Participants who perceived themselves as resilient, although disconnected from other people, were less lonely, less hopeless, and engaged in fewer life-threatening behaviors than were those who perceived themselves as not being resilient. They survived by adapting to street life and by becoming overly self-reliant. Findings may be useful in planning interventions to promote health and well-being in this vulnerable population.

Sexual health interventions for this population should be both gender- and sexual orientation-specific.

ISSUES AND PURPOSE. To review the epidemiology and etiology of risky sexual behavior in adolescent women, and to discuss implications for primary prevention. CONCLUSION. Adolescent women who participate in risky sexual behavior are at risk for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Black, Hispanic, and out‐of‐home adolescent women, however, are at greatest risk. Factors contributing to risky sexual behavior include early initiation of sexual intercourse, inconsistent use of condoms and other barrier contraception, and unprotected sexual intercourse. Identified protective factors for early initiation of sexual activity include the development of healthy sexuality, family and school connectedness, and the presence of caring adults. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Effective clinical interventions target high‐risk adolescent women; incorporate environmental and cognitive‐behavioral components; use social learning theories; address differences in regards to culture, developmental stage, and sexual experience; and support family and school involvement.

ISSUES AND PURPOSE. To identify the ethical and legal implications of conducting research with homeless adolescents and to discuss guidelines for conducting research without parental consent. CONCLUSIONS. Ethical principles of capacity, risk, postponement, and truthful disclosure within the context of the rights of minors to consent to healthcare treatment form the basis of the argument for allowing adolescents to consent to participate in research without parental consent when there is minimal risk or when such consent could place them at increased risk for harm. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Adolescents who are the target population for clinical research or who are intended recipients of nursing care should be involved in setting priorities, purposes, and protocols. Parents and other adults from their communities should be included in developing strategies to protect their confidentiality and privacy while helping them achieve autonomy in making informed health‐related decisions.

Previous research has shown that homeless youth have high rates of suicidal ideation, sexual abuse, and abuse of alcohol and other drugs. However, little is known about how these rates differ by gender and ethnicity. Our objective was to describe patterns of sexual abuse, alcohol and other drug use, and indicators of suicidal behaviors in homeless adolescents and to determine gender and ethnic differences in these factors. We used secondary data analysis of data from surveys completed by 96 homeless youth whose average age was 17.9 years. Over 60% of the sample reported a history of sexual abuse; the majority were under the age of 12 years when they first tried alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine; 56.3% had injected drugs, and 46.9% had tried inhalants. During the past 12 months, 35.1% had seriously considered suicide and 12.3% had actually attempted suicide at least once. Significantly more Hispanics than Whites had considered suicide (chi 2 = 4.31, p = .038). A disproportionate number of Hispanics (95% of the sample) reported a history of sexual abuse. Participants with a history of sexual abuse were significantly more likely than those who did not have a history of sexual abuse to have used alcohol and/or marijuana (chi 2 = 9.93, p < .01) and to have considered suicide in the past 12 months (F = 14.93, p < .001). We found that sexual abuse history is greater in this sample than in the general population and is particularly prevalent among Hispanic/Latino subjects. As in other studies, sexual abuse was more common among females than among males. High prevalence of sexual abuse, alcohol and other drug use, and suicidal behaviors in this sample of homeless youth underscores the need to develop and test community-based interventions to improve their health status.

The literature indicates that collaboration between nurses and physicians has become more sophisticated as these relationships have become collegial in nature and as nurses have become assertive, autonomous, and accountable. On an individual level, physicians and nurses now entering collaborative relationships are successful at minimizing the obstacles of turf and territoriality as well as at managing practice boundaries. However, both need to consciously examine their patterns of communication in order to effect clinical interaction styles that maintain unequal or hierarchical relationships. Studies of interprofessional communication, including style of clinical interaction, conflict resolution, use of humor, and negotiation, contribute support for nurses and physicians in collaborative relationships (Balzer, 1993; Campbell, Mauksch, Neikirk, & Hosokawa, 1990; Feiger & Schmitt, 1979; Lenkman & Gribbins, 1994; Pike, 1991). Research on differences in health outcomes of patients cared for in the traditional and collaborative models of health care delivery, identification of the unique product of collaborative practice models, and further identification of the type of attitudinal climate in which collaborative relationships can be nurtured should be undertaken if the elusive nature of collaboration is to be captured (Siegler, Whitney, & Schmitt, 1994). Providing collaborative, interdisciplinary clinical experiences for students, as well as role modeling of collaborative relationships in nurse-physician faculty practice, can contribute to a greater understanding and acceptance of each professional's role in health care delivery (Campbell, 1993; Forbes & Fitzsimons, 1993; Larson, 1995). Tradition and professionalism and progressive concern about practice boundaries continue to be obstacles to collaborative practice. These need to be addressed by medical and nursing professionals on the institutional level and in the political arena. Collaboration between nurses and physicians need not remain only a researchable issue; its viability and vitality are crucial to the changing health care scene. Understanding the issues that affect collaboration, as well as the historical background in which it has developed, can help nurses and physicians in their joint effort to improve health care delivery.

The street group that homeless youth identify with may be a potential resource for peer-mentoring and skill-building regarding healthy sexual behavior.

Social researchers continue to strive to understand the development and social decision-making processes of homeless adolescents. While it has been established that attachment is a salient factor with regard to childhood maltreatment and later psychosocial problems, there is a dearth of information on how homeless youths' thoughts and feelings about attachment may also be linked to behavioral risks including alcohol and substance use. This exploratory study examines older homeless adolescent's perspectives on attachment, trauma, and substance use via the semistructured Adult Attachment Interview and survey data. The findings illuminate the relationship between these factors and implications for future research and work with this population.