Promoting community engagement in a pre-registration nursing programme: a qualitative study of student experiences.

AIMS: To offer child health student nurses a broader learning experience in practice with an autonomous choice of a volunteer placement area. To reflect the changing nature of health care and the move of care closer to home in the placement experience. To evaluate participants' experiences. DESIGN: This study used descriptive and interpretative methods of qualitative data collection. This successive cross-sectional data collection ran from 2017 to 2020. All data were thematically analysed using Braun and Clarke's model. METHODS: Data collection strategies included two focus groups (n=14) and written reflections (n=19). RESULTS: Students identified their increased confidence, development as a professional, wider learning and community engagement. They also appreciated the relief from formal assessment of practice and the chance to focus on the experience. CONCLUSION: Students positively evaluated this experience, reporting a wider understanding of health and wellbeing in the community. Consideration needs to be given to risk assessments in the areas students undertake the placements and the embedding of the experience into the overall curriculum.

Pharmacological Characterization of a Novel 5-Hydroxybenzothiazolone-Derived ß 2-Adrenoceptor Agonist with Functional Selectivity for Anabolic Effects on Skeletal Muscle Resulting in a Wider Cardiovascular Safety Window in Preclinical Studies.

The anabolic effects of ß 2-adrenoceptor (ß 2-AR) agonists on skeletal muscle have been demonstrated in various species. However, the clinical use of ß 2-AR agonists for skeletal muscle wasting conditions has been limited by their undesired cardiovascular effects. Here, we describe the preclinical pharmacological profile of a novel 5-hydroxybenzothiazolone (5-HOB) derived ß 2-AR agonist in comparison with formoterol as a representative ß 2-AR agonist that have been well characterized. In vitro, 5-HOB has nanomolar affinity for the human ß 2-AR and selectivity over the ß 1-AR and ß 3-AR. 5-HOB also shows potent agonistic activity at the ß 2-AR in primary skeletal muscle myotubes and induces hypertrophy of skeletal muscle myotubes. Compared with formoterol, 5-HOB demonstrates comparable full-agonist activity on cAMP production in skeletal muscle cells and skeletal muscle tissue-derived membranes. In contrast, a greatly reduced intrinsic activity was determined in cardiomyocytes and cell membranes prepared from the rat heart. In addition, 5-HOB shows weak effects on chronotropy, inotropy, and vascular relaxation compared with formoterol. In vivo, 5-HOB significantly increases hind limb muscle weight in rats with attenuated effects on heart weight and ejection fraction, unlike formoterol. Furthermore, changes in cardiovascular parameters after bolus subcutaneous treatment in rats and rhesus monkeys are significantly lower with 5-HOB compared with formoterol. In conclusion, the pharmacological profile of 5-HOB indicates superior tissue selectivity compared with the conventional ß 2-AR agonist formoterol in preclinical studies and supports the notion that such tissue-selective agonists should be investigated for the safe treatment of muscle-wasting conditions without cardiovascular limiting effects.

Do student nurses feel a lack of comfort in providing support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Questioning adolescents: what factors influence their comfort level?

AIM: The aim of this study was to find out if student nurses feel comfortable in caring by providing support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Questioning adolescents and what factors influence their level of comfort. BACKGROUND: Research indicates that nurses and nursing students experience varying levels of comfort when caring for adults who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Questioning: adult patients feel that nurse's attitudes change towards them once they disclose their sexuality. There has been minimal research to date on nursing attitudes to working with adolescents who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Questioning. DESIGN: Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used in this descriptive study. Questionnaires were completed by 152 nursing students and nine took part in semi-structured focus groups. METHOD: A two-way ANOVA was used to analyse the questionnaires. Thematic analysis was used to identify the themes arising from the focus groups. Data were collected between August 2013 - July 2014. RESULTS/FINDINGS: The results and findings of the study were that student nurse's felt discomfort in providing support; due to a lack of knowledge of Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual sexuality, personal and religious beliefs and the perceptions of others. However, all students indicated they had a positive attitude towards Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Questioning adolescents. CONCLUSION: More needs to be done to raise self-awareness and improve the level of knowledge in relation to Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual issues amongst student nurses. Educational institutions and practice areas need to recognize this fact and reflect this in their educational programmes.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) placements for pre-registration child branch nursing students: potential benefits.

It has been recommended that more needs to be done to improve the education and training needs of nurses working with children and young people with mental health problems. This paper explores the experiences of pre-registration children's nursing students during their course in relation to caring for these children and young people both in general children's areas and in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). The study indicates that observation of registered nurses and their interactions with these children and young people has a significant impact on the way students model their behaviour and in their self-perceived confidence and attitude towards caring for this client group.