People recovering from addiction to alcohol or drugs often acknowledge the need for complete change in life pattern orientation in a journey toward healing. Serenity is the hallmark of recovery according to the tenets of 12-step programs, but little is known about the actual experience of serenity in healing from addiction. From a perspective of unitary pattern appreciation and a method of unitary appreciative inquiry, this study explored the experience of serenity among 9 people recovering from alcohol and/or drug addiction. Results are portrayed in both individual and group profiles, depicted in a format that integrates empirical findings as poetry.

Background: Review of the literature indicates that a number of barriers affect the success of minority nursing students and contribute to the high attrition rate. Identified barriers include feeling of loneliness, alienation, isolation, as well as academic and financial difficulties. To increase minority representation in the nursing work force and retention in nursing schools require understanding of perceived educational experience. Methods:The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived educational experience of minority nursing students at a southeast rural regional university in Georgia. These students were also enrolled in a comprehensive nursing workforce diversity project called SCRUBS Program, a comprehensive retention program designed to support minority nursing students' academic achievement. Data were collected from forty-six participants of which 90% were African American; 5% Hispanic and 5% other. Of the 46 participants, 85% were female and 15% male.Results: Participants perceived their educational experience as "good, challenging, stressful, but overall positive and worth it." Though participants noted that the nursing program curriculum was rigorous and overwhelming, available resources including mentoring, tutoring, peer socialization, and resources from the SCRUBS Program enhanced their educational experience. Conclusions:These findings have implications for retention of minority students in nursing education. The need to create a supportive and an inclusive cultural climate is essential for minorities' academic success in nursing programs.

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Smokeless tobacco use among women living in rural areas is poorly understood and largely ignored. This qualitative study explored the use of smokeless tobacco with 10 participants living in rural areas in Alabama, with the women telling their own stories of use. Themes emerging from interviews included the initiation of use, secrecy, health-risk beliefs, daily-use patterns, and thoughts about quitting. The study results could assist community health nurses in awareness of risks, case finding, and development of community-based prevention strategies. Additional research would help better understanding of the epidemiology of the problem, cultural implications, and practice interventions.

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This poem was extracted from a larger study exploring the experience of serenity in persons recovering from alcohol/drug addiction in 12-step programs. The piece was shaped using the search for serenity through the eyes of a person in recovery. It maintains the storytelling tradition of 12-step programs while retaining the unique experience of the storyteller through her own eyes. It reflects her struggle toward sobriety from the self-loathing of a person in the throes of addiction—the person in the mirror that she was ashamed of—to the acceptance of herself as reflected in growth, self-respect, and self-love.