The Purpose, Process, and Advancement of Forensic Nursing Standards.

BACKGROUND: To strengthen the nation's use of forensic science and advance professional practice, forensic practitioners and scientists in the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) develop standards in forensic science. The Forensic Nursing Subcommittee was created by OSAC in 2021 to develop standards that improve patient outcomes through delivery of consistent practice guidelines, evidence-based techniques for preservation of evidence, and accurate representation of practice and examination findings. PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to relate the history of forensic science standard development in the United States, discuss the rationale for forensic nursing standards, and describe the standards development process. In this article, we provide an overview of OSAC and the OSAC Forensic Nursing Subcommittee. We discuss how forensic nurses can be involved in the development and advancement of standards that define minimum requirements, best practices, and evidence-based protocols to ensure reliable and reproducible outcomes. IMPLICATIONS FOR FORENSIC NURSES: The development of forensic nursing standards is an important step in advancing the profession. It is critical that forensic nurses are actively involved in the standards development process, which includes volunteering to serve on the OSAC Forensic Nursing Subcommittee or a forensic nursing standards development organization, providing input into standards drafts during the public comment period, and implementing approved standards into practice.

Forensic Nursing competencies in disasters situations: scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: To map sources of technical-scientific information on Forensic Nursing competencies in disasters situations. METHOD: Scoping review developed in accordance with the JBI methodology, carried out in three stages by two reviewers independently on selected databases and gray literature, using keywords and descriptors. After reading them in full, we proceeded with data extraction and content analysis of 28 publications. RESULTS: Identified 24 publications in English, 20 of which were produced in the United States of America. 24 competencies of forensic nurses in disasters situations were mapped, including: training; resource management; link with the justice service; direct care; psycho-emotional care; collection and preservation of traces; registration and documentation with photography; body management; maintenance of the chain of custody; and epidemiological surveillance. CONCLUSION: The forensic nurse acts in all phases of disasters with the affected people, families and communities, under an interdisciplinary perspective. The development of competencies aimed at the practice of Forensic Nursing in disasters should be incorporated into the training strategies of these professionals, in order to obtain better response standards.

The Lived Experience of Breast Cancer Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This article seeks to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer. As part of a mixed-methods study of 69 women who have or currently live with breast cancer, 27 participants opted into a Phase II semistructured interview to further discuss their experiences of emotional coping during the treatment process, beliefs about therapy, and the impact of COVID-19 on their emotional experience during treatment. Thematic narrative analysis was used to identify common themes. Participants shared about the unique stressors and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic during their treatment and how it complicated the already emotional experience of coping with cancer. Five identified themes include (1) logistical impact of COVID-19 and its effects on accessing medical care, (2) concerns related to accessing emotional support, (3) emotional reactions to battling breast cancer while living through a global pandemic, (4) ways in which loss was experienced, and (5) benefits to technology-based psychoeducation and social supports that were identified during the pandemic. COVID-19 had a significant impact on those currently in treatment for breast cancer including increasing fear, decreasing social support, and increased logistical challenges. Changes to psychotherapeutic treatment protocols to include technologically enhanced psychological support during treatment and digitally based psychoeducation curriculum are warranted.

Forensic Nursing competencies in disasters situations: scoping review / Competências de enfermagem forense em situações de desastres: revisão do escopo / Competencias de la enfermería forense en situaciones de catástrofes: scoping review

ABSTRACT Objective: To map sources of technical-scientific information on Forensic Nursing competencies in disasters situations. Method: Scoping review developed in accordance with the JBI methodology, carried out in three stages by two reviewers independently on selected databases and gray literature, using keywords and descriptors. After reading them in full, we proceeded with data extraction and content analysis of 28 publications. Results: Identified 24 publications in English, 20 of which were produced in the United States of America. 24 competencies of forensic nurses in disasters situations were mapped, including: training; resource management; link with the justice service; direct care; psycho-emotional care; collection and preservation of traces; registration and documentation with photography; body management; maintenance of the chain of custody; and epidemiological surveillance. Conclusion: The forensic nurse acts in all phases of disasters with the affected people, families and communities, under an interdisciplinary perspective. The development of competencies aimed at the practice of Forensic Nursing in disasters should be incorporated into the training strategies of these professionals, in order to obtain better response standards.

