CNE Certification Drive and Exam Results.

The Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) is the only credential recognizing the advanced practice role of the academic nurse educator. This article provides information regarding a CNE Certification Drive for faculty in one school of nursing. Descriptive findings include pass rates and content-specific averages. An analysis of the relationship between the variables is offered for role (faculty vs. recent graduate), years of teaching, and differences in test scores. Results indicate no significant relationship between role and test results, χ(1) = 1.11, p = .29, and between years of teaching for those who passed (M = 10.38, SD = 9.81) versus those who failed (M = 4.75, SD = 6.36, t(18) = 1.56, p = .14). Additional research is needed to provide further understanding of variables linked with the CNE exam in multiple schools of nursing.

The Byrne Guide for Inclusionary Cultural Content.

This article describes the background for development of The Byrne Guide for Inclusionary Cultural Content, which may help nurse educators evaluate and create instructional materials that include diverse groups. Curricular implications of diversity, as well as six categories of instructional bias are included in the background of information that contributed to the development of this Guide.

Instructional bias--awareness and reduction in perioperative education.

Through the use of instructional materials, perioperative educators provide education to staff members, physicians, patients, and family members. Although accrediting bodies and scholars have addressed the importance of diversity in patient assessment and nursing care, there has been little discussion regarding how instructional materials incorporate cultural, age, and gender diversity. This article defines bias and explores six forms of instructional bias. Suggestions are offered on ways to reduce or eliminate bias in instructional materials.

The impact of certification on certified perioperative nurses: a qualitative descriptive survey.

As the practice of healthcare becomes more technologically advanced, specialized and complex, there is an increasing demand for accountability. Certification demonstrates that an individual practitioner has maintained an acceptable, or perhaps more advanced level of qualifications, knowledge, and skills in a specialty practice area. Although certification for nurses has been available for decades a detailed evaluation of its meaning and implications for practice seems to be unavailable. The purpose of this qualitative study, conducted in Chicago, Illinois and also online, was to describe the perceptions of perioperative nurses as related to the impact that certification has had on both their professional practice and on a personal level. A qualitative survey design was used for this study. A purposive sample (N = 149) was obtained from board certified perioperative specialty nurses. Thematic analysis was used to explain the nurses' perceptions. Thematic analysis involves searching through data, in this case the narrative responses to the survey, to identify any recurrent patterns. A theme is a cluster of linked categories conveying similar meanings and usually emerges through the inductive analytic process. Themes that emerged from the data were categorized into two groups--impact on professional practice and personal impact. The primary theme that emerged related to respondents' personal perspectives was pride in accomplishment or achievement and increased confidence. The theme that described professional impact was credibility. Some themes, such as knowledge, confidence, and opportunity, overlapped both groups. The nurses' perceptions, as shared in this study, revealed positive aspects related to their achievement of certification in perioperative practice. The findings of this research expand knowledge about how certification impacts on the nurses' personal and professional experiences.

Information literacy: implications for perioperative nurses.

The concept of information literacy may be new to some perioperative nurses; however, embracing this concept will help nurses identify situations that necessitate gaining more information, locate and access information sources, evaluate and analyze data, and cite information in compliance with copyright and fair use laws. The culture of health care is continually changing as a result of new technology and new methods to improve patient care, and this creates an information explosion. Perioperative educators should add information literacy as a strategic goal for obtaining Magnet status because it is foundational to evidence-based practice. Administrators also should advocate to obtain resources that will enable nurses to access information that addresses current patient care issues.

A thematic analysis of families living with schizophrenia.

An earlier study explored the influence of psychosocial variables (family coping behaviors, family psychological distress, family social support, and patient behavioral problems) on family functioning in 58 families providing care for a family member with schizophrenia. The purpose of this article is to explore what living with schizophrenia is like for families by conducting a thematic analysis of the qualitative data they provided during the study. Five recurrent themes were identified in the analysis of the qualitative data: overwhelming feelings, importance of medication, legal system difficulties, family and friends, and mental health professionals.