The divergent opinions of nurses,nurse managers and nurse directors: the case in Lebanon

badr l., rizk u. & farha r. (2010) Journal of Nursing Management 18, 182–193
The divergent opinions of nurses, nurse managers and nurse directors: the case in Lebanon Aim The present study provides an overview of the status of the nursing profession in Lebanon and compares and contrasts the opinions of directors, nurse supervisors/managers and nurses regarding the nursing profession and the workplace. Background There are limited publications concerning the working conditions of nurses in Lebanon, and no studies on the views of directors, supervisors/managers and nurses regarding the priorities of the nursing profession. Such data are necessary to build a sound theoretical basis on which recommendations for improving the nursing profession in Lebanon are made as well as to compare and contrast cross cultural findings. Method Data were collected from 45 hospitals using a mixed methods design. Qualitative data was obtained from 45 nursing directors whereas quantitative data were collected from 64 nursing supervisors and 624 nurses. Results Similarities and differences in the opinions of nurses, nurse supervisors/managers and nurse directors regarding critical issues for the nursing profession are discussed and contrasted. Conclusions/implications Nurses are more likely to be satisfied and committed to their profession when they feel that their opinions are being heard and that their work environment promotes professional advancement.     

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in New Mothers: Results from a Two‐Stage U.S. National Survey

Abstract: Background: Prevalence rates of women in community samples who screened positive for meeting the DSM‐IV criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder after childbirth range from 1.7 to 9 percent. A positive screen indicates a high likelihood of this postpartum anxiety disorder. The objective of this analysis was to examine the results that focus on the posttraumatic stress disorder data obtained from a two‐stage United States national survey conducted by Childbirth Connection: Listening to Mothers II (LTM II) and Listening to Mothers II Postpartum Survey (LTM II/PP). Methods: In the LTM II study, 1,373 women completed the survey online, and 200 mothers were interviewed by telephone. The same mothers were recontacted and asked to complete a second questionnaire 6 months later and of those, 859 women completed the online survey and 44 a telephone interview. Data obtained from three instruments are reported in this article: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale‐Self Report (PSS‐SR), Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS), and the Patient Health Questionnaire‐2 (PHQ‐2). Results: Nine percent of the sample screened positive for meeting the diagnostic criteria of posttraumatic stress disorder after childbirth as determined by responses on the PSS‐SR. A total of 18 percent of women scored above the cutoff score on the PSS‐SR, which indicated that they were experiencing elevated levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms. The following variables were significantly related to elevated posttraumatic stress symptoms levels: low partner support, elevated postpartum depressive symptoms, more physical problems since birth, and less health‐promoting behaviors. In addition, eight variables significantly differentiated women who had elevated posttraumatic stress symptom levels from those who did not: no private health insurance, unplanned pregnancy, pressure to have an induction and epidural analgesia, planned cesarean birth, not breastfeeding as long as wanted, not exclusively breastfeeding at 1 month, and consulting with a clinician about mental well‐being since birth. A stepwise multiple regression revealed that two predictor variables significantly explained 55 percent of the variance in posttraumatic stress symptom scores: depressive symptom scores on the PHQ‐2 and total number of physical symptoms women were experiencing at the time they completed the LTM II/PP survey. Conclusion: In this two‐stage national survey the high percentage of mothers who screened positive for meeting all the DSM‐IV criteria for a posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis is a sobering statistic. (BIRTH 38:3 September 2011)     

A Comparison of the Ovulation Method With the CUE Ovulation Predictor in Determining the Fertile Period

The purpose of this study was to compare the CUE Ovulation Predictor with the ovulation method in determining the fertile period. Eleven regularly ovulating women measured their salivary and vaginal electrical resistance (ER) with the CUE, observed their cervical-vaginal mucus, and measured their urine for a luteinizing hormone (LH) surge on a daily basis. Data from 21 menstrual cycles showed no statistical difference ( T = 0.33, p = 0.63) between the CUE fertile period, which ranged from 5 to 10 days (mean = 6.7 days, SD = 1.6), and the fertile period of the ovulation method, which ranged from 4 to 9 days (mean = 6.5 days, SD = 2.0). The CUE has potential as an adjunctive device in the learning and use of natural family planning methods.     

Evaluation of a programme to train Russian émigré nurses

Baj PA. International Journal of Nursing Practice 1997; 3: 40–46
Evaluation of a programme to train Russian émigré nurses
This project evaluates a curriculum model designed to specifically help Russian émigré nurses overcome major barriers to employment in the United States of America. Training cycles included: vocational English, basic nursing skills, socialization theory, transcultural care theory, clinical preceptorships, job search workshops and NCLEX-RN preparation. Specific learning objectives and outcome criteria were developed, evaluated and adapted for subsequent training cycles based on pilot programme testing.     

Nursing Diagnosis by Computers: An Application of Neural Networks

In a pilot-test application of the neural network, test case diagnoses made by the ART-2 neural network agreed with those made independently by nurses. The main conclusion is that the ART-2 neural network is promising as a decision-making aid. It can handle probabilistic and ill-defined data through a process of pattern recognition without programming rules. A disadvantage is that the ART-2 neural network requires "training" by the nurse using at least one example to define a diagnosis. In practice, however, this requirement does not affect its usefulness. Moreover, providing the ART-2 neural network with several training examples enables it to identify new patterns that are "close" to the textbook case but vary in one or more characteristics.