Exploring diversity in nursing education: research findings

According to predictions of the U.S. Bureau of the Census (2000), the non-Hispanic White population will decrease to 52.8% by 2050 and to 49.6% by 2060. These changing demographics will have a trickle down effect on the population in all aspects of society. Because of future demographic changes in this country, it is important that schools of nursing address the issue of diversity in their curricula. This author surveys a purposeful sample of 13 schools of nursing chosen from the list of NLNAC-accredited schools which were accredited under the diversity edict. The findings of this study suggest that baccalaureate schools of nursing are making an effort to address the issue of diversity. It is not apparent whether the institutions' attention to diversity is a committed or cursory one.     

Nurses' agricultural education in the southeastern United States

The number of nurses across the United States with expertise in agricultural health nursing is unknown, yet as many as 8,000 are needed. This article describes agricultural health content in nursing programs in the southeastern United States. Agriculture is primarily family based but ranks among the top three most hazardous industries in America. Nurses in the southeastern United States serve more than 541,000 farm families, more than a quarter of the nation's agricultural population. A 15-item survey was mailed to 185 nursing schools located within 13 southeastern states. Information was requested about undergraduate and graduate curricula that included information about agricultural health and safety. Surveys were returned from 113 programs (61.1%). Schools with larger percentages of rural students were more likely to include mention of agricultural health; however, scant attention was given to any rurally focused content. In 27.4% of the schools, no mention of agricultural health issues was made, and 54.0% of nursing faculty who completed the survey were not aware of the need for nurses with agricultural health expertise. Results suggested that, when agricultural health topics were presented in class, student interest in the topic increased. Given the occupational hazards faced in agriculture and the region's economic dependence on agriculture, increased attention should be focused on agricultural health content within nursing programs.     

Searching for content on female genital cutting/mutilation in curriculums of U.S. Nursing Schools

BackgroundOver 500,000 women and girls in the U.S. are at risk for female genital cutting/mutilation, (FGC/M) because their cultural heritage is from countries where FGC/M is prevalent. Nurses lack knowledge about FGC/M, making them less likely to provide culturally congruent care. Little is known about FGC/M-related information in nursing school curriculums.MethodsA total of 403 schools of nursing (SONs) responded to an anonymous online survey to identify the extent, placement, and educational approaches regarding FGC/M found in curricular content in nursing schools in the U.S.ResultsFifty-seven percent of respondents did not know if nurses cared for FGC/M-affected women in the region where their nursing school was located. Only 27% of responding schools indicated FGC/M was taught in their curriculums, mostly in undergraduate programs, and primarily during classroom lectures, and rarely by simulation. SONs that were aware that nurses in their region provided care to women and girls at risk for FGC/M were more likely to have content on FGC/M in their curriculums.ConclusionThough respondents indicated that this topic is important to global nursing education, it appears that few U.S. nursing students are learning to provide culturally congruent care to women and girls at risk for FGC/M. It is vital that nurse educators include this topic in appropriate places in the curriculum, so that students learn the unique healthcare needs of this population.     

Community nursing support for clients with schizophrenia

A true experimental, posttest only, control group design was used to pilot test the effectiveness of a telephone nursing intervention in increasing community survival, and decreasing the number and length of rehospitalizations for persons with schizophrenia. The vulnerability model was used as a framework for the study. The intervention was hypothesized to function as a moderating factor to reduce the effects of stress on vulnerable persons with schizophrenia. Experimental subjects received telephone nursing intervention weekly for 3 months; control subjects received informational calls at weeks 6 and 12. Readmission rates were 13% (n = 2) for experimental subjects and 23% (n = 5) for controls. Compared with controls, experimental subjects experienced a 4% increase in community survival and a 27% reduction in length of stay if readmission occurred. These preliminary data suggest that telephone intervention can increase community survival in persons with schizophrenia. Future studies should focus on increasing sample size and refining the intervention.     

高职护生临床沟通能力的现状调查与分析

目的分析高职护士学生(以下简称护生)临床沟通能力现状,为制订提高护生沟通能力措施提供依据。方法选择2009级～2011级全日制高职护生1272名,采用护生临床沟通能力测评量表进行问卷调查。结果高职护生临床沟通能力各维度得分率由高到低依次为:敏锐倾听、建立和谐关系、确认病人问题、验证感受、传递有效信息、共同参与。不同年级高职护生临床沟通能力、建立和谐关系、验证感受得分比较,差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。结论高职护生临床沟通能力中等,其中敏锐倾听、建立和谐关系能力较强,共同参与能力较弱。应采取各种措施鼓励护生积极参与讨论,培养其积极的专业态度,以促进和提高护生临床沟通能力。     

Evaluation of the school of nursing dean

We have expressed the importance of periodic evaluation of the dean, as well as why an evaluation is desirable. This article presents information about the instrument our faculty used to evaluate the dean of nursing in a large university center. It served to provide input from faculty members as well as providing the dean with the opportunity to become more fully aware of her strengths and weaknesses as perceived by faculty. This instrument can be easily modified to fit a variety of circumstances that may exist in other schools of nursing.     

