Angeline Bushy

Interventions that address cancer health disparities in women.

Health disparities exist in cancer incidence and mortality rates among certain populations. Women of low socioeconomic status and minority women are at particular risk for not adhering to recommended cancer screening guidelines. Such behaviors may contribute to disparities when cancers are discovered at later stages, contributing to higher mortality rates in these women. Barriers to screening tests exist and are factors in preventing women from accessing available screening tests for breast and cervical cancer. Once barriers are identified, interventions can be developed to reduce certain health disparities. This article is a review of the literature that focuses on interventions that have been successful in addressing barriers that interfere with cancer screening in women.

Exploring Uncertainty in Advance Care Planning in African Americans Does Low Health Literacy Influence Decision Making Preference at End of Life

African Americans over 65 represent 3.5 of the 35.6 million Americans. Morbidity and mortality rates are highest among this group; associated with lack of resources and awareness of health problems. But health needs are the same at end of life, yet care is less than optimal. African Americans are less likely to have advance directives nonetheless desire communication, information, respect, and a trusting doctor-patient relationship. Low health literacy may contribute to this disparity. This scholarly review examines the health literacy in advance care planning and refines concepts of uncertainty in illness theory deriving a model for advance care planning in African Americans.

When your Client Lives in a Rural Area Part I: Rural Health Care Delivery Issues

In the past 2 years there has been increased emphasis on health care delivery concerns in rural environments. Research monies also target the health care needs of vulnerable populations living in areas with a shortage of health professionals; many of these populations are located in rural areas. There is, however, a paucity of information about populations and mental health nursing in rural environment. Part I of this two-part article summarizes pertinent definitions and characteristics of rural environments. The health care delivery system in rural settings is considered within a framework of availability, accessibility, and acceptability of services. Traditional belief systems are highlighted, and the impact of these on health care-seeking behaviors of rural people are discussed.

A rating scale to evaluate research posters.

Many nursing conferences include research reports in the form of oral reports, symposia discussions, and poster presentations. To assist faculty, students, and clinicians in the systematic preparation and critique of poster presentations, the author discusses her 30-item research-poster appraisal tool (RPAT). The tool assists nurses in preparing nursing research posters, guides nursing faculty in grading research posters that are a class assignment, and lets viewers systematically critique posters.

Conducting culturally competent rural nursing research.

The face of America is changing. In efforts to provide services to and meet the needs of consumers of different ethnicities and cultures, cultural competence has become a driving force not only in health care but also in business, education, and research. Lack of cultural competence among caregivers has been linked to health disparities, decreased client satisfaction, and decreased client adherence to recommended medical regimens. The depth of rural research in general, and by nurse researchers focusing on rural cultural groups in particular, is limited. This chapter focuses on conducting rural nursing research with rural cultural groups, highlights methodological issues that are commonly encountered with rural populations, and proposes strategies to address them. Addressing methodological challenges will contribute to the limited knowledge base related to culture and ethnicity in rural nursing research.

Ethnocultural sensitivity and measurement of consumer satisfaction.

Stemming from the diversity in the U.S. population, ethnocultural factors no longer can be ignored when defining and assessing consumer satisfaction. Likewise, there is a critical need for process models that consider consumer heterogeneity. Continuous quality improvement (CQI) programs must look beyond whether or not services are accessible and cost-effective. The processes must also measure if services are acceptable and appropriate for a target population. This article describes how the discipline of anthropology can provide useful tools to obtain critically needed ethnocultural information.

Exploring rural medicine : current issues and concepts

Rural Medical Practice - Barbara P Yawn Present and Future Labor and Delivery Crises - Charles S Field and Barbara P Yawn Rural Solutions Stabilization and Transport of the Ill Newborn Infant - Theodore R Thompson Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia - John J McNamara and Nancy N Hoogenhous After the Infant Goes Home Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder - Carolyn McKay Recognition and Evaluation of Child Abuse - Daniel D Broughton Adolescent Pregnancies in Rural America - Barbara P Yawn and Roy A Yawn A Review of the Literature and Strategies for Prevention Common Mental Health Problems - Lawrence P Peterson Environmental Hazards - Barbara P Yawn Managing Trauma in the Rural Emergency Department - David M Larson Basic Organization Managing Trauma in the Rural Emergency Department - David M Larson Specific Problems Treatment of Acute Myocardial Infarction with Thrombolytic Drugs in the Rural Hospital - Roy A Yawn Womens Health Issues - Cheri L Olson Caring for the AIDS Patient in a Rural Practice - Richard D Simon Jr Treatment of Patients with Terminal Cancer - Wayne H Thalhuber Caring for Dying Patients and Their Families - Norma Wylie Health Maintenance in Clinical Practice - Paul S Frame Strategies and Barriers Patient Education in the Rural Practice - Patricia A Gibson and Claudia J Kapp Making Your Practice Palatable for Your Patients - Barbara P Yawn and Angeline Bushy Cultural Competency Ethics Dilemmas in Rural Practice - Angeline Bushy and J Randall Rauh Quality Assessment in Rural Practice - Peter G Harper, Charles E McCoy and Angeline Bushy Living Through Malpractice Litigation - J Randall Rauh and Angeline Bushy

Case Management: Considerations for Coordinating Quality Services in Rural Communities

Case management is a growing phenomenon, being implemented across the continuum of care, employing a variety of models and approaches, and appearing in a spectrum of geographic locations. Implementing case management in rural communities involves unique dimensions. Consideration of these dimensions is critical to effective provision of quality health care services through case management.

Implementing a rural nursing course.

Southern Alberta is essentially a rural Canadian province and therefore an ideal setting for offering a rural-focused nursing course. Considering the need for professional nurse preparation with a rural focus, three schools of nursing in the Province collaborated to launch their first rural nursing course. The authors elaborate on the process of developing the course, then establishing partnerships with rural communities to provide opportunities for a nursing practicum.

Implementing Primary Prevention Programs for Adolescents in Rural Environments

Lifestyle behaviors generally are established during adolescence and these habits can increase or decrease a persons chance for a healthful and productive life. Thus, it is important that primary prevention and health promotion begin during those early years. A number of deterrents to the use of health promoting programs are identified but for rural residents there may be other barriers associated with demographic, social, geographic, cultural, economic, educational and political factors. Those environmental factors must be considered when planning, implementing and evaluating programs. In turn, provider-community partnerships are an effective strategy to provide services in rural communities within the constraints of limited resources.Lifestyle behaviors generally are established during adolescence and these habits can increase or decrease a persons chance for a healthful and productive life. Thus, it is important that primary prevention and health promotion begin during those early years. A number of deterrents to the use of health promoting programs are identified but for rural residents there may be other barriers associated with demographic, social, geographic, cultural, economic, educational and political factors. Those environmental factors must be considered when planning, implementing and evaluating programs. In turn, provider-community partnerships are an effective strategy to provide services in rural communities within the constraints of limited resources.