Sandra R. Edwardson

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY AND DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE AS COMPLEMENTARY DEGREES

The introduction of the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) has raised serious concerns about the disciplines continuing ability to build its body of knowledge at an appropriate rate. After noting the various concerns that have been raised that the DNP siphons off prospective doctor of philosophy (PhD) students and compromises the standing of schools of nursing in universities, the distinct but complementary roles of nurses with the two preparations are described. Rather than worry about the DNP distracting from the PhD, the argument is made that these two degrees support one another and together can help to advance the creation and translation of knowledge into the practice of the discipline. Similar discussions about the distinction between practice and research in the field of education are noted.

Symptom consultation in lay networks in an elderly population.

Although lay referrals are known to be important as factors affecting the use of professional services, less is known about how individuals use lay consultation in evaluating symptoms. The amount and type of advice given by persons in the social network is especially important with respect to self care of symptoms that never reach the attention of professional caregivers. This article provides information on how often and from whom elderly citizens seek and receive consultation, such as family and friends, when they experience common symptoms. Findings suggest that female relatives are important sources of advice but that neither gender nor living arrangements are closely related to the tendency to seek lay advice for common symptoms. Subjects who consulted lay advisers about arthritic symptoms also were more likely to seek professional consultation.

Appropriateness of self-care responses to symptoms among elders: identifying pathways of influence.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the separate and joint influences of sociodemographic, social situational (social support and interpersonal functioning), and symptom variables on the appropriateness of self-care responses to symptoms among elderly people. A cross-sectional face-to-face structured interview of a sample of noninstitutionalized, English-speaking persons 65 and older living in Minneapolis was used. The theoretical framework for the investigation was tested using graphical modeling techniques. A majority of the subjects responded appropriately to the symptoms they experienced. Gender was a key variable in understanding which of the sociodemographic, social support, interpersonal functioning, and symptom variables were related to the likelihood that individuals would engage in appropriate self-care. There appear to be fundamental differences in the influence of the social situational variables for men and women. If these results are confirmed in future studies, different intervention strategies may be needed for assisting elderly men and women in interpreting and responding to their symptoms.

Using gaming simulation to evaluate bioterrorism and emergency readiness education

Objective. We performed an outcome evaluation of the impact of public health preparedness training as a group comparison posttest design to determine the differences in the way individuals who had participated in training performed in a simulated emergency. Methods. The Experimental Group 1 included students who had graduated from or were currently enrolled in the bioterrorism and emergency readiness (BT/ER) curriculum at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. The comparison groups included individuals who had access to the Internet and were aware of the 2006 online simulation Disaster in Franklin County: A Public Health Simulation. The evaluation process employed surveys and the gaming simulation as sources for primary data. Results. Participants in the BT/ER curriculum (p=0.0001) and other participants completing at least 45 hours of training in the past year (p=0.0001) demonstrated higher effectiveness scores (accuracy of chosen responses within the simulation) than participants who did not report significant amounts of training. Conclusions. This evaluation research demonstrated that training is significantly associated with better performance in a simulated emergency using gaming technology.