"Playing for Bragging Rights": A Qualitative Study of Students' Perceptions of Gamification.

BACKGROUND: Nursing faculty sought to promote students' engagement with course material and their peers by using Kaizen, an online educational game. The purpose of this qualitative study was to learn more about nursing students' perceptions of team competition in an educational game and whether the game promoted their engagement with educational material in one fundamental nursing course. METHOD: Qualitative data collection included focus groups, observations of students, documents showing leaderboards and game participation, and "status of competition" e-mails. Data were transcribed and coded to determine emerging themes. RESULTS: Four themes emerged from data analysis: learning in teams, motivators to play, learning course content, and suggestions for game improvement. CONCLUSION: Students were overwhelmingly positive about using a gamified platform for its educational rewards. They perceived that playing the game increased their knowledge retention, and they believed it helped them improve their test-taking skills. [J Nurs Educ. 2019;58(2):79-85.].

Highlights From the U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated the U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use to foster a reduction in unplanned pregnancy rates and to provide clinicians an evidence-based guide for contraception management. Nurses play an important role in helping women and families with reproductive life planning. By bridging knowledge gaps and removing access barriers with regard to contraception, nurses can contribute to reducing rates of unintended pregnancy. Nurses and other clinicians are encouraged to use the U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use when counseling women about safe and effective contraception management.

Urinary incontinence: Pelvic floor muscle and behavioral training for women.

Primary care NPs play a significant role in recognizing and implementing strategies for urinary incontinence (UI) management. The American College of Physicians recommends pelvic floor muscle and behavioral training as initial treatment for UI. This article provides practical tips that can help improve urinary continence.

Intraabdominal pressure changes associated with lifting: implications for postoperative activity restrictions.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the effect of the lifting maneuver and the quantity of weight lifted on the generation of intraabdominal pressure. STUDY DESIGN: Forty-one women who underwent urodynamic evaluation performed 4 lifting maneuvers, each while lifting 0, 2.5, 5, 10, and 15 kg. The lifting maneuvers were routine activities that included squatting with and without assistance, lifting from a counter, and receiving weight. Pressure was recorded with a rectal microtip catheter. Each lift was performed twice, and the average pressure change was analyzed. RESULTS: When controlled for potential confounding variables, repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed a significant interaction between lift weight and lift maneuver (P < .001). Squatting was associated with generation of higher intraabdominal pressure than lifting from a counter or receiving weights into outstretched arms (P < .001). Lifting > or = 2.5 kg resulted in significant changes in intraabdominal pressure, regardless of lift maneuver (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Both the lifting maneuver and the quantity of weight should be considered when counseling patients regarding postoperative lifting.

A randomized, double-blind clinical trial of vaginal acidification versus placebo for the treatment of symptomatic bacterial vaginosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Vaginal acidification has been suggested as a means of normalizing the vaginal flora. GOAL: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an acetic acid-based vaginal gel in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis (BV). STUDY DESIGN: Forty-four patients with BV were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind clinic trial. Of these, 29 were evaluable. Patients were randomized to receive either 5 mL acetic acid gel (n = 14) or placebo gel (n = 15) intravaginally twice daily for 7 days. Clinical criteria and vaginal Gram stain scores were compared between the initial visit and at 2 weeks after initiating therapy. RESULTS: No significant differences were noted when comparing drug and placebo in terms of subjective or clinical improvement or improvement in Gram stain smears for bacterial vaginosis. CONCLUSION: Vaginal acidification with an acetic acid gel formulated to pH 3.9 to 4.1 was ineffective therapy for bacterial vaginosis.