A Helping Hand: A School Nurse Offers a Desperate Young Mother Compassion.

An NP remembers how compassion kept her hope alive.

The effects of racism and resilience on Black stroke- survivor quality of life: Study protocol and rationale for a mixed-methods approach.

Introduction: Stroke, a life-threatening stressor, often negatively impacts stroke-survivor (SS) quality of life (QoL). Annual age-adjusted incidence and death rates for stroke are significantly higher among Black Americans than among White Americans. Racism, a significant stressor, occurs at structural, cultural, and interpersonal levels and contributes to health disparities for Black SS. Resilience, a dynamic process of positive adaptation to significant stress, is impacted by factors or resources both internal and external to the individual. This study aims to examine the effects of experiences of racism and resilience on Black SS QoL during early stroke recovery. This article presents the study protocol. Methods and analyses: This will be a prospective observational mixed-methods study. Black community-dwelling adults who are within 4 weeks of a stroke will be eligible for inclusion. Baseline measures will include the exposure variables of experiences of racism and resilience. Covariates measured at baseline include sociodemographic variables (age, sex, marital status, education, income, health insurance, employment status, number of people in household, residential address), clinical variables (date and type of stroke, inferred Modified Rankin Scale, anxiety and depression screening), and psychosocial variables (COVID-19 stress, perceived stress, mindfulness). The outcome variable (QoL) will be assessed 6-months post-stroke. Multiple-level linear regression models will be used to test the direct effects of experiences of racism, and the direct and indirect effects of resilience, on QoL. Qualitative data will be collected via focus groups and analyzed for themes of racism, resilience, and QoL. Discussion: Racism can compound the stress exerted by stroke on Black SS. This study will occur during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the aftermath of calls for social justice for Black Americans. Experiences of racism will be measured with instruments for both "everyday" discrimination and vigilance. Sociodemographic variables will be operationalized to assess specific social determinants of health that intersect with structural racism. Because of the long-standing history of racism in the United States of America (USA), cultural influences and access to resources are central to the consideration of individual-level resilience in Black SS. Study results may inform the development of interventions to support Black SS QoL through enhanced resilience.

Association of iron infusion reactions with ABO blood type.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine risk factors for iv iron infusion-related reactions (IRR), and identify strategies for iron repletion after IRR. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients treated in the classical hematology clinic at Yale Cancer Center (n = 330 consecutive patients) from 2016 to 2021, who received iv ferumoxytol (60.3%), iron sucrose (14.8%), or iron dextran (10.9%). RESULTS: The iv iron IRR was noted in 58 (17.6%) patients, 62.1% of whom had previously tolerated iv iron. The severity of IRR was mild in 22, moderate in 23, and severe in 11 patients. Most (72.4%) patients who experienced IRR tolerated a subsequent iv iron infusion. On multivariable analysis, a history of non-medication allergies was associated with greater odds of IRR (odds ratio [OR] 2.12, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16-3.87, p = .01). No patients with type AB blood, and few with type A blood (n = 6), had IRR; compared to type A or AB together, patients with type B (OR 5.00, 95% CI: 1.56-16.06, p = .007) or type O (OR 3.71, 95% CI: 1.44-9.55, p = .007) blood had greater odds of IRR. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights a possible association of blood type with iv iron IRR; prospective studies with larger patient numbers are warranted to explore this association.

Integration of TeamSTEPPS Framework and Escape Room to Improve Teamwork and Collaboration.

BACKGROUND: As the need for healthcare professionals continues to grow, different learning environments have been assessed to optimize knowledge while keeping the student engaged. Escape rooms, live action, team-based exercises, supplemented with TeamSTEPPS tools can assist in overall team performance, while keeping the participant engaged in a new learning environment. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this quality improvement project was to enhance teamwork and collaboration through the integration of TeamSTEPPS concepts and escape room active learning. This concept was explored through the integration of TeamSTEPPS tools and strategies in an escape room setting. The purpose was to improve team dynamics and cohesiveness in a new dynamic way with a small cohort of nurse leaders in a large urban academic medical center, while exploring the engagement and depth of learning experience for the participant. METHODS: Twelve nurse leaders completed two different escape rooms while observers completed the TeamSTEPPS observation tool assessing team dynamics and performance and participants assessed their perceptions before and after intervention. These nurses also were observed at staff meetings and completed a perceptions tool on teamwork pre- and postintervention. A postescape room survey was completed by participants to assess learning and interest in this interactive learning exercise. RESULTS: There was a significant statistical difference after TeamSTEPPS and escape room intervention (Mean 17.3 and p = 0.004 SD 5.9) when compared to before intervention as well as has a more positive sense of teamwork was noted. In addition, 75% of the nurses strongly agreed that the escape room was engaging and fun with 25% agreeing. Ninety-one percent agreed or strongly agreed that the escape room was an effective team-building exercise with 100% agreeing or strongly agreeing to recommend the escape room experience to others. CONCLUSIONS: This cohort validated the integration of TeamSTEPPS tools and strategies in an escape room setting as an enjoyable and engaging way to learn while providing an effective team-building activity. This small cohort demonstrates that new methods of learning such as an escape room should be explored further for engaging participants and improving communication and teamwork skills. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Integrating TeamSTEPPS into an escape room offers this institution a way to continue this project while providing valuable team-building skills to its participants. While this was just a small sample in one intercity hospital, new methods for learning should be reviewed for successful teamwork in nursing and in healthcare as a whole, as there was some data to suggest that utilizing an escape room could have a positive impact on team cohesiveness as well as leadership skills for the individual.