RESUMO Objetivo: Mapear fontes de informações técnico-científicas relativas às competências da Enfermagem Forense em situações de desastres. Método: Revisão de escopo desenvolvida de acordo com a metodologia JBI, realizada em três etapas por dois revisores, de forma independente, em bases de dados e literatura cinzenta selecionadas, utilizando palavras-chave e descritores. Depois de lê-los na íntegra, foi feita extração de dados e análise de conteúdo de 28 publicações. Resultados: Identificamos 24 publicações em inglês, das quais 20 foram produzidas nos Estados Unidos da América. Foram mapeadas 24 competências do enfermeiro forense em situações de desastres, entre elas: treinamento; gerenciamento de recursos; vínculo com o serviço de justiça; atendimento direto; atendimento psicoemocional; coleta e preservação de vestígios; registro e documentação com fotografia; gerenciamento de corpos; manutenção da cadeia de custódia; e vigilância epidemiológica. Conclusão: O enfermeiro forense atua em todas as fases dos desastres com as pessoas, famílias e comunidades afetadas, em uma perspectiva interdisciplinar. O desenvolvimento de competências voltadas para a prática da Enfermagem Forense em desastres deve ser incorporado às estratégias de treinamento desses profissionais, a fim de se obter melhores padrões de resposta.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Mapear las fuentes de información técnico-científica sobre competencias de Enfermería Forense en situaciones de catástrofes. Método: Scoping review desarrollada de acuerdo con la metodología del JBI, realizada en tres etapas por dos revisores de forma independiente sobre bases de datos y literatura gris seleccionadas, utilizando palabras clave y descriptores. Tras su lectura completa, se procedió a la extracción de datos y análisis de contenido de 28 publicaciones. Resultados: Se identificaron 24 publicaciones en inglés, 20 de ellas realizadas en Estados Unidos de América. Se mapearon 24 competencias de los enfermeros forenses en situaciones de catástrofes, entre ellas: formación; gestión de recursos; vínculo con el servicio de justicia; atención directa; atención psicoemocional; recogida y preservación de vestigios; registro y documentación con fotografía; gestión de cadáveres; mantenimiento de la cadena de custodia; y vigilancia epidemiológica. Conclusión: El personal de enfermería forense actúa en todas las fases de las catástrofes con las personas afectadas, familias y comunidades, en una perspectiva interdisciplinar. El desarrollo de competencias dirigidas a la práctica de la Enfermería Forense en catástrofes debe incorporarse a las estrategias de formación de estos profesionales, con el fin de obtener mejores estándares de respuesta.

Triangle of Healthy Caregiving for Veterans With Spinal Cord Injury: Proposal for a Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating injury that results in chronic paralysis, impaired functioning, and drastically altered quality of life (QOL). The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates that approximately 450 newly injured veterans and active-duty members receive rehabilitation at VA's Spinal Cord Injury/Disorders Centers annually. VA virtual health services use technology and health informatics to provide veterans with better access and more effective care management. The "Triangle of Healthy Caregiving for SCI Veterans" is a patient-centered intervention that incorporates SCI veterans' caregivers into the VA SCI health care team and extends into the homes of veterans with SCI by using real-time clinical video teleconferencing (CVT). CVT facilitates video-clinic visits, which can include different types of clinical evaluations, therapy (physical/occupational), or psychosocial services. The "Triangle of Healthy Caregiving for SCI Veterans" builds on interactive, interdisciplinary health care relationships that exist between the veterans with SCI, their caregivers, and the VA SCI health care team. SCI veterans' propensity to multiple secondary complications makes a healthy partnership crucial for the success of keeping better health and functional outcomes as well as quality of life while living in their homes. OBJECTIVE: The goal of the proposed mixed methods project will assess SCI veterans', their caregivers', and the VA health care team's perspectives and experiences in the "Triangle of Healthy Caregiving for SCI Veterans" to determine the benefits, challenges, and outcomes for everyone involved in the intervention. METHODS: Data collection methods will be implemented over three sequential phases. First, in-depth interviews will be conducted with the telehealth coordinators to systematically document the administrative procedures involved in enrollment of veterans with SCI into the CVT system. Next, structured observation of the CVT enrollment process and logistics of home installation of the CVT system will be conducted to validate the content of the in-depth interviews and highlight any discrepancies observed. Semistructured interviews will be conducted to assess specific elements of the "Triangle of Healthy Caregiving for SCI Veterans" program, their perceived utility, and effectiveness of the CVT system as well as the general impressions of the impact of the intervention on the SCI veterans' health and function outcomes, caregiver burden, and daily caregiver burden. Finally, the research team will conduct a focus group to evaluate the ways in which the "Triangle of Healthy Caregiving for SCI Veterans" is useful for health care delivery to veterans with SCI and support services to SCI caregivers. RESULTS: This proposal was funded in July 2017. It was reviewed and received institutional review board approval in March 2018, and the project was started immediately after, in the same month. As of September 2019, we have completed Phases I and III and have recruited 52 subjects for Phase II. We are beginning the data analysis. The study is projected to be completed in late summer of 2020, and the expected results are to be published in the fall of 2020. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study will highlight the ways in which virtual health care technologies can be used to improve access to SCI specialized care for veterans and provide an estimation of the potential impact on clinical outcomes for veterans with SCI and their caregivers. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/14051.

