Low-income Euro-American mothers' perceptions of health and self-care practices.

OBJECTIVE: Health promotion activities may decrease preventable diseases and health system overuse. This study examined how low-income Euro-American mothers described their health/wellness, self-care practices (SCP), and SCP benefits, barriers, and interpersonal influences (norms, modeling, and social support) affecting their SCP. DESIGN AND SAMPLE: This descriptive qualitative study used a convenience sample of 10 low-income, English-speaking mothers, 25-43 years old, seeking women's/children's health services at a large urban Texas health clinic. MEASURES: Data were collected via face-to-face interviews, using a standardized semistructured interview guide; data were analyzed using Miles and Huberman's qualitative research methods. RESULTS: All participants primarily described themselves positively and as mothers and workers. Most viewed health and wellness as distinct but typically included physical and emotional well-being. Mothers valued health and SCP for personal and family reasons. All identified SCP benefits. Most identified SCP barriers. Women viewed themselves as vital to family function and well-being, learned SCP primarily from parents during childhood, and described limited support for SCP. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide a better understanding of participants' self-care decision making and are useful in designing appropriate clinical health promotions. Reducing health inequities in low-income women requires further study of the underlying causes and development of effective policies and measures to address them.

Nurses' intentions to respond to bioterrorism and other infectious disease emergencies.

Although nurses historically have responded to natural disasters, little is known about nurses' intentions to respond during bioterrorism and other infectious disease emergencies where they and their families may be at risk. To investigate that question, we surveyed nurses following their participation in a class on bioterrorism. Participants (N = 292) completed a Personal/Professional Profile (PPP), Test of Bioterrorism Knowledge (BT Knowledge), and an Intention to Respond (IR) instrument. IR was measured by participants' scores on their likelihood to care for patients (0 = extremely unlikely, 10 = extremely likely) for each of 10 infectious disease scenarios reflecting different infection risk. We calculated scores for each scenario, totaled them, and examined the total IR related to the participant's PPP and scores on BT Knowledge. Additionally, we examined participants' written comments explaining the reasons for their IR. Total IR scores ranged from 8-100 (mean and median of 70). The IR was higher in scenarios where the infection risk was lower. Overall IR scores were positively related to BT Knowledge and having had previous emergency and disaster experience. Those less likely to respond had dependent children and more years in nursing. Results indicate that nurses differentiated risks associated with different infectious disease situations and may decide to respond during a real emergency based on such information. Implications for nursing administrators and nursing educators are discussed.

Perceptions of health and self-care learning needs of outpatients with HIV/AIDS.

Health promotion increases healthy behaviors, enhances health status, and decreases health care costs of chronically ill persons. As HIV has become a chronic illness, many HIV-positive persons may have health learning needs that affect their behaviors, health status, and health care costs. Health learning needs may be general or HIV specific. Social stigma may affect learning resource usage. We used Pender's Health Promotion Model and community-based health promotion principles as theoretical underpinnings for an exploratory study of perceived health and self-care learning needs, barriers, and preferred learning modalities of outpatients with HIV/AIDS. A nonrandom sample of 151 adults completed a researcher-designed self-report survey. Most (97%) expressed interest in health and self-care. Many identified multiple topics, learning barriers, and preferred learning modalities. A statistically significant difference (p=.027) was noted in communication needs of participants diagnosed with HIV versus AIDS. Findings have led to practice changes, health promotion activities, and further research.

Being a supportive presence in online courses: attending to students' online presence with each other.

As a teacher involved in distance education, being a supportive presence includes attending to and facilitating students' knowing and connecting with other. This creates places for learning that are safe, fair, and respectful, which reflects the concerns of the interpretive pedagogies (Diekelmann & Diekelmann, in press). Reflecting a larger issue is the importance of contemporary nurses' knowing and connecting with other team members, and with patients, online in ways that engender community and achieve desired outcomes. With this in mind, attending to the Concernful Practices that enable students to know and connect in ways other than face-to-face encounters becomes even more relevant in preparing for today's practice environments.

Being a supportive presence in online courses: knowing and connecting with students through writing.

Enacting Narrative Pedagogy, teachers often reflect on how practices, such as knowing and connecting, influence the nature of the experiences they co-create with students. There is a reciprocity in the tone of both students' and teachers' communication-in both classroom and online environments. Through attention to how teachers know and connect with students, the words and phrases they use can help put students at ease and preserve a continual future openness for learning. Without attention to how language "speaks" to students, especially in distance education, teachers perhaps, too often, "look through" experience to the outcomes of learning and do not address the potentially problematic nature of the experiences they co-create with students. Focusing attention on the meaning and significance of language in online learning restores the connective and gathering possibilities of written communication.

A comparative analysis of the changes in nursing practice related to health sector reform in five countries of the Americas

Objective. To identify changes in nursing practice and the nursing-practice environment that have occurred with implementation of health sector reform in five countries in the Americas. Methods. An exploratory study of selected settings in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and the United States of America was conducted between 1997 and 1999 to collect narrative data from 125 professional nurses about their perceptions of nursing practice and changes in work environments. Descriptions of characteristics and trends in nursing practice in the study sites were also obtained. Results. Reorganization of health services has occurred in all five of the countries, responding to health sector reform initiatives and affecting nursing practice in each country. Respondents from all five countries mentioned an emphasis on private enterprise, changes in payment systems for patients and providers, redistributions in the nursing workforce, changes in the personnel mix and nursing-practice functions, work shifting from the hospital to the community, and greater emphasis on cost control and prevention in practice settings. Conclusions. The study provides initial information about current nursing issues that have arisen as a result of health care reform initiatives. Regardless of differences in service models or phases of health sector reform implementation, in all the countries the participating nurses identified many common themes, trends, and changes in nursing practice. The driving forces for change and their intensity have been different in the five countries. Nurses maintain their core values despite increased work stress and greater patient care needs in all the countries as well as economic crises in the Latin American countries

A comparative analysis of the changes in nursing practice related to health sector reform in five countries of the Americas.

OBJECTIVE: To identify changes in nursing practice and the nursing-practice environment that have occurred with implementation of health sector reform in five countries in the Americas. METHODS: An exploratory study of selected settings in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and the United States of America was conducted between 1997 and 1999 to collect narrative data from 125 professional nurses about their perceptions of nursing practice and changes in work environments. Descriptions of characteristics and trends in nursing practice in the study sites were also obtained. RESULTS: Reorganization of health services has occurred in all five of the countries, responding to health sector reform initiatives and affecting nursing practice in each country. Respondents from all five countries mentioned an emphasis on private enterprise, changes in payment systems for patients and providers, redistributions in the nursing workforce, changes in the personnel mix and nursing-practice functions, work shifting from the hospital to the community, and greater emphasis on cost control and prevention in practice settings. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides initial information about current nursing issues that have arisen as a result of health care reform initiatives. Regardless of differences in service models or phases of health sector reform implementation, in all the countries the participating nurses identified many common themes, trends, and changes in nursing practice. The driving forces for change and their intensity have been different in the five countries. Nurses maintain their core values despite increased work stress and greater patient care needs in all the countries as well as economic crises in the Latin American countries.