Social Support in Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents: Research, Critique, and Recommendations

ISSUE AND PURPOSE: Adolescent pregnancies continue to occur at an alarming rate in the United States, resulting in adverse outcomes for both the adolescent and her baby. Since social support has been shown to improve pregnancy and parenting outcomes, a critique of research in this area is presented. SOURCES: Published literature. CONCLUSIONS: Multisite research studies, which are longitudinal in design, are needed, with particular attention paid to variations in the need for social support by stage of adolescence.     

The Long-term Psychosocial Effects of Infertility

Objective : To explore the psychosocial effects of infertility and the role that social support plays over time. The major hypothesis was that although infertile persons report less contentment, lower levels of marital and sexual satisfaction, and lower self-esteem over time, those with higher levels of social support will be less affected
Design/Setting : Four questionnaires were completed in subjects' own homes, one every 9 months.
Participants : Subjects, all of whom perceived themselves as infertile, were recruited through the national newsletter for an infertility support group. Ninety-four subjects entered the study, and 41% of the sample completed it.
Main outcome measures : Contentment, marital satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, self-esteem, sex-role identity, press (the measure of perceived internal and external pressures), and social support.
Results : Perceived support (F [3,111] = 4.77, p < 0.004), as well as contentment and self-esteem, significantly increased over time (F[3,1111 = 12.03, p < 0.0001, andF [3, 1111 = 5.378, p < 0.002, respectively). Social support was positively correlated with all dependent measures.
Conclusions : Contrary to what was hypothesized, infertile persons experienced increased social support and greater contentment over time. As hypothesized, there was a significant positive relationship between social support and all dependent measures. The positive impact of social support, counseling, and the adoption of strategies to deal with the stress of infertility lends credence to the crucial role nurses can play in helping infertile couples cope.     

Leading with charisma

Traditionally, leaders have used characteristics related to authority, control, competition and logic Such approaches are more autocractic, and task-oriented With changes in society, employers are focusing less on tasks and more on job satisfaction Leaders are focusing on co-operation versus competition Human relations and recognition are being used as motivators Charisma is an important characteristic for leaders who wish to motivate by interpersonal characteristics Transformational leadership is an emerging paradigm for modern management and can be important to the modem nurse manager as well This paper describes charisma and how it can be useful to the nurse manager     

Beyond empathy: expanding expressions of caring

In this paper, a model describing nurses' responses to patients who are suffering is presented. The nurse's level of engagement with the patient is affected by whether the caregiver is focused on him-/herself or on the sufferer (i.e. embodied with the patient) and whether the caregiver is responding reflexively or with a learned response. Four types of communication patterns are identified: engaged responses (first-level) are used in a connected relationship; when the nurse responses reflexively and is focused on him-/herself, the response is reflected; when the caregiver is patient-focused, a learned response is labelled a professional response; and a self-focused, learned response is labelled detached. Examples of each type of response are provided.     

Apoptosis in perinatal hypoxic–ischemic brain injury: How important is it and should it be inhibited?

The discovery of safe and effective therapies for perinatal hypoxia–ischemia (HI) and stroke remains an unmet goal of perinatal medicine. Hypothermia and antioxidants such as allopurinol are currently under investigation as treatments for neonatal HI. Drugs targeting apoptotic mechanisms are currently being studied in adult diseases such as cancer, stroke, and trauma and have been proposed as potential therapies for perinatal HI and stroke. Before developing antiapoptosis therapies for perinatal brain injury, we must determine whether this form of cell death plays an important role in these injuries and if the inhibition of these pathways promotes more benefit than harm. This review summarizes current evidence for apoptotic mechanisms in perinatal brain injury and addresses issues pertinent to the development of antiapoptosis therapies for perinatal HI and stroke.     

Personal and Professional Support for Mothers of NICU and Healthy Newborns

Personal support provided by close social network members and professional support provided by nurses were studied in 83 postpartum mothers and newborns in neonatal intensive care units and newborn nurseries. Mothers perceived each type of support differently in terms of outcomes. Only personal support was significantly related to emotional affect and life satisfaction outcomes. Both personal and professional support were related to relationship satisfaction outcomes. Findings suggest that personal support and professional support be treated as separate concepts.     

Viral Infections of the Newborn

Viral infections of the newborn result in significant morbidity and mortality each year. The fetus and newborn are particularly vulnerable to viral infection. The range of expression may vary from no clinical disease to devastating illness and infection occurring before, during, or after birth. Nursing management is determined by the specific viral infection, the severity of the illness, and the unique conditions of the newborn and his/her family. Promising new therapies are on the horizon that may lessen the severity of viral disease. Until such time, the major thrusts of management of neonatal viral disease are prevention of infection and supportive care for the acutely ill newborn.     

Knowledge and attitudes of chronic mentally ill patients before and after medication education

This study compares the knowledge and attitudes of 60 patients in a state hospital about medication, before and after structured and unstructured medication education The purpose was to determine which type of education has more positive effects A pre- and post-test two-group experimental design was used The results of this study were not statistically significant in supporting the literature that education has some effect on knowledge or on attitude about taking medication The study showed similar effects of the method (structured versus unstructured) on increasing knowledge and attitude toward medication Demographic data from the study suggest a variety of other factors may relate to attitudes and knowledge about medication in the hospital This study suggests medication education should address demographic factors, incorporate multi-dimensional approaches, include more active patient participation, and utilize one-to-one teaching whenever possible