中专实习护生技能现状调查分析

[目的]了解中专护理实习生护理技能状况。[方法]采用问卷调查法,调查2007级146名实习护生在实习期间对自身护理技能评价,同时调查139名带教教师对中专护生技能的评价。[结果]认为其操作能力较好的实习护生占10.96%,带教教师占28.78%;认为其沟通能力好的实习护生占41.10%,带教教师占29.50%;认为其处理问题的能力强的实习护生占36.30%,带教教师占33.09%;认为其对医疗护理法律法规知识的知晓度高的实习护生占23.29%,带教教师占20.14%。[结论]中专实习护生操作能力与沟通能力差、缺乏医疗护理法律法规知识,为此,在护理教学中要加强护理操作能力的训练,并在教学中渗透医疗护理法律法规知识以及沟通技巧,以培养实践型、技能型护理人才。     

Prevalence of migraine in Japan: a nationwide survey

This study presents the first nationwide survey of migraine in Japan. A representative sample of 4029 subjects aged 15 years or older was selected from the Japanese population according to the quota method. A combination of telephone interview and mailed questionnaire methods was used. Diagnosis of migraine was based on the International Headache Society (IHS) Classification. The overall prevalence of migraine in the past year was 8.4%; 5.8% was migraine without aura and 2.6% was migraine with aura. Significant correlation was found between the prevalence of migraine and such variables as gender, age and district of residence. Doctor attendance rate was very low and 69.4% with migraine had never consulted a physician for headache. Yet, 74.2% complained that migraine headache impaired their daily activity significantly. Only 11.6% were aware that their headache was migraine and 56.9% were using only the over-the-counter drugs. The study revealed a comparably high prevalence of migraine in the general population of Japan compared with other countries. A genetic factor was speculated as the cause of regional difference in migraine prevalence.     

在校高年级护生资讯素养现状调查

目的:了解在校高年级护理专业学生(以下简称护生)资讯素养现状,为进一步提高护生资讯素养提供参考依据。方法:采用护理系学生资讯素养能力评估问卷对550名在校大三护生进行问卷调查。结果:在校高年级护生资讯素养能力平均得分为(2.65±0.41)分,处于中等水平,各维度得分排序由高到低分别为电脑素养、媒体素养、网络素养和传统素养。结论:在校高年级护生资讯素养处于中等水平,因此高等护理院校应增加资讯素养课程,为提高护生资讯素养奠定基础。     

Faculty practice and roles of staff nurses and clinical faculty in nursing student learning.

The perceptions of staff nurses and clinical nurse faculty on the roles they play in nursing student learning were examined. The study also sought to explore how faculty practice status affected these perceived roles. Nursing schools with generic baccalaureate nursing programs in the middle Atlantic region composed the study population. A convenience sample of two schools that expected their undergraduate clinical faculty to engage in faculty practice and two schools that did not expect faculty practice participated in the study. Clinical faculty members (15) and nursing education administrators (4) from each school participated, as well as staff nurses (22) and nursing service administrators (4) from each school's related hospital. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted. Manifest and latent content analyses were used to examine the issues. Staff nurses who worked with practicing faculty reported fewer instances of role overload, conflict, and ambiguity than when they worked with nonpracticing faculty. Lack of clear communication and delineation of expectations among administrators, staff, faculty, and students were cited as major factors in perceived role problems. Administrators, faculty, and staff nurses viewed high student/faculty ratios as a causative factor in the faculty's inability to meet all teaching objectives with students.     

Agency nursing in Melbourne,Australia: a telephone survey of hospital and agency managers

BACKGROUND: Agency nursing is a poorly understood and under-researched phenomenon. Despite the considerable costs and possible benefits of using agency nurses, little is known about the nature of agency nursing from different perspectives, including hospital and agency managers. AIM: To describe the professional relationship between hospitals and nursing agencies, utilization trends of agency nurses, and institutional policies relating to the employment of agency nurses. METHODS: A telephone survey was conveyed to managers of 70 acute hospitals (service purchasers) and 26 agencies (service providers) to provide baseline information on the utilization of agency nurses in acute hospitals in Melbourne, Australia. Introductory telephone calls were made to the chief nursing officers of the hospitals and the chief executive officers of nursing agencies in order to explain and seek approval for the proposed project. Approval to conduct telephone interviews was obtained from 30 acute hospitals and six agencies, representing a response rate of 43% and 23%, respectively. Separate questionnaires were used for the two categories of respondent. In some cases the questionnaire could not be completed using the telephone and a copy was then sent by post for completion. RESULTS: Findings revealed the high utilization of agency nurses in hospitals, the limited nature of continuing education for agency nurses, tensions between matching agency nurse qualifications with acute specialty needs and the notion that agencies preferred nurses to be flexible in their work assignments. CONCLUSIONS: The study was limited by the fact that the final sample was small (30 hospitals and six agencies), and therefore may not be representative of the wider population of Melbourne hospitals or agencies. However, it provided evidence on the utilization of agency nurses in public and private hospitals that will help shape policy on the regulation of the agency nursing workforce.     

