Professional commitment, resilience and intent to leave the profession among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic - a descriptive study.

AIM: The three-component model of commitment, resilience and selected nurse characteristics were tested as predictors of nurses' intent to leave the profession. BACKGROUND: In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, news reports suggest that a mass exodus of nursing professionals is occurring. METHOD: This nonexperimental, descriptive, correlational, predictive study used a cross-sectional approach to collect survey data from a convenience sample of 189 registered nurses (RNs) who were providing direct patient care in adult inpatient units with a high likelihood of admitting patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and met other eligibility requirements. RESULTS: Most (73.5%) plan to remain in the nursing profession and feel highly resilient. Only affective commitment demonstrated a significant relationship to the intention to leave the nursing profession. CONCLUSIONS: The study was conducted after the pandemic had been in effect for a prolonged time, and it is likely the nurses with the intent to leave the profession had already left. The findings provide a glimpse of a sample of nurses drawn from a population likely much different from only a few months prior. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Strategies to retain nurses should include efforts to strengthen professional commitment and build resilience.

Hurricane preparedness among elderly residents in South Florida.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to describe factors associated with hurricane preparation and to test a theoretical model of hurricane preparation decision process among a group of elderly residents living in a high-risk geographical area. DESIGN AND SAMPLE: This is a descriptive, correlational study. A convenience sample consisted of 188 English-speaking individuals who were aged 55 years or older. MEASURES: In addition to demographic information, two survey instruments were used. Theoretical constructs were operationalized through Moon's Hurricane Preparation Questionnaire. Hurricane preparedness was measured by self-reported responses to FEMA's inventory checklist, which addresses the recommended basic steps of preparation. RESULTS: The theoretical model of hurricane preparation decision process was supported. Main barriers to preparation are the need for cooperation from others and cost of preparation. Participants reported having taken many preparatory steps to shelter-in-place, but too few are prepared if their home were storm-damaged or they should have to evacuate. CONCLUSIONS: Findings are consistent with previous studies of samples drawn from similar populations. This report provides guidance as to how public health nurses can become involved with the population and develop interventions based on the constructs of the theoretical model.

Children's Exposure to Secondhand Smoke, Parental Nicotine Dependence, and Motivation to Quit Smoking.

More than 600,000 people die each year as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS); 28% of those deaths are children. Most exposure for children occurs in the home and is due to a parent smoking. Parental awareness and understanding of the exposure to SHS and the risk that parental smoking brings to the child may be an effective impetus for smoke avoidance and parental tobacco cessation. This descriptive, correlational study used data provided by a convenience sample of 184 smoking parental-figures, representing 376 children, recruited in community settings. Seven research questions were posed regarding the exposure of children to parental figures who smoke, the degree of the parents' dependence on nicotine, and their level of motivation to stop smoking. Comparisons were made between income levels and ethnic/racial groups. Children's exposure to SHS was low; Asian children had the highest likelihood of exposure. The areas of most frequent exposure were multiunit residential communities and in a vehicle. Parents' dependence on nicotine was moderately high, and parental motivation to quit smoking was high. However, parents who were the most dependent on nicotine were the least motivated to quit. Nurses working with both adult and pediatric populations should address the opportunities for exposure to SHS for their patient population. Community health nurses should specifically target workplaces, businesses, and communities with high numbers of Asian residents for public health education related to childhood exposure to SHS.

Attitude and Empowerment as Predictors Of Self-Reported Self-Care and A1C Values among African Americans With Diabetes Mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus is a leading cause of end stage renal disease among African Americans. The complications associated with diabetes can largely be reduced with effective diabetes self-management. Selected variables were tested as predictors of self-reported self-care, and self-reported self-care was tested as a predictor of A1C among 100 African-American individuals with diabetes. Participants scored high on their understanding of diabetes, its treatment, and engagement in self-care activities, but this was not reflected in their body mass index levels or A IC values.

Fear of and susceptibility to prostate cancer as predictors of prostate cancer screening among Haitian-American men.

Survey data were collected from 143 consenting Haitian-American men to (1) examine if perceived susceptibility to prostate cancer was congruent with the objectively measured disease risk, (2) test the relationship of perceived susceptibility and fear, and (3) examine these constructs for their predictive relationships to screening behavior. Perceived susceptibility was highly correlated (p < 0.05) to fear and screening behavior. Perception of risk was much lower than actual risk. Fear was not predictive of either ever having been screened (p = 0.81) or planning to be screened (p = 0.85).

Spanish translation and adaptation of Victoria Champion's Health Belief Model Scales for breast cancer screening--mammography.