Spinal Cord Injury Veterans' Disability Benefits, Outcomes, and Health Care Utilization Patterns: Protocol for a Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: An estimated 42,000 people currently living with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) are veterans. SCI was a common combat-related injury in the World Wars and Vietnam era and now affects more than 11% of military personnel injured in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The Veterans Benefits Administration primarily offers financial compensation for disabilities sustained or re-aggravated during military service, called service-connected disability compensation. With the overwhelming cost of living with an SCI, this monthly financial compensation can provide service-connected veterans and their families with access to additional supportive resources (eg, assistive devices and personal aide) and maintain their quality of life (QOL). Little is known about personal, health, functional, and QOL outcomes associated with service-connected and nonservice-connected status for veterans living with an SCI. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to compare the ways in which Veterans Affairs' (VA) service-connected and nonservice-connected status may be associated with health and functional outcomes, choice of health care provider, and overall QOL for veterans living with an SCI and their caregivers. METHODS: This cross-sectional qualitative study will gather data using retrospective chart reviews, semistructured interviews, and focus groups. After obtaining institutional review board (IRB) approval, purposeful sampling techniques will be used to recruit and enroll the following key stakeholders: veterans living with an SCI, family caregivers, and SCI health care providers. Concurrent data collection will take place at 2 sites: Veterans Administration New Jersey Healthcare System and Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System. RESULTS: This study was funded in July 2015. IRB approval was obtained by November 2016 at both sites. Enrollment and data collection for phase 1 to phase 4 are complete. A total of 69 veterans, 18 caregivers, and 19 SCI clinicians enrolled in the study. Data analyses for these phases are underway. In phase 5, the follow-up focus group activities are scheduled. The final results are expected by the end of 2019. CONCLUSIONS: The factors that contribute to veterans living with SCI seeking and not seeking VA disability compensation benefits are not well understood in rehabilitation research. Triangulation of these data sources will allow us to compare, contrast, and integrate the results, which can be used to develop clinical guidelines, caregiver training, and patient education programs. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/14039.

Centrally located lung cancer and risk of occult nodal disease: an objective evaluation of multiple definitions of tumour centrality with dedicated imaging software.

INTRODUCTION: Current guidelines recommend invasive mediastinal staging in patients with centrally located radiographic stage T1N0M0 nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The lack of a specific definition of a central tumour has resulted in discrepancies among guidelines and heterogeneity in practice patterns. METHODS: Our objective was to study specific definitions of tumour centrality and their association with occult nodal disease. Pre-operative chest computed tomography scans from patients with clinical (c) T1N0M0 NSCLC were processed with a dedicated software system that divides the lungs in thirds following vertical and concentric lines. This software accurately assigns tumours to a specific third based both on the location of the centre of the tumour and its most medial aspect, creating eight possible definitions of central tumours. RESULTS: 607 patients were included in our study. Surgery was performed for 596 tumours (98%). The overall pathological (p) N disease was: 504 (83%) N0, 56 (9%) N1, 47 (8%) N2 and no N3. The prevalence of N2 disease remained relatively low regardless of tumour location. Central tumours were associated with upstaging from cN0 to any N (pN1/pN2). Two definitions were associated with upstaging to any N: concentric lines, inner one-third, centre of the tumour (OR 3.91, 95% CI 1.85-8.26; p<0.001) and concentric lines, inner two-thirds, most medial aspect of the tumour (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.23-2.97; p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: We objectively identified two specific definitions of central tumours. While the rate of occult mediastinal disease was relatively low regardless of tumour location, central tumours were associated with upstaging from cN0 to any N.

In search of the kingdom: the social gospel, settlement sociology, and the science of reform in America's progressive era.

This critical narrative history examines the development of sociology in the United States during what has come to be labeled as the Progressive Era, roughly the years from the 1890s to World War I. Despite the label, this era was defined as much by social problems associated with industrialization, urbanization, and immigration as by the growth of its cities and the wealth of its capitalists. We explore the roots of American sociology in the transition of protestant theology from Calvinism to its reformation in the social gospel, the simultaneous development of settlement houses, and the "creation" of sociology as the science of reform.

