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Basic Demographic Data (basic + demographic_data)
Selected AbstractsUsing NIC to Describe the Role of the Nurse PractitionerINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING TERMINOLOGIES AND CLASSIFICATION, Issue 2003Cindy S. Haugsdal PURPOSE To have nurse practitioners (NPs) identify the 20 most prevalent NIC interventions describing their nursing practice; to determine if the NIC is applicable to the NP role. METHODS The study used a descriptive survey design. NPs with prescriptive privileges in the state of Minnesota received a cover letter and survey that included a description of NIC and a list of the 486 intervention labels and their definitions from the NIC (3rd ed.). Each participant was asked to identify all interventions performed at least once per month in their practice and to provide basic demographic data, including identification of NP specialty. FINDINGS A total of 1,190 surveys were mailed with a return rate of 37%. NPs' average age was 45 years; the average number of years of NP practice was 9. Employment in a clinic represented the work setting of 72% of respondents followed by hospital practice (11%) and long-term care (10%). Specialty (certified) areas were family practice (27%), pediatrics (21%), adult (19%), women's health (16%), geriatrics (11%), psychiatric (5%), and oncology (1%). The educational level was primarily master's degree (73%). NPs identified an average of 120 interventions they performed at least once per month. These interventions reflected areas of patient education and support, as well as documentation and physician collaboration. The 20 most frequently selected interventions were reported by 71%, 90% of respondents. Four core interventions ,"documentation,""telephone consultation,""teaching: prescribed medication," and "emotional support", were used at least once per month by all specialties. DISCUSSION The level of consistency (70%) among responses validates the strong foundation that professional nursing, as described by NIC, provides NPs in their role. Four core interventions and the remaining 16 most frequently selected interventions that are more specific to each specialty practice indicates that NIC is comprehensive enough to meet the needs of a variety of NP practices. CONCLUSIONS NIC encompasses key areas of interventions (health screening, treatment and management, health promotion and education, psychosocial support, indirect activities) central to the role of NPs, but qualitative comments described the need for more language within NIC to characterize the NP role related to the prescribing of medications and treatments. Some respondents found the definitions to be unclear as to whether they were performing or ordering/prescribing the intervention. This lack of clarity could be addressed by further development of the NIC definitions and activities so the advanced role of the NP is more fully described. Development of documentation systems using the core interventions identified by the various NP specialties is needed. Using standardized nursing language for documentation will enable NPs to build clinical databases that reflect and describe the role. Future research needs to be focused by NP specialty and to go beyond the NIC definition and include analysis at the activity level. [source] A Pilot Study Analyzing Mortality of Adults With Developmental Disabilities Residing in Nursing Homes in ConnecticutJOURNAL OF POLICY AND PRACTICE IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, Issue 3 2010Gerard J. Kerins Abstract A review of mortality cases for persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) in the state of Connecticut (USA) revealed that the majority of deaths in residential settings occurred in nursing homes. However, it was not clear why individuals with ID were residing in nursing homes, or what brought them there. The authors conducted a preliminary study to elicit better understanding of the circumstances resulting in nursing home residency for people with ID. Charts for a small sample of deaths occurring in nursing homes were examined and select data extracted, including basic demographic data, the previous residential setting, the length of stay, medical conditions, case management intensity, and documented rationale for continued nursing home residency. The data revealed that many individuals were admitted to nursing homes at an earlier age than for the nondisabled general population. People with ID stayed in these residences longer, and died later than the general population of nondisabled individuals admitted to nursing homes. About half the sample received case management on at least an annual basis; a third had no documented case management. Lack of appropriate alternate residential settings, lack of support services for families, and lack of case management resources for adults with ID residing in nursing homes in Connecticut are all apparent from the findings. Failure to use existing resources such as group homes to their potential capacity, and other similar policies should be re-examined. [source] Pediatric Travel Consultation in an Integrated ClinicJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2001John C. Christenson Background: In May 1997, a pediatric travel service was created within a larger integrated University-County Health Department international travel clinic. The purpose of the service was to further enhance the travel advice and care provided to children and their parents or guardians. The current study was designed to describe the care of children in this setting and to compare the care of children seen in the Pediatric Travel Service with that of children seen by other providers. Methods: All pediatric patients (defined as individuals , 18 years of age) receiving care in the travel clinic were considered candidates for inclusion in the analysis. Patients seen by the Pediatric Travel Service were compared to those seen by other staff members in the travel clinic (referred