Impact of a Virtual Patient Simulation on Nursing Students' Attitudes of Transgender Care.

BACKGROUND: Transgender individuals experience considerable prejudice and bias, creating barriers to health care. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a virtual patient simulation scenario of caring for a transgender adult on nursing students' attitudes and beliefs about transgender people. METHODS: A validated 29-item instrument developed to assess an individual's view of transgender identity was administered in a pre-/posttest nonequivalent-groups design to junior- and senior-level nursing students. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found between the control and treatment groups for the subscale human value. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support experiential learning in nursing as an effective tool in teaching cultural competence and sensitivity when caring for transgender patients. Attitudes and beliefs of senior nursing students and junior nursing students toward transgender individuals differed, with senior students being more receptive.

Development of Telemedicine Simulations Addressing Social Determinants of Health.

BACKGROUND: Five telemedicine simulations were created during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to elucidate implicit biases and enhance awareness of social determinants of health among nursing students. Social determinants affect overall health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. Implicit biases are related to patient-provider interactions, treatment decisions and adherence, and ultimately patient health outcomes. PURPOSE: This article explains the simulation development and content, describes the student learning outcomes, and presents faculty insights that highlight the necessity of simulation experiences in nursing education. METHOD: Five telemedicine simulations that presented different social determinants of health and implicit biases were created for undergraduate nursing students. RESULTS: Nursing students increased knowledge related to social determinants and their own implicit biases. CONCLUSION: Telemedicine simulations were effective in assisting nursing students recognize their own implicit biases and the economic challenges of individuals living in poverty, as well as the potential influence of social determinants of health. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(1):58-61.].

Service learning: Nursing students' civic engagement with diverse populations of children with special needs.

PURPOSE: There is limited knowledge of nursing students' perspectives about engagement with special needs populations. The purpose of this study was to identify the advantages/benefits and disadvantages/challenges of nursing students' engagement experience with children with special mental and physical disabilities. Recommendations to enhance student engagement experiences were also provided. METHODS: A descriptive, qualitative design was employed. Undergraduate nursing students (N = 28) responded to open-ended questions about their civic engagement experiences at a community-based, respite care program for children with special needs. Student accounts underwent directed content analysis, with coding, category and theme development according to the Theory of Planned Behavior. The Atlas.Ti computer program was used to manage the data. RESULTS: Advantages/Benefits: Filling cognitive and experiential learning gaps, rewarding connections/relationships, positive emotions, perceptions and interactions, and fun and stress relief. Disadvantage/challenges: Managing negative/uncomfortable emotions and uncertainty, witnessing and managing disruptive behaviors, negative perceptions of program operations/expectations. CONCLUSIONS: Students experienced cognitive, emotional, interpersonal and educational advantages and/or disadvantages while engaging with this defined population. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: To enhance engagement faculty can provide education and anticipatory guidance, detail responsibilities and expectations, and/or utilize simulation for student preparation. Nurses and researchers can utilize community based participatory methods to guide discussions with community-based organizations to collaboratively develop strategies to institute, evaluate and enhance student engagement during service learning experiences with children who have special needs.

Mental Health Assessment of the Frequent Visitor-Part 2: Assessment and Interventions.

This article is the second part of a two-part series on mental health in school-age children. The focus of this article is on mental health assessment in the school setting, including the use of screening tools, with a review of common medications prescribed for youth with anxiety and depression. Students with mental health conditions frequently seek refuge in the school health office, many times for psychosomatic complaints such as stomach ache, headache, nausea, and fatigue. School nurses need to be adept to assess mental health and intervene as necessary.

Mental Health Assessment of the Frequent Visitors in the School Setting-Part 1: An Overview.

School nurses manage children with mental health problems on a routine basis. However, many school nurses report having had limited to no training in assessment, recognizing signs and symptoms, or therapeutic interventions for mental health problems in children in their educational programs. This article is Part 1 of a two-part series. Part 1 will provide a background of common mental health conditions, common symptoms, underlying complaints, along with helpful resources for multiple audiences. Part 2 will continue with a focus on mental health assessment in the school setting, including the use of screening tools with a review of the most common medications prescribed for youth with anxiety and depression.

Asthma Assessment in the School Health Office: Can They Stay or Should They Go?

The Assessment Refresher for School Nurses series will review the health assessment and interventions of common complaints of children in the school health setting, making it easier for school nurses to determine whether children should stay in school or be sent home. Initial topics to be covered include asthma and allergies, immunizations, bullying/depression, and diabetes.

