The Lived Experience of Afghan Women Refugees in Three Metropolitan Areas of the Southeastern US: A Phenomenological Study

The global refugee crisis has reached epic proportions. Statistics from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR, 2016) reported that in 2015 a record 65.3 million people worldwide, or 39,976 people per day, were displaced, either within their native countries or as asylees and refugees. Afghanistan, from 1980-2014, was the country with the largest number of outgoing refugees and it now ranks third in the world. At the opposite end of the continuum the United States remains the primary host country for refugees, asylees, and resettled refugees from all countries, including Afghanistan. The refugee experience is fraught with challenges from life in the native country to the decision to leave to the resettlement process in the US. The author has had a longstanding interest in Afghanistan and the Afghan refugees. Understanding the lived experience of the women refugees is important for nurses and other healthcare professionals who will eventually care for the women. This study used a phenomenological approach to make sense of and find meaning in this experience. The study also used the intersectionality feminist theory to explore ways in which the Afghan women refugees may be marginalized in the US. The women have demonstrated resilience and strength in coping with this traumatic life event and their stories deserve to be heard

Accelerating Curriculum Design: A Love It, Don\u27t Leave It Approach to Creative Process and Idealized Design

Purpose and Background: The Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) report (2010) on the “Future of Nursing” emphasized the need for nurses to lead health care change. One of the key messages in this report is a call to action for nursing schools to re-envision nursing education that focuses on a population-based perspective and emerging roles for nurses across the care continuum. With an evolving focus on primary and community-based care rather than acute care, and recognition of the importance of coordinating care and managing transitions across providers and settings of care, registered nurses now and in the future will need to be prepared with a breadth of knowledge, skills, and competencies. In response, the Jefferson College of Nursing (JCN) embarked on the ambitious task of designing a new 21st century baccalaureate nursing curriculum over a 13-month period. Nursing curriculum design varies widely and can span the course of two to five years. To reduce the lengthy process and ensure faculty commitment, JCN leadership selected a core team of nine faculty members to navigate the full faculty through the design of the curriculum. Each team member was assigned three teaching credits for curriculum development and design. Although a 13-month turnaround time for curriculum design is unprecedented, what is most unique about JCN’s initiative is that it began with a charge of developing an idealized curriculum from a blank slate. To ensure that the curriculum reflected multiple perspectives, the team recruited six stakeholders including a nurse practice partner, health care consumer, community leader, alumnus, current student, and adjunct clinical faculty. Poster presented at: NLN Education Summit, 2015:Bridging Practice and Education, Las Vegas, Nevada, September 30, 2015-October 2, 2015.https://jdc.jefferson.edu/nursingposters/1009/thumbnail.jp

Developing a Business Case for the Care Coordination and Transition Management Model: Need, Metrics, and Measures

In this descriptive qualitative study, nurse and healthcare leaders\u27 experiences, perceptions of care coordination and transition management (CCTM®), and insights as to how to foster adoption of the CCTM RN role in nursing education, practice across the continuum, and policy were explored. Twenty-five barriers to recognition and adoption of CCTM RN practice across the continuum were identified and categorized. Implications of these findings, recommendations for adoption of CCTM RN practice across the care continuum, and strategies for reimbursement policies are discussed