Accuracy of polar F6 in estimating the energy cost of aerobic dance bench stepping in college-age females.

AIM: This study: 1) examined the accuracy of the Polar F6 for estimating energy expenditure (EE) in a sample of college-age women during aerobic dance bench stepping (ADBS) using predicted maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and maximal heart rate (HRmax), and 2) determined whether the use of actual measures of VO2max and HRmax improves the accuracy of the Polar F6 for estimating EE. METHODS: Thirty-two females had their VO2max and HRmax predicted by the Polar F6 heart rate monitor (HRM), and then performed a graded maximal exercise treadmill test to determine their actual VO2max and HRmax. The participants then followed a 20-min ADBS routine while stepping up and down off of a 15.24-cm bench at a cadence of 126 beats.min-1. During ADBS, the participants wore two F6 HRM that simultaneously collected data. To estimate EE, one HRM utilized their predicted VO2max and HRmax (PHRM) while the other HRM utilized their actual VO2max and HRmax (AHRM). RESULTS: The predicted HRmax significantly overestimated actual HRmax by 3.75 beats.min-1 on average, and the predicted VO2max overestimated actual VO2max by 2.63 ml.kg-1.min-1 on average (P<0.01). However, there were no significant differences between the PHRM and AHRM (P≥0.05). When compared to indirect calorimetry, the PHRM and AHRM significantly overestimated average EE by 28% (2.4 kcal.min-1) and 27% (2.0 kcal.min-1), respectively (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Even when using actual measures of VO2max and HRmax, the Polar F6 is inaccurate in estimating EE during ADBS for college-age females.

Prediction of PCB content in sportfish using semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs).

Triolein-filled semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) were immersed at three locations along the St. Joseph River in northern Indiana for 30 days to see if the PCB content of fish from the same location could be predicted with this model device. Triolein from the SPMD's was analyzed for PCB using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and compared to residues detected in fish collected from the same locations. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in total PCB concentrations between SPMD samples. However, due to variability in PCB residues between species and low PCB residues in SPMDs, a direct correlation between PCBs in sportfish and SPMDs could not be determined.

Professionalism in nursing behaviors of nurse practitioners.

Little research on the level of professionalism of nurse practitioners has been published to date. These nurses are expected to practice relatively autonomously in delivering client care and therefore must monitor their own levels of professionalism. At a national conference, 502 nurse practitioners completed the Professionalism in Nursing Behaviors Inventory. Participants represented all of the states and the most common specialties of nurse practitioners. Nearly 68 per cent had been practitioners less than 5 years and were primarily employed in physicians' offices. The majority had received their master's degrees from schools with nurse practitioner curricula, and 8 per cent held doctorates. More than one half of the practitioners had written a research proposal or participated in a project within the past 2 years. In terms of autonomy, nearly 50 per cent of the nurses had written their own job descriptions. Maintaining certification motivated them to engage in some professionalism behaviors. Results indicated these nurse practitioners had high levels of professionalism. J Prof Nurs 17:203-210, 2001.

The effects of hands-on occupation versus demonstration on children's recall memory.

OBJECTIVE: Hands-on learning has been an important aspect of the profession of occupational therapy since its founding. The purpose of this study was to determine whether children engaged in hands-on learning would be able to recall more of the steps and more of the correct order of the steps of an occupation than children engaged in a demonstration teaching method. METHOD: After being randomly assigned, 73 healthy third-graders (42 girls and 31 boys) either participated in making a model of a volcano or observed the making of a model of a volcano. Following task completion, both groups were asked to recall and state as many of the 41 syntactical units as possible in their proper order. The children's responses were audiotaped and scored in a blind fashion according to predetermined criteria. Interrater reliability was excellent. RESULTS: A t-test revealed a significant difference between conditions in terms of free recall scores, with children in the hands-on condition having a greater recall score, t (71) = 2.63, p < .005. The effect size d equaled .62. A MannWhitney U Test revealed no significant difference between conditions in terms of remembering the steps in proper order (the lack of a significant difference may have been due to a problem of measurement). CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrated that participants were able to recall more information when engaged in a hands-on teaching method as compared with a demonstration method. It is suggested that the learning advantages of hands-on occupation are related to the enhanced sensory/perceptual experiences and the feelings of success that are characteristic of hands-on learning, as opposed to passive forms of learning.

Influencing health care policy: nursing research and the ANA social policy statement.

