The Nursing Educational Paradigm Puzzle.

A need for standardized teaching about the EBP and QI processes.

External Scholarship Mentors for DNP-Prepared Faculty: A Practice-Oriented Exemplar.

BACKGROUND: Variability surrounding what practice scholarship should entail and how to incorporate into academic life exists among DNP-prepared faculty teaching across nursing programs. PROBLEM: DNP-prepared faculty entering an academic role are expected to maintain a clinical practice, teach/advise students, and fulfill service obligations, often leaving minimal time to build a program of scholarship. APPROACH: Building upon the archetype of external mentors for PhD researchers, we introduce a new model for external mentorship for DNP-prepared faculty to facilitate scholarship. OUTCOMES: In the first dyad to use this model, the mentor-mentee met/exceeded all contractual goals, including presentations, manuscripts, leadership behaviors, and role navigation within higher education. More external dyads are currently in development. CONCLUSIONS: Securing an external, seasoned mentor as a match for a junior member of the faculty in a yearlong partnership demonstrates promise for positive change in the scholarship trajectory of DNP-prepared faculty in higher education.

A homeschool-based cognitive behavioral program to improve adolescent mental health.

PROBLEM: Anxiety and depression are prevalent in the adolescent population and can have significant consequences. Treatment recommendations are established but rates of utilization remain low, often due to a lack of access to mental health providers. Availability of mental health services in a school-based setting may increase access, but homeschooled children do not have access to these services. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of homeschooled children and compounded the problem of adolescent mental health disorders. METHODS: This pilot evidence-based practice project aimed to increase access to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in adolescents. Eight students from a local homeschool cooperative participated in the Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment (COPE) program. A Friedman test was used to evaluate median differences on anxiety and depression screening instruments at baseline, program completion, and 1 month after the program. Students also completed an adapted COPE program evaluation. RESULTS: Median scores on screening instruments decreased from pre-COPE to 1 month after, although results were not statistically significant. Students reported that the COPE program was helpful, and they learned new ways to deal with their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. CONCLUSION: COPE is a feasible option to increase access to CBT in a homeschool setting.

A review of clinical manifestations in adolescent and young adults after use of synthetic cannabinoids.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this review is to heighten the awareness of the increased use and risks of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) and associated clinical manifestations among adolescents and young adults. CONCLUSIONS: Reviewed case studies suggest that the use of SCs have unpredictable negative psychological and physiological effects. Predominant manifestations reported were anxiety, agitation, paranoia, hallucinations, tachycardia, nausea and vomiting, and diaphoresis. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Nurses provide the most direct and supportive care to patients who present for medical treatment after the use of SCs. Knowledge of clinical manifestations can facilitate supportive management of patients suspected of SCs use.

Prospective evaluation of a pediatric inpatient early warning scoring system.

PURPOSE: The present study evaluated the use of the Pediatric Early Warning Score (PEWS) for detecting clinical deterioration among hospitalized children. DESIGN/METHODS: A prospective, descriptive study design was used. The tool was used to score 2,979 patients admitted to a single medical unit of a pediatric hospital over a 12-month period. RESULTS: PEWS discriminated between children who required transfer to the pediatric intensive care unit and those who did not require transfer (area under the curve = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.84-0.94, p < .001). IMPLICATIONS: The PEWS tool was found to be a reliable and valid scoring system to identify children at risk for clinical deterioration.