Impact of Reengineered Discharge Toolkit on Patients Undergoing Total Joint Surgeries.

Poorly coordinated care transitions account for nearly one fifth of Medicare hospital readmissions within 30 days postdischarge. The primary aim of this pilot project was to determine the impact of the Reengineered Discharge (RED) Toolkit on patient knowledge for self-management, satisfaction with the discharge process, readiness for discharge, discharge time, and 30-day readmission rate following hip or knee joint replacement or revision surgeries. Staff adherence with the RED Toolkit was also measured.

The creation of a White Coat Ceremony.

Historically, the White Coat Ceremony has had a medical school connotation. While not exclusive to the discipline of medicine, the White Coat Ceremony is a recently adopted ritual embraced by a variety of health care professions. The white coat serves as a symbol of achievement into one's professional program.

The comprehensive examination: a viable master's of science in nursing capstone course.

The purpose of this article was to describe the process of how The University of Toledo College of Nursing developed the comprehensive examination as one capstone option to fulfill the requirements of a master's of science in nursing degree. Based on Keating's frame factors model, a review of existing literature, and an informal review of master's programs in nursing in the geographic area, an assessment was made of the viability of offering a comprehensive examination as a capstone experience. Increased student enrollment, need for flexible courses, faculty and student demographics, and institutional and national accreditation requirements were some of the factors that led to the decision to develop a comprehensive examination as a capstone option.

Two sides to the caregiving story.

Purpose: This descriptive study examined problems and successes that a sample of 73 adult caregivers new to the role expressed in the first year of caring for stroke survivors. Data were collected from May 2002 to December 2005.

Method: Bimonthly, trained telephone interviewers asked the participants open-ended questions to elicit their experience in caregiving.