BACKGROUND: Victoria Champion used the constructs of the Health Belief Model as the foundation for developing Champion's Health Belief Scales for Mammography Screening (CHBMS). The instrument has been used to collect health beliefs about breast screening behaviors among various ethnic populations but has not been translated, adapted, or psychometrically evaluated in the Hispanic population. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article was to report the translation and adaptation process from English to Spanish and the psychometric estimates of the validity and reliability of CHBMS-Spanish. The original instrument was translated from English to Spanish by a professional translator and back-translated into English by a focus group of healthcare professionals. METHODS: The tool was given to 5 monolingual women to evaluate for content validity, translation validity, and cultural appropriateness. A total of 200 self-identified Hispanic women, literate in speaking and reading Spanish, aged 45 to 75 years, and without history of breast cancer were included in the analyses. RESULTS: The items of the scale formed coherent subsets that were relatively independent of each other and aligned to the 3 factors prescribed by the Health Belief Model constructs. Internal consistency values presented acceptable Cronbach alpha levels ranging from .69 to .83. Test-retest reliability correlations were .57 for susceptibility, .63 for benefits, and .83 for barriers. CONCLUSION: Overall, the Spanish version of CHBMS demonstrated acceptable preliminary values of reliability and validity. Further psychometric testing is recommended. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The Spanish version of the CHBMS can be used by practicing nurses as an instrument to assess health beliefs concerning mammography screening among Spanish-speaking Hispanic women.

Procedure competencies and job functions of the urologic advanced practice nurse.

A 2-round modified Delphi study recruited a panel urologic advanced practice nurse experts to identify the procedure competencies and job functions unique to the role of the advanced practice nurse specializing in the care of urology patients.

Language adaptation and psychometric estimation of measures of fear of and susceptibility to prostate cancer among Haitian-American men.

UNLABELLED: Three previously validated instruments were translated into Haitian-Creole and Haitian-French. After face validity was assured, data were collected from 143 men to test the psychometric properties. Analyses determined that the translated scales are appropriate to measure fear and susceptibility to prostate cancer among this vulnerable population. BACKGROUND: Haitian-American men have a very high rate of prostate cancer, yet they generally do not participate in prostate cancer screening activities. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to adapt, translate, and test the psychometric properties of two previously developed scales and one index to assure their appropriateness for use in research among Haitian-American men. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: The theoretical framework was an integrated model consisting of a component of the health belief model, perceived susceptibility, and a component of the extended parallel process model, fear. METHODS: Three phases of research activities were conducted to translate the study instruments. Each instrument was translated into Haitian-Creole and Haitian French. Construct validity and face validity of the translated instruments were assured and data were then collected from 143 Haitian-American men.These data were used to determine construct validity and reliability as internal consistency. RESULTS: Psychometric testing determined that the translated scales and index had face validity, the index had content validity, and the scales were conceptually unidimensional. These analyses supported that the translated instruments were appropriate to measure the constructs among the target population.

Language adaptation and testing of the Prostate Health Questionnaire for Jamaican and Haitian men.

A convenience sample of Jamaican and Haitian men completed the translated versions of the Prostate Health Questionnaire. The findings support that the translated survey is comprehensible, has internal consistency, and is reliable over time when used for these populations.

Nurse practitioners' behavior regarding teaching testicular self-examination.

PURPOSE: To test a model derived from the theory of reasoned action and to determine the behavior of nurse practitioners (NPs) regarding teaching testicular self-examination (TSE). DATA SOURCES: A cross-sectional, explanatory design was used to survey a random sample of 1,490 members of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. CONCLUSIONS: NPs had positive attitudes toward teaching TSE and were engaged in such teaching. They perceived that other NPs, physicians, and patients also value TSE teaching. The theoretical model was supported. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The results have implications for research, practice, and education. The theory was shown to be useful as a framework for the study of NP behavior. The results highlight the importance of including strategies to promote positive values as components of nurse preparation. For practice, patient adherence to illness detection activities may be fostered by positive attitude, perception that significant others also value these activities, and belief that failure to do so may result in personal loss.

Prostate cancer in black men of African-Caribbean descent.

Prostate cancer is a significant health problem for middle-aged and elderly men. In the United States (US), it is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer death. While men of all racial and ethnic backgrounds are at risk, black men of African descent are at especially high risk. African-Caribbean men, particularly Jamaican men, have the highest rate of prostate cancer in the world. The term "African-American" has been used to describe all black people living in the US. Use of such broad categorization ignores the existence of subcultures within the black community. While members of the black race may share similar primary, genetic characteristics, skin color cannot be equated with attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors of particular cultural groups. Therefore, prostate cancer interventions developed for African-American men may not be effective for men of African-Caribbean descent.