Nursing Students' Access to Test Banks: Are Your Tests Secure?

BACKGROUND: Schools of nursing have moved to multiple choice test questions to help prepare students for licensure and practice. However, students can buy test banks to help them "get through" nursing school. Accurate assessment of nursing students' knowledge and judgment comprises access to test banks. METHOD: The purpose of this exploratory study was to gain an understanding about nursing faculty's knowledge concerning test bank security issues, to assess whether publishers were aware of this issue, and vendor's reasons for supplying test banks to students. RESULTS: Overall, the results indicated that the majority of faculty were unaware of student access to test banks, and although most do not use test banks verbatim, general consensus existed that test bank security is a concern. CONCLUSION: Implications include increasing faculty awareness of test bank access by students, supporting educators to develop their own test bank items, and promoting security of all examinations. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(5):292-294.].

CARELINK: partners in a caring model: a cardiac management program for home care.

As a model of care, CARELINK promotes self-care and self-management of chronic illnesses for homebound older adults no longer eligible for skilled nursing services. A case-study method is used to highlight the key constructs and outcomes related to the model. The benefits of applying the CARELINK model as a cardiac management program for home care are discussed.

Glucose and cardiac risk factor control in individuals with type 2 diabetes: implications for patients and providers.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this descriptive study was to describe attainment of glucose and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factor goals and to identify factors that were associated with successful goal achievement. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey enrolled 110 subjects with type 2 diabetes undergoing screening for asymptomatic myocardial ischemia. RESULTS: Many participants had HbA1c levels > or =7% (45%), and 46% to 79% were not meeting goals for CHD risk reduction. Individual factors of age, gender, and anxiety; the illness-related factor of lipid-lowering therapy; and the family-related factor of living alone were independently associated with 1 of the 7 outcomes under study. Illness-related factors of a longer duration of diabetes were strongly associated with glucose and blood pressure control, insulin use with glucose control and waist circumference, and antihypertensive use with blood pressure, triglycerides, and body mass index. Family-related factors of higher income were significantly associated with poorer glucose control and higher body mass index, while higher levels of perceived support by family and friends were associated with a lower risk of not meeting lipid goals. However, individual factors, represented by several aspects of personal model beliefs (exercising regularly, testing glucose, and checking one's feet) and physical activity, were consistently related to lipid and weight control. CONCLUSIONS: A variety of factors were associated with control of blood glucose and CHD risk factors, suggesting that a one-size-fits-all approach to multiple risk factor reduction efforts may not result in goal attainment.

Knowledge of heart disease risk in a multicultural community sample of people with diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) is a primary goal of diabetes management. Unfortunately, CHD risk knowledge is poor among people with diabetes. PURPOSE: The objective is to determine predictors of CHD risk knowledge in a community sample of people with diabetes. METHODS: A total of 678 people with diabetes completed the Heart Disease Facts Questionnaire (HDFQ), a valid and reliable measure of knowledge about the relationship between diabetes and heart disease. RESULTS: In regression analysis with demographics predicting HDFQ scores, sex, annual income, education, and health insurance status predicted HDFQ scores. In a separate regression analysis, having CHD risk factors did not predict HDFQ scores, however, taking medication for CHD risk factors did predict higher HDFQ scores. An analysis of variance showed significant differences between ethnic groups for HDFQ scores; Whites (M = 20.9) showed more CHD risk knowledge than African Americans (M = 19.6), who in turn showed more than Latinos (M = 18.2). Asians scored near Whites (M = 20.4) but did not differ significantly from any other group. Controlling for numerous demographic, socioeconomic, health care, diabetes, and cardiovascular health variables, the magnitude of ethnic differences was attenuated, but persisted. CONCLUSION: Education regarding modifiable risk factors must be delivered in a timely fashion so that lifestyle modification can be implemented and evaluated before pharmacotherapy is deemed necessary. African Americans and Latinos with diabetes are in the greatest need of education regarding CHD risk.

Knowledge of heart disease risk among spanish speakers with diabetes: the role of interpreters in the medical encounter.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate heart disease risk knowledge among Spanish speakers with diabetes. DESIGN: Single sample cross-sectional design. SETTING: A Spanish-language diabetes health fair in an inner-city community center in Connecticut. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-four Spanish-speaking adults participated. They were predominantly from Puerto Rico, had less than high school education, and were economically disadvantaged. Most had type 2 diabetes (96%) for an average of 10 years. Most had health insurance and a primary care provider. A sizable minority relied on ad hoc interpreters (friends or family members) during clinic visits, but most would prefer to use a professional medical interpreter. MEASURES AND RESULTS: Knowledge of risk for heart disease was measured by a Spanish version of the Heart Disease Fact Questionnaire (HDFQ). Knowledge of heart disease was low (mean score 17.5 [out of 25], SD=5.0), and lack of knowledge was found for the risks of diabetes, high-fat foods, cholesterol, physical activity, hypertension, family history of heart disease, sex, and whether one is necessarily cognizant of having heart disease. Regression analyses showed that bank account status and use of ad hoc interpreters contributed significantly to the prediction of HDFQ scores. Having a bank account and not using family or friends as interpreters in visits with the primary care provider predicted higher HDFQ scores. CONCLUSION: Heart disease risk knowledge was low in Spanish speakers with diabetes. Providing professional medical interpretation instead of relying on ad hoc interpreters is recommended for this high-risk group.

Development of a questionnaire to measure heart disease risk knowledge in people with diabetes: the Heart Disease Fact Questionnaire.

This paper describes a paper and pencil questionnaire that measures heart disease risk knowledge in people with diabetes. The Heart Disease Fact Questionnaire (HDFQ) is a 25-item questionnaire that was developed to tap into respondents' knowledge of major risk factors for the development of CHD. Approximately half of these items specifically address diabetes-related CHD risk factors. Based on extensive pilot data, the current study analyzed responses from 524 people with diabetes to assess the psychometric properties. The HDFQ is readable to an average 13-year old and imposes little burden. It shows good content and face validity. It demonstrates adequate internal consistency, with Kuder-Richardson-20 formula = 0.77 and good item-total correlations. Item analysis showed a desirable range in P-values. In discriminant function analyses, HDFQ scores differentiated respondents by knowledge of their own cardiovascular health, use of lipid lowering medications, health insurance status, and educational attainment, thus indicating good criterion related validity. This measure of heart disease risk knowledge is brief, understandable to respondents, and easy to administer and score. Its potential for use in research and practice is discussed. Future research should establish norms as well as investigate its test-retest reliability and predictive validity.