Comparisons of New HIV Rapid Test Kit Performance.

The development of rapid point-of-care tests for HIV infection has greatly reduced the problem of failure to return for test results. Test manufacturers are now developing test kits that can test for two or even three diseases at the same time, multiple-disease test kits. This study reports on the sensitivity and specificity of HIV tests when included on multi-disease test kits. 1029 participants were recruited from 2011 to 2014. HIV test kit sensitivities ranged from 91.1 to 100%, and the HIV test kit specificities from 99.5 to 100%. The two HIV kits which used oral fluid instead of blood performed well.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Aggression, and Illicit Stimulant Use: Is This Self-Medication?

This study compares adults with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on measures of direct and displaced aggression and illicit drug use. Three hundred ninety-six adults were administered the Wender Utah Rating Scale, the Risk Behavior Assessment, the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), and the Displaced Aggression Questionnaire (DAQ). Those with ADHD were higher on all scales of the AQ and DAQ, were younger at first use of amphetamines, and were more likely to have ever used crack and amphetamines. A Structural Equation Model found a significant interaction in that for those with medium and high levels of verbal aggression, ADHD predicts crack and amphetamine. Follow-up logistic regression models suggest that blacks self-medicate with crack and whites and Hispanics self-medicate with amphetamine when they have ADHD and verbal aggression.

Using the Bem and Klein Grid Scores to Predict Health Services Usage by Men.

We examined the association between scores on the Bem Sex Roles Inventory (BSRI), Klein Sexual Orientation Grid, and utilization of hospital inpatient services, emergency departments, and outpatient clinic visits in the past 12 months among 53 men (mean age 39 years). The femininity subscale score on the BSRI, ever having had gonorrhea and age were the three variables identified in a multivariate linear regression significantly predicting use of total health services. This supports the hypothesis that sex roles can assist our understanding of men's use of health services.

The effect of creating a mental set on cognitive learning and affective behaviors of nursing students.

BACKGROUND. A mental set predisposes a person to view and approach a problem in a predetermined manner. Affective behaviors determine whether students value what they learn. PURPOSE. This study investigated the effect of mental set in the form of negative impressions and anxieties about a nursing course (pathophysiology) on cognitive learning and affective behaviors. RESULTS. Results showed that, irrespective of type of mental set, all students learned significantly. Students who entered the course with a negative set scored significantly lower in affective behaviors than students who entered with a positive or neutral mental set. Predispositions stayed stable; significant changes occurred within each group, but not enough to change a negative set into a positive set or vice versa. IMPLICATIONS. Implications for nursing education and creation of affective behaviors conducive for life-long learning are presented.

Partnership between an educational institution and a healthcare agency--lessons learned: part I.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to provide a model of a partnership program between a major educational institution and a large community medical center that has become a win-win situation for both, which enabled the former to double its undergraduate nursing (BSN) program when it was on the verge of reducing enrollments by 33% because of repeated financial cuts, and a healthcare agency (HCA) to find a creative way of hiring BSN-educated registered nurses in perpetuity, thus reducing their $2 million a month recruitment expenses. PROCESS: This was a 5-year, $15 million partnership between California State University, Long Beach, School of Nursing and Long Beach Memorial Medical Center/Miller Children's Hospital. The HCA contributed the $10 million in funds and in in-kind contributions in the form of facilities and adjunct clinical professors, and the university contributed the $5 million, all in in-kind contribution by doubling the lecture classes without additional cost. The project started in the spring of 2004. CONCLUSION: To date, eight groups have graduated from this program for a total of 288 additional BSN graduates. Retention rate has been a minimum of 95%. Over 95% of the graduates have been hired by the participating HCA. Indeed, it has been a win-win situation for both.

Administración de Enfermería: Teoría para la práctica con un enfoque de sistemas

[parte extraída del Prologo]. "Este libro fue escrito en una época de desafío sin igual para las enfermeras que se dedican a coordinar, dirigir y evaluar los servicios y la educación en la rama de la enfermería. Los extensos cambios sociales abarcan todos los segmentos de las profesiones de salud y de las organizaciones creadas para satisfacer las necesidades de salud. Las fuerzas exógenas del cambio, tales como, las exigencias de los consumidores, la explosión de los conocimientos científicos y los rápidos adelantos técnicos, aunados a los procesos que se dirigen a crear un medio humanista que fomente la superación de todos los miembros del personal de enfermería, exigen que las personas que ocupan puestos directivos utilicen un enfoque nuevo y diferente. El administrador no puede confiar en un "saco de trucos", sino que debe conocer bien todos los aspectos de su cargo. Este libro proporciona la base teórica para una prác- tica administrativa efectiva. En esta obra, las autoras identifican y analizan los principales elementos de la ad- ministración, empleando como tema cen- tral el enfoque de sistemas. Se han apoyado en algunas de las principales corrientes de pensamiento aceptadas y han utilizado los resultados de diversas investigaciones para fundamentar la forma de actuar que reco- miendan. Quizá lo más importante es que proporcionan alternativas viables para la forma de pensar y actuar tanto del admi- nistrador novato como del experimentado. La Sra. Arndt y la Dra Huckabay ofrecen a la profesión de enfermería un perfil único de los conocimientos básicos y de las habilidades y características personales que necesitan todas las enfermeras administradoras que desean crear y mantener un sistema de atención de enfermería para proporcionar a los pacientes una atención óptima e individualizada, y un sistema de educación de enfermería encaminado a pre- parar enfermeras practicantes creativas e independientes para el presente y para el futuro".