The purpose of this study was to describe factors that support women's successful transition to the community following incarceration. The design is qualitative, utilizing open-ended data generating interview questions of women who participate in Welcome Home Ministries (WHM), a new community faith-based program for women released from jail/prison. A multitude of factors are necessary to support women's successful transition to the community following incarceration. Although no questions were asked about religion or spirituality, the rank-ordered dominant factors were a spiritual belief and practice and freedom from addiction. The role of support groups and their "sisters" in WHM, the nurse-chaplain's jail visit and support, and the role of supportive friends (not former drug using friends) were additional key factors. The study findings may be used to support the design of new interventions based upon women's needs and capacities to empower them to create their own and their children's healthy future.
In a complex healthcare environment, educating nursing students to safely care for clients is a challenging endeavor. As the use of high fidelity simulations increases, the ability to evaluate students is essential. A review of the literature identified a lack of tested simulation evaluation instruments to accurately measure student performance. A simulation evaluation tool was developed and tested with senior nursing students. Content validity was established from the literature and from the review of the tool by an expert panel. Reliability was established using sixteen simulation sessions, with two trained evaluators at each session. Percent agreement by evaluators ranged from 84.4% to 89.1%. Additional research needs to verify these results with different evaluators, varying levels of students, and additional scenarios. A valid, reliable tool to evaluate simulation experiences improves student assessment skills and ultimately clinical performance.
WARD, DIANNE S, STEWART G TROST, GWEN SONS, MARSHA DOWDA, RUSSELL R PATE. Physical activity and physical fitness in African-American girls with and without obesity. Obes Res. 1997;5:572-577. Lack of physical activity and low levels of physical fitness are thought to be contributing factors to the high prevalence of obesity in African-American girls. To examine this hypothesis, we compared habitual physical activity and physical fitness in 54 African-American girls with obesity and 96 African-American girls without obesity residing in rural South Carolina. Participation in vigorous ( a 6 METs) (VPA) or moderate and vigorous physical activity ( a 4 METs) (MVPA) was assessed on three consecutive days using the Previous Day Physical Activity Recall. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using the PWC 170 cycle ergometer test. Upper body strength was determined at two sites via isometric cable tensiometer tests. Relative to their counterparts without obesity, girls with obesity reported significantly fewer 30-minute blocks of VPA (0.90 * 0.14 vs. 1.3 0.14) and that were similar to, or greater than, those of girls without obesity; however, when scores were expressed relative to bodyweight, girls with obesity demonstrated significantly lower values (Pc0.05). The results support the hypothesis that lack of physical activity and low physical fitness are important contributing factors in the development and/or maintenance of obesity in AfricanAmerican girls.
Suicide is a major public health problem. Nationally, suicide is the third leading cause of death for adolescents. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to initiate and evaluate a gatekeeper suicide-prevention program within a local school system targeting faculty and staff without a medical or psychology background who interact regularly with middle- and high-school students. Following the implementation of this program, evaluation of increased knowledge related to adolescent suicide prevention was completed. All participants completed a pretest and posttest, and results indicate that the staff members' knowledge about identification of risk factors, behavioral responses to suicidal students, and knowledge of community resources were increased. This project highlights the need for planned and sustainable education and training for faculty and school staff who regularly interact with adolescents. Additionally, the importance of continued monitoring, training, and advocating for suicide prevention programming is noted.
The purpose of this study was to examine the main and interaction effects of race, gender, and education on health-promoting behaviors, problem solving appraisal, health value, and health definition. Using a convenience sample of 331 employees, a series of three-way ANOVAs were performed. Only gender exerted main effects on health-promoting behaviors, including exercise, relaxation, and health promotion. No interaction effects were presented. Neither main nor interaction effects were found for approaching problems and having confidence in solving problems. However, interaction effects indicated that better educated women and better educated black employees perceived less personal control when solving problems. Women valued health more than men, even though there were no gender, race or education differences in the sample's definition of health. Community health nurses and workplace wellness planners are challenged to design programs sensitive to gender differences regarding health behaviors and the valuing of health. Developing training programs to enhance personal control over problem situations is also indicated.
Following a curriculum revision, which emphasized critical thinking, a school of nursing selected the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) as a standardized outcomes measure for its bachelor's of science in nursing (BSN) program. Students in three tracks of the program were administered the CCTST on entry into the nursing curriculum and again on exit. Paired t tests for dependent samples were used to analyze pretest-posttest differences of all students (N = 136) in the program. Results for students in each of the three tracks demonstrated significantly improved (P < or = .05) CCTST scores on all subscales and total scores, with one exception. RN to BSN students' scores on the Analysis subscale approached but did not reach significance (P = .058). Implications for evaluation are discussed.
The findings contribute to executives' armamentarium to inform management practice for the design of evidenced based organizational systems and programs for nursing excellence.
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