Teaching the process of developing a professional portfolio.

The changing healthcare environment is placing new demands on today's professionals to demonstrate evidence of their continued competence to practice. Obtaining relicensure may soon require the use of a professional portfolio. In many instances, portfolios are already necessary for recertification by some specialty organizations. The author describes a course that teaches students how to prepare a professional portfolio.

Responses and concerns of healthcare providers to medication errors.

This descriptive, correlational study examined the responses and concerns of healthcare professionals about making medication errors and estimated patient harm from such errors. A systematic random sample of nurses, pharmacists, and physicians (N = 402) completed a self-report survey about a medication error they judged to be serious. Respondents were guilty, nervous, and worried about the error. They feared for the safety of the patient, disciplinary action, and punishment. A few subjects indicated that they never reported the errors. The most frequent symptoms associated with errors were neurologically based. The injury suffered by patients was not severe overall according to the harm scales. Weak correlations were found for the harm scales and responses and concerns. The authors suggest a supportive environment for the provider following an error and continuous quality improvement efforts to eliminate system-based errors.

High-tech wound and ostomy care in the home setting.

The role of the home health care nurse has expanded as a result of a burgeoning client base. This client group is sicker and relies on technology at an ever increasing rate. As the critical care nurse transitions into the homecare setting, wound, ostomy, and fistula management will require a broader base of expertise. Adequate reimbursement is tied to accurate assessment and documentation. The clinician armed with these skills is better prepared to develop an effective plan of care for this group of clients.

The healthy heart: health promotion and maintenance.

Coronary heart disease is the number 1 killer of American men and women. Although much attention has been focused on reducing risk factors for this disease, interventions have been somewhat unsuccessful. Previous models of health promotion have centered on gathering assessment data, suggesting specific strategies for health promotion, and scrutinizing client support systems. The healthy heart promotion model proposed in the article includes these factors and emphasizes the setting in which cardiovascular health promotion activities occur. A supportive environment is crucial to decreasing the magnitude of modifiable risk factors in a cost-effective manner.