Transitions of Care Considerations for Nephrology Patients.

The need for a workforce able to address the health care needs of older adults has been well established. Individuals with kidney disease experience an extensive number of transitions of care across health care settings related to the kidney disease process and the number of health care providers involved in their care. Kidney disease is multifactorial, and the prevention of progression of disease and poor outcomes are key to improving the health of individuals with kidney disease. Nurses and nurse practitioners can improve the outcomes for individuals with complex comorbid conditions and kidney disease especially during the transitions of care.

Rural and Indigenous Vulnerable Populations: A Case Study.

This is an actual case study of a young Native American man. The names have changed but the challenges remain the same. The intersectionality between the Native population, a rural community, and poverty intersects to create a compelling look at the challenges people face in these communities. Implications for Nursing in relation to practice, education, and policy are addressed.

The danger of underdiagnosing coronary microvascular disease in women.

ABSTRACT: Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. Part of the difficulty with diagnosing heart disease in women is related to a disease process called coronary microvascular disease (CMVD; previously called syndrome X). Also known as nonobstructive coronary artery disease, CMVD is challenging to identify because often there is a lack of convincing evidence of an acute problem during evaluation. In these patients, the epicardial coronary arteries do not have visible blockages, and stress tests often are interpreted as normal or false positive. Therefore, symptomatic patients often are left undiagnosed, frustrated, and at risk of adverse cardiac events. Frequently, the only method of diagnosis is treatment of the symptoms. This information is provided to help advanced practice nurses and other clinicians diagnose and treat CMVD.

Mentoring and Support for Underrepresented Nursing Faculty: An Integrative Research Review.

BACKGROUND: Nursing faculty members may need several mentors to succeed in scholarly productivity, career development, work-life balance, and socialization in the academy. Underrepresented (UR) faculty report additional challenges to success. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to search the literature for best practices in mentoring UR faculty. METHODS: An integrative review was conducted to identify best and evidence-based practices for mentoring UR faculty, including gender, sexual minority, race, ethnicity, and geographic remoteness (rural). Fifteen articles were rated on evidence and methodological quality. RESULTS: Successful mentorship programs include honest communication, including all stakeholders in forming a mentoring program, goals and activities that come from the mentees, and guaranteed resources. CONCLUSIONS: Underrepresented nursing faculty may benefit from formal mentoring programs, but more research is needed.

Telehealth Competencies for Nursing Education and Practice: The Four P's of Telehealth.

BACKGROUND: Telehealth is a rapidly growing health care delivery modality with advanced practice nurses as key providers. This growth has occurred without critical consideration of provider training. Training requires the development of competencies situated within a framework. PROBLEM: Standardized telehealth competencies for advanced practice nursing are missing. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of telehealth competencies for education and practice. APPROACH: Using the Four P's of Telehealth framework (planning, preparing, providing, and performance evaluation), a modified Delphi technique was used to identify, develop, and evaluate telehealth competencies. OUTCOMES: Competencies were arranged around telehealth domains, expected activities, and outcomes. Effective use of the competencies to guide curriculum development, practice, and future research related to telehealth was identified. CONCLUSIONS: Providing education with competencies aligned to the Four P's Telehealth framework will provide learners with tools to assume leadership roles in all phases of telehealth implementation, delivery, and refinement.