The Smart Nutrition and Conditioning for Kids (SNACK) Program: An Approach to Increasing Nutrition Knowledge of Second-Grade Students.

BACKGROUND: The Smart Nutrition and Conditioning for Kids (SNACK) program was developed in response to the 2010 Childhood Obesity Study () recognizing a 49% childhood obesity rate in Trenton New Jersey. Lifestyle influences contributing to childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes mellitus include poor food choices, inadequate access to healthy foods, decrease in physical activity, and insufficient access to safe play environments. METHODS: Second-grade students were selected by teachers to be in the SNACK intervention group or a control group based on their classroom assignment. The SNACK program integrated nutrition lessons to students in an urban and urban rim elementary school during regularly scheduled physical education class. Nutrition lesson plans were developed to educate the children on healthy eating in a fun, interactive manner. The SNACK intervention was performed twice a week for 8 weeks. Pre- and poststudy CATCH (CATCH [Coordinated Approach to Child Health] Global Foundation, 2017) Nutritional Knowledge surveys were completed by all of the participating children. RESULTS: Students who were offered the nutrition-based lessons (SNACK intervention group) performed better on their Healthy Choices survey (p < 0.05), but not the Nutritional Knowledge survey (p = 0.87), when compared with control group students. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that the SNACK program was a partial success and is one example of an interdisciplinary approach to early intervention that can teach young children how to choose healthy foods.

LGBTQ Part 2.

In addition to dealing with the normal challenges of being a teenager, many times LGBTQ youth have to deal with harassment, intimidation, and bullying on a daily basis as they disproportionately experience verbal and physical harassment while in school as a result of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. This violence adversely affects these students' health and well-being as reflected in the depression and suicide rate among LGBTQ youth. As Part 2 of a series in articles on caring for LGBTQ youth in a school setting, this article reviews specific health risks in this group of students. School nurses can help reduce disparities in health for LGBTQ youth by understanding risk for psychological consequences of bullying and advocating for a just and responsive social school culture. Implications for school nurses include educating school staff and families as well as providing prompt and appropriate referrals for necessary psychological care.

LGBTQ Youth Part 1.

In order to provide holistic care, school nurses must be culturally competent by being sensitive to health disparities experienced by students in at-risk populations. Despite the growing acceptance toward gender and sexual minorities, LGBTQ youth remain an at-risk population in our communities and our schools. School nurses as well as school counselors, social workers, and psychologists can increase their cultural competence in caring for this group of students by increasing their understanding of appropriate terminology and risks associated with this vulnerable group. This article is Part 1 of a two-article series designed to increase school nurses' abilities to advocate and care for LGBTQ youth in school settings. This first article provides information regarding proper terminology and current percentages of youth who identify as LGBTQ and concludes with implications for school nurses, including resources for nurses, school staff, and families.

Rashes in School: Can They Stay, or Should They Go?

School-aged children frequently present to the school nurse office due to a rash. School nurses need to be familiar with common childhood rashes and evidence-based treatment recommendations. Most importantly, school nurses must possess knowledge of whether rashes are contagious and whether the child should remain in school or at home until resolution of the rash. It is essential that school nurses are aware of interventions to reduce the risk of spreading a contagious skin infection throughout their school.

Health Care in the Community: Developing Academic/Practice Partnerships for Care Coordination and Managing Transitions.

The delivery of health care is quickly changing from an acute care to a community-based setting. Faculty development and mastery in the use of new technologies, such as high-definition simulation and virtual communities are crucial for effective student learning outcomes. Students' benefits include opportunities for hands-on experience in various patient care scenarios, realtime faculty feedback regarding their critical reasoning and clinical performance, interdisciplinary collaboration, and access to a nonthreatening learning environment. The results of this study provide some evidence of the benefits of developing faculty and nursing curricula that addresses the shift from an ilness-based, acute hospital model, to a community and population health-based preventive model.

Relation between coronary artery calcium and incident chest pain in a community-dwelling screening population.

Incident chest pain occurred in 30.3% of 1,743 asymptomatic healthy men and women who were followed for up to 4 years. Proportions of patients who had coronary artery calcium were similar among those who had no chest pain, noncardiac pain, atypical pain, or cardiac chest pain. Incident chest pain is common and should be examined according to a patient's pretest probability of developing coronary artery disease, without excessive influence of the presence of coronary artery calcium.