to as Regular Clinic). The following information was noted: basic demographic data, medical history including allergies, prior immunization records, intended place and duration of travel, and immunizations and medications prescribed at the time of visit. Travel advice covering water and food precautions, preventive measures against insect bites, injury prevention, malaria prevention, prevention of parasitic infections, and environmental-related problems was provided to all patients in both groups when necessary. Results: Between May 1997 and December 1999, 287 pediatric age individuals were given pretravel care by the Pediatric Travel Service (median age, 6 years; range, 1 month-18 years). During the same time period, 722 pediatric age travelers (median age, 14 years; range, 8 months-18 years) were evaluated in the Regular Clinic by other staff members. Travel destinations most commonly traveled by both groups in descending order were: Africa, Central America and Mexico, South America, and Southeast Asia. When compared to travelers seen in the Regular Clinic, individuals in the Pediatric Travel Service group were more likely to travel for humanitarian work, and for parental work relocation. Persons in the Regular Clinic were more likely to travel to Mexico and Central America. They were also more likely to travel on vacation and for missionary work or study. Hepatitis B and tetanus-diphtheria booster vaccinations were given more frequently to travelers seen in the Regular Clinic. Also, ciprofloxacin and antimotility agents were more commonly prescribed in this group. No differences were noted in the duration of travel or in the time interval between clinic visit and departure. Conclusions: While general travel advice was considered to be similar in both clinic groups, some differences were observed in the frequency of administration of certain vaccines and prescriptions of medications. These differences were likely due to a difference in age in the two study groups. The high volume and success of the clinic suggest that integrated pediatric and adult travel services in a coordinated setting can be effective. [source] Use of a Urine Dipstick and Brief Clinical Questionnaire to Predict an Abnormal Serum Creatinine in the Emergency DepartmentACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 8 2009Daniel N. Firestone MD Abstract Objectives:, Prior data demonstrated that a urine dipstick used alone was a sensitive predictor of abnormal creatinine, but not sufficiently enough to forego screening of serum creatinine prior to administration of contrast for diagnostic studies. The authors hypothesized that a brief historical questionnaire coupled with a urine dipstick would have high sensitivity for renal dysfunction, potentially eliminating the need for a serum creatinine prior to contrast administration. Methods:, This was a prospective study of a convenience sample of patients at two academic tertiary-care emergency departments (EDs) during 2006,2007. Subjects included patients who had both a serum creatinine result reported by the laboratory and a urine dipstick result reported in the medical record. Data included triage vital signs, basic demographic data, 14 medical history items, dipstick urinalysis, and serum creatinine results. The main outcome measure was an abnormal serum creatinine, defined as greater than 1.5 mg/dL. Results:, Complete data sets were collected on 1,354 patient visits. Of these, there were 161 (12%) with a serum creatinine of >1.5 mg/dL. Logistic regression analysis identified the following independent predictors associated with elevated creatinine: age greater than 60 years, known renal insufficiency, diabetes, hypertension, diuretic use, vomiting, and proteinuria. Nearly all patients with abnormal creatinine (98%) had at least one of these seven predictors. A decision tool combining these predictors would have identified 158 of 161 patients with an abnormal creatinine (sensitivity, 98.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 95.8% to 99.9%) and a specificity of 21.2% (95% CI = 18.8% to 23.2%). Conclusions:, The absence of six historical factors and absence of proteinuria can be safely used to identify patients who are unlikely to have an abnormal creatinine. [source] The occurrence of congenital heart defects in an inbred herd of pigs in AustraliaAUSTRALIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 4 2006PK HOLYOAKE Objective To report on the first case of congenital heart defects in pigs in Australia. Design Retrospective analysis of case records from an inbred herd of "Westran' pigs at the University of Sydney, between January 2001 and December 2004. Detailed gross and histological examination of 15 hearts from pigs that had died or were euthanased in 2004. Case Details The necropsy records from a population of 471 pigs that had died (106 pigs) or were euthanased for research purposes (365 pigs) were analysed and the incidence of heart defects recorded, together with basic demographic data. No attempts were made to diagnose the condition in live pigs. Results Congenital heart defects were diagnosed in 6.4% of pigs but this is likely to be an underestimate of the incidence of the deformity. Eighteen pigs died on the farm as a result of the defect, and 12 pigs were diagnosed with the defect as an incidental finding. The most common abnormality seen at necropsy was a sac-like dilatation on the right lateral surface of the right atrium. This was associated with secondary deformity and hypoplasia of the adjacent left ventricle, interventricular region and part of the right ventricle. All hearts showed atrial septal defects of varying size. Conclusion This is the first reported case of congenital heart defects in pigs in Australia, and one of less than five reported cases of atrial septal defects in pigs in the world. The authors conclude that there may be an element of genetic predisposition to the malformation, since it has only been reported in this inbred line of pigs. [source] | ||||||||||