Virtual Simulation in Nursing Education: A Systematic Review Spanning 1996 to 2018.

STATEMENT: As virtual simulation is burgeoning, faculty and administrators are asking for evidence of its effectiveness. The objective of this systematic review was to identify how virtual simulation impacts nursing student learning outcomes. Applying the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines, 80 studies were reviewed. Results indicate that most research (n = 69, 86%) supported virtual simulation as an effective pedagogy to support learning outcomes while highlighting gaps and areas of bias. Adding search terms could have expanded the findings. The body of evidence supports virtual simulation as an effective pedagogy. Future studies should use more robust research designs, prioritize curricular integration of virtual simulation, and determine best practices in virtual simulation methodology.

Medication Adherence of Latino Children and Caregivers: An Integrative Review.

INTRODUCTION: There are significant disparities in medication adherence among underserved minority groups such as Latinos. Adherence to medication is a primary determinant of treatment success. Little is known about medication adherence among Latino children. This integrated review aims to describe what is known about medication adherence among Latino children and explore barriers and facilitators to medication adherence. METHOD: This review was guided by Whittemore and Knafl's method of integrative review and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement. RESULTS: Of the 20 articles reviewed about medication adherence among Latino children, the analysis of these articles revealed four major themes: (1) low adherence, (2) low adherence associations, (3) child outcomes, and (4) effective interventions. CONCLUSION: Health practitioners should consider medication adherence associations and interventions when collaborating with the family caregiver to improve child outcomes.

Sensitivity of leaf size and shape to climate: global patterns and paleoclimatic applications.

• Paleobotanists have long used models based on leaf size and shape to reconstruct paleoclimate. However, most models incorporate a single variable or use traits that are not physiologically or functionally linked to climate, limiting their predictive power. Further, they often underestimate paleotemperature relative to other proxies. • Here we quantify leaf-climate correlations from 92 globally distributed, climatically diverse sites, and explore potential confounding factors. Multiple linear regression models for mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) are developed and applied to nine well-studied fossil floras. • We find that leaves in cold climates typically have larger, more numerous teeth, and are more highly dissected. Leaf habit (deciduous vs evergreen), local water availability, and phylogenetic history all affect these relationships. Leaves in wet climates are larger and have fewer, smaller teeth. Our multivariate MAT and MAP models offer moderate improvements in precision over univariate approaches (± 4.0 vs 4.8°C for MAT) and strong improvements in accuracy. For example, our provisional MAT estimates for most North American fossil floras are considerably warmer and in better agreement with independent paleoclimate evidence. • Our study demonstrates that the inclusion of additional leaf traits that are functionally linked to climate improves paleoclimate reconstructions. This work also illustrates the need for better understanding of the impact of phylogeny and leaf habit on leaf-climate relationships.