The Effects of a Health Promotion Program on Rural, West Virginia Adults.

This health promotion project is a 12-week program for adults in a rural West Virginia community with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or greater. The goals of this project were to facilitate learning through modules focusing on activity and nutrition, increase knowledge of healthy activity and nutrition, and improve weight and BMI. Each 12-week session provided evidenced-based information regarding obesity, physical activity, and nutrition. Participants completed pre- and postprogram and 1-month follow-up survey/questionnaire. Results were compared for changes in activity, nutrition, and BMI. The program resulted in positive changes: increase in activity and nutritional consumption and a decrease in BMI.

Reducing pain associated with arterial punctures for blood gas analysis.

Arterial punctures for arterial blood gases (ABGs) analysis are described as the most painful laboratory procedure and are performed without the benefit of pain management. This study originated from one nurse's concern about the level of pain her hospitalized patients endured when she drew their ABGs. A review of the literature found that ABG pain relief has not been studied in hospitalized patients. Therefore, this study explored the question "Can the pain of arterial blood gas draws be reduced through the use of infiltration with a local anesthetic agent?" This study compared the pain scores of 40 hospitalized patients who received either no intervention or one of three analgesic interventions (infiltration of 0.7 ml 1% lidocaine, 0.7 ml buffered 1% lidocaine, or 0.7 ml of bacteriostatic saline at the arterial puncture site). Results showed that, although lidocaine and buffered lidocaine are effective in reducing the pain associated with the arterial puncture, plain lidocaine was the only intervention in which the pain rating score for the overall experience was significantly diminished. This study is limited by partial randomization, small sample size, and patient duress; however, it provides a foundation for further nursing research that explores methods to reduce the pain associated with this very painful procedure. Future studies should be directed at larger, diverse populations, multiple operators, and comparison of interventions to topical analgesics and nonpharmacological measures.

Chlorhexidine Gluconate Baths: Supporting Daily Use to Reduce Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections Affecting Immunocompromised Patients.

BACKGROUND: Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) has a broad-spectrum antimicrobial property that has proven to be effective in prolonging skin antisepsis and decreasing pathogens often seen in oncology units. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to reduce the incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infections in a hematology-oncology unit through the staff's continued adherence to the institution's protocol for CHG baths with wipes, and to identify barriers and the degree to which they interfered with optimal use of the CHG wipes. METHODS: The project focused on supporting staff and nurses by providing education and training on current practices to staff and patients, and identifying barriers. Direct observation and chart audits were the approach chosen to implement the project. FINDINGS: For the project study period, the unit had three nonpreventable bloodstream infections and zero preventable bloodstream infections.

Validation of oppressed group behaviors in nursing.

The possibility that nurses exhibit oppressed group behaviors was first broached by Roberts [Roberts, S. J. (1983). Oppressed group behavior: Implications for nursing. Advances in Nursing Science, 21-30] when Freire's model [Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Herder and Herder] was applied to nursing. Since then, scholarly discussion has focused on aspects of oppression in nursing, but little research toward validation of Freire's model has occurred. An extensive literature search in CINAHL was completed seeking exploration and validation of the oppressed group behavior model and its dimensions. The Educational Testing Services, PsychInfo, Health and Psychosocial Instruments, and Sociological Abstracts databases were searched for measurement tools created within the last 10 years. This literature review identified that a model of oppressed group behavior has not been developed and validated, and that oppressed group behaviors have been studied independent of each other; however, oppressed group behaviors may have implications for the current nursing shortage.