Preparing Nurse Practitioner Graduates for the Transition to Practice.

BACKGROUND: Educators ensure that nurse practitioner (NP) students meet core competencies prior to graduation. Post-graduation, students navigate certification, licensure, resume building, and job searches. A statewide virtual conference was developed to help students during the transition to advanced nursing practice. METHOD: Information was presented on professional role development, resume writing, interviewing, licensure, certification, contract negotiation, and transitioning to a provider role. RESULTS: Nearly all participants (92%) were able to describe the status of NP practice and licensure requirements. Most attendees (90%) valued the insight shared by panelists. Many students (88%) felt more prepared to negotiate a contract. CONCLUSION: Current educational programs lack the time to thoroughly address NP graduates' learning needs regarding transition to practice. A partnership between faculties and a state professional organization is an innovative approach to meet students' educational desires. Delivery of a virtual conference during the pandemic proved to be cost effective. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(X):XXX-XXX.].

From fallow ground to common ground: Perspectives on future land uses in the San Joaquin valley under sustainable groundwater management.

Agriculture dominates California's San Joaquin Valley with over five million acres of farmland produces 400 different commodities ranging from nuts, tree fruits, vines, and row crops. During dry years agricultural production in the San Joaquin Valley uses about 53% of total applied water in the state. Implementation of California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) will restrict groundwater pumping, likely reducing irrigated agricultural land use resulting in conversion to alternative land uses. To promote collaborative and inclusive efforts to repurpose agricultural land, California's legislature established a funding program administered by the Department of Conservation, the Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP), in 2021. To ensure that land repurposing plans under the MLRP and SGMA represent San Joaquin Valley community needs this paper examines public perceptions of future land uses under SGMA through a phone survey. Respondents (n = 197) were recruited through a stratified random sample of mobile numbers registered within communities in the San Joaquin Valley classified as disadvantaged communities (DACs) (n = 32). Our results show that most respondents were somewhat (33%) or not at all (54%) familiar with SGMA, highlighting the need for outreach efforts to overcome barriers to representation, translation, and education about future water and land use decisions. Survey respondents identified secure water supplies (e.g., groundwater recharge) (35%) and less-water intensive agriculture (27%) as their top land use priorities to address groundwater overdraft under SGMA, indicating that the status quo for land use is preferred to alternative land uses. Preference for maintaining agriculture as primary land use (27%), we correlated with agricultural identity and lack of interest in community or global benefits such as schools and climate change mitigation. The findings from this study underscore the local variability in land use values and the importance to engaging local communities in land use decision-making, especially as they relate to changing current practices toward a more climate-resilient but agriculturally productive future with less land and less water.

Love the Food That Loves You Back: A Planetary Health and Women's Heart Health Partnership.

Planetary health and human health are inextricably linked in a complex relationship. Gender-based health vulnerabilities fall disproportionately on women regardless of a country's economy and resources. Women and girls are often the most affected by environmental degradation in food and water systems, along with gender-specific disparities. Addressing food production and nutrition can play a key role in the nursing profession's advocacy for planetary health and heart disease prevention in addressing gender-specific disparities. This article reviews research on the intersection of planetary health, heart health, nutrition strategies, and gender-specific disparities, utilizing the planetary health perspective that views human health and the Earth's health as deeply connected. Data supports nutritional solutions including a plant-based diet to improve environmental health, increase food security and planetary health, and decrease heart disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. Nurses play a critical role in assessing patients' food security and educating about the benefits of healthy and sustainable foods as well as how food choices can impact planetary health. Gender-sensitive research, including collection, analysis, and reporting of sex-disaggregated data, is needed to better understand the implications of planetary health threats, solutions, and policies.