Pregnancy after Solid Organ Transplantation.

PURPOSE: To explore the reproductive decision-making process with women who were organ transplant recipients (renal, lung, & heart transplants). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Grounded theory guided data collection and analyses. Mixed methods with audiotaped telephone interviews and a written survey measuring social support were used. As social support is critical for women who are organ transplant recipients considering pregnancy, a search for disconfirming evidence for social support via a survey and interviews was included. ANALYSES: Verbatim responses were analyzed through the constant comparative method using open, axial, and selective coding. Trustworthiness was established through prolonged engagement, member checking, and thick descriptions. RESULTS: Participants included 10 women who were solid organ recipients (2 lung, 1 heart, and 7 renal transplant recipients). The core theme was Wanting a child. Other themes included Getting information, Advocating, Dealing with problems, Preparing, Talking, Supporting, Coping, and Advising others. There was no evidence of a lack of social support as evaluated via the survey or interviews. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: This study provides new knowledge on clinical decision-making about pregnancy for women who are solid organ recipients and for healthcare professionals. Nurses can use these data to help guide women on how to obtain the most accurate information to make a personal decision about pregnancy and to develop support from their healthcare team and family.

Older adolescents' experiences living with a parent who is a transplant patient.

This descriptive qualitative study using telephone interviews and surveys explored how parental transplant status affected older adolescents. A sample of 8 adolescents (62% female) between 15 and 20 years old participated. Findings revealed "a normal life." Other themes were feeling the impact, worrying, coping, and keeping healthy. Parental transplant status had positive and negative effects. No evidence was found of signs or symptoms of depression. Transplant candidates' children worried about "something going wrong"; recipients' children worried about organ rejection. Most stated that parental transplant status did not influence career plans, jobs, or friends. Strategies and recommendations for practice and future research are discussed.

Objective structured clinical examination and advanced practice nursing students.

Educators, challenged to measure clinical competency impartially in Advanced Health Assessment courses, have used Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and standardized patients (SP). Faculty-trained laypersons act as patients (SP) for students in a clinical laboratory setting using a standardized, scripted scenario. Students typically are evaluated during the examination and receive instant feedback from the SP. There has been little evidence that supports this as the best way to measure student's clinical competency. This study's purpose was to compare outcomes of graduate nursing students completing a traditional methods Health Assessment course to those students using OSCE and SPs. Problem-based Learning Theory guided the quasi-experimental study that included 37 students divided into research and control groups. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups for the final practical examination grades, clinical preceptor evaluations, satisfaction scores, and self-evaluations of skills at the course's end. Research group's course scores were higher than the control group. There was no difference between group's self-evaluation for their current assessment skills. This intervention had a positive impact on students' outcomes. Educators should incorporate SPs and OSCE to improve clinical competency scores, course satisfaction, and preceptor evaluations. Future studies should include a longitudinal design and qualitative student feedback.

End of life issues action: impact of education.

There is an increased momentum to improve nurses' expertise in dealing with end of life issues via a standardized education program, ELNEC. This program has not been evaluated systematically. This quasi-experimental, longitudinal study's goal was to measure ELNEC Program's impact on registered nurses' death anxiety, death attitudes, and knowledge over time. General Systems Theory provided the foundation. Nurses completed surveys prior to and 3 times after the program. Research and control groups were similar. Research group's death anxiety scores increased immediately post- program, decreased 6 months later (t = -2.65, p = .02) and returned to pre-program levels at 12 months. Death attitudes varied. Knowledge levels improved significantly. The control group had steady increases in death anxiety scores. The program was associated with decreased death anxiety. Recommendations include timing evaluations after participants have time for reflection and planning "booster programs" to sustain effects. Future studies should include larger samples, incentives, and research method triangulation.