Scaffolding as active learning in nursing education.

Recent changes, such as COVID-19 restrictions and advances in technology, have led to unique effects on nursing education, requiring new pedagogical thinking and strategies. Studies have shown that a more active approach to learning leads to positive gains for students. In this conceptual paper, we argue that scaffolding specifically allows instructors to break down assignments into meaningful chunks with instructional support that fall within reach of a student's ability, making the assignment both more manageable and actively engaging. This paper outlines six principles (Van Lier, 1996) to the scaffolding approach and discusses two example assignments that utilize scaffolding in nursing education to increase active engagement and improve learning outcomes. Examples include a research critique paper and an unfolding case study.

Effectiveness of Mentorship Program in the Emergency Department.

Nurses transferring to other departments (transitioning registered nurses) can benefit from programs designed to improve their performance and intent to stay. This article describes a mentorship program for nurses who transfer into the emergency department, which included weekly meetings between mentor and mentee participants to share constructive feedback. A qualitative evaluation revealed that the program helped mentees feel more supported and mentors more empowered; it also improved teamwork significantly, created camaraderie, intensified confidence levels, enhanced professionalism, and boosted morale across the emergency department.

Late preterm infants and risk for RSV.

Late preterm infants, born between 34 and 36 6/7 weeks gestation, are physiologically immature and at risk for a variety of complications including infection caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSV infection that spreads to the lower respiratory tract results in hospitalization of these high-risk infants, where nurses provide nursing care focusing on suctioning, maintaining fluid balance, temperature control, and oxygenation. This article describes the risk and incidence of RSV infection in late preterm infants and the necessary subsequent hospital, home, and clinic care. Prevention, including prophylaxis with palivizumab therapy, as well as clinical practice guidelines for medical care are described, as well as resources where current guidelines can be accessed.

Margaret Utinsky.

A nurse undertook heroic underground activities in support of American prisoners in the Philippines during WWII.

Bicycle injuries and safety helmets in children. Review of research.

Bicycle injuries are the most common cause of serious head injury in children, and most of these injuries are preventable. The protective effect of bicycle helmets is well documented, but many child bicyclists do not wear them. This article summarizes the current state of research on bicycle injuries and helmet use and examines the effectiveness of legislation and injury-prevention strategies. Current studies indicate that children who wear helmets experience fewer head injuries and decreased severity of injury. Community-wide helmet-promotion campaigns combined with legislation are most successful in increasing helmet use and decreasing injury. Nurses can participate both at the institutional level and in community advocacy groups to promote bicycle safety for children.

African American women describe support processes during high-risk pregnancy and postpartum.

OBJECTIVE: To explore social support processes in low-income African American women during high-risk pregnancy and postpartum. DESIGN: A qualitative grounded theory approach. Interview was the primary data collection technique and was combined with observation, medical chart review, and literature review. SETTING: A high-risk pregnancy clinic and participants' homes. PARTICIPANTS: Ten pregnant women, 3 social network members, and 11 health care providers. Four of the women at high risk tell their in-depth stories in this article: Yolanda, coping with gestational diabetes; Frances, participating in drug rehabilitation; Trista, waiting to deliver a fetus with severe congenital anomalies; and Beatrice, HIV positive and carrying her seventh child. RESULTS: The substantive theory of support developed in the study was termed mutual intentionality. Narratives illustrate the mutual roles that women at high risk and support givers played in the helping process. Support themes included being there, caring, respecting, sharing information, knowing, believing in, and doing for the other. CONCLUSION: The theorsy of mutual intentionality suggests that social support is a process or transaction involving intentionality. For support to happen, the therapeutic relationship must be valued as a mutual resource.

Promotion of safety helmets for child bicyclists: 2002 update.

PURPOSE: Current research continues to show that bicycle helmets prevent serious injury and death in cyclists of all ages. Children are at special risk for head injury. The purpose of this review was to update information on the use and protective effect of bicycle helmets for child cyclists. CONCLUSIONS: Legislation, combined with community education and helmet promotion campaigns, remains the most cost-effective approach for increasing helmet use. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have passed helmet legislation. Modest gains in helmet-wearing rates have been documented, with the greatest gains in young children, compared with adolescents. IMPLICATIONS: Nurses remain in strategic positions to encourage helmet use by educating children and parents. Nurses can participate in community-based education and advocacy programs. Nurse researchers can carry out descriptive studies that increase community awareness of bicycle injuries and examine factors such as parental rules and adolescent risk-taking.