Concurrent validity of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition as an intelligence and achievement screener for low SES African American children.

Authors tested the validity of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition (PPVT-III) as a screening measure for intelligence and achievement. The PPVT-III and Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC) were administered to 416 African American children of low socioeconomic status in a counterbalanced design. Results indicated that the PPVT-III correlated .58 with the KABC Mental Processing Composite (MPC) score; however, participants scored significantly lower (M = 8.3 points) on the PPVT-III than on the MPC. Although receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses supported the use of the PPVT-III as a valid intellectual and achievement screener, the selection of a single cutoff score for the PPVT-III was problematic. The purpose of the screening program should guide selection of a cutoff score for the PPVT-III.

Professional nurse's portfolio.

In today's continuing effort to find an organized, useful approach to demonstrate the professional nurse's competency, the professional nurse's portfolio is being seriously discussed. The various components of a professional portfolio and the concept of reflective practice are presented.

Nurses' retention of pain management knowledge.

Despite efforts to improve nurses' pain management knowledge, a lack of understanding about basic pain management concepts remains. This article presents results of a pilot study about the effectiveness of a pain management education program. Nurses' mean scores on pain management concepts tests increased from 56% to 76%. The scores are still low, and nurses need further education and reinforcement about basic pain management concepts.

Using clinical models to frame outcomes evaluation: the Arizona Nurses' Association Nursing Report Card Project.

The American Nurses Association (ANA) inaugurated Nursing's Safety and Quality Initiative in 1994. This multiphased initiative provides a framework for the application of the Nursing Care Report Card for Acute Care that aims to evaluate the nature and strength of the linkages between nursing care and nursing-sensitive quality indicators in the acute care setting. Arizona is one of six states participating in this investigation. This article describes the development of the Arizona Nurses' Association (AzNA) Nursing Report Card Project and associated model.

Children's attitudes and behavioral intentions toward a peer presented as obese: does a medical explanation for the obesity make a difference?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of information on children's attitudes and behavioral intentions toward a peer presented as obese. METHODS: Children (N = 184) were randomly assigned to observe a video of a boy or girl in one of three conditions: average-weight, obese, obese with medical information explaining the obesity. They rated stereotypical attitudes on the Adjective Checklist and behavioral intentions on the Shared Activities Questionnaire (SAQ-B). RESULTS: Ratings were generally more favorable for the average-weight than for the obese condition. However, provision of medical information had a positive effect on attitudes toward the obese peer only for younger children and a negative effect on willingness of older children to share academic activities with the peer. Boys and girls showed more positive behavioral intentions toward the same-sex target child regardless of obesity condition. CONCLUSIONS: Information explaining obesity has a minimal positive effect on children's attitudes and behavioral intentions toward a peer presented as obese.

Informed consent: an ethical dilemma.

Health care today involves complex decisions. How these decisions are made and by whom are the concerns of consumers, healthcare providers, ethicists, third-party payers, and the legal community. The authors explore the question of whether hospitalized clients participate in informed decision making and they use a case study to demonstrate application of Curtin's model for ethical decision making.

Pulmonary rehabilitation, psychosocial adjustment, and use of healthcare services.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the second most significant illness in those who are in their middle-to-late adult years. Pulmonary rehabilitation is one means of working with individuals with COPD to improve their quality of life. Nurses are often the facilitators and coordinators of pulmonary rehabilitation. Evaluation of the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation is an essential aspect of providing quality care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of pulmonary rehabilitation to individuals' use of healthcare services and to their psychosocial adjustment to COPD. A convenience sample was obtained from an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program associated with a rural regional medical center in the southwestern United States. The sample consisted of 13 individuals who had no formal pulmonary rehabilitation and 17 individuals who had completed a formal pulmonary rehabilitation program. Psychosocial adjustment was measured by the Psychosocial Adjustment to Medical Illness Scale-Self Reporting (PAIS-SR). No significant statistical difference was found between the two groups in their PAIS-SR scores or use of healthcare services, as measured by the number of days spent in the hospital during the previous year.

Perceptions of effective clinical teachers in associate degree programs.

This study examined students' and faculty's perceptions of important characteristics of associate degree clinical teachers. Differences in perceptions were compared. Perceptions were measured using the Nursing Clinical Teacher Effectiveness Inventory. Associate degree nursing students (N = 199) and faculty (N = 22) from two southwestern community colleges participated in the study. All 48 items were rated highly by both students and faculty, ranging from 3.86 for "Directs students to useful literature in nursing" to 4.85 for "Corrects students' mistakes without belittling them." Students' and faculty's perceptions of important characteristics of effective clinical teachers by subsets were not significantly different. Since few studies on students' and faculty's perceptions have been done at the associate degree level, the results were comparable except for the item "good role modeling," which was not rated as highly in this study as in previous studies of baccalaureate students.

Organ donation and the rural critical care nurse.

BACKGROUND: Less than 20% of people who meet the criteria for organ donors are estimated to donate organs. OBJECTIVE: To examine the knowledge and attitudes of rural critical care nurses regarding organ donation. METHODS: Forty-six critical care nurses from a southwestern medical center provided data for this study. Self-reported knowledge and attitudes were measured using the Organ Donor Attitude Questionnaire and compared with respondents' demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Knowledge scores were found to be average (74% correct). Attitude scores reflected a strongly positive attitude toward organ donation. Increased knowledge of organ donation was not found to be related to a positive attitude. However, both attitude and knowledge were found to be positively correlated with previous experience in caring for either organ donors or recipients. Results were compared with data collected in an urban setting and found to be similar. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study indicate that exposure to patients affected by organ procurement increased knowledge and improved attitudes of the nurses who provided care. Increased knowledge and positive attitude are important when providing support to families and caring for potential donors. These factors could increase the supply of donors for transplants, which is a goal of the organ procurement process.

How about a lollipop? A peer recognition program.

A staff recognition program produces a chain reaction. Receiving the award increases self-esteem and social gratification. Giving the award fosters autonomy and leadership qualities. Through staff participation and recognition, morale and job satisfaction increase, which in turn raises the quality of patient care.

Should children be used as research subjects?

The authors explore the question of whether children should be used as research subjects. The position that children should be used as subjects in research can be justified as long as the dissent of children from and the assent of children to research is safeguarded is presented.

Positive thinking reduces heart rate and fear responses to speech-phobic imagery.

30 speech-anxious subjects imagined a phobic speech scene 10 times. The experimental conditions varied according to whether the subjects engaged in positive, neutral, or negative thinking prior to each scene presentation. Heart rate and self-reports of fear were measured during the imagery periods. Positive thinking just before visualization of the phobic images reduced both subjective anxiety about speech and cardiovascular responses.

In vitro fertilization and embryo transfer dilemmas.

A relatively new and rapidly expanding technology for the production of viable offspring is in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer. The ethical issues surrounding this technology--the status of the embryo, cryopreservation, and the selection of IVF recipients--are explored. These issues and the resulting dilemmas need to be examined by each individual nurse as the unique needs of IVF couples are a challenge to the nursing profession. Many questions arise regarding the role of the nurse in this new dimension of health care.

AIDS and confidentiality.

AIDS has created many challenges for those who provide care for AIDS patients. One major challenge has been the request of many public officials for healthcare professionals to abandon the traditional view of confidentiality and to reveal AIDS patients' names. This ethical dilemma is explored and some ethical theories are presented as possible resolutions. The conclusion presented is that healthcare professionals must recognize that the power of the healthcare system over an AIDS patient is immense. Therefore, healthcare professionals must make a commitment to protect the patient's right to privacy by preventing any unauthorized disclosure at all costs.