Developing prospective managers. Part 2. The process

This article is the second in a series of three articles that describe a project set up to define, design, and try out tools for the selection and development of nurse managers. Through the Prospective Managers Pilot Project, Stanford University Hospital nurses have explored an alternative to the traditional approach of "working your way up the ladder" to management competence. Selected candidates, with less than 1 year of clinical experience, strove to learn and demonstrate 25 defined skills of a head nurse. The first article in the series addressed the experiential interview approach to selection of candidates. This article defines the competency expectations of the head nurse, methodology to attain these skills by the prospective manager, and the tools that the project coordinator and mentors used to measure the development of the prospective manager.     

Patient information: Part 2. Planning an information package

In the second article of this series we look at the planning stage of a project to produce patient information and the factors that should be considered. The paper also discusses guidelines for the production of patient information and legal aspects of information provision.     

Evidence-based practice: Part 2: Steps in the process

Evidence-based (EBP) aims for a new distribution of power centered on scientific evidence rather than clinical expertise. The present article describes the operational process of EBP by describing the implementation stages of this type of practise. This stage presentation is essential given that there are many conceptions end models of EBP and that some nurses have a limited knowledge of its rules ans implications. Given that number and formulation of the stages varies by author, the process presented here attempts to integrate the different stages reviewed.     

Reducing physical restraints: developing an educational program.

1. Philosophical premises for an educational program aimed at restraint reduction include beliefs about quality of care, commitment to understanding the meaning of behavior, and desire to shift practice from control of behavior to individualized approaches to care. 2. If change is to occur, an educational program aimed at restraint reduction must recognize the potential contributions of all staff members, use an interactive teaching style, and promote discussion and problem solving. 3. Results of testing a Restraint Education Program suggested that altering staff beliefs and increasing knowledge produced a change in restraint practices, at least in the short term.     

Evaluation of an educational program for adolescents with asthma.

In addition to challenges of adolescence itself, teens with asthma face demands of asthma management and risks of asthma sequelae, including fatalities. Few asthma educational programs specifically address their needs. In response to school nurse concern, this pilot study evaluated an adolescent asthma education program, the Power Breathing trade mark Program, together with individual coaching sessions in terms of general asthma knowledge and health status. Thirteen high school students, predominantly female and African American, participated over a 6-month period. Evaluation tools included the Child Health Survey for Asthma, a focus group interview, and a program evaluation questionnaire. Participants reported that knowledge gained improved trigger avoidance, increased medication adherence, and decreased the frequency of asthma episodes. They described the individual coaching sessions as helpful in assimilating and applying information. The Power Breathing Program and coaching sessions show promise as an asthma educational program particularly tailored to adolescents. This article suggests further evaluation of the program and describes implications for school nurses.