Clostridium difficile: Implications for nursing

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) and its many complications has become a serious health care challenge in acute, long-term, and home care. Nurses can make a unique contribution with preventive health teaching in decreasing transmission, preventing complications, and expediting resolution of C. difficile

Development, Implementation and Evaluation of a Peer Review of Teaching (PRoT) Initiative in Nursing Education

For many years, an area of research in higher education has been emerging around the development and implementation of fair and effective peer evaluation programs. Recently, a new body of knowledge has developed regarding the development and implementation of fair and effective peer evaluation programs resulting in formative and summative evaluations. The purpose of this article is to describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a peer review of teaching (PRoT) program for nursing faculty, initiated at one small comprehensive university in the northeastern United States. Pairs of nursing faculty evaluated each other’s teaching, syllabi, and course materials after collaborating in a pre-evaluation conference to discuss goals of the classroom visit. Qualitative data gathered in post project focus groups revealed that faculty found their modified PRoT process to be a mutually beneficial experience that was more useful, flexible and collegial, and less stressful than their previous evaluation process

Development, Implementation and Evaluation of a Peer Review of Teaching (PRoT) Initiative in Nursing Education

For many years, an area of research in higher education has been emerging around the development and implementation of fair and effective peer evaluation programs. Recently, a new body of knowledge has developed regarding the development and implementation of fair and effective peer evaluation programs resulting in formative and summative evaluations. The purpose of this article is to describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a peer review of teaching (PRoT) program for nursing faculty, initiated at one small comprehensive university in the northeastern United States. Pairs of nursing faculty evaluated each other’s teaching, syllabi, and course materials after collaborating in a pre-evaluation conference to discuss goals of the classroom visit. Qualitative data gathered in post project focus groups revealed that faculty found their modified PRoT process to be a mutually beneficial experience that was more useful, flexible and collegial, and less stressful than their previous evaluation process

Medication errors and the home care patient

Medication errors specific to home care include taking the wrong dose or quantity of medications, omitting medications, or taking an unauthorized drug. This article includes information regarding types of errors, contributing factors, and potential solutions to the identified problems

Orthostatic hypotension: Pathophysiology, problems and prevention

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) has traditionally been associated with falls (R. H. Fortinsky et al., 2008). However, data has been inconsistent, and some believe that more research in the area is needed before a true link can be made (A. Gangavati et al., 2011). OH, a drop in systolic pressure of ≥ 20 points or in diastolic pressure of ≥ 10 points within 3 minutes of standing as compared to the reading while supine may be accompanied by tachycardia, syncope, dizziness, visual changes, and death. Pathophysiological causes of OH include the dependent pooling of blood in organs and the periphery, compromised venous return and stroke volume, and changes in cardiac and baroreceptor function. Hypertension, diet, mobility, and medications may also contribute to the disorder. The treatment goal is to educate the patient, eliminate physiological causes, omit contributing medications, and resort to pharmacologic means as needed (J. B. Lanier et al., 2011). Thorough knowledge about OH can assist home care nurses in assessing for and educating patients about the disorder. This manuscript will discuss the pathophysiology, contributing diagnoses and drug classes, signs and symptoms, treatment, and implications for home care and hospice nurses related to orthostatic hypotension