Jennifer L. Brown

Mission possible CD ROM: Instructional tool for preceptors

Senior student preceptorship is a vital clinical component of many baccalaureate nursing curricula providing a one-on-one partnership with a registered nurse with clinical expertise. Experiential data and literature review support the preceptors need for guidance with student assessment and evaluation strategies. This article reports on research conducted to assess the perceived increase in a preceptors knowledge after viewing an author developed instructional CD, Mission Possible CD ROM: Instructional Tool for Preceptors. The results suggest that perceived knowledge increased; however, the lack of time to view the CD was an issue for the majority of the nurse preceptor participants. More research is warranted to build on current literature regarding instructional strategies of benefit to a nurse in the preceptor role.

School Achievement and Sexual Abstinence:Positive Correlates for Adolescents?

According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, nearly half of high school seniors have had sexual intercourse. This early sexual involvement may have negative consequences on the adolescenti¯s personality system, behavior system, and environment system has been posited. This study clearly supported this assertion with regard, specifically, to school achievement. While causality cannot be confirmed, a strong relationship was found between school achievement and beliefs favoring abstinence. High achieving youths in this study see the gains to be realized from abstinence is indicated by their self-reported agreement with abstaining from sex, even until marriage. Conversely, the low achieving youths seem not to be realizing the negative consequences associated with early sexual involvement. Educational outcomes certainly seem to be associated with choices made by youths regarding their sexual behavior and intentions. Abstinence education interventions may be an important addition to education of quality.