Congestive heart failure is a major source of anxiety for both patients and their family. This article presents the results of a qualitative case study aimed at evaluating family nursing interventions from the perspective of the family members and a clinical nurse specialist (CNS). A CNS applied a family nursing intervention program with 4 couples. Data were obtained through semistructured interviews preintervention and postintervention for the couples and postintervention for the CNS. The transcripts of the interviews were submitted for content analysis. For the couples, results show both spouses subject to a high level of suffering, which can be alleviated through a family nursing meeting that allows them to obtain a better understanding of each other's experience. For the CNS, family interventions were considered a privilege since they helped relieve suffering and her own feelings of powerlessness. These results have the potential to improve family nursing interventions and enhance CNS practice.

A high prevalence of risk behaviors among the rapidly growing Latino youth population in the United States adds urgency to the need to identify effective recruitment and retention strategies for research studies and prevention programs. The objectives of this study are to (a) describe the culturally responsive recruitment and retention strategies used in the Familias Fuertes-Georgia program and (b) discuss the evaluation of the relative importance of these strategies. Familias Fuertes (i.e., Strong Families) is a community-based, primary prevention program for families in Latin America with children between the ages of 10 and 14 years. The main program goal is to reduce high-risk behaviors among adolescents by strengthening family relationships and promoting self-regulation and positive conflict resolution strategies. A pilot feasibility study was conducted to determine the appropriateness of the Familias Fuertes program for Latino families living in the United States. To promote participation, 15 culturally responsive recruitment and retention strategies were developed using a three-step process. These strategies contributed to the successful recruitment and retention of Familias Fuertes-Georgia study participants. Participating parents, the community liaison, and the community leader evaluated the relative importance of the 15 culturally responsive recruitment and retention strategies. Three of the strategies emerged as more important than others: face-to-face recruitment by the community liaison; bilingual, bicultural, and experienced facilitators; and free on-site child care. Further research is needed to develop strategies promoting the participation of male caregivers/fathers.

The objective of this study was to evaluate parental satisfaction with a family intervention program. The program provides help and support for parents with newborns who have specific health problems (e.g., cleft palate and/or lip; Down syndrome). Four family subscales, personal (emotional and cognitive), marital, parental, and extended family and others, were examined. The majority of parents were satisfied with the intervention. Most felt that the intervention had helped them to adapt to the unexpected situation. They received guidance in discerning and discussing their own emotions and those of their partner or spouse, and the help they received gave them confidence about the care their child would receive. Results revealed significant differences in satisfaction levels (depending on the sex of the parent), the child's diagnosis, and annual income. Mothers of newborns with Down syndrome were more satisfied than fathers with the personal-emotional support they received. Low-income families were more satisfied than those with higher incomes for all subscales. On the parental subscale, those whose child had a cleft lip/palate were more satisfied than those whose child had Down syndrome. The results raised several important questions about this type of early intervention program, which will require further in-depth investigation.

In recent years, unaccompanied minors have been journeying to the United States (U.S.)–Mexico border in great numbers in order to escape violence, poverty and exploitation in their home countries. Yet, unaccompanied children attempting to cross the United States border face treatment at the hands of government representatives which violates their inherent rights as children. The result is a human rights crisis that has severe health consequences for the children. Their rights as children are clearly delineated in various, international human rights documents which merit increased understanding of and recognition by the U.S. government. This paper calls for the improvement of policies and procedures for addressing the rights of unaccompanied immigrant children; it provides specific, rights-based recommendations which work together to safeguard the rights of the child at the U.S. southwestern border.

The presence in a family of a young child with AIDS, with the exception of a small number of transfusion-infected children, implies almost necessarily the presence of an infected adult, usually the mother. The problem in such a situation is not that of a child with a fatal illness but that of an entire family. Our study included a sample of thirty natural caregivers. These were mostly mothers but others responsible for the care of a seropositive child, such as fathers, aunts and grandmothers, were also included. The aim of the project was to describe their perceptions of their own psycho-social needs. Our results reveal that these caregivers are economically disadvantaged. They need help in coping with stress and their life situation. Their need to confide in others is frequently not met. However, the need to learn how to protect themselves and other members of the family against both HIV and other infections and to know the course and the treatments associated with this disease are seen by them, both as being very important and as being well met, particularly by the health professionals who care for them.

This study was designed to test the outcomes of a preoperative teaching program for cholecystectomy patients and to determine the appropriate time to offer the program. The hypotheses were: (a) Patients in a preadmission program will recover better than those in a program given the eve of surgery, and (b) patients in the control group will have a poorer recovery than those in the two experimental groups. The outcomes measured were state-anxiety, ventilatory function, well-being, pain, functional ability, analgesics, and length of hospitalization. There were no significant differences between the three groups except in state-anxiety the eve of surgery which was higher in the control than in the two experimental groups. State-anxiety the eve of surgery and trait-anxiety were the most important variables affecting outcomes. There was a positive and significant linear relationship between pre- and postoperative state-anxiety.

Families Fuertes (FF) is a seven-session, family-centered program for supporting positive youth development of Latino children aged 10 to 14 years. The Pan American Health Organization adapted it from the Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth for Spanish-speaking countries. The suitability of FF for recent immigrants to the United States is, however, unknown. This feasibility study assessed the appropriateness of FF with 12 low-income Mexican immigrant families residing in Georgia. Participants, a community liaison, and program staff evaluated (a) recruitment, retention, and evaluation strategies; and (b) the acceptability and promise of the curriculum. Recruitment and retention were very high; feedback of evaluation strategies was uniformly positive. Participants perceived that the program improved family relationships and that family members changed for the better. We detail practical and cultural adaptations to enhance the potential effectiveness of the program for this population. A version adapted to address acculturation-related stressors would increase the potential public health impact.

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