Professional development for night shift nurses.

This article examines the teaching-learning experiences of registered nurses who work exclusively at night. Various teaching strategies that are useful in advancing professional development activities for registered nurses who work at night are proposed. A literature review of nighttime learning opportunities and teaching strategies useful for nighttime education is presented. Findings indicate that nurses who work at night are motivated to learn, but have fewer opportunities and less access to programs than nurses who work during the day. These barriers can be reduced by enhancing nighttime education programs and using teaching methods appropriate to the night shift. An example of a successful cardiac arrest in-service offered during the nighttime hours is described.

Implementing a high-fidelity simulation program in a community college setting.

Despite their relatively high cost, there is heightened interest by faculty in undergraduate nursing programs to implement high-fidelity simulation (HFS) programs. High-fidelity simulators are appealing because they allow students to experience high-risk, low-volume patient problems in a realistic setting. The decision to purchase a simulator is the first step in the process of implementing and maintaining an HFS lab. Knowledge, technical skill, commitment, and considerable time are needed to develop a successful program. The process, as experienced by one community college nursing program, is described.

Postpartum depression: the reliability of telephone screening.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the reliability of screening women for symptoms of postpartum depression by a telephone assessment after hospital discharge. STUDY DESIGN: Correlational design with a convenience sample of women from a Midwestern community hospital. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-six women agreed to participate prior to hospital discharge and 106 women were in the final sample (response rate 84%). Telephone contact was made 8 weeks after discharge, when the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale was administered. RESULTS: Twenty-seven percent of the women screened had scores indicating moderate-to-severe depression (score range 60-128). Reliability coefficients were calculated on the data for the short and long forms of the PDSS, as well as for all seven subscales (alpha coefficients were .72 and .94, respectively, for the short- and long-form totals). Subscale scores for the 35-item form were as follows: sleeping/eating disturbances .80, anxiety/insecurity .77, emotional lability .82, mental confusion .80, loss of self .87, guilt/shame .82, and contemplating harming oneself.90. The correlation between the short-form total and the long-form total was r = .91 (p = < 01.) Studies using the PDSS as an in-person instrument were compared with scores for telephone screening, and the overall mean scores were similar. CONCLUSION: Telephone screening is a reliable method to screen for postpartum symptomatology that may occur later than the 6-week office visit. Women who are at risk, especially those who have a history of treatment for depression, current treatment for depression or increased anxiety, should be screened for postpartum depression symptomatology.

Jordanian Muslim women's intention to use oral contraceptives.

Oral contraceptives (OCs) are the second most popular method of contraception in Jordan; however, their use remains low compared with the intrauterine device. The purpose of this article is to report the effect of factors identified by The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) on Jordanian Muslim women's intention to use OCs. TPB was used to develop an investigator-developed instrument, the Intention to Use Oral Contraceptive Tool (IUOCT). The IUOCT measured attitude (general attitude and attitudinal beliefs), social norms and perceived behavioral control factors in a total of 83 women participants. A stepwise regression analysis was calculated using the IUOCT subscales as predictors of Jordanian Muslim women's intention to use OCs. The findings demonstrated that the attitude, specifically general attitude and positive beliefs, about OC use affect Jordanian Muslim women's intention to use OCs. However, the findings provide limited support for social norms and perceived behavioral control as factors influencing Jordanian Muslim women's intention to use OCs. The findings indicate that more attention should be devoted to health education programs on the benefits of using OCs rather than focusing only on correcting misinformation. Nursing implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.