Strategic innovation between PhD and DNP programs: Collaboration, collegiality, and shared resources.

BACKGROUND: At least 111 schools and colleges of nursing across the nation provide both PhD and DNP programs (AACN, 2014a). Collaboration between nurses with doctoral preparation as researchers (PhD) and practitioners (DNP) has been recommended as essential to further the profession; that collaboration can begin during the educational process. PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and implementation of successful DNP and PhD program collaboration, and to share the results of that collaboration in an educational setting. METHODS: Faculty set strategic goals to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of both new DNP and existing PhD programs. The goals were to promote collaboration and complementarity between the programs through careful capstone and dissertation differentiation, complementary residency activities, joint courses and inter-professional experiences; promote collegiality in a blended on-line learning environment through shared orientation and intensive on-campus sessions; and maximize resources in program delivery through a supportive organizational structure, equal access to technology support, and shared faculty responsibilities as appropriate to terminal degrees. DISCUSSION: Successes such as student and faculty accomplishments, and challenges such as managing class size and workload, are described. CONCLUSIONS: Collaboration, collegiality and the sharing of resources have strengthened and enriched both programs and contributed to the success of students, faculty. These innovative program strategies can provide a solid foundation for DNP and PhD collaboration.

Genetic susceptibility testing for beryllium: worker knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes.

BACKGROUND: We sought to gain insight into workers' knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes on the subject of testing for genetic susceptibility to beryllium. METHODS: Five focus groups were held with 30 current and former beryllium workers and nine family members. Audio recordings were transcribed and assessed by hierarchical coding using an inductive approach. RESULTS: Some workers were unclear about the distinction between genotoxicity and heritability. A key finding is that they perceived the benefits of a positive test result to be related to enhanced autonomous decision-making. The major concern cited by participants was potential abuse of genetic information by employers. Complete financial separation of a prospective testing entity from the employer was seen as crucial. CONCLUSIONS: A window of opportunity exists to create regional partnerships for translational research on genetic susceptibility testing. Such partnerships would involve labor, management, public health scientists, primary care professionals, and other stakeholders. They would be critical to identifying testing strategies that maximize worker autonomy along with the public health advantages of genetic testing.

Rural primary care providers' perceptions of their role in the breast cancer care continuum.

CONTEXT: Rural women in the United States experience disparity in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment when compared to their urban counterparts. Given the 11% chance of lifetime occurrence of breast cancer for women overall, the continuum of breast cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery are of legitimate concern to rural women and their primary care providers. PURPOSE: This analysis describes rural primary care providers' perceptions of the full spectrum of breast cancer screening, treatment, and follow-up care for women patients, and it describes the providers' desired role in the cancer care continuum. METHOD: Focus group interviews were conducted with primary care providers in 3 federally qualified community health centers serving a lower income, rural population. Focus group participants (N = 26) consisted of 11 physicians, 14 nurse practitioners, and 1 licensed clinical psychologist. Data were generated from audiotaped interviews transcribed verbatim and investigator field notes. Data were analyzed using constant comparison and findings were reviewed with a group of rural health professionals to judge the fit of findings with the emerging coding scheme. FINDINGS: Provider relationships were characterized as being with women with cancer and comprised an active behind-the-scenes role in supporting their patients through treatment decisions and processes. Three themes emerged from the interview data: Knowing the Patient; Walking Through Treatment With the Patient; and Sending Them Off or Losing the Patient to the System. CONCLUSIONS: These findings should be a part of professional education for rural practitioners, and mechanisms to support this role should be implemented in practice settings.

Home alone: the experience of women with type 2 diabetes who are new to intensive control.

Using an inductive interpretive approach we examined the early experiences of women learning intensive self-management of type 2 diabetes. The women expressed feelings of being very much "home alone" during their initial self-management experience, in spite of having requisite knowledge and skills from completing a state-of-the-art multidisciplinary diabetes educational program. Invariably, engagement in the self-management process resulted in strong emotional responses, self-blame, and negative characterizations of self. Conditions associated with ways of being engaged in intensive self-management are described and provide practitioners with needed personal and contextual information to inform clinical care.