"Aging is beautiful and graceful:" Exploring college students' perceptions of aging, older adults, and future older selves.

Perception of one's own age and the aging process can influence healthy aging and encourage younger adults to be more proactive in taking care of themselves. There is a shortage of literature on college students' self-perceptions of aging and old age. This descriptive qualitative study explored how short-term aging research training and activities influenced college students' perceptions of aging, older adults, and their future older selves. Students were exposed to discussions about aging, the aging process, myths, a brief TED talk, and a video on positive age stereotypes in preparation for their encounter with older adults in a more extensive photovoice aging research project. Data for the study were collected using weekly guided reflections and drawing. Findings show that college students improved perceptions of aging and older adults after the short-term research training. We found cultural differences in self-perception of the onset of old age. Students perceived healthy aging in terms of biological, psychological, spiritual, and social dimensions of health. Students presented a hopeful, positive picture of their future older self as opposed to the negative stereotypic views they initially had of older adults. Reflections on one's own aging may be crucial in encouraging younger adults to be more proactive in taking care of themselves for a healthier life in later adulthood.

"Pandemic Fatigue! It's Been Going On since March 2020": A Photovoice Study of the Experiences of BIPOC Older Adults and Frontline Healthcare Workers during the Pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic intensified the stressful and already difficult circumstances of communities of color. Yet, there is no current photovoice research highlighting the lived experiences of these communities from two perspectives-the older adults (OAs) and the frontline healthcare workers (FLHWs). This qualitative study used photovoice to visually portray the struggles of Black, Indigenous, and persons of color (BIPOC) OAs (n = 7) and younger FLHWs (n = 5) who worked with older adults during the pandemic and how they coped and recovered from the challenges of the pandemic. The investigators conducted a three-day training of ten research assistants (RAs) who were paired with either an OA or an FLHW for the photovoice sessions conducted in four stages. Upon examination of the narratives, focus group transcriptions, and photo stories, it became clear that participants faced different challenges during the pandemic, such as the fear of COVID-19 exposure, struggles to adopt COVID-19 mitigation strategies, workplace challenges, and social isolation. Amid this crisis of suffering, isolation, and sadness, participants employed two major strategies to deal with the challenges of the pandemic: positive reappraisal and self-care practices. The findings have implications for clinical social workers, mental health counselors, faith communities, nurse managers and administrators, and policymakers.

Single-Crystal X-ray Diffraction Structure of the Stable Enol Tautomer Polymorph of Barbituric Acid at 224 and 95†K.

The thermodynamically stable enol crystal form of barbituric acid, previously prepared as powder by grinding or slurry methods, has been obtained as single crystals by slow cooling from methanol solution. The selection of the enol crystal was facilitated by a density-gradient method. The structure at 224 and 95 K confirms the enol inferred on the basis of powder data. The enol has bond lengths that are consistent with the expected bond order and with DFT calculations that include treatment of hydrogen bonding. In isolation, the enol is higher in energy than the tri-keto form by 50 kJ mol(-1) which must be more than compensated by enhanced hydrogen bonding. Both crystal forms have four normal H-bonds; the enol has two additional H-bonds with O-O distances of 2.49 Å. Conversion into the enol form occurs spontaneously in the solid state upon prolonged storage of the commercial tri-keto material. Slurry conversion of tri-one to enol in ethanol is reversed in direction in ethanol-D1.

Transitioning from military medics to registered nurses.

The nursing shortage in the USA is expected to reach 260,000 registered nurses (RNs) by 2025. The most profound shortages are expected in California and Florida, translating into 109,779 and 128,364 RN jobs, respectively. Despite a foreseen growth in nursing career opportunities nationwide, the supply of nurses will be insufficient to meet the corresponding demand. Capitalizing on prior education, experience, and skills of military clinical personnel to fill these jobs could significantly reduce the projected nursing shortage. Florida International University's Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences is circumventing barriers to recruit, retain, and graduate transitioning veteran medics and corpsmen as Bachelor of Science in Nursing prepared RNs who reintegrate into the civilian workforce. The Veteran Bachelor of Science in Nursing (VBSN) program is in the form of a cooperative agreement between Florida International University and the US Health Resources and Services Administration. The VBSN program's main objective is to build upon the unique leadership skills, clinical education, and training of military medics and corpsmen to ensure successful completion of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing curriculum. VBSN students, as veterans themselves, have unique knowledge and exposure to the specific health issues and needs of the veteran population overall. They are poised and best prepared to effectively care for the US population, particularly the current 22 million US veterans and 1.6 million Florida veterans. Additionally, the VBSN program will alleviate the challenges, such as the lack of recognition of military skills, unemployment, the substandard income, and homelessness that many former service members face after separation from the military.

US veterans and their unique issues: enhancing health care professional awareness.

United States veterans are a multifaceted population with a distinct culture that includes, but is not limited to, values, customs, ethos, selfless duty, codes of conduct, implicit patterns of communication, and obedience to command. Veterans experience mental health disorders, substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress, and traumatic brain injury at disproportionate rates compared to their civilian counterparts. Eighteen to 22 American veterans commit suicide daily and young veterans aged 18-44 are most at risk. Health care professionals must be aware of patients' military history and be able to recognize suicide-risk factors, regardless of age. Advancement in medical technology has allowed servicemen to survive their injuries but, for many, at the cost of a traumatic limb amputation and associated mental scarring. Health care professionals must be able to address physical safety concerns, as well as, emotional health of veterans. Approximately 49,933 American veterans are homeless and face the same difficulties as non-veterans in addition to service-related matters. Separation from military service and issues related to complex multiple deployments are among specifically identified veteran issues. Successful veteran reintegration into civilian life rests upon providing veterans with training that builds on their military knowledge and skill, employment post-separation from service, homelessness prevention, and mental health programs that promote civilian transition. Preparing health care providers to meet the complex needs of a vast veteran population can be facilitated by implementing veteran content into curricula that includes veteran patient simulations and case studies, and utilizes veteran clinical faculty.

Surgical site infection and prevention guidelines: a primer for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.

Each year 500,000 surgical site infections occur in the US. Surgical site infections are the second most common healthcare-associated infections resulting in readmissions, prolonged hospital stays, higher medical costs, and increased morbidity and mortality. Surgical site infections are preventable in most cases by following evidence-based guidelines for hand hygiene, administration of prophylactic antibiotics, and perioperative patient temperature management. As attention to issues of healthcare quality heightens, the demands for positive surgical patient outcomes are intensifying. The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist can provide transparent high-quality care by implementing evidence-based guidelines for timely and appropriate antibiotic use, maintenance of normothermia, and hand washing.