Beyond fluconazole: A review of vulvovaginal candidiasis diagnosis and treatment.

ABSTRACT: Vaginitis symptoms are among the most common reasons for patients to seek acute gynecological care. NPs who care for women and other patients with vaginas need to be up-to-date on diagnosis and treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and recurrent VVC (RVVC). Two new antifungal medications for VVC are available. This article reviews vaginal physiology and provides an overview of VVC and RVVC pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Mallet Finger.

This article provides an overview of issues associated with traumatic injury to the distal finger that results in extensor tendon disruption or bony avulsion at the base of the distal phalanx. Commonly referred to as mallet finger, drop finger, or baseball finger, terminal extensor tendon injuries are a common presentation to the emergency department. Providers need to be advised of evidence-based management of these extensor tendon injuries in order to prevent decreased function and permanent deformity. Current evidence supports nonoperative interventions, but injuries need to be addressed in a timely manner in order to avoid poor outcomes.

Evaluation of an Electronically Delivered Learning Module Intended for Continuing Education of Practicing Registered Nurses: A Pretest-Posttest Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND: A widely used method for distributing continuing education to health care professionals is via electronically delivered learning modules (EDLM). The purpose of this study is to determine if RNs retain and value education provided by an EDLM. METHOD: This is a one-group pretest-posttest and longitudinal study employing survey methodology. RNs completed an electronically delivered sepsis educational module, an immediate posttest, and then a posttest 4 weeks later. Additionally, the researchers measured participants' feelings and practices regarding EDLMs. RESULTS: The mean value for total knowledge scores increased immediately postintervention then decreased to near baseline after 1 month. Additionally, participants reported that EDLMs did not increase their knowledge, nor did they value EDLMs. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that didactic information received via EDLMs may have minimal sustained impact on nurses' knowledge. Participants' lack of knowledge retention may be affected by module and evaluation design. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2019;50(7):331-336.].

An Innovative Approach: Using Simulation to Teach Primary Care Gynecologic Procedures.

INTRODUCTION: In response to the growing body of evidence that simulation is a satisfactory way to instruct procedural skills, we developed an innovative model to teach common gynecologic procedures such as cervical cancer screening, cervical polyp removal, intrauterine device removal, and endometrial biopsy. The objectives of this study were to describe the construction of the model and to assess participants' satisfaction and confidence in applying the learning objectives to their clinical practice. METHODS: The researchers created the model with reusable and readily available materials. During a hands-on skills workshop, practicing clinicians performed simulated cervical cancer screening, endocervical polyp removal, intrauterine device removal, and an endometrial biopsy on a low-fidelity gynecologic model. Using convenience sampling, each participant completed a survey designed to measure satisfaction with the workshop and self-confidence in their newly acquired skills. RESULTS: All (N = 30,100%) of the participants agreed at the "agree" or "strongly agree" level that the gynecologic skills workshop using lecture and a hands-on model was a satisfying and self-confidence-building experience. CONCLUSIONS: An easily reproducible and reusable gynecologic procedure simulator was highly rated as a means of teaching common primary care gynecologic procedures. The simulated model provided an opportunity for hands-on skills learning for clinicians who wish to expand their gynecologic procedure skill set.

Web-Based Treatment for Women With Stress Urinary Incontinence.

This was a non-experimental, descriptive, correlational study designed to assess the feasibility and efficacy of an evidence-based online pelvic floor treatment program targeting stress urinary incontinence in adult women. The majority of the participants reported some level of improvement in their incontinence symptoms and overwhelmingly supported the web-based physical therapy program.