Purpose To examine 5 infant characteristics and health factors that might be risk factors for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants. Subjects 134 preterm infants at high risk for NEC due to either having a birthweight of <1500 grams or requiring mechanical ventilation at birth. Design Descriptive secondary analysis using data from a larger longitudinal study. Methods Weekly review of infant’s medical record until discharge. Demographic questionnaire completed by mothers at time of enrollment. Data analysis done with logistic regression, Fischer’s exact tests and correlations. Outcome Measures Total number of days infant required mechanical ventilation, birthweight in grams, number of infections prior to NEC diagnosis, maternal race (Black, White or Asian), and infant gender were used to predict the development of NEC. Results Maximum likelihood estimates indicated that mechanical ventilation had a positive relationship with developing NEC, such that as the number of days of mechanical ventilation increased so did the risk of developing NEC. There was also a very strong positive relationship between the number of nosocomial infections and NEC indicating that as the number of infections increased the likelihood of developing NEC increased. Although the relationship between race and NEC was not significant in the logistic regression, a Fisher’s exact test showed that Black preterm infants had increased incidence of NEC as compared to other races. This relationship was not due to correlations between race and mechanical ventilation or infections. No relationship between gender on NEC was noted. Birthweight was not significantly associated with NEC in the logistic regression but was correlated with NEC, probably because of its correlation with mechanical ventilation and number of infections. Conclusions In this sample, number of infections and length of mechanical ventilation were the primary predictors of NEC in preterm infants. In addition, the frequency that Black infants are diagnosed with NEC is significantly higher than that of other races. Knowledge of risk factors for NEC can allow healthcare providers to evaluate and adjust care practices for preterm infants who present with higher risk for NEC based on empirical data.

The authors systematically reviewed the nursing literature for articles describing substance use disorders (SUDs) education in schools of nursing. Five literature databases were searched, producing 3107 retrieved articles, of which 12 were included in this review. A Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument score was calculated for each study. The included studies demonstrated that teaching nursing students about SUDs produced a positive impact on their attitudes, knowledge, and skills.

An organizational culture that values diversity and inclusion is essential for the achievement of high‐quality nursing education, yet little literature exists to guide schools of nursing (SON) in accomplishing this goal. All SONs, regardless of size, need a framework that provides specific steps for developing and nurturing a culture that values diversity and inclusion. Using our SON as an exemplar, the goal of this article was to (a) review the barriers we faced when building a diverse and inclusive environment, (b) share our school's strategic plan designed to promote diversity and inclusion, and (c) highlight successful strategies as part of the development and ongoing implementation of our school's strategic plan. This process requires continuous commitment and intentionality as well as flexibility to address unforeseen circumstances. For example, the goals we have adopted and the strategies we have put in place have allowed members of our SON community to acknowledge and address the urgency and validity of the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on racial and ethnic minority groups. Although we recognize that we still have work to do within our SON community, we believe our exemplar offers an action‐oriented framework for increasing diversity and inclusion among students, faculty, staff, and leadership in SONs.

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Health policy makers, providers, clinicians, and social scientists are among those who have identified racial and ethnic diversification of the health care workforce as one strategy for solving the seemingly intractable problem of health disparities in the U.S. population. But evidence supporting the impact of such diversification on narrowing health disparities is lacking, thus making it unclear if the push for workforce diversification is empirically or politically driven. Moreover, data are largely derived from the study of physicians, making it difficult to generalize findings to nursing and other health professions. This article reviews the evidence that supports the impact of a diverse workforce on patient outcomes and delivery services. Assuming a positive social value in the absence of the data, the authors review the approaches that have been successful in diversifying the nursing workforce. The authors conclude with recommendations for research and policies, including best practices, for enhancing recruitment and retention of a diverse nursing workforce.

Background: Preterm infants are a vulnerable patient population, especially during the first hours of life. Hypothermia, hypoglycemia, and early-onset sepsis are common problems related to prematurity. Implementation of a Golden Hour protocol has been shown to improve outcomes for preterm infants. Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of a Golden Hour protocol for infants born at less than 32 weeks' gestation on improving the admission process in a military care facility. Specific aims focused on temperature, time to initiation of intravenous (IV) fluids, time to administration of antibiotics, and time to close of the incubator top. Methods: A pre-/postdesign was used to compare outcomes from preimplementation to postimplementation. Predata were collected using electronic health record chart review and postdata were collected from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit admission worksheet. Results: Although we did not find statistical significance, we found that more infants had a temperature greater than 36.5°C within 1 hour of birth and decrease in time to initiation of IV fluids and antibiotics from preimplementation to postimplementation, which is clinically significant. Time to close of the incubator top remained greater than 1 hour. Implications for Practice: Implementation of a Golden Hour protocol provides a guide to caring for preterm infants during the first hour of life to improve patient outcomes. Involvement of key stakeholders and staff education are key to successful implementation. Implications for Research: Researchers should examine long-term outcomes related to implementation of a Golden Hour protocol in future studies. Future quality improvement projects should include the effectiveness of similar protocols and address possible barriers.

Student-developed simulations are an innovative teaching strategy for improving cultural awareness and learning more about SDH. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(4):243-246.].