Living in a Limited World: Experience of Lipreaders When Society Is Masked.

The goal of the current interpretive phenomenological study grounded in Heidegger's philosophies was to explore the experience of lipreaders when society was masked during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Participants were prelingually deafened English-speaking adults who predominantly relied on lip-reading and speaking for communication. Twelve in-depth email interviews were conducted with respondents recruited via social media. Thematic techniques of Benner were employed, and six themes emerged: Limiting of World Resulting in Negative Emotions, Increased Prominence of Deafness, Balancing Safety and Communication Access, Creative Resourcefulness, Resilience and Personal Growth, and Passage of Time to Bittersweet Freedom. Insights from this study clarify the need for psychosocial support of lipreaders during times of restricted communication access and awareness of accommodations to facilitate inclusion. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 61(4), 18-26.].

Destigmatizing Mental Illness: An Innovative Evidence-Based Undergraduate Curriculum.

Stigma toward individuals with mental illness is prevalent, not only in society but also among nurses caring for this population. Such stigma contributes to health disparities, discrimination, and a lack of providers working with those who experience mental illness. An evidence-based anti-stigma curriculum innovation in a mental health nursing course in an undergraduate program is described. The curriculum change, undertaken over 2 years, included two elements: (a) contact-based education, and (b) reflective activities. For the contact-based education element, volunteers with varying mental illnesses modeling a recovery focus spoke with students and reinforced the content of that day's lecture. For the reflective element, students engaged in reflective activities regarding stigma, personal biases, and changed perceptions at three points: before, during, and after the contact-based education series. Implications related to nursing and nursing education are presented. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 56(5), 50-55.].

Role and Image of Nursing in Children's Literature: A Qualitative Media Analysis.

UNLABELLED: Nurses' role and image as portrayed in young children's literature were described and analyzed. DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 30 children's books (pre-kindergarten through grade two audience) written in English were chosen using progressive theoretical sampling. Included were books, both fiction and non-fiction and with varying years of publication, that mentioned nurses and/or were about general healthcare topics. The books were analyzed using the method of qualitative media analysis which is derived from the theoretical framework of symbolic interactionism. RESULTS: Nurses were generally portrayed positively but simply and inaccurately in this sample of children's literature. The seven themes discovered were labeled as nurse characters using traits evident in the sample: nurse unlikely, nurse minimal, nurse caring, nurse subordination, nurse skillful, nurse diversity, and nurse obvious. CONCLUSION: The image of nursing is socially and culturally constructed, and accurate portrayals of nurses and their roles are necessary in all media. Thus, better representation of nurses in children's books is needed as young children's literature is an important first exposure to the art and science of nursing. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Future children's books authored by nurses may more closely reflect accurate contemporary nursing practice and contribute to an improved image of the nursing profession.

Silent, slow lifeworld: the communication experience of nonvocal ventilated patients.

The author explored communication experience of nonvocal ventilated individuals in rehabilitation settings with an aim to understand the reality of being voiceless using interpersonal relations theory as the theoretical study framework. Nineteen participants of varied ages and with varied ventilator courses shared their experiences while they were still nonvocal. The author used an interpretive phenomenological approach and analyzed the data using thematic analysis. Participants described the meaning of their nonvocal experience as "Being trapped in a silent world makes me feel frustrated and incomplete," "Days pass in slow motion while the rest of the world speeds by," "Making and preserving connections is of paramount importance," and "The powerlessness of being nonvocal was ameliorated by developing coping strategies and by consistent and reliable nursing care." In the discussion, the author provides an expanded understanding of the complexities of living in a silent, slow world.

Inclusion of people with physical disabilities in nursing education.

This article proposes that qualified individuals with physical disabilities can and should be included in nursing education. When nursing is viewed as a humanistic profession, involving caring relationships grounded in nursing knowledge, it is clear that people with disabilities are capable of fulfilling the goals of the nursing profession. Reasonable accommodation and creative access are discussed as means to facilitate inclusion. Potential concerns of nurse educators are addressed, with emphasis on the erroneous assumption that people with disabilities will be unable to provide safe care. The many benefits of including people with physical disabilities into the nursing profession are highlighted, and the importance of nurse educators in facilitating this process is explored.

Nonvocal ventilated patients perceptions of being understood.

This metasynthesis presents an enlarged interpretation and understanding of nonvocal mechanically ventilated patients' experiences with communication. Peplau's interpersonal relations theory provided the theoretical framework for the metasynthesis. The final sample included 12 qualitative studies, for a total of 111 participants. The data, methods, and theoretical frameworks were critically interpreted. Common threads detected across study participants' individual experiences were synthesized to form a greater understanding of nonvocal ventilated patients' perceptions of being understood. Five overarching themes were divided into two groups. The first group of themes was categorized as the characteristics of nonvocal ventilated patients' communication experiences. Nonvocal individuals were often not understood, which resulted in loss of control and negative emotional responses. The second group of themes was categorized as the kind of nursing care desired by nonvocal patients in order to be understood. Nonvocal patients wanted nursing care that was delivered in an individualized, caring manner. This facilitated positive interpersonal relations between the patient and the nurse. Findings are discussed in relation to the current state of knowledge on this topic.