This paper describes policy formation and its relationship to nursing research, examining ways in which nursing's disciplinary research can have greater influence on American health care policy. The American Nurses Association's Social Policy Statement (1995) is discussed in its role as a guide for nursing research efforts in a health care reform environment where favorable patient outcomes are key.

Professionalism behaviors of hospital nurse executives and middle managers in 10 western states.

What is the level of professionalism of nurse managers? These leaders of nurses are expected to establish a climate in which professional practice can flourish. In this study, the authors used the Professionalism Inventory to determine professional behaviors of 144 nurse executives and 135 middle managers. Nurse executives performed at consistently higher levels except for the categories concerning autonomy and knowledge of the Code for Nurses.

Nursing research and patient outcomes: tools for managing the transformation of the health care delivery system.

This paper outlines strategies for all nurses to participate in nursing's research agenda, which aims to enhance the scientific basis of nursing practice. The emphasis here is on generating data for the outcomes movement as a tool for transforming the American health care delivery system.

Carpal tunnel syndrome: a frequently misdiagnosed common hand problem.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common hand problems. The incidence is greater in females and in activities where repetitive, vibrating and/or firm grasping work is prevalent. The diagnosis of CTS may be elusive to practitioners unfamiliar with the nonspecific and intermittent symptoms. The purpose of this article is to describe CTS and the assessment needed to detect early signs and symptoms and to describe the various diagnostic tests that practitioners can perform. In addition, data are offered conservative conservative measures that can be used for the acute stage of CTS and various surgical methods for the individual with chronic CTS. The priority in patient education is to teach individuals how to reduce or eliminate environmental risks and activities that potentiate the carpal tunnel syndrome.

A behavioral inventory for professionalism in nursing.

The purpose of this article is to describe the development of an evaluative behavioral inventory based on Miller's Model for Professionalism in Nursing and to report results of an investigation of registered nurses (RNs) in eight western states. The Professionalism in Nursing Inventory was mailed to 1,600 computer-generated randomly selected names of RNs, resulting in 515 complete and usable inventories. Results indicated that the majority of respondents demonstrated professional behaviors in continuing education activities, autonomous quality assurance participation, community service, and a theory-based nursing practice. Behaviors not considered a priority with a majority of the respondents were publication, research activities, and participation in the constituent state organizations of the American Nurses Association. Approximately 4 per cent of the respondents commented that employing agencies and administrative (nursing) personnel were concerned with output, not professional behaviors. More than 91 per cent of these respondents believed that a self-evaluative instrument for professional behaviors was necessary and that the tool should be developed by nurses.

Use of the code of ethics for accountability in discharge planning.

Nine selected items from the Code of Ethics for nurses are used to illustrate how the code can be used as an excellent resource for accountability with discharge planning. Research findings identify the need for expanded awareness of the code and how to apply it to the discharge planning process. Components of the teaching/learning process are compared to the code to suggest that nurses need increased educational preparation to be accountable for discharge planning.

Field-dependence/independence: considerations in staff development.

Clinical nurse preceptors, staff development specialists, and staff nurses are becoming more involved with the clinical learning experiences of new graduates, nursing school students, and the highly mobile, experienced nurse. Assessment of learning styles and the cognitive process is necessary for the implementation of successful orientation programs. Consideration of the bipolar learning style of field-dependence/independence can be useful for preceptors involved with teaching in the clinical setting. This article reviews the development of the concept of field-dependence/independence, identifies associated characteristics, and discusses assessment of learning style. Specific teaching strategies for both field-dependent and field-independent learners are discussed.

Nurses' knowledge of the code for nurses.

"Investigation of Professionalism in Nursing Behaviors" was funded by the Beta Upsilon Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International and the College of Nursing, Arizona State University. Researchers asked 514 nurses in eight western states if they had a copy of the Code For Nurses. Most respondents did not have a copy of the Code; however, they indicated that adherence to the Code was essential to the professional nurse. Years of practice, educational background, participation in autonomous activities, and present position were variables used to determine those respondents most likely to possess a copy of the Code. Implications for continuing educators are discussed.

Teaching students how to publish in nursing journals: a group approach.

A course in writing for publication in every graduate program would create a plethora of innovative projects, replication studies, and reviews of literature for the nursing community. Group participation in the critiquing of manuscripts provides many reviewers and consequently thought-provoking responses for a more clearly written manuscript. The interaction also provides a support system for the writer and allows the student to realize that the manuscript was not only well-written but informative and interesting to others.