Using Simulation to Prepare Nursing Students for Professional Roles.

The current job market for nurses is variable and although there remains a projected shortage of nurses for the future, availability of entry-level positions has changed. This mixed-methods pilot study describes the successful use of simulated role-play to prepare senior nursing students (N = 66) for competitive job markets. The simulation laboratory was set up as a human resource department. The students and interviewers were evaluated by surveys. The majority of students rated the experience high for understanding interviews and assisting them with readiness for interviews. Qualitative results revealed themes of nervousness, confidence, and readiness. Interviewers also discussed student nervousness and the benefits of simulated interviews. These results affirmed that the overall learning outcome of the experience was positive and can assist in promoting professional role transition. The project will continue to be implemented, and it will be extended to graduate students in the future.

A call to wellness - Whitiwhitia i te ora: exploring Maori and occupational therapy perspectives on health.

UNLABELLED: The World Health Organization records that indigenous peoples throughout the world experience poor health. The concept of health was explored from a Maori world view and compared with occupational therapy perspectives. The aim was to understand and value indigenous knowledge and promote culturally safe responsive practice. Maori methodologies were employed to protect the Maori knowledge shared in the study. This involved applying seven principles, including respect for people, be cautious, and look, listen, and speak. Perspectives on health and wellbeing were collected in 2008-2009 from indigenous occupational therapists, other occupational therapists and indigenous health practitioners using interviews and a questionnaire. The findings are presented as a conceptual framework, depicting a whare, a Maori meeting house to show relationships between culture and health. Key concepts held by occupational therapists and Maori were spirituality, holistic views, client responsive practice, and environmental contexts. Areas of difference were the focus on occupations, the interdependence of indigenous relationships, and the place of the extended family in supporting wellness. A strength was the respect for Maori methodologies and limitations were the number of participants (N = 23) and the small proportion of Maori therapists in Aotearoa/New Zealand. RECOMMENDATIONS: Attention to culture is vital for appropriate, safe, and responsive practice. The conceptual framework provides a tool to inform, guide, and evaluate practice understandings. It acknowledges the importance of the individual within their extended family, their natural environment, and the historical, social, and political realities of living as Maori. Further research should explore the use of the framework and interaction between occupational therapy practice and specific indigenous cultures.

Exploring occupation roles of hospice family caregivers from Maori, Chinese and Tongan ethnic backgrounds living in New Zealand.

A major challenge to occupational therapists working in palliative care is determining the best ways to help family caregivers who are caring for family members. The purpose of this study was to explore palliative caregiver occupations among Maori, Chinese and Tongan ethnicities. Six informants participated, one woman and one man from each ethnic group. In each of their homes, informants were asked to discuss what it was like caring for their dying family member. The occupational themes resulting from these interviews were food preparation, spirituality and family gathering. Therapists need to be aware of the differences in how people care for family members within their ethnicity. Implications are that occupational therapists can help families identify activities important to them within the main occupational themes: different types of foods and their preparations, various ways to express spirituality and how families gather together members of their extended family. Further, clinicians need to take on the role of a "not-knowing" but curious health-care provider in order to meet the needs of caregivers. The limitation was the small number of participants who all lived in one geographic area. Future studies should include a wider group of ethnicities.

Cultural competency: beyond the vital signs. Delivering holistic care to african americans.

Specific knowledge of African American communities, culture, and history is crucial to achieving culturally competent care. The unique and complex relationship that belief systems have to health care outcomes must be considered for all patients. This is even more apparent in the connection between religion and health outcomes for African Americans. However, as with all ethnic groups, nothing is absolute. Therefore, one must avoid stereotyping and recognize there are differences within each cultural group.

Quantification of O-glycosylation stoichiometry and dynamics using resolvable mass tags.

Mechanistic studies of O-GlcNAc glycosylation have been limited by an inability to monitor the glycosylation stoichiometries of proteins obtained from cells. Here we describe a powerful method to visualize the O-GlcNAc-modified protein subpopulation using resolvable polyethylene glycol mass tags. This approach enables rapid quantification of in vivo glycosylation levels on endogenous proteins without the need for protein purification, advanced instrumentation or expensive radiolabels. In addition, it establishes the glycosylation state (for example, mono-, di-, tri-) of proteins, providing information regarding overall O-GlcNAc site occupancy that cannot be obtained using mass spectrometry. Finally, we apply this strategy to rapidly assess the complex interplay between glycosylation and phosphorylation and discover an unexpected reverse 'yin-yang' relationship on the transcriptional repressor MeCP2 that was undetectable by traditional methods. We anticipate that this mass-tagging strategy will advance our understanding of O-GlcNAc glycosylation, as well as other post-translational modifications and poorly understood glycosylation motifs.

The effect of pelvic floor re-education on comfort in women having surgery for stress urinary incontinence.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a pelvic floor re-education intervention on comfort and stress urinary incontinence in women opting for surgical correction. It also explored the patient's feelings regarding the ease and benefit of attending the pelvic floor re-education intervention.

Practical application of comfort theory in the perianesthesia setting.

UNLABELLED: Comfort management is a priority for patients in all settings. Comfort theory provides a foundational and holistic approach to comfort management. This article reviews comfort theory and presents the application of comfort theory in the perianesthesia setting. OBJECTIVES: -Based on the content of the following article, the reader will be able to (1) define comfort; (2) identify comfort interventions; and (3) discuss the importance of a goal for enhanced comfort in patients.