Copper-Induced Cytotoxicity and Transcriptional Activation of Stress Genes in Human Liver Carcinoma (HepG(2)) Cells.

Copper is a naturally occurring element found as a component of many minerals. It is an essential nutrient that is normally present in a wide variety of tissues. In humans, ingestion of large quantities of copper salts may cause gastrointestinal, hepatic, and renal effects with symptoms such as severe abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, hemolysis, hepatic necrosis, hematuria, proteinuria, hypotension, tachycardia, convulsions, coma, and death. The chronic toxicity of copper has been characterized in patients with Wilson's disease, a genetic disorder causing copper accumulation in tissues. Although the clinical manifestations of Wilson's disease (cirrhosis of the liver, hemolytic anemia, neurologic abnormalities, and corneal opacities) are known, the cellular and molecular events associated with copper toxicity are poorly understood. In the present study, we used human liver carcinoma (HepG(2)) cells as a model to study the cytotoxicity, and the potential mechanisms of copper-induced toxicity and carcinogenesis. We hypothesized that copper-induction of stress genes may play a role in the cellular and molecular events leading to toxicity and tumor formation in liver cells. To test this hypothesis, we performed the MTT-assay for cell viability, the CAT-Tox(L) assay for gene induction, to assess the transcriptional activation of stress genes. Data obtained from the MTT assay indicated a strong dose-response relationship with respect to copper toxicity. Upon 48 h of exposure, the chemical dose required to cause 50% reduction in cell viability (LD(50)) was computed to be 220.5 ± 23.8 µg/mL copper sulfate. The CAT-Tox (L) assay showed statistically significant inductions (p < 0.05) of a significant number of stress genes including c-fos, HMTIIA, HSP70, GRP78, RARE, GADD153, and RARE. These data support previous research indicating that copper overload is hepatotoxic. The CAT-Tox data on the other hand indicate that copper overload induces proteotoxic effects (HMTIIA, HSP70, GRP78), inflammatory reactions/oxidative stress (c-fos), and growth arrest and DNA damage (p53, GADD153). The induction of RARE points to its potential involvement in growth and development.

Developing a joint GP vocational training scheme and paediatric modular teaching programme: the way forward.

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN IN THIS AREA • GP VTS trainees normally attend separate GP teaching programmes from SHOs in specialty posts. • Specialty teaching programmes have been hospital orientated and lacking in primary care relevance. WHAT THIS WORK ADDS • This joint GP/paediatric course was highly rated by both GP and paediatric trainees. • GP VTS trainees were even more positive about the course than paediatric SHOs. • Integrated teaching between primary and secondary care is the way forward. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH • Evaluation of integrated GP/specialty teaching programmes to ensure that they are of relevance to all attendees.

Racial disparities in coronary heart disease: a sociological view of the medical literature on physician bias.

PURPOSE: To interpret, within a sociological context, evidence of physician bias in the management and outcomes of coronary heart disease (CHD) treatment for African Americans vs Whites. DATA IDENTIFICATION: Articles addressing race and ethnic disparities in CHD, and gender as an additional risk factor, published since 1980, were searched and reviewed. Source material was identified using the electronic search engines for MEDLINE and Sociological STUDY SELECTION: Articles were included in the review of race or ethnic disparities in heart disease when they provided direct or indirect evidence of potential sources of physician bias and/or differential treatment for CHD. Three types of studies suggest the presence of physician bias, and include those demonstrating: 1) patterned disparities in treatments and interventions; 2) practitioner perceptual bias/stereotyping of patients; and 3) patient perceptions of bias in treatment. RESULTS: A growing body of research supports the presence of physician bias in differential treatment practices for CHD based on patient race/ethnicity, and sometimes patient gender and socioeconomic status, which manifests as additional risk factors in the quality of care, pharmacological therapy, and use of invasive procedures. Access to care and patient preferences/behaviors do not fully account for racial disparities in CHD treatment. CONCLUSION: Socioeconomics, individual racism, and institutional racism represent 3 predominant pathways to differential treatment for CHD that are mediated by the patient-provider relationship. Racial biases are shown to be a part of the social structure of medical practices at both the macro and micro levels. Individual healthcare providers can potentially reduce disparities in Black-White CHD treatment and outcomes by examining the patient-provider relationship for bias. Future studies will require addressing more direct ways of measuring, monitoring, and reducing subtle bias in the healthcare system.