The STAMPPed Initiative for Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Students.

ABSTRACT: As the demand for nurse practitioners increases to meet health care needs, pathways to facilitate the transition into specialty advanced practice nursing education must be developed. The STudent Advisor/Mentorship Program for Pediatrics (STAMPPed) program was an innovative strategy established to support graduate nursing students with little to no pediatric clinical experience who demonstrated an interest in becoming pediatric nurse practitioners. The program provided structured guidance and support from experienced pediatric nursing faculty through monthly group meetings and the formulation of one-to-one student-faculty mentoring dyads. Mentees found the program to be helpful and foster supportive relationships.

Current Recommendations on Management of Pediatric Concussions.

Concussions are a form of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Concussion is defined by the American Academy of Neurology as a "trauma-induced alteration in mental status that may or may not involve loss of consciousness" (Kirkwood, Yeates, & Wilson, 2012, p. 1360). At least 1.7 million TBIs occur annually, with 75% being in the form of concussion. Almost half a million patients ages 14 years and younger visit emergency rooms annually for TBI (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011). Diagnosing a concussion can be difficult because symptoms vary among individuals and may be subtle and vague, and neuro-radiologic imaging studies typically reveal no abnormalities. Due to the varying degree of symptomatology and recovery, there are no specific recommendations on when it is safe for patients to resume normal activity. Complications can arise if a second injury occurs prior to complete healing from the initial concussion. This literature review identifies current recommendations on the screening and management of concussion in the pediatric population. A clear, concise definition of concussion is presented, as well as recommendations for concussion management. Return to play and return to learn guidelines are explored. The nursing role in concussion management is discussed, and future implications are explored.

Evaluation of Identified Stressors in Children and Adolescents After Super Storm Sandy.

Super Storm Sandy, one of the largest storms endured by the East Coast of theUnited States, devastated New Jersey and the eastern seaboard. Although naturaldisasters affect individuals of all ages, children are particularly vulnerable becausetheir sense of normalcy is altered. The purpose of this study was to explore theeffects that exposure to Super Storm Sandy had on children who resided in NewJersey. This was a non-experimental, quantitative, cross-sectional research study.Study participants were recruited via printed flyers at disaster resource sites and ona dedicated research team's Facebook site. Each participant completed theHurricane Stressors Assessment Tool for Children and Adolescents as a webbasedsurvey related to their experiences with the hurricane. One hundred andforty-one (141) children participated in this study. Age groups (preschool, child, andadolescent) had varied results based upon developmental level. Age was positivelyassociated with finding it harder to concentrate and pay attention (r = 0.18, p =0.04); feeling sad, down, or depressed (r = 0.17, p < 0.05); being quiet and withdrawn (r = 0.16, p = 0.05); feeling irritable and grouchy (r = 0.26, p < 0.05); and findingit harder to complete schoolwork (r = 0.32, p < 0.001). Certain parental perceptionsof their child's behavior were negatively associated with the age of the child.Children had varying degrees of experiences after Sandy. Adolescents were shownto be more aware and affected by the storm than younger children. Observationscan be used for intervention initiatives in the post-natural disaster period, encouraginghealthcare providers to acknowledge family and community healing to provideadequate mental health referrals in the post-disaster period.