Nursing First: Promoting Academic and Professional Success Through a Seamless Transition Program for Registered Nurses to Baccalaureate Students.

ABSTRACT: The Nursing First Program was established to provide students in an associate of science in nursing program at a downstate New York community college a seamless transition into the registered nurse to baccalaureate program of a nearby university while promoting academic performance and professional excellence. Selected students attend mandatory seminars designed to provide academic support and a sense of camaraderie, with the aim of ensuring success in both programs. Initial outcomes indicate that the program inspired participants to reach their highest potential, academically and professionally. Nursing First scholars have excelled as newly employed registered nurses and as students in the university program.

Exploring Factors Linked to Weight Status in Salvadoran Infants.

INTRODUCTION: Potential risk factors of infant overweight/obesity in Salvadoran mother-infant dyads (N = 88) at routine 9- to 12-month wellbaby visits were examined in a correlational study at two pediatric offices on Long Island, New York. METHOD: Maternal factors and infant feeding practices in the first 5 months were self-reported; infant birth weight, current weight/recumbent length were obtained. Bivariate logistic regression measured the relationship of the variables with infant weight status >85th percentile weight-for-length (WFL) for sex. RESULTS: The majority of mothers were born in El Salvador, with a mean age of 28.5 years (SD = 5.9); 43% of infants had WFL >85th percentile. Infant birth weight was significantly associated with WFL >85th percentile, p = .0007. After controlling for maternal age, insurance type, education, and marital status, no significant associations with infant WFL >85th percentile were found. Feeding practices during infants' first 5 months, mothers' pre-pregnancy weight, pregnancy weight gain, and history of gestational diabetes mellitus, were not associated with infant weight status. CONCLUSION: This was the first study to examine infant weight status in Salvadorans. Future studies should objectively measure infant feeding practices and other potential factors among Salvadoran mother infant dyads, since nearly half of the infants had WFL >85th percentile.

Applying Ecological Frameworks in Obesity Intervention Studies in Hispanic/Latino Youth:: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: In the United States, Hispanic children have higher rates of obesity compared with non-Hispanic White children. An ecological framework provides a holistic view of the environment to which Hispanic/Latino children are exposed that can potentially inform prevention and treatment initiatives for this vulnerable population. METHOD: This systematic review examines the existing evidence on the use of an ecological framework in intervention studies targeting overweight and obesity in Hispanic youth from birth to 8 years. Key terms guided the search of PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, and EBSCOhost databases from 1997 to 2016. Results were organized using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) method. RESULTS: Seven studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Significant improvements in body mass index z scores in treatment children were evident in five of the seven studies. Increases in fruit, water, and vegetable consumption and physical activity levels were reported in four of the seven studies. CONCLUSION: Multilevel interventions targeting a child's home and community suggest efficacy in reducing or preventing obesity; increasing fruit, water, and vegetable consumption; and increasing physical activity in overweight/obese young Hispanic children. Future research is needed to explore the sustainability of multilevel obesity prevention interventions in this vulnerable population.

Self-transcendence in Alzheimer's disease: the application of theory to practice.

The middle-range nursing theory of self-transcendence may be applicable to individuals in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Full cognitive ability may not be necessary for the essential principles of this theory to be implemented. The theory can offer guidance to families and health care providers in attempting to facilitate a meaningful aging process. A case scenario of an elderly woman with Alzheimer's disease demonstrates how family and caregivers can initiate interventions based on the theoretical concepts.