Cheryl Delgado

Effect of Canine Play Interventions as a Stress Reduction Strategy in College Students

Forty-eight students engaged with a therapy dog for 15 minutes during finals week to evaluate the effect on stress. Psychological (Perceived Stress Scale, visual analog scales) and physiologic stress (vital signs, salivary cortisol) measures were collected before and after the intervention. Paired t tests showed significant reductions in all psychological and physiologic measures except diastolic blood pressure. This supports animal-assisted therapy as an effective stress management strategy for nursing and other college students.

A Survey of Current Valued Academic Leadership Qualities in Nursing

AIMAn informal survey was used to identify nurse faculty leadership qualities currently valued and relevant. BACKGROUNDThe accelerating retirement rate for seasoned leaders has created a need for nurse educators and academic leaders. Our school was concerned that we were not meeting students’ needs for today’s leadership challenges. We were also interested in the experiences of leadership preparation. METHODThis was a cross-sectional, online survey of faculty at top nursing schools as determined by US News & World Report. FINDINGSThe top leadership qualities identified were integrity, communication clarity, and problem-solving ability. Current challenges for leaders were finding qualified faculty, obtaining resources, and team building. CONCLUSIONThe results may guide curricular adjustments and the transition to a new generation of nurse academic leaders.

Reading and comprehension levels in a sample of urban, low-income persons

Objective: Because health literacy is related to healthcare outcomes, this study looked at reading and comprehension levels in a sample of urban, low-income persons. Design: This was a descriptive exploration of reading comprehension levels, controlled for medical problems that could impact on vision and therefore ability to read. Setting: Ninety persons were recruited in the waiting areas of a healthcare provider serving the homeless and urban poor. Method: Visual acuity and blood pressures were obtained and for diabetic patients measures of glycaemic control were recorded. Reading and comprehension was tested with the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) 4 standardized assessment. Limited demographic data was obtained. Descriptive and frequency statistics were calculated as well as Pearson r coefficients. Results: Results indicated that most participants were healthy or had well controlled conditions. No health parameters were significantly related to reading/comprehension scores. Reading and comprehension scores were lower than standardized norms with mean reading just under grade 10 and comprehension at mid-ninth grade. The mean composite scores placed them in the lower 30th percentile of readers. Women scored below men in all areas. Conclusion: Participants in this study had reading and comprehension levels at beginning high school level. They may have difficulty understanding healthcare hand-outs and instructions. Healthcare information sources should be written at levels comprehensible to clients, and alternative methods of information dissemination should be considered.