<H4>ABSTRACT</H4> <P>Teaching nursing students therapeutic communication skills begins in the classroom and extends to the clinical environment. The usual method of instruction consists of random patient encounters observed by faculty and measures of competence that rely on paper-and-pencil tests. Using standardized patients (SPs) offers an alternative approach to the traditional method of teaching. Standardized patients are individuals who have been carefully trained to present an illness or scenario in a standardized, unvarying manner. This pilot study compared use of SPs with the usual method of instruction in a class of undergraduate nursing students. Results indicated that students who participated in the SP method overwhelmingly described the experience as positive, creative, and meaningful. No significant differences were found between the two groups on measures of interpersonal skills, therapeutic communication skills, and knowledge of depression.</P> <H4>AUTHORS</H4> <P>Received: July 30, 2002</P> <P>Accepted: February 1, 2005</P> <P>Ms. Becker is Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Adult Nurse Practitioner Program, Dr. Rose is Director, Baccalaureate Program, Ms. Berg is Instructor, and Ms. Park is a doctoral student, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing; and Dr. Shatzer is Director, Office for Teaching and Learning in Medicine and Center for Experiential Learning and Assessment, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.</P> <P>Address correspondence to Kathleen L. Becker, MS, CRNP, Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, 525 N. Wolfe Street, #459, Baltimore, MD 21201; e-mail: <A HREF="mailto:KBECKER@son.jhmi.edu">KBECKER@son.jhmi.edu</A>.</P>

This study demonstrated the feasibility for two-way SMS medication reminders to improve medication adherence in a high-risk population where daily medication adherence is critical to health outcomes and quality of life.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) pose a significant global burden in both developed and developing countries. It is estimated that, by 2025, 41.7% of males and 38.7% of females in Sub-Saharan Africa will develop high blood pressure (HBP). This is particularly true in Uganda with hypertensive prevalence rates estimated to range from 22.5% to 30.5%. Coupled with low levels of detection, treatment, and control, hypertension represents a Ugandan public health crisis. An innovative WHO-ISH education program culturally was adapted in a pilot study and focused on knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSA) of nurses caring for hypertensive patients in an outpatient clinic. Pre-post intervention data was collected and analyzed in which significant improvements were noted on all the three outcome measures. This pilot study demonstrated that nurses' knowledge, skills, and attitudes could be significantly improved with a multimodal education program implemented in a low resource environment.

No abstract

No abstract

Aims and ObjectivesTo examine themes of communication between office‐based primary care providers and nurses working in private residences; to assess which methods of communication elicit fruitful responses to nurses’ concerns.BackgroundLack of effective communication between home health care nurses and primary care providers contributes to clinical errors, inefficient care delivery and decreased patient safety. Few studies have described best practices related to frequency, methods and reasons for communication between community‐based nurses and primary care providers.DesignSecondary analysis of process data from ‘Community Aging in Place: Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE)’.MethodsIndependent reviewers analysed nurse documentation of communication (phone calls, letters and client coaching) initiated for 70 patients and analysed 45 letters to primary care providers to identify common concerns and recommendations raised by CAPABLE nurses.ResultsPrimary care providers responded to 86% of phone calls, 56% of letters and 50% of client coaching efforts. Primary care providers addressed 86% of concerns communicated by phone, 34% of concerns communicated by letter and 41% of client‐raised concerns. Nurses’ letters addressed five key concerns: medication safety, pain, change in activities of daily living, fall safety and mental health. In letters, CAPABLE nurses recommended 58 interventions: medication change; referral to a specialist; patient education; and further diagnostic evaluation.ConclusionsEffective communication between home‐based nurses and primary care providers enhances care coordination and improves outcomes for home‐dwelling elders. Various methods of contact show promise for addressing specific communication needs.Relevance to clinical practiceNurses practicing within patients’ homes can improve care coordination by using phone calls to address minor matters and written letters for detailed communication. Future research should explore implementation of Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation in home care to promote safe and efficient communication. Nurses should empower patients to address concerns directly with providers through use of devices including health passports.

In the primary care setting, 20% to 25% of patients experience alcohol-related problems; however, clinicians often treat the symptoms of alcoholism and fail to identify the disease itself. Unlike men, women commonly seek help for alcoholism from primary care clinicians. Further, the development and progression of alcoholism is different in women than in men. Women with alcohol problems have higher rates of dual diagnoses, childhood sexual abuse, panic and phobia disorders, eating disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and victimization. Early diagnosis, brief interventions, and referral are critical to the treatment of alcoholism in women.

Development of a strategy to address metabolic syndrome in the Navajo may involve aspects from multiple interventions to increase efficacy and maximise participation.