Increased adoption of smoke-free policies on campuses with schools of nursing

BackgroundIn 2015, the majority of U.S. American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)-accredited schools of nursing resided on campuses without smoke-free policies.PurposeTo determine the presence of smoke-free policies at AACN-accredited after resolutions from AACN and the American Academy of Nursing, and the creation of online resources.MethodsSmoke-free policies (2015-2017) were determined through listings on the ANRF College Campus Policy Database© and survey responses from nursing deans.ResultsSmoke-free policies for 689 schools of nursing increased from 36% in 2015 to 91% in 2017. There were no significant differences by nursing program types or geographic area. Twenty percent of deans reported using the resources, with over 1700-page views.ConclusionSmoke-free policies increased after support from two national nursing organizations. Learning in a smoke-free environment should be an expectation for nursing students to protect their own health, and to support their future critical role in tobacco control.     

Views of regulatory authorities on standards to assure quality in online nursing education

BackgroundWith the rapid growth in online education programs in nursing, quality of education through this modality is becoming of greater importance.PurposeThis paper aims to explore current recommendations and standards for quality in online nursing education offered by nursing regulatory, accrediting, and licensing organizations.MethodIndividual interviews were conducted with the leaders from four accrediting, licensing and certifying organizations in nursing about their perspectives on quality standards for online education.FindingsThe following themes emerged from the qualitative interviews: Theme 1- Standards are not specific to online education; Theme 2-This is not up to us - Professional organizations can offer recommendations but not responsible for regulations; and Theme 3- Each institution has responsibility to provide support and evaluate the quality of online education.DiscussionSchools of nursing should continue to incorporate current standards for quality in online education as the methods of delivery continue to evolve in this highly technologically-oriented world.     

Attention control group activities and perceived benefit in a trial of a behavioral intervention for older adults

Researchers trialing behavioral interventions often use attention control groups, but few publish details on attention control activities or perceived benefit. Attention control groups receive the same dose of interpersonal interaction as intervention participants but no other elements of the intervention, to control for the benefits of attention that may come from behavioral interventions. Because intervention success is analyzed compared to control conditions, it is useful to examine attention control content and outcomes. The purpose of this study is to report on attention control visit activities and their perceived benefit in a randomized control trial. The trial tested an aging‐in‐place intervention comprised of a series of participant goal‐directed visits facilitated by an occupational therapist, nurse, and handyman. The attention control group participants received visits from a lay person. We report on the number and length of visits received, types of visit activities that participants chose, and how much visit time was spent on each activity, based on the attention visitor's records. We report on participant perceptions of benefit based on a 10‐item Likert‐scale survey. The attention control group participants (n = 148) were cognitively intact, at least 65 years old, with at least one Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. Attention control group participants most often chose conversation (20.1% of visit time), and playing games (18.7%), as visit activities. The majority of attention control group participants (63.4%) reported “a great deal” of perceived benefit. Attention control group visits may be an appropriate comparison in studies of behavioral interventions for community‐dwelling older adults.