Health status of migrant farmworkers in the Shenandoah Valley.

The purpose of this study is to describe the characteristics and health status of a sample of migrant farmworkers in the Shenandoah Valley. The methodology for this study is a retrospective record review and analysis of data on 390 male migrant farmworkers. The group included men from Mexico (57. 2%), Jamaica (26. 9%), and Haiti (13. 0%) with a mean age of 38.5 years. The most common health problems reported were work-related and included musculoskeletal pain, irritated eyes, and respiratory symptoms. This study identifies areas for community and public health nurses to target interventions to address health promotion/disease prevention efforts.

Baseline Characteristics, Evaluation, and Management of Women With Complaints of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to determine the proportion of women presenting for recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) who met the diagnostic criteria (culture-proven UTI ≥3 in 1 year or ≥2 in 6 months) and to assess advanced testing utilization, preventive therapy use, and risk factors. METHODS: This is a retrospective chart review of women seen as new urogynecology consults for recurrent UTI (rUTI) between April 1, 2017, and April 1, 2018, followed through April 1, 2019. Exclusion criteria included catheter use, cancer treatment within 2 years, and prior organ transplant, urinary diversion, conduit, or bladder augmentation. RESULTS: Of 600 women, 71% had follow-up with a median of 179 days. Urinary tract infection symptoms included frequency (50%), dysuria (46%), urgency (43%), and malodorous urine (7%). One third met the rUTI diagnostic criteria. Two hundred thirty-four (39%) underwent advanced testing, and 9% (21/234) of women who underwent advanced testing had a change in clinical care. Preventive therapy use increased after consultation (P < 0.001), with vaginal estrogen (47%) being most common. Compared with women not meeting the rUTI criteria, women meeting the rUTI criteria were more likely to be older (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.03/year; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.04), have a prior history of gynecologic cancer (aOR, 4.07; 95% CI, 1.02-16.25), or report UTI symptoms of dysuria (aOR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.57-3.27), or malodorous urine (aOR, 2.96; 95% CI, 1.47-5.94) and, while equally likely to be receiving preventive treatment prior to consultation, were more likely after consultation (OR, 3.06; 95% CI, 2.05-4.55). DISCUSSION: Thirty-seven percent of women seen for rUTI met the diagnostic criteria. Advanced imaging rarely changed care. Education about diagnostic criteria and preventive therapy is warranted.

Concept mapping: an effective, active teaching-learning method.

Nurse educators, under pressure to prepare graduates who are able to think critically and solve problems in a variety of clinical practice settings, require active teaching strategies to promote meaningful learning, instead of relying on traditional methods that promote rote memorization. A review of the current state of the science with regard to concept mapping demonstrates that this teaching-learning method assists nurse educators to prepare graduates to think critically in the complex health care environment. However, further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of concept mapping on the graduate's performance on the NCLEX exam and on critical thinking and prioritization skills in the clinical environment.

Traditional lecture or experiential learning: changing student attitudes.

In an attempt to excite baccalaureate nursing students about nursing research, a traditional, lecture-style nursing research course was transformed into an experiential, interactive course. Attitudes toward research were compared between students who received the lecture course and those who participated in the experiential course. Students in the experiential course exhibited significantly more positive attitudes toward nursing research than students in the traditional lecture course.

Strategies for selecting effective patient nutrition education materials.

Nutrition and diet therapy are at the center of health promotion activities and self-management of chronic diseases. To assist an individual in making informed decisions regarding his or her diet and increase adherence to dietary recommendations or treatments, healthcare professionals must select health information that is appropriate to the client's level of understanding. A systematic approach in the evaluation of patient education material, whether in print or on the World Wide Web, must focus on the information's content, literacy level, graphical displays, layout and typography, motivating principles, cultural relevance, and feasibility. Additional criteria should be evaluated when accessing Web sites and include source, site credibility, conflict of interest, disclaimer, disclosure, navigation, and interactivity information.

TEMPtEd: development and psychometric properties of a tool to evaluate material used in patient education.

AIM: This paper describes the development and psychometric properties of a Tool to Evaluate Materials Used in Patient Education (TEMPtEd), which was designed to assist healthcare professionals to evaluate and select printed patient educational materials for their clients. BACKGROUND: Previously-developed instruments include attribute checklists, readability formulae and rating scales, but they have not been shown to be valid or reliable. The TEMPtEd is an attempt to overcome the limitations of previously developed instruments. METHOD: The instrument was developed using Strickland's framework, with pilot testing conducted from 2004 to 2007. RESULTS: The overall ratings of a heart failure educational brochure between the TEMPtEd and the Suitability Assessment of Materials, a previously developed instrument, were not statistically significantly different. Statistically significant correlations were noted between the two instruments in the overall scale and four of the five subscales. The internal consistency of the TEMPtEd was 0.68; however, a reduction in the number of rating scale options resulted in an internal consistency of 0.83-0.84. Exploratory factor analysis identified a six-factor solution and accounted for 74% of the variance. Study participants preferred the TEMPtEd. CONCLUSION: As a result of psychometric testing, the TEMPtEd appears to be a promising instrument for the evaluation of patient educational material.

Service learning: population-focused nursing for the homeless at a soup kitchen.

The authors describe the development of an undergraduate population-focused nursing service learning experience at a soup kitchen for the homeless. Through this experience, senior BSN students are able to increase their awareness of health disparities and use interdisciplinary communication and collaboration skills to provide basic healthcare and health promotion to the homeless population.