Risk screening for cardiovascular disease and diabetes in Latino migrant farmworkers: a role for the community health worker.

Diabetes and heart disease are two of the leading causes of death for Hispanics living in the United States (American Heart Association [AHA] in Circulation 123:e18-e209. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0b013e3182009701 , 2010). As the Hispanic population continues to grow, the need for low-cost, non-invasive methods to detect at risk populations for such diseases becomes more important. Once at risk individuals are detected, prevention strategies can be implemented. Studies have shown that Latino community health workers (CHWs) are effective educators, patient advocates and health promotion motivators for patients with known heart disease or diabetes. This pilot study examined the accuracy with which Latino CHWs could determine migrant farmworkers at risk for diabetes or cardiovascular disease (CVD) in rural Virginia. This quasi-experimental study supports the hypothesis that Latino CHWs can use non-invasive diabetes and CVD screening tools with similar accuracy as a registered nurse. The screening tools used were the American Diabetes Association's diabetes risk calculator and a non-laboratory screening tool for CVD risk designed by Gaziano et al. (Lancet 371:923-931, 2008). The terms Latino and Hispanic will be used interchangeably.

International experiences in nursing education: a review of the literature.

Service learning and study abroad opportunities have become increasingly popular in nursing education in the past decade. The purpose of this systematic review was to explore existing literature concerning global health experiences in nursing education. Twenty-three empirical articles from 2003 to 2010 were reviewed, building upon existing reviews of international nursing education literature. Research on two-way exchange experiences and models for best practice were found to be lacking. While an array of countries were represented as the visiting or hosting side of the experience, few co-authors from host countries were found, particularly in literature originating from the U.S. The authors recommend that two-way exchange programs be evaluated to identify successful strategies and barriers to success. Ongoing evaluation of exchanges is necessary to ensure continued sustainable partnership and exchange in immersion experiences for nursing students.

Rural health nursing research review: global perspectives.

The CINAHL and MEDLINE databases were used to conduct a review of international rural nursing research published between 2003 and 2007. In total, 41 articles were reviewed and organized based on the United Nations Human Development Index, which categorizes countries based on development status. Critical review of international rural nursing research yielded three major organizational themes: clinical issues, aspects of nursing practice, and nursing and health policy research. Despite the variety in international locale of the research, these themes and other common findings emerged. The need for increased access to specialized nursing knowledge, resources, and support is an ongoing issue facing nurses in rural and remote settings.