Community, Public, and Population Health Content in Nursing Curricula: National Survey Results.

BACKGROUND: Policy, societal, and system changes are prompting nursing programs to expand population health content in curricula. This study examined the current state of community, public, and population health (CPPH) education in nursing curricula throughout the United States. METHOD: This descriptive study examined CPPH education in nursing programs nationally. A survey was developed and distributed to nursing programs from January to May 2021. RESULTS: CPPH content integration occurred across all program levels, and the majority of the participants were involved in the development of CPPH-specific curriculum. Programs experienced reductions in CPPH curriculum due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), lack of experienced faculty, budget constraints, and an emphasis on acute care. CONCLUSION: The continuation of CPPH education in current nursing curricula is critical. National and academic nursing organizations must continue to monitor CPPH content in nursing curricula to assure a competent CPPH nursing workforce. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(5):282-291.].

Peripheral Intravenous Education in North American Nursing Schools: A Call to Action.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral intravenous (PIV) management requires knowledge, skill, and clinical judgment to ensure positive patient outcomes; yet, many nurses lack confidence in their PIV knowledge and skills. It is important that graduate nurses acquire PIV knowledge and skills in nursing school. This study aimed to explore PIV content coverage and clinical opportunities provided in U.S. and Canadian nursing curricula. METHOD: Using a descriptive, exploratory design, representatives of nursing schools completed a 12-item, web-based PIV curriculum survey. RESULTS: Most schools covered PIV content in classroom, laboratory, and clinical settings; however, some indicated students were not allowed to initiate PIVs in clinical settings. Participants noted that PIV education was a shared responsibility with health systems. CONCLUSION: It is important that nursing students develop PIV competence; however, competing pressures for time in nursing curricula may limit PIV coverage. Nurse educators can benefit from PIV and infusion therapy specialty organization resources. [J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(9):493-500.].

The Impact of Mindfulness Strategies for Nurses in a Residency Program.

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the impact of mindfulness education of new graduate nurse residents' awareness and use of mindfulness strategies. This pre-post education design study was approved by the university institutional review board. Mindfulness has been shown to improve focus on patient care and reduce job stress and nurse turnover. Improved awareness and use of mindfulness strategies have the potential to improve patient outcomes and reduce the cost of nurse turnover.

Drug diversion detection.

Software offers real-time data for prompt identification and assistance.

The Impact of Education on Certified Nursing Assistants' Identification of Strategies to Manage Behaviors Associated With Dementia.

The nursing care of hospitalized patients with dementia is planned and supervised by registered nurses. This care is delivered using a team approach, including certified nursing assistants, who may lack the knowledge and skills to properly provide care and manage the challenging behaviors associated with dementia. This article describes an innovative, multimodal education program designed to help certified nursing assistants acquire this knowledge and skill. Use of post-then-pre evaluation showed the positive results of this program.

Credentialing Public Health Nurses: Current Issues and Next Steps Forward.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this descriptive, cross-sectional study was to identify Public Health Nurses' (PHN) perceived motivators and barriers to seeking PHN board certification. DESIGN AND SAMPLE: In collaboration with the Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations, PHNs from across the United States were invited to complete the PHN Certification Survey, a 14-item online questionnaire. MEASURES: A total of 912 surveys were completed. RESULTS: PHNs were motivated to seek PHN board certification by three overarching categories: professional competence, personal satisfaction, and financial incentives. Frequently cited barriers to certification were lack of knowledge of certification opportunities, being unaware of eligibility criteria, cost, perceived lack of value/reward by employer, and preparation time. CONCLUSIONS: Demonstrating a highly educated, competent, and reliable PHN workforce can only be achieved through ongoing professional development and credentialing. PH stakeholders (i.e., PHN organizations, employers, PHNs, etc.) need a strategic approach to address the main barriers to certification identified in this study (a) awareness of certification and eligibility criteria, and (b) recognition of the credential by employers. In addition, research on the relationship between PHN credentialing and population health outcomes is essential.

Emotional intelligence (EI) and nursing leadership styles among nurse managers.

Less than 12.5% of nurses aspire to leadership roles, noting lack of support and stress as major factors in their decision not to pursue this area of practice. Psychological resiliency, described as the ability to properly adapt to stress and adversity, is key to successful nurse managers. Emotional intelligence (EI) is a related concept to resiliency and is another noteworthy predictor of leadership and management success. This study was undertaken to determine the level of and relationship between EI and leadership style of nurse managers employed in Wisconsin and Illinois facilities. A descriptive, exploratory study design was utilized, with a convenience sample of nurse managers working in 6 large Midwestern health systems. Nurse managers were invited to participate in the study by their employer, completing the online consent form and the demographic, Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) Form 5X and the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i 2.0) surveys. Statistically significant positive relationships were noted between EI and transformational leadership and the outcomes of leadership (extra effort, effectiveness, and satisfaction). No statistically significant relationships were noted between EI and transactional or laissez-faire leadership styles.

Watson's theory of transpersonal caring: factors impacting nurses professional caring.

This study's purpose was to identify factors impacting nurses' perceived professional caring. The sample of 242 nurses completed a researcher-developed survey based on Watson's theory of transpersonal caring. Results showed that experienced, hospital-based nurses and those demonstrating greater familiarity with Watson's theory had higher caring scores. Implications for education, practice, and research are suggested.

Political participation of registered nurses.

Level of political participation and factors contributing to participation were measured among Midwest RNs (n = 468) via an online survey (Cronbach's α = .95). Respondents reported engaging in primarily "low cost" activities (e.g., voting, discussing politics, and contacting elected officials), with fewer reporting speaking at public gatherings, participating in demonstrations, and membership in nursing organizations. Psychological engagement was most predictive (p < .001) of political participation with the dimensions of political interest, political efficacy, and political information/knowledge highly significant (p < .001). Resources (time/money/civic skills) significantly contributed to political participation (p < .001). Less than half (40%) felt they could impact local decisions, and fewer (32%) felt they could impact state or national government decisions. Most respondents (80%) indicated their nursing courses lacked political content and did not prepare them for political participation. Findings showed that nurse educators and leaders of professional nursing organizations need to model and cultivate greater psychological engagement among students and nurses.

A case study of a distance-based public health nursing/community health nursing practicum.

Facilitating a distance-based public health/community health nursing practicum for RN to BSN students posed challenges and opportunities. Challenges included time involved in arranging the practicum, relationship building with agencies and staff, communicating with students, and the need for flexible practicum scheduling. Exposure to practice models from across the nation allowed students to compare and contrast these public health nursing models. Programs planning to offer this type of course should consider faculty workload particularly during the semester prior to teaching the practicum.