Parental vaccine hesitancy and concerns regarding the COVID-19 virus.

PURPOSE: This study assessed parental vaccine hesitancy in a metropolitan area of the United States. The study aimed to determine what characteristics and contributing factors influenced parental vaccine hesitancy and concerns regarding COVID-19. DESIGN AND METHODS: An online survey was used to recruit 93 parents to answer demographic and vaccine hesitancy information. Vaccine hesitancy was measured using the Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines survey. The study was conducted between June 2020 and September 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: The rate of vaccine hesitancy was 15%. One hundred percent of vaccine hesitant parents were mothers, at least 30 years of age, married, and had completed at least some college. When characteristics of vaccine hesitant parents were compared to non-hesitant parents, the hesitant parents reported having more children, with 93% reporting two or more children compared to only 74% of non-hesitant parents (p = 0.046). Fifty percent of hesitant parents reported no concerns regarding COVID-19 compared to only 20% of non-hesitant parents (p = 0.006), and significantly less hesitant parents reported willingness to have their children receive a safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine if it were available compared to non-hesitant parents (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that older mothers with two or more children are more likely to be vaccine hesitant and this hesitancy extends to the current COVID-19 pandemic. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Healthcare providers can use the results of this study to identify parents at risk for vaccine hesitancy and initiate individualized education to promote on-time childhood vaccination.

Impact of a feeding log on breastfeeding duration and exclusivity.

Even with the gradual upward trends in breastfeeding initiation and duration, breastfeeding rates at 6 months continue to lag well behind the 50% target set for any breastfeeding and the 25% target set for exclusive breastfeeding by the Healthy People 2010 initiatives. Overall evidence is limited in identifying effective interventions that promote breastfeeding duration and more research needs to be focused on specific nursing strategies and their effect on breastfeeding outcomes. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of a daily feeding log, guided by Bandura's social cognitive learning theory, on breastfeeding duration and exclusivity in primiparous mothers. The study used a randomized, controlled, two-group experimental design with a sample of 86 primiparous mothers. The experimental group completed a daily breastfeeding log for a minimum of 3 weeks and breastfeeding outcomes were examined over 6 months. The breastfeeding outcome variable was analyzed using survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression procedures. Subjects in the experimental group did not breastfeed significantly longer than the control group, however, a larger proportion of subjects in the experimental group reported full breastfeeding at 6 months as compared with subjects in the control group. Additional predictor variables were WIC enrollment, planned duration of breastfeeding, feeding frequency and feeding length at 1 week. The findings from the study suggest that the breastfeeding log may be a valuable tool in self-regulating breastfeeding and promoting a longer duration of full breastfeeding, but its acceptability may be impacted by socio-demographic variables.

Camp BONES: a partnership initiative to engage underrepresented adolescents in a career in nursing at the baccalaureate level.

The nursing profession is confronted with significant challenges related to the ever-increasing shortage and lack of diversity in the workforce. To address these challenges, a program for underrepresented middle school students was developed collaboratively between local school districts, academia, and health care partners. The program, Camp BONES, included a 2-week summer camp and follow-up weekend and summer camp experiences for students. Experiences were provided to explore critical thinking skills in the simulated laboratories at the university, as well as at clinical practice areas in nursing. The program was guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior and self-efficacy theory. Early evaluation of the program revealed positive accolades and students' increasing interest in pursuing nursing as a career. Collaborative programs between academia and practice areas, such as Camp BONES, provide important opportunities for middle school students to explore and engage in the nursing profession during the formative years.

Redesign of a weight-based heparin protocol for improved outcomes in a community hospital.

Heparin has long been used to minimize complications of a variety of disorders and reaching a therapeutic level within 24 hours has been shown to improve patient outcomes. However, the dosing of heparin to reach a therapeutic level has been controversial. At our institution a weight based heparin nomogram was in place, however an initial data analysis revealed a large percent of the initial aPTT levels were above therapeutic range. This article will describe the performance improvement process and the overall goal to decrease the percentage of patients exceeding the initial therapeutic aPTT levels without compromising daily therapeutic aPTT levels.