Effect of telephone follow-up on surgical orthopedic recovery.

We examined the effect of telephone follow-up on surgical orthopedic patients' postdischarge recovery. The sample consisted of 438 patients randomly assigned to receive routine care with or without telephone follow-up 24 to 72 hours after discharge (intervention). During the intervention, the nurse caller assessed each patient's status, identified problems, and provided needed follow-up care. Structured telephone interviews were conducted with all participants during the third week after their discharge. Key outcomes were self-reports of problems, progress, and unanticipated contact with the health care system. The primary self-reported problems were mood changes, constipation, pain, and swelling. Women and younger participants tended to report more problems. Availability of help was positively associated with progress. Although telephone follow-up did not affect the first two outcomes, it was associated with increased occurrence of health care contacts, as was living farther from the hospital. The study findings highlight the need to clearly explicate the requirements and outcomes for nurse-initiated telephone follow-up programs.

Evaluation of selected outcomes of an accelerated nursing degree program.

Accelerated or condensed programs in nursing have gained popularity over the last 10 years in Canada. They are designed to accommodate the learning needs of a special pool of learners with prior university education. These learners have expectations, abilities, and skills different from students in basic baccalaureate programs and so require instruction to suit their background. While accelerated programs have proliferated, there is little published evidence as to the actual number in Canada or on their effectiveness in preparing beginning practitioners who can meet the demands of the workplace. In this paper, the authors discuss selected outcomes of a pilot project wherein an accelerated option was examined as a feasible avenue for the education of Canadian professional nurses. Evaluation during and following the project was an integral component to contribute to an evidence base for nursing education decisions. Data were collected from two student cohorts and multiple stakeholders including faculty, employers, and nurse co-workers. Data were elicited on many variables but only four are addressed here. These are: scores on the national licensure examination, competency-to-practice rankings, student and employer perceptions of preparedness for practice, and manageability of students' stress levels during the program. The paper focuses on the findings pertaining to each variable and the lessons learned.

Rise of accelerated baccalaureate programs.

Accelerated baccalaureate programs were introduced as a way to address the nursing shortage and to accommodate nursing students who had already completed university level education in another discipline. These programs are intense, rigorous, compressed and fast paced. The authors conducted a review of the literature to determine how students in these programs differ from those in traditional baccalaureate programs and examine the implications for nursing education and practice.

Overcoming the challenges of providing clinical/practice education.

The responsibility of educating increasing numbers of students presents major challenges for nursing education. The Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) established a task force to examine the issues and barriers associated with provision of clinical/practice education for nursing students and to assist in the development of national guidelines for practice education. In this article, the authors present key findings and recommendations resulting from a literature review, a survey of member schools and a national forum on clinical practice education. All schools of nursing are encouraged to continue to develop innovative ways of providing practice experience to meet growing demands.