Cheryl Stegbauer

Use of the Female Sexual Function Index in Women with Vulvar Intraepithelial Neoplasia

The present investigation extends the validation of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI; Rosen et al., 2000) to include women with vulvar excisions for vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN). No instrument previously has been validated in this population. We administered the instrument to 43 women (n = 43) with VIN treated with vulvar excision and age-matched healthy controls (n = 43). We found the FSFI to have high reliability and validity in the VIN excision population. Discriminant validity and internal consistency were within acceptable ranges. Using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ C-30; Agronson et al., 1993) and the FSFI in this population, we found a correlation between a related construct of quality of life and sexual function.

Inactive nurses: a source for alleviating the nursing shortage?

Objective: This study seeks to provide an understanding of why inactive registered nurses chose to become inactive and what they would require for them to return to nursing. Background: In 2000, a shortage of 110,000 (6%) registered nurses existed in the United States. If the current trends continue, the shortage is projected to grow to 29% by 2020. One solution to the nursing shortage may be attracting nurses with inactive licenses back into employment. Methods: This study used a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. Data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Inactive nurses (N = 428) younger than 60 years in 1 Southern state were surveyed. A major portion (27.6%) of these nurses left nursing because of a conflict between parenting duties and scheduling requirements (13.5%) at work and indicated that they would return to nursing if given the opportunity to work part-time, especially if shifts were flexible and shorter. Conclusion: Although the group of registered nurses younger than 60 years do not constitute a large percentage of nurses in this country, they are a potential source of alleviating, to some extent, the critical nursing shortage. Employers can encourage many of these nurses to return to work by providing more flexible work schedules, including part-time and shorter shifts, as well as decreased workloads.

A model academic-practice partnership.

Academic-practice partnerships are increasingly viewed as requisite for the future of nursing and paramount to bridging education preparation and achievement of excellence in professional practice. A model partnership that grew out of a decision to transition a hospital diploma program to a baccalaureate degree program is described and lessons learned from that experience follow. In the 1900s, Memphis, Tennessee was witness to early evolutions in nursing education. In 1918, the Methodist Hospital School of Nursing (MHSON) was established, while just down the street, two years later, the Memphis City Hospital and its 33-year-old School of Nursing affiliated with The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). By 1927, the university assumed responsibility for the city hospital’s school of nursing and, in 1950, the school became one of the earliest baccalaureate (Bachelor of Science in Nursing [BSN]) programs in the country. For the next half-century, both the MHSON and the UTHSC programs coexisted with graduates of both playing critical roles throughout the growing Methodist-Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH) system. By mid-1990, interest in nursing waned and schools experienced difficulty filling classes. In response to this trend and other emerging forces in nursing and healthcare, the UTHSC College of Nursing (CON) made the bold decision to hold the BSN program in abeyance and focus on graduate education as Methodist and other local schools were meeting regional demands for entry-level nursing education. As the new millennium dawned, an even more challenging healthcare environment emerged. The increasing complexity of care in general, emphasis on the need to improve quality, and the burgeoning interest regarding the impact of professional nursing created new demands for nursing practice and education. It was in this environment that schools of nursing experienced a rapid increase in applications. Concurrently, MLH created the new role of senior vice president/chief nurse executive and selected a nurse leader who was charged with oversight for patient care and nursing practice in the multihospital system, including establishing a longrange plan for MHSON.

Formative and summative evaluation of a practice doctorate program.

Practice doctorate programs are developing rapidly to meet the American Association of Colleges of Nursing recommendation that advanced practice nurses will be prepared with a Doctor of Nursing Practice by 2015. Evaluation of nursing doctoral programs has focused almost exclusively on research doctorate programs. The authors examine formative evaluations from students enrolled in a practice doctorate program and summative evaluations provided by students at the time of and 1 year following graduation. Suggestions for nurse educators and administrators are presented.

Admission Health Status Differences of Black and White Indigent Nursing Home Residents

OBJECTIVE: To compare the health status of newly admitted lower socioeconomic status (SES) southern black (n = 81) and white (n = 53) nursing home residents.

Guide to Clinical Preventive Services

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