The adaptation of state-of-the-art computerized technology to closely monitor patients with HF with advanced-practice nurse care under the guidance of a cardiologist significantly improves HF management while reducing the cost of care.
In this cross-sectional descriptive survey of 173 widows, we describe their grief symptoms using an open-ended questionnaire and the Revised Grief Experience Inventory. Self-reported physical symptoms included pain, gastro-intestinal problems, medical/surgical conditions, sleep disturbances, and neurological/circulatory issues. Psychological symptoms were reported as depression, anxiety, and loneliness. The mean total grief score was 71.4 +/- 30.2 (possible range 22-132). Physical symptoms were significantly correlated with the total mean grief score, and subscales of physical distress, depression, existential tension, and guilt. When the subjects were grouped by years since loss, (range 1-5 years), there was no significant decrease found in overall grief scores, suggesting symptoms of grief experienced by widows may continue up to at least 5 years.
Available data indicate disparity in heart failure (HF) morbidity and mortality among African Americans. African Americans are diagnosed with HF at a younger age, have a more rapid clinical progression, and have higher hospitalization rates related to HF than Whites. Lack of inclusion of African Americans in research studies has been suggested as a possible contributing factor to this disparity. This study presents a secondary analysis from a randomized trial comparing biopsychosocial outcomes for only the African Americans whose HF home management was provided by one of two home care delivery methods—nurse telemanagement (NTM) or nurse home visits. Results indicate significantly higher self-efficacy, home care satisfaction, and quality of life, with significantly lower symptom distress, HF rehospitalization, and intervention charges for African Americans whose HF home management was delivered by the NTM method. These data suggest, independent of race, that NTM may be more efficient and effective as a delivery method for HF home management.
In the United States, nursing programs are commonly evaluated by their graduates success on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The purpose of this paper is to describe a change in NCLEX-RN success rates following the addition of standardized exams throughout our program's curriculum, and to compare these exam scores between graduates who pass NCLEX-RN and those who do not. Our results indicate an 8.5% change (p < 0.000) in the NCLEX-RN pass rate from our previous 5-year mean pass rate, and significant differences in standardized test scores for those who pass the NCLEX-RN compared to those who do not (p < 0.03). We conclude that our selected standardized exam scores are able to significantly identify graduates who are more likely to pass NCLEX-RN than not.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.