Comfort Theory: Unraveling the Complexities of Veterans' Health Care Needs.

The health care needs of veterans, especially those who have served in combat zones and their families are complicated, challenging, and interrelated. Physical limitations impact mental health, and mental health problems affect every aspect of adjustment to civilian life. Comfort theory offers a simple and holistic pattern for identifying needs, creating interventions to meet those needs, and evaluating the effects of those interventions.

Effectiveness of a second life(®) simulation as a teaching strategy for undergraduate mental health nursing students.

Learning may be enhanced in mental health nursing education by applying virtual reality technologies in which students may safely practice communication and assessment skills with simulated patients. The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess the effectiveness of a Second Life(®) (SL) virtual simulation as a teaching strategy for undergraduate mental health nursing students. Data were collected via a researcher-developed survey questionnaire.

Benefits of a poetry writing intervention for family caregivers of elders with dementia.

This pilot clinical trial tested effectiveness of a poetry writing intervention for family caregivers of elders with dementia. This paper presents findings from a larger study using mixed methods to examine outcome variables of self-transcendence, resilience, depressive symptoms, and subjective caregiver burden. Findings reported here focus on qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews conducted with participants following their poetry writing experience.

Using online exercises and patient simulation to improve students' clinical decision-making.

Faced with increasingly complex clinical situations, nurses must respond with accurate clinical judgment. But del Bueno (2005) reports that only 35 percent of new graduate nurses exhibit entry-level expectations of the necessary critical-thinking skills. Croskerry (2003) argues that clinicians' education should be directed at developing cognitive strategies that reduce errors in clinical decision-making.

Access to and utilization of oral health care by homeless children/families.

The Surgeon General called dental caries the silent epidemic, suffered disproportionately by the poor. Homeless mothers/children are especially vulnerable as they lack access to dental care. This prospective study elucidated predictors of access, oral health, and the effectiveness of shelter-based care.

Subjective sleep quality in women experiencing intimate partner violence: contributions of situational, psychological, and physiological factors.

This study, guided by an adaptation of the theory of unpleasant symptoms, examined the complex relationships of childhood maltreatment, intimate partner violence (IPV), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and physical health symptoms with global sleep quality and disruptive nighttime behaviors. Data were analyzed using covariance structure analysis. A convenience sample of 157 women currently experiencing IPV was recruited from crisis shelters and community agencies.

Understanding and integrating mindfulness into psychiatric mental health nursing practice.

The practice of mindfulness is increasingly being integrated into Western clinical practice within the context of psychotherapy and stress management. Although it is based in ancient Buddhist philosophy, there remains confusion about the definition, antecedents, processes, and outcomes of mindfulness practice. This article reviews the literature on mindfulness, with a focus upon a clearer definition and understanding of the processes and integration into psychiatric mental health nursing practice.

Physical health and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in women experiencing intimate partner violence.

This correlational-predictive study addresses the associations between intimate partner violence (IPV) and physical health and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, including: 1) detailed physical health symptoms reported and health care sought by women in intimate abusive relationships, 2) relationships between physical health symptoms, IPV, and PTSD, and 3) unique predictors of physical health symptoms. An ethnically diverse sample of 157 abused women was recruited from crisis shelters and the community. The women averaged almost 34 years of age and had been in the abusive relationship for slightly more than 5 years.

Comfort Theory: a unifying framework to enhance the practice environment.

The application of theory to practice is multifaceted. It requires a nursing theory that is compatible with an institution's values and mission and that is easily understood and simple enough to guide practice. Comfort Theory was chosen because of its universality.

Relationships among trait, situational, and comparative optimism: clarifying concepts for a theoretically consistent and evidence-based intervention to maximize resilience.

Research evidence identifies trait optimism as the strongest individual predictor of adolescent resilience when framed within Lazarus's theory of stress and coping. As a precursor to the development of an intervention to maximize resilience, this study clarifies the concept of optimism. Relationships among trait, situational, and comparative optimism were explored.

Development of the healing touch comfort questionnaire.

This study provided preliminary evidence for internal consistency reliability (Cronbach alpha = .94) of the newly developed Healing Touch Comfort Questionnaire. Fifty-six Healing Touch (HT) recipients (51 women and 5 men with a mean age of 51) completed the questionnaire.

Fostering the scholarship of discovery and integration for advanced practice education.

Graduate faculty are challenged to foster the scholarship of discovery and integration in their students. Fostering this scholarship requires that faculty critically analyze their approach to teaching and learning with the ultimate goal of helping students grow exponentially in ways that will continue after completion of their course or class. This article describes a course activity designed to enhance students' abilities to read, critique, and apply literature from multiple scientific disciplines to a clinical realm while maintaining their focus on their health-related scientific discipline.

Predicting immune status in women from PTSD and childhood and adult violence.

This study uses a predictive exploratory design to test the relationships between and among childhood maltreatment, intimate partner violence (IPV), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and immune status in abused women. A convenience sample of 126 abused women and 12 nonabused women matched for age and race/ethnicity were recruited. The woman's current smoking habit, history of childhood maltreatment, experience of IPV, and PTSD symptoms predicted immune status.

Guided health imagery for smoking cessation and long-term abstinence.

Purpose: To examine the effectiveness of guided imagery for immediate smoking cessation and long-term abstinence in adult smokers.

Design: A repeated measures design was used with 71 smokers recruited from a hospital outpatient clinic, 38 in the intervention group, and 33 in the control group.

Methods: Both study groups received educational and counseling sessions in their homes.

Comfort Theory and its application to pediatric nursing.

Although written protocols currently are directed more to pain relief than to the comfort of each child, there is increasing interest in pediatric literature about comforting strategies for children and their families. However, pediatric nurses/researchers currently utilize measures of discomfort that designate a neutral sense of comfort as in the absence of a specific discomfort. Assessing comfort as a positive, holistic outcome is important for measuring effectiveness of comforting strategies.

Factors predicting health behaviors among Army Reserve, active duty Army, and civilian hospital employees.

This study identified health-risk and health-promoting behaviors in military and civilian personnel employed in hospitals. Intrinsic self-motivation and extrinsic organizational workplace factors were examined as predictors of health behaviors. Because reservists represent a blend of military and civilian lifestyles, descriptive analyses focused on comparing Army Reserve personnel (n = 199) with active duty Army (n = 218) and civilian employees (n = 193), for a total sample of 610.

Development of a healthy bladder education program for older adults.

The Healthy Bladder Program was developed as part of an academic and health care partnership and was designed specifically for older adults residing in independent and assisted living. Program content was based on best practices that can be used by nursing staff to provide information about promoting and maintaining bladder health. One hundred eighty older adults, recruited from long-term care retirement communities, attended the 1-hour program.

Rave drugs: pharmacological considerations.

An increasingly prevalent component of today's adolescent and young adult culture are the rave or club drugs, such as Ecstasy, Rohypnol, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, ketamine, Fry, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and methamphetamine. Considering the incidence of accidental injury in this age group, young patients admitted to the operating room in emergency situations may be under the influence of one of these drugs. Each of these illicit drugs has distinct adverse physiological effects that may be compounded by the administration of anesthetic agents.