingly used internationally. The use of the measure and the concept has gathered traction in the United States following the development of a US version of the tool. A limitation of previous studies of the measurement characteristics of the BSS-R is modest sample size.

Continuous Student Feedback: Your Voice Counts.

We created a method to collect continuous course feedback called Your Voice Counts. We sought to create a highly flexible and highly responsive learning environment that had as one of its unique properties the ability to meet the different needs of successive student cohorts. Student feedback has created opportunities for us to address issues in a timely and responsive manner.

Birth Satisfaction Scale/Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS/BSS-R): A large scale United States planned home birth and birth centre survey.

Objective: to explore the prevalence of birth satisfaction for childbearing women planning to birth in their home or birth centers in the United States. Examining differences in birth satisfaction of the home and birth centers; and those who birthed in a hospital using the 30-item Birth Satisfaction Scale (BSS) and the 10-item Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R).

Study Design: a quantitative survey using the BSS and BSS-R were employed.

Magnesium sulphate for fetal neuroprotection: benefits and challenges of a systematic knowledge translation project in Canada.

Background: Administration of magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) to women with imminent preterm birth at <34 weeks is an evidence-based antenatal neuroprotective strategy to prevent cerebral palsy. Although a Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) national guideline with practice recommendations based on relevant clinical evidence exists, ongoing controversies about aspects of this treatment remain. Given this, we anticipated managed knowledge translation (KT) would be needed to facilitate uptake of the guidelines into practice.

In defense of clinical conferences in clinical nursing education.

Clinical conferencing has been a consistent feature of clinical education, but the current clinical education environment poses many challenges to its continuance. The paper raises concern regarding the current state of clinical conferencing as part of clinical practice education in nursing. This topic is of great concern, but has there is little direction for clinical educators.

Characteristics and outcomes of patients with advanced chronic systolic heart failure receiving care at the Veterans Affairs versus other hospitals: insights from the Beta-blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial (BEST).

Background: Characteristics and outcomes of patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction receiving care at Veterans Affairs (VA) versus non-VA hospitals have not been previously reported.

Methods And Results: In the randomized controlled Beta-blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial (BEST; 1995-1999), of the 2707 (bucindolol=1353; placebo=1354) patients with heart failure and left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35%, 918 received care at VA hospitals, of which 98% (n=898) were male. Of the 1789 receiving care at non-VA hospitals, 68% (n=1216) were male.

Late-onset postpartum preeclampsia: a case study.

Late-onset postpartum preeclampsia is atypical and potentially life-threatening. Diagnosis is frequently delayed because signs and symptoms of significant disease are subtle, thus, nurse practitioners should have a high index of suspicion. Immediate consultation, diagnosis, initial management, pathophysiology, and breastfeeding support are discussed as well as patient education and future health implications.

A genome-wide association study of anorexia nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex and heritable eating disorder characterized by dangerously low body weight. Neither candidate gene studies nor an initial genome-wide association study (GWAS) have yielded significant and replicated results. We performed a GWAS in 2907 cases with AN from 14 countries (15 sites) and 14 860 ancestrally matched controls as part of the Genetic Consortium for AN (GCAN) and the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium 3 (WTCCC3).

Voices of culturally diverse faculty on strategies for facilitating their success in academia.

Despite the benefits of culturally diverse faculty (CDF) in nursing education, studies on strategies to help them succeed in academia are lacking. The purposes of this article were to identify factors important for CDF's academic success by first surveying faculty teaching strategies that may be useful for CDF as they work with students, and to explore some factors that may be useful for administrators/leaders to help CDF be successful in academia. Data from 20 participants who met the inclusion criteria were used for data analysis.

Health care utilization and hypertension management in community-based elderly Korean immigrants.

Despite the nation-wide efforts to improve the health status of minority immigrants, studies documenting the outcomes of these efforts are lacking. The purpose of this study is to examine health care utilization and hypertension management in community-based elderly Korean immigrants to the US In this descriptive study, 70 elderly Korean immigrants were recruited from a Korean senior center and church. Health care utilization was assessed with a self-report questionnaire and hypertension management was ascertained through the objective measurement of blood pressure and a self-report questionnaire.

The use of algorithms in assessing and managing persistent pain in older adults.

As the U.S. population ages, nurses will care for increasing numbers of older adults, most of whom suffer from at least one chronic illness.

The Bucket List: a service-learning approach to community engagement to enhance community health nursing clinical learning.

Community health nursing education at the undergraduate level is experiencing new and distinct challenges. Reduction in funding for public health services creates fewer resources and learning opportunities for students. To effectively deal with this problem, it is necessary to reconsider how clinical experiences are implemented.

Cardiovascular health perceptions in multigenerational Korean immigrants.

Cardiovascular disease is prevalent in the Korean immigrants. Success of any health interventions depends heavily on our understanding of how health issues are perceived by the recipients. This study describes cardiovascular health perceptions using Photovoice, a qualitative methodology utilizing photography to initiate discussion, in multigenerational Korean immigrants (older adults, teenagers, children).

Nursing home staff adherence to evidence-based pain management practices.

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which nursing home staff adhere to current evidence-based guidelines to assess and manage persistent pain experienced by elderly residents. A retrospective audit was conducted of the medical records of 291 residents of 14 long-term care facilities in western Washington State. Data revealed a gap between actual practice and current best practice.

Survivorship issues in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Objectives: To review recent research of long-term complications and prevention techniques in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Data Sources: Peer review journals, books, and research studies.

Conclusion: Increasing numbers of HSCTs are performed worldwide, leading to an escalating increase in the number of survivors.

Polyvinylpyrrolidone-sodium hyaluronate gel (Gelclair): a bioadherent oral gel for the treatment of oral mucositis and other painful oral lesions.

Background: Painful oral lesions in patients with cancer, HIV or aphthous ulcers can cause significant pain and discomfort. Those with oral mucositis (OM) resulting from high-dose chemotherapy or irradiation are the most at risk for painful lesions that lead to significant morbidity and mortality, decreased quality of life and increased economic costs. Numerous approaches have been taken to prevent and treat OM in the cancer patient but this condition remains a significant obstacle to cancer therapy.

Nobody was out back then: a grounded theory study of midlife and older lesbians with alcohol problems.

This explorative study used grounded theory methodology (GTM) to develop a substantive theory regarding the life experience of the misuse of alcohol among midlife and older lesbians. The core category in this study is represented by the overarching process of "Disconnecting from their Authentic Selves." Professional health care providers may better be able to understand and assist midlife and older lesbians who misuse alcohol by being aware of their life experience with alcohol problems and the concepts they have described.

Miscarriage experiences of lesbian couples.

This was a descriptive phenomenological study of 10 self-identified lesbian couples who had experienced miscarriage in the context of a committed relationship. Analysis of individual and joint open-ended interviews revealed that the experience of miscarriage for lesbian couples must be viewed from the perspective of the difficulties surrounding conception as well as the actual pregnancy loss. The overarching theme, "We are not in control," captures the struggles lesbian couples faced in conceiving their pregnancies and the sense of loss that accompanied miscarrying.

Phenomenology: an exploration.

Investigators who use phenomenological approaches to understand experiences of human healing, caring, and wholeness need to consider the differences that exist between descriptive and hermeneutic phenomenology. In this article, these two approaches are compared and contrasted with respect to roots, similarities, and differences. Guidelines are offered to assist prospective investigators in selecting the approach most suitable to personal cognitive style and beliefs about the ways humans experience and find meanings during transitions through wellness and illness to advance nursing knowledge in a holistic view.