The Use of Standardized Patients as an Educational Strategy in Baccalaureate Psychiatric Nursing Simulation: A Mixed Method Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Prior psychiatric simulation experiences required our nursing students to role-play in an unknown area of nursing. Students confidence, clinical satisfaction, and use of clinical skills were negatively impacted leading to unmet course objectives. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this pilot study was to strengthen our baccalaureate senior nursing students' simulation experience in their psychiatric nursing course with the use of standardized patients (SPs) instead of student role-play and measure the impact of this strategy on students' learning, satisfaction, and confidence in an unfamiliar area of nursing. METHODS: A mixed method explanatory sequential design was used. Participants consisted of a convenience sample of senior nursing students enrolled in their psychiatric nursing course. A quantitative simulation tool and a four-item questionnaire were analyzed after completion of the simulations (n = 47). RESULTS: Findings of this study identified greater than 80% of students had increased level of learning, confidence, and satisfaction with the SP simulation experience. Nurse faculty were able to overcome simulation barriers, that is, a patient hearing voices, non-verbal signs of depression, and evaluate students meeting course learning outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study highlight students' positive simulation experiences. Using SPs as an educational strategy can be effective for students to reach competency, achieve higher knowledge, and improve confidence. It is believed the use of SPs as a simulation strategy in psychiatric nursing will assist students with clinical judgment and better prepare them to meet the needs of vulnerable persons with psychiatric conditions.

Increasing Parental Knowledge Related to the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine.

INTRODUCTION: The purposes of this study were to evaluate parental attitudes toward general vaccination protocols and increase parental knowledge of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine. METHODS: A nonprobability convenience sample (N = 75) using a pre-/postintervention study design was conducted in a pediatric office in southern New Jersey. The Parental Attitudes Module measured the general disposition toward having children receive any type of vaccine. The HPV Knowledge Survey was a second tool used to specifically measures knowledge of the HPV vaccine. A self-directed computer-based learning was part of the educational intervention. RESULTS: A paired t test showed that HPV Knowledge Survey postintervention scores were significantly higher than HPV Knowledge Survey preintervention scores (t = -10.585, p < .001). The Parental Attitudes Module and the HPV Knowledge Survey pretest showed a positive moderate relationship (rs = .552, p < .001). DISCUSSION: In the 10 years since the HPV vaccine has been on the market, there is a continued need to increase parental knowledge about the HPV vaccine to close the gap on vaccine nonadherence. A self-directed, computer-based learning tablet appears to be an effective tool to educate parents or legal guardians about the purpose, efficacy, and safety of the HPV vaccine.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Adolescent Lifestyle Profile-Revised 2 for Middle Adolescents.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purposes of this methodological study were to factor analyze the Adolescent Lifestyle Profile-Revised 2 (ALP-R2) and to assess construct validity of the instrument with a sample of middle adolescents. METHODS: A sample of 311 urban middle adolescents responded to the ALP-R2, to the Adolescent General Well-Being Questionnaire, and to the Anticipation of a Personal Future subscale on the Hopefulness Scale for Adolescents. Data obtained on the ALP-R2 were subjected to principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation. RESULTS: A 5-factor solution was accepted. Construct validity was provided by statistically significant positive correlations between the ALP-R2 and two theoretically relevant variables. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, the ALP-R2 is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing health-promoting lifestyle in adolescents.

HIV/AIDS Knowledge, Self-Efficacy for Limiting Sexual Risk Behavior and Parental Monitoring.

The purpose of this study was to explore HIV/AIDS knowledge, self-efficacy for sexual risk behaviors, and parental monitoring in a sample of 140 7th and 9th grade adolescents studying in an urban high school in the United States. Further, the study examined differences in HIV/AIDS knowledge, self-efficacy and parental monitoring by grade and gender. This study also investigated the effectiveness of an HIV/AIDS peer education program, Teens for AIDS Prevention (TAP), on improving adolescents' HIV/AIDS knowledge. A quasi-experimental design was used to examine effects of the peer education program (TAP) on adolescents' HIV/AIDS knowledge. Pearson-product-moment correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the relationships among the variables. Independent t-tests were used to compare adolescents' HIV/AIDS knowledge, self-efficacy, and parental monitoring scores by grade and gender. Paired t-tests were used to determine differences in pre-intervention and post-intervention HIV/AIDS knowledge. The results showed that HIV/AIDS knowledge improved significantly in both 7th and 9th grade students after the intervention. HIV/AIDS knowledge was associated with self-efficacy; however it was not associated with parental monitoring. There were no significant differences in HIV/AIDS knowledge and self-efficacy by gender. However, there was a significant difference in parental monitoring by gender. Pediatric nurses are well-positioned to develop and implement evidence-based programs for adolescents. It is essential that pediatric nurses, in conjunction with other professionals and parent groups, take the initiative in implementing peer education programs in schools and community centers to promote healthy behaviors among adolescents.

A theoretical model of health-related outcomes of resilience in middle adolescents.

There is a dearth of knowledge about the health outcomes of resilience during adolescence, making the study of health-related outcomes of resilience important. The purpose of this study was to develop a theory-based just-identified model and to test the direct and indirect effects of resilience on hope, well-being, and health-promoting lifestyle in middle adolescents. The study used a correlational design. The final sample consisted of 311 middle adolescents, aged 15 to 17, who were recruited from a public high school. Participants responded to instrument packets in classroom settings. The structural equation model was tested with the LISREL 8.80 software program. All seven hypotheses were supported at a statistically significant level (p < .001). The results supported the theoretical propositions and the previous empirical findings that were used to create the theoretical model of health-related outcomes of resilience. Alternate models of outcomes of resilience need to be tested on adolescents.

An integrative review of adolescent hope.

The purpose of this integrative review was to synthesize the published research on adolescent hope using Cooper's (Cooper, H. M. (1989). Integrating research: A guide for literature reviews (2nd ed.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage) five stages. Computerized databases were used to search for relevant studies published between the years 1990 to 2010. Thirty-six studies met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Variables studied in relation to hope were categorized as antecedent, coincident, and consequent concepts. Two antecedent, ten coincident, and ten consequent concepts of hope were included in the review. The number of statistically significant and non-significant correlations of these variables to hope is presented. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations for future studies are offered.

Preparing peer educators for teen HIV/AIDS prevention.

Adolescents, as a group, are at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases because of their developmental level, which often leads to impulsiveness and desire for experimentation. Finding ways to educate and motivate adolescents to avoid sexual risk behaviors is a challenge to pediatric nurses and teachers. Theoretically based peer education programs help change adolescent risk behaviors because of the influence of peers during adolescence. This article presents information on a project aiming to prepare peer leaders in an urban high school to become peer educators using the program Teens for AIDS Prevention. Nurses can play a major role in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of peer education programs to prevent adolescent risk behaviors.