Communication channels to help build an international community of education and practice.

Two-way communication is required if nurses are to build knowledge networks of international communities of nursing education and practice. Are expensive new technologies feasible or preferred for effective communication and productive outcomes? In this report from a longstanding partnership between schools of nursing at Peking University and the University of Michigan, case study methodology is used to evaluate more than a decade of experience with communication modalities: in person, postal mail, express mail, e-mail, fax, telephone, hand delivery by other travelers, and Web sites. Although each education and practice community develops unique ways to build its shared knowledge, a communications plan is suggested, with use of multiple communication techniques, especially those that are low cost and the most dependable. High-cost technologies are not always feasible or preferred. For the project described, they were not necessary to the major outcome, a nursing education and practice network that resulted in the first nurse-managed community-based clinic in China.     

Communciation channels to help build an international community of education and practice

Two-way communication is required if nurses are to build knowledge networks of international communities of nursing education and practice. Are expensive new technologies feasible or preferred for effective communication and productive outcomes? In this report from a longstanding partnership between schools of nursing at Peking University and the University of Michigan, case study methodology is used to evaluate more than a decade of experience with communication modalities: in person, postal mail, express mail, e-mail, fax, telephone, hand delivery by other travelers, and Web sites. Although each education and practice community develops unique ways to build its shared knowledge, a communications plan is suggested, with use of multiple communication techniques, especially those that are low cost and the most dependable. High-cost technologies are not always feasible or preferred. For the project described, they were not necessary to the major outcome, a nursing education and practice network that resulted in the first nurse-managed community-based clinic in China.     

Population views on access to community nursing services in Finland

The aim of this study was to evaluate potential access to personal community nursing services and the desirability of these services from the point of view of different population groups Potential access to personal community nursing services was defined as having one or more particular nurses to contact when needing help and advice in health matters The desirability of these services was defined as the respondents'estimation of how useful they considered it to be for them to have access to personal community nursing services A computer-assisted telephone interview for the population living in the catchment areas of 10 health centres in Finland was conducted A random sample of the total population aged 16–79 years was drawn from the population register Logistic regression revealed that gender, type of community and employment status had best explanatory power in having potential access to personal nursing services and in considering these services desirable However, many of those who considered personal nursing services very desirable, indicated that they did not have potential access to such services Most of these persons were elderly and had a chronic disease or disability Developing access to personal community nursing services particularly for these population groups appears to be needed     

Examining pain in aggressive cognitively impaired older adults.

Few studies have explored the phenomenon of pain in people with severe cognitive impairment. Pain assessment, which depends primarily on people's ability to describe dimensions of pain, becomes problematic when clients' cognitive impairment is so severe they cannot respond to pain assessment tools. The purpose of this study was to describe the phenomenon of pain for a subgroup of aggressive cognitively impaired nursing home residents who were enrolled in a larger study of aggressive behavior. To determine if pain was a possible factor influencing aggression, information was sought from five sources: family members, nursing assistant (NA) caregivers, medical record listings of pain-related diagnoses, use of analgesics, and observations of aggressive behaviors. Families reported pain in 44% of subjects, while NAs reported pain in 66% of subjects. Seventy-six percent of subjects had one or more pain-causing diagnoses. Sixty-four percent of subjects whose family members thought they may have pain were being treated with analgesics, compared to 44% of subjects whose NA reported they may be experiencing pain. Aggression scores were significantly higher in subjects who had two or more pain-related diagnoses and in subjects with arthritis. Nurses who are aware of a history of pain, reports of pain by families and caregivers, presence of pain-related medical diagnoses, and who realize pain may be a trigger for aggressive behavior may be more likely to recognize pain in cognitively impaired older adults. Better pain assessment should lead to improved treatment of pain in this population.     

Primary care providers' views of precepting nurse practitioner students

PURPOSE: To explore perceived barriers to and facilitators of precepting as viewed by experienced community-based preceptors. DATA SOURCES: Twenty-four nurse practitioner and physician preceptors participated in a 20-minute telephone interview, using a semi-structured format. The interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. Constant comparative analysis was used to organize the preceptors' responses into thematic categories. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, most preceptors were satisfied with the precepting experience; however, many preceptors cited increasing difficulty with teaching students in primary care sites due various organizational constraints such as the imperative to increase productivity. Good communication with school of nursing faculty was cited as the key factor to continued willingness to precept. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Understanding factors that are important for preceptors continuing in their clinical teaching role is important for schools of nursing, especially given the increasing time-limitations that many providers face due to social and economic changes in health-care delivery.