RNs' Perceptions of Engagement and Communication in the Workplace.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines nurses' perceptions of communication and engagement in the workplace. BACKGROUND: Work engagement and communication are both important concepts in the healthcare environment. METHODS: Inferential analyses were conducted using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and Farley's Communication Assessment Questionnaire, along with descriptive and bivariate analyses. RESULTS: Job vigor was negatively associated with the level of informed communication and indirect communication, whereas greater job dedication was found to be associated with more informed communication. Additionally, a statistically significant correlation between years of experience and vigor and absorption was noted, although age did not demonstrate the same relationship. Ultimately, nurse characteristics played an important role in the perception of communication in the work environment and in job enthusiasm. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse administrators must create a culture that values communication and communicate skillfully using various methods to meet the needs of different employees.

Suicidal thoughts in low-income adolescents: a longitudinal analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify whether suicidal ideation in low-income adolescents is influenced by social environment and social support. METHODS: We performed a growth curve model using a sample of 6687 low-income adolescents living in the Mobile, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The outcome for the present study was whether the participant had thought about suicide in the past 12 months. RESULTS: From 1998 to 2011, an average of 14.3% of the study participants indicated that they had considered killing themselves in the past 12 months on an annual basis (11.2-17.6%). Accounting for confounding factors, positive peer support, inevitability of violence, and having moved in the past year resulted in an increased risk, though the effect of inevitability of violence decreased over time. Meanwhile, elevated perceptions of contextual safety and increased parental warmth resulted in reduced risk. These findings suggest that social support and social context are important indicators of suicidal ideation in adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Suicidal ideation is an important predictor of suicidal behavior. If suicidal ideation can be prevented, or predicted, then it is possible that suicidal behavior can be reduced.

Interrelationships Among Resilience, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, Depression, and Academic Outcomes in Student Military Veterans.

Resilience, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are important factors to consider as student military Veterans work to reintegrate into society. The impact of these factors on academic success is not fully understood, but is important for rehabilitation professionals, student advisors, and counselors. The current study examined the impact of resilience, depression, PTSD, and TBI on student Veteran academic outcomes, and whether the amount of student Veterans' military experience moderated the effect of these factors on academic performance. Seventy-seven student Veterans completed measures that assessed resilience, grade point average, academic disruptions, and symptoms of depression, PTSD, and TBI. Path analysis was used to determine the manner in which the variables influenced academic performance. Results indicate that student Veterans should not be viewed as a homogeneous group and their needs differ based on level of military experience. Academic disruption among less experienced Veterans was most associated with symptoms of depression, whereas academic disruption among more experienced Veterans was most associated with symptoms of TBI. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 57(2), 35-43.].

Epidemiological Criminology: Contextualization of HIV/AIDS Health Care for Female Inmates.

Worldwide, women are increasingly being incarcerated. One unintended consequence is the increase in unhealthy female offenders. Among the more serious health concerns are HIV and AIDS. Challenges associated with caring for women with HIV/AIDS impacts not only disease management and infection control within correctional facilities but also the prisoners' home communities where they will need health care, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, housing assistance, and employment opportunities. No bridging theory has been presented that links prison and community health concerns with criminal justice policy. This article not only presents recommendations for effective HIV/AIDS policy but also suggests epidemiological criminology as a means of explicit merging of health with justice issues and consequently provides a bridging framework.

The role of social support and social context on the incidence of attempted suicide among adolescents living in extremely impoverished communities.

PURPOSE: Evaluate the impact of social support and social context on suicide attempt in disadvantaged adolescents, and calculate that longitudinal risk of suicide attempt. METHODS: Seven thousand two hundred ninety-nine adolescents were used to evaluate the effect of social support and context on suicide attempt, and to estimate the overall risk of suicide attempt. RESULTS: Increased peer support reduced the risk of suicide attempt, and increased perceived inevitability of violence led to an increase in risk among 9-year-old children. As children age, the effect of overall peer support remains consistent, while there is a reduction in the effect of inevitability of violence. Approximately 36% of extremely impoverished adolescents attempt suicide by the age of 19. CONCLUSIONS: The current study provides insight into the nature of suicide attempt within a grossly understudied population. Social support and social context have an important impact on suicidal behavior in extremely disadvantaged adolescents.