The Effect of a Community Based Educational Intervention on Oral Health Knowledge Levels of Adult Caregivers of Young Children in the Rural Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Low levels of oral health literacy in parents and caregivers may place a child at risk for poor oral health (Miller, Lee, DeWalt, & Vann, 2010). The purpose of this project was to determine baseline oral health literacy levels for a sample of adult caregivers of young children living in rural communities and to determine the effectiveness of a community-based education program on increasing these baseline levels of knowledge. A convenience sample of sixty-four participants who attended educational programs aimed at adult caregivers of young children comprised the sample. The Upper Peninsula Oral Health Literacy Assessment Survey was administered prior to and after participants attended the educational programming. A paired sample t-test was utilized to analyze the data. There was a statistically significant increase in oral health literacy levels after the implementation of a community-based educational program. Scores reflecting oral health literacy rose from 68.8% on the pre-test to 92.6% on the post-test. This study confirms a need for further oral health education. Increasing oral health literacy levels in adult caregivers of young children may lead to an increase in oral health seeking behaviors and a decrease in preventable dental caries in the pediatric population.

Efficacy of a nitric oxide dressing in decreasing bacterial counts on human skin.

OBJECTIVE: Inhibiting the proliferation of skin bacteria, using nitric oxide (NO), is a potential strategy to prevent infections. This study evaluated the efficacy of using a new NO releasing film dressing to decrease resident human bacterial skin flora compared with the measured microbial activity underneath control sterile Tegaderm transparent dressings. METHODS: A within-subjects design using a sample of convenience compared the bacterial counts under the skin of experimental dressings to those under control dressings. NO releasing film dressings (three) and control dressings (three) were applied without antiseptic preparation to the intact skin on the backs of 67 healthy volunteers. Subsequent skin cultures were obtained from underneath dressing pairs (one experimental and one control) on days three, five, and seven after application. Baseline microflora bacterial counts from uncovered skin was obtained on day three of the study. Comparisons of bacterial counts were analysed. RESULTS: On days three, five and seven, the experimental NO releasing film dressings demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in bacterial count compared with the control dressings. CONCLUSION: The NO releasing film dressings resulted in significantly lower bacterial colony counts as compared to the control dressings at all time points. Incorporating a NO compound into a dressing has an antibacterial effect lasting a minimum of seven days.

Bridging the gap: strategies to integrate classroom and clinical learning.

Nursing students often feel their classroom (didactic) learning and clinical (practice) experiences are disconnected which can lead to a rejection of academe and dissatisfaction with the profession. This classroom/clinical divide may be exacerbated because of the increased use of part-time clinical faculty, who are often isolated from their didactic peers. If clinical faculty, either novice or experienced, are disconnected from didactic faculty, is it any wonder students feel their learning is fragmented? The purpose of this paper is to discuss strategies to help bridge the gap between didactic and clinical learning. Specific integration strategies for faculty are presented using examples from a baccalaureate adult nursing didactic course and its related clinical course. The role of a clinical coordinator in facilitating course integration and support for part-time clinical faculty is described. Ideas for using technology to enhance learning and suggestions to promote socialization to decrease faculty isolation are also discussed.

Program outcomes following implementation of a hybrid curriculum at the certificate level.

AIM: This study examined satisfaction levels and learning outcomes before and after implementation of a hybrid curriculum. BACKGROUND: Increased competition for clinical sites pressured a practical nursing program to explore alternative placement solutions. A hybrid curriculum, defined as offering 50 percent of second-semester theory course content online, was implemented in order to free students from place-bound instruction and thereby open new clinical opportunities. METHODS: A summative evaluation was conducted to compare NCLEX-PN pass rates, grade outcomes, student satisfaction, and attrition rates between a prehybrid group of 119 practical nursing students and a hybrid group of 106 practical nursing students. RESULTS: Findings indicate no significant differences in NCLEX pass rates and grade outcomes between the groups and an improvement in satisfaction and attrition rates. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that use of a hybrid curriculum can open new clinical opportunities while maintaining the learning outcomes of NCLEX-PN pass rates and course grades.

Osteoporosis update.

INTRODUCTION: Osteoporosis is a chronic disease that is estimated to affect more than 75 million people worldwide. The US Department of Health and Human Services projects that the disease will impact more than 10 million women by 2020 if efforts to prevent it are ineffective. This article provides an overview of the pathophysiology of osteoporosis, prevention measures, and an update of the US Food and Drug Administration-approved medications that are used in the treatment of this widespread disease. METHODS: The current literature on the pathology, risks, and treatment of osteoporosis was reviewed. Studies providing the evidence for best practices are included in the following sections: prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis. Current national standards for diagnosis and treatment are highlighted. RESULTS: Bisphosphonates continue to be the most popular and widely used pharmacologic treatment for osteoporosis. However, when bisphosphonates are contraindicated or cause side effects so serious that it is not possible for some women to use them, alternative pharmacologic treatments and forms of dosing are available. DISCUSSION: When lifestyle and dietary modifications are insufficient to offset a diagnosis of osteoporosis, there are a variety of pharmaceutical options available that will provide safe and effective protection against fracture due to osteoporosis.

Online teaching efficacy of nurse faculty.

The purpose of this study was to examine variables that affect nurse faculty self-efficacy levels and participation in online teaching. Specifically, this study sought to understand how teaching experience and preparatory experiences might correlate with high or low self-efficacy perceptions of online teaching in the domains of student engagement, instructional strategies, classroom management, and use of computers. The 32-item Michigan Nurse Educators Sense of Efficacy for Online Teaching instrument was used to measure online teaching efficacy through a Web-based survey that collected data from a cross-section of Michigan nurse educators employed at public accredited higher education institutions. Findings revealed that the 140 nurse educators in this study had "some" to "quite a bit" of online teaching efficacy. High online teaching efficacy scores correlated positively with mastery and preparatory experiences. Primarily, the highest levels of online teaching efficacy resulted after teaching at least three online courses. This study has implications for nurse administrators interested in growing online offerings in their schools. For nurse educators, important motivating variables include the use of satisfactory preparatory experiences and release time through the third online teaching experience. These experiences are related to higher online teaching efficacy that correlates to participation in online teaching.