Experiences of nurse leaders surviving Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Hurricane Katrina left New Orleans, Louisiana, USA destroyed by its impact on 29 August 2005. Working during a hurricane was nothing new to these authors. Having lived in New Orleans all our lives, we were used to preparing our homes and our families to weather the storm. Nurses are in leadership positions before, during, and after any disaster. Nurses are called upon to report to duty, leaving their loved ones to care for themselves while the nurses care for the sick and frail in unbelievably difficult situations. The purpose of this article is to share our experiences as nurse survivors during Hurricane Katrina, reflecting on 10 major aspects of disaster planning from the perspective of the "Then" (during the storm) and the "Now" (current recommendations).     

Patients' experiences of acquiring information related to genomics: A pilot study

Health care professionals recognize that nurses will need to provide a significant proportion of patient education regarding genomics and health care. The research question investigated involved determining factors most important in facilitating patients' understanding of the relation between genomics and their health care status and to examine the quality of the current patient education experience. Methodology involved conducting semistructured interviews with a sample of eight adults diagnosed with congenital heart defects or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy being seen as outpatients. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed. Data analysis included studying the interviews for compelling themes related to the patient education process. By identifying desirable elements of genomics patient education, future interventions can be adapted to maximize patients' learning experiences.     

Quality of life and physical functioning in HIV‐infected individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy in KwaZulu‐Natal,South Africa

KwaZulu‐Natal province, South Africa, accounts for 28.7% of the HIV infection total and one‐third of infections among youth and children in South Africa. The purpose of this study was to examine the variables of HIV/AIDS symptoms, social support, influence of comorbid medical problems, length of time adhering to antiretroviral therapy medications, quality of life, adherence to antiretroviral medications, and physical functioning in HIV‐infected individuals. Based on our model, the combination of these variables was found to determine physical functioning outcomes and adherence to HIV medications. Significant relationships were observed between physical functioning and the dependent variables of length of time on medications, comorbid health problems, and social support. A linear regression model was built to determine the degree to which these variables predicted physical functioning. In total, these predictor variables explained 29% of the variance in physical functioning. These results indicate that those individuals who reported a greater length of time on medications, fewer comorbid health problems, and greater social support had better physical functioning.