New Careers in Nursing Scholar Alumni Toolkit: Development of an Innovative Resource for Transition to Practice.

The transition from student to professional nurse is challenging and may be more difficult for underrepresented minority nurses. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Careers in Nursing (NCIN) program supported development of a toolkit that would serve as a transition-to-practice resource to promote retention of NCIN alumni and other new nurses. Thirteen recent NCIN alumni (54% male, 23% Hispanic/Latino, 23% African Americans) from 3 schools gave preliminary content feedback. An e-mail survey was sent to a convenience sample of 29 recent NCIN alumni who evaluated the draft toolkit using a Likert scale (poor = 1; excellent = 5). Twenty NCIN alumni draft toolkit reviewers (response rate 69%) were primarily female (80%) and Hispanic/Latino (40%). Individual chapters' mean overall rating of 4.67 demonstrated strong validation. Mean scores for overall toolkit content (4.57), usability (4.5), relevance (4.79), and quality (4.71) were also excellent. Qualitative comments were analyzed using thematic content analysis and supported the toolkit's relevance and utility. A multilevel peer review process was also conducted. Peer reviewer feedback resulted in a 6-chapter document that offers resources for successful transition to practice and lays the groundwork for continued professional growth. Future research is needed to determine the ideal time to introduce this resource.

Actual and imagined first smoking experiences and resisted smoking opportunities of Asian American adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the metamotivational states experienced during first smoking experiences of Asian American adolescents. DESIGN AND SAMPLE: This survey research investigated the differences among the smokers, resisters, and smoking naives of a convenience sample of 328 Asian Americans, aged 16-19 in New York City (NYC). MEASURES: The study used a demographic questionnaire, Temptation Episode Surveys (First Smoking Occasion, First Resisted Smoking Opportunity, and Opinions on First Smoking Occasion), the Telic/Paratelic State Instrument, and the Rebellious State Scale. RESULTS: Statistical analyses revealed that Asian American adolescents smoked the first time when in paratelic, arousal-seeking states, and when the physical and social environments are permissive to smoking, initiation opportunities such as presence of peers and friends smoking and in places where adults are not present. CONCLUSIONS: The first smoking experiences of Asian American adolescents parallel that of smoking cessation when individuals lapse in a highly tempting situation and when the environment is permissive to smoking. This study is the first to use reversal theory pairs as a framework for smoking initiation. Smoking prevention and intervention programs should consider the importance of the physical, social environment, and the psychological states of adolescents when they smoke the first time.

Depression and language acculturation correlate with smoking among older Asian American adolescents in New York City.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlates of smoking status among a sample of Asian American adolescents in New York City (NYC). DESIGN AND SAMPLE: This descriptive, correlational study compared current smokers and current nonsmokers in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, academic performance, acculturation, depressive symptoms, smoking history, and parental, sibling, and peer smoking. The convenience sample included 328 Asian American adolescents, ages 16-19, who lived in NYC, and were recruited from members, friends, and affiliates of 6 organizational sources. MEASURES: The study used demographic, depression (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale), English language acculturation, and smoking opportunity survey questionnaires. RESULTS: Statistical analyses revealed that being older, being more English-language acculturated, having poor academic performance, increased depressive symptoms, and having siblings and peers who smoked were significantly associated with current smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Asian American adolescents initiate smoking later than other groups. Depressive symptoms were at high levels in the sample and were correlated with smoking. Thus, for Asian American adolescents, smoking prevention programs should be extended to later grades, with particular attention to low-performing students and those who are more acculturated. Likewise, programs that identify and assist adolescents with depressive symptoms may be useful in smoking prevention.