The more exposure that students have to mental health nursing through clinical experiences, theory classes, and previous work in the field, the more prepared they feel about caring for persons with mental health issues.
Youth learned about new vegetables, increased kitchen skills and proper food storage, and the effects of obesity on overall health. Similar interventions must address infrastructure costs, cooperation with property owners, and local policies and regulations affecting business practices.
BACKGROUND
Anemia is an early indicator of many diseases, yet blood donors with low hematocrit (Hct) often receive inadequate information about its medical importance. We sought to understand the types of information that are and should be provided to these donors.
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS
Two companion studies were performed. The first investigated blood center practices for care of donors with low Hct including deferral length, information provided, and cutoff values used when referring donors for medical attention. The second was a randomized prospective pilot study comparing behavior of deferred donors receiving an “older” pamphlet providing a list of iron-rich foods or a “newer” pamphlet providing descriptions of common causes of anemia and advice for seeking medical attention.
RESULTS
More than 70% of centers defer donors for 1 day. Only 6% defer donors for more than 2 weeks. Most centers provide written and/or verbal information about low Hct. Only 35% have a cutoff value defining significant anemia that requires additional medical attention. In the study of donors with low Hct, significant disease was identified within 3 months after deferral in 2 of 104 subjects: metastatic lung cancer and acute lymphocytic leukemia. Only donors receiving the newer pamphlet reported that it “definitely improved” their ability to speak with their doctor about anemia.
CONCLUSIONS
The diagnosis of anemia in blood donors may be an indicator of significant undiagnosed disease. There are wide variations in how centers care for and educate donors with anemia. Donors with anemia should be provided improved and consistent educational information.
Community-based participatory research is a noted approach for improving community health and reducing health disparities. Community partnerships can serve as a catalyst for change in public health efforts. This article will apply empowerment theory and sustainability principles to an existing faith-based partnership. BRANCH Out is a partnership among 13 African American churches, the City of Milwaukee Health Department-Community Nutrition, and the Medical College of Wisconsin. The partnership goal was to change inaccurate perceptions, knowledge and negative attitudes, and behaviors about chronic disease and promote healthy youth leadership. Faith-based empowerment can occur at the individual, organizational, and community level. BRANCH Out demonstrates how partnerships can be sustained in multiple ways. The partnership also highlights the unique contributions of churches to community health outcomes.
Volunteer donors are extremely dedicated and interested in increasing their understanding of anemia and the ability to continue donation. Community members' feedback on educational material is a valuable resource to improve the literacy level of information.
Medical students and residents gain the opportunity to interact with community members about the health issues that concern them. They also benefit from seeing community members in their real life context and learning about their health-related experiences. The housing tenants help shape how future patients will be understood and treated by the physicians who participated in the service-learning program. The purpose of this article is to: (1) provide an overview of service-learning and the Chat and Chew program, including reflection components; and (2) discuss how this program has become an integral part of the family medicine residency curriculum.
Despite increasing needs resulting from emerging societal and health care issues, the number of trained community/public health (C/PH) nurses in the United States is facing a precipitous decline. Numerous factors contribute to this shortage including an aging workforce, a poorly funded public health system, inconsistencies in C/PH nursing educational approaches and opportunities, and a shortage of sites for clinical training. Determined to address the C/PH nursing shortage in their region, a consortium of public health professionals, university deans and faculty, and state nursing leaders in southeastern Wisconsin came together to address these issues from three perspectives: (a) curricular analysis and redesign, (b) expansion of clinical placement opportunities, and (c) paid community/public health nursing internships for seniors in baccalaureate nursing programs. This article outlines briefly the activities undertaken related to curricular review and clinical placements, and then describes in detail the approach, challenges and results of the senior internship program. Together, these programs produced long-lasting results including an unprecedented level of collaboration between academic institutions and public health nursing professionals, the expansion of both traditional and nontraditional clinical sites in the region, and a transformative learning experience for seventeen senior nursing students from five participating universities.
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