Doris F. Glick

International Experiences in Nursing Education: A Review of the Literature

Service learning and study abroad opportunities have become increasingly popular in nursing education in the past decade. The purpose of this systematic review was to explore existing literature concerning global health experiences in nursing education. Twenty-three empirical articles from 2003 to 2010 were reviewed, building upon existing reviews of international nursing education literature. Research on two-way exchange experiences and models for best practice were found to be lacking. While an array of countries were represented as the visiting or hosting side of the experience, few co-authors from host countries were found, particularly in literature originating from the U.S. The authors recommend that two-way exchange programs be evaluated to identify successful strategies and barriers to success. Ongoing evaluation of exchanges is necessary to ensure continued sustainable partnership and exchange in immersion experiences for nursing students.

A Systematic Review of the Relationship of Diabetes Mellitus, Depression, and Missed Appointments in a Low-Income Uninsured Population

The purpose of this systematic literature review was to determine the relationship between the diagnosis of diabetes and depression and missed appointments in a low-income, uninsured, racially heterogeneous, adult population. Research demonstrates that individuals with diabetes have an increased incidence of depression across socioeconomic and racial groups. Low-income individuals have an increased prevalence of depression. The cost and burden of diabetes are greatly increased among individuals with both diabetes and depression versus diabetes alone. The prevalence and effects of diabetes and depression in a low-income, uninsured, racially heterogeneous population have not been determined. Further research to explore the relationship of diabetes, depression, and missed appointments in this vulnerable population is needed before effective treatment models can be developed. Longitudinal studies are also needed to determine the cause and effect between diabetes and depression among all populations.

Psychometric Assessment of the Brazilian Version of the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to translate and psychometrically assess the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale (BSES) among women living in Fortaleza, CE, Brazil, and examine the relationship between breastfeeding self-efficacy (BSE) and maternal demographic variables. DESIGN AND SAMPLE This methodological study is the first translation of BSES conducted in South America. The psychometric assessment of the original study was replicated. This methodological study enrolled a group (sample of judgment) of 117 pregnant women. MEASURES BSES and maternal sociodemographic variables were studied. RESULTS The Cronbachs alpha coefficient for the translated BSES was .88. Significant differences in BSES scores were found among mothers with a previous satisfactory breastfeeding experience (M = 145.81; SD = + or - 6.82, p = .0001). Significant relationships were found among prenatal BSE and maternal age (r = .228; p = .01), educational level (r = .234; p = .01), and marital status (r = .183; p = .04). No relationship was found among BSE and maternal occupation, family income, or number of pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, our findings suggest that BSES translated into Portuguese may be a reliable and valid measure to assess maternal BSE in Brazilian culture. Minor changes may be needed to use it in other Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Portugal and Mozambique.

Preprocedural Distress in Children With Cancer: An Intervention Using Biofeedback and Relaxation

Children diagnosed with cancer experience many invasive procedures throughout diagnosis and treatment of their disease. These procedures, oftentimes a source of distress in children, can elicit a variety of anticipatory symptoms prior to the actual procedure. Although there have been efforts to develop approaches to alleviate this distress through use of distraction, relaxation, sedation, guided imagery, and hypnosis, there has not been a combination treatment that merged relaxation techniques and biofeedback within a pediatric framework. A group of 12 children diagnosed with cancer participated in a 4-session intervention combining relaxation and biofeedback. This feasibility study suggests that the combination intervention offered in a clinical setting may be beneficial to children experiencing procedural distress as a novel coping strategy.

Nursing Research and Participant Recruitment: Organizational Challenges and Strategies

Hospitals as research environments are crucial in advancing evidence-based practice and translational research. The authors discuss issues related to hospital-based nursing research such as institutional review board approval, the HIPAA, structure, unit characteristics, and nurse staffing as well as research-related issues such as study purpose and design, participant recruitment, and research personnel. Strategies and suggestions for nurse executives to assist researchers in overcoming recruitment challenges are presented.

The Relationship Between Diabetes Mellitus, Depression, and Missed Appointments in a Low-Income Uninsured Population

Purpose The purpose of this project is to identify rates of depression and document mental health needs of adults with diabetes who obtained care in free clinics. Data were collected to determine if there is a relationship between diabetes and depression and missed appointments in a sample of patients who were low-income, uninsured, and represented a variety of racial groups. Methods A sample of 183 adults with diabetes participated by completing paper and computerized questionnaires. Instruments included the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (to measure prevalence of depression), the RAND 36 Health Survey (to measure quality of health), the Audit of Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life (to measure diabetes-dependent quality of life), and the Diabetes Empowerment Scale (to measure self-efficacy). Results The prevalence of depression at a moderate or greater level in the sample was found to be 30.1%. Levels of quality of health and self-efficacy were found to be reduced among those with the presence of depression. A significant increase in the rate of depression was found among those who had attended the free clinic for a longer period. No significant differences were found in diabetes-dependent quality of life and missed appointments among those with depression compared with those without. Conclusions Rates of depression among adults with diabetes in a free clinic setting were found to be comparable with the highest rates reported by other studies of insured populations. Results of this study support the need to develop mental health treatment programs for free clinic settings.

Trends in breastfeeding research by Brazilian nurses

Exclusive breastfeeding is acknowledged as important for survival, optimal growth, and development of infants. The current review presents a synthesis of research output by Brazilian nurses on breastfeeding over the last 20 years, analyzes the theoretical and methodological issues emerging from studies on breastfeeding in Brazil, and provides directions for future research and practice by nurses in the area breastfeeding. Studies included in this review were identified through LILACS searches of Portuguese-language sources. Articles were organized and analyzed chronologically by comparing the evolution of the Brazilian Breastfeeding Program. The incomplete research output of the Brazilian nursing profession in regard to breastfeeding research needs to be addressed. In addition, specific cultural, sociological, and anthropological characteristics of Brazilian regional settings remain to be explored. Emphasis on potential confounders and critical interrelations is warranted.

Community development theory: Planning a community nursing center

The authors describe the use of community development theory to assess the need for a community-based, nurse-managed primary care clinic. A community development model provided the framework for citizen participation in identifying collective health needs of public housing residents. The model facilitated the following: 1) planning for delivery of culturally appropriate primary care services that respond to health needs perceived by community residents; 2) ensuring acceptability and use of services; and 3) empowering residents to take responsibility for their own health. This article focuses on the assessment phase of the model and meeting the perceived needs of community residents.

A Model to Develop Nurse Leaders for Rural Practice

Rural health disparities are due in part to access barriers to health care providers. Nursing education has been extended into rural areas, yet a limited rural research and practice literature informs the content and delivery of these educational programs. The University Of Virginia School of Nursing through a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration developed the Nursing Leadership in Rural Health Care (NLRHC) Program. The transformational nursing leadership in rural health care (TNLRHC) model guided the development of NLRHC program content and teaching methods. This article describes the TNLRHC model and how it has steered the integration of rural content into advanced practice nursing (APN) education. The capacity of the TNLRHC model for promoting innovation in APN education is described. Recommendations regarding the future development of APN education are presented.

Rural health nursing research review: global perspectives.

The CINAHL and MEDLINE databases were used to conduct a review of international rural nursing research published between 2003 and 2007. In total, 41 articles were reviewed and organized based on the United Nations Human development Index, which categorizes countries based on development status. Critical review of international rural nursing research yielded three major organizational themes: clinical issues, aspects of nursing practice, and nursing and health policy research. Despite the variety in international locale of the research, these themes and other common findings emerged. The need for increased access to specialized nursing knowledge, resources, and support is an ongoing issue facing nurses in rural and remote settings.