Do nursing and pharmacy students practice what they preach on safe drug storage and disposal? A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Research has confirmed a lack of knowledge regarding the risks of unused medications including diversion, misuse, or accidental overdose among health care professionals (Abdulmajeed, 2020). Nurses and pharmacists are often who patients interact with the most regarding medications; therefore, early education on proper storage and disposal is vital (Bowen, Rotz, Patterson, & Sen, 2017; Celio, Ninane, Bugnon, & Schneider, 2018). OBJECTIVES: The study's objective is to explore safe drug storage and disposal knowledge, attitudes, and practices of professional pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and nursing students. DESIGN: This research is an exploratory cross-sectional study from May to September 2019. METHODS: An anonymous online survey was administered to a purposive sample of Pharm.D. and nursing students who were 18 years and older and enrolled in the site's accredited Pharm.D. and nursing programs (N = 210). Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Common disposal methods reported by students of their personal medications such as pills and liquids included discarding medications with the household trash (range 30% to 55%) and medication disposal products/bag (range 19% to 28%). More than half of the participants (50.4%) had unused prescription medication at home, 35% kept the medication for later use, and almost 20% of the participants reported sharing personal medications with others. CONCLUSION: Although the majority of student participants had adequate knowledge of the appropriate methods for safe drug disposal, few reported using them for their own personal medications. The findings suggest there is a disconnect between the participants' knowledge of the appropriate methods of safe drug storage and disposal in a professional setting and their own practices. Further research is needed to explore and address the reasons for this disconnect. Additionally, findings from this research will assist in the development of and/or the improvement of interdisciplinary educational materials among pharmacy and nursing students.

A literature review: Qualitative studies of women parenting during abuse.

Many women worldwide are physically and emotionally abused, and their children are exposed to violence as well, resulting in what has become a worldwide epidemic. The Millennium Development Goals Report 2013 adopted through the United Nations' Development Program recognizes the continued need for global efforts to empower women, reduce child mortality, and improve child health. This literature review of women's experiences while parenting during abuse revealed the utilization of parenting strategies to parent their child(ren) effectively in the most difficult and traumatic of circumstances. Recommendations from all of the articles caution not to remove the child from the mother, but to give both mother and child tailored interventions and a compassionate and empathetic understanding of what these abused mothers' parenting experiences are.

A day in the life of third-year medical students: using an ethnographic method to understand information seeking and use.

OBJECTIVE: The authors undertook this project to learn how third-year medical students seek and use information in the course of daily activities, especially activities conducted in clinical settings in a variety of institutions. METHODS: We recruited sixty-eight third-year undergraduate medical school students to create a mapping diary of a day that included clinical activities. We conducted semi-structured interviews based on the mapping diaries. Using content and thematic analyses of the resulting interview transcripts, we developed an ethnographic case study for each participant. RESULTS: In the studied sample, we identified a broad range of information resources used for personal, clinical, and educational use. Participants relied heavily on technology throughout their day, including desktop computers, smart phones, handheld tablets, and laptops. Time management was a pervasive theme in the interviews, with participants squeezing in time to study for exams wherever and whenever they could. Selection of a particular information resource or technology to use was governed largely by the convenience of using that resource or technology. When obstacles were encountered, workarounds might be sought, but in many cases, the resource or technology would be abandoned in favor of a more convenient solution. Convenience was also a consideration in choosing spaces to use for clinical duties or for study, with specific considerations of available technology, proximity to clinical areas, and security for belongings contributing to choices made. CONCLUSIONS: Some of our results align with those of other recent studies of information use among medical students, residents, and practicing physicians. In particular, the fast-paced clinical setting favors use of information resources that are fast and easy to use. We demonstrated that the methods used are suitable to better understand clinicians' discovery and use of information.

Evidence-based use of electronic clinical tracking systems in advanced practice registered nurse education: an integrative review.

Over the past decade, the federal government has mandated healthcare providers to incorporate electronic health records into practice by 2015. This technological update in healthcare documentation has generated a need for advanced practice RN programs to incorporate information technology into education. The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties created core competencies to guide program standards for advanced practice RN education. One core competency is Technology and Information Literacy. Educational programs are moving toward the utilization of electronic clinical tracking systems to capture students' clinical encounter data. The purpose of this integrative review was to evaluate current research on advanced practice RN students' documentation of clinical encounters utilizing electronic clinical tracking systems to meet advanced practice RN curriculum outcome goals in information technology as defined by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. The state of the science depicts student' and faculty attitudes, preferences, opinions, and data collections of students' clinical encounters. Although electronic clinical tracking systems were utilized to track students' clinical encounters, these systems have not been evaluated for meeting information technology core competency standards. Educational programs are utilizing electronic clinical tracking systems with limited evidence-based literature evaluating the ability of these systems to meet the core competencies in advanced practice RN programs.