The purpose of this study was to determine school nurses' working knowledge of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The current knowledge of school nurses was investigated by means of a mixed-method exploratory descriptive pilot study. Instrumentation included a scale that measured the knowledge of school nurses in regard to ASD, including medication usage and side effects, communication skills, safety issues, collaboration skills, and community resources. Survey results indicated that the majority of school nurses are knowledgeable about ASD, including symptomology and related medications. Results also suggested that school nurses are not as knowledgeable concerning communication skills, behavioral therapies, and safety issues. This study confirms a need for school nurses to enhance their knowledge of ASD, to familiarize themselves with the policy and health care networks that they collaborate with, and to communicate effectively with students, parents, educators, and community members in dealing with ASD.

Parents of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience the challenges of navigating the health care system, locating information about ASD, lacking an understanding of prescribed medications, and experiencing minimal social support from health care providers. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of parents who manage the health needs of an adolescent with ASD. Qualitative interviews were conducted at a university setting with 12 parents of 10 adolescents with ASD residing in Central Virginia. Data were analyzed using Moustakas' method in which the phenomenologist asks the following questions: What are the individual's experiences and in what context did they experience them? This study maximized credibility using 3 strategies: prolonged engagement, peer debriefing, and member checking. "Parents needing assistance" emerged as the essence of the parents' experiences. Four themes representing the essential challenging elements of the parents' experiences included concern with medications, frustrations with health care services, recognizing secondary health issues, and the need for resources and services. Findings of the current study revealed key factors to be considered in the development and delivery of health care for adolescents with ASD. These include creating and planning interventions for parents, sharing information about resources and services, and collaborating with others in the health care field. Additional research, both qualitative and quantitative, is needed to understand how parents and adolescents with ASD experience this transitional period.

No abstract

No abstract

The combined and strata-specific HEV weighted seroprevalence increased from 2013-2014 to 2015-2016. Although prior studies had found increasing age as the only significant factor associated with HEV, the attribute of "non-Hispanic Asian" had a stronger association with HEV seropositivity than the age factor alone.