Factors affecting the programme completion of pre-registration nursing students through a three year course: a retrospective cohort study

© 2017 Students who leave pre-registration nurse education having failed to complete remain a concern for higher education institutions. This study identifed factors influencing completion using a retrospective cohort analysis to map student characteristics at entry against Year 3 completion data. The study was set in a nursing faculty in a higher education institution in northern England. Data were collected between 2009 and 2014 with five cohorts of students participating (n = 807). Multinomial logistic regression was used to model the dependent variable Progression Outcome with categories of; completion and non-completion (academic and non-academic reasons). Predictors included cohort, programme, branch, gender, age on entry, ethnic group, disability status, domicile, change of home postcode, change of term-time postcode, entry qualifications, previous experience of caring, and dependents. Age on Entry and Domicile or alternatively Dependents and Domicile emerged as statistically significant (p  <  0.05) in the multivariable analysis. Older students were less likely to be lost from the programme, as were students who lived locally at all times and those with dependents. There is currently little reliable, consistent information on nursing student attrition, progression and completion. This study contributes to the evidence base by identifying some of the factors that may contribute to successful programme completion

Exploring changes in health visitors' knowledge, confidence and decision-making for women with perinatal mental health difficulties following a brief training package

Rationale and objective: Perinatal Mental Health (PMH) is an issue that spans the spectrum of pregnancy and childbirth and is now acknowledged to be significant on a global level. Health visitors (HVs) are increasingly expected to extend their knowledge and to understand and identify PMH in the antenatal period and across the spectrum from mild/moderate to severe. While training has been shown to enable HVs to identify post-natal depression (PND) effectively and reduce the proportion of women at risk, the mechanisms underpinning this success are unclear. This paper reports on the findings of a mixed methods study aimed at examining the impact of a single half day training session on perinatal mental health problems (PMHP) on HVs knowledge, confidence and empowerment in relation to managing PMH. Methods: Findings from data gathered by Likert Scales and focus group discussions are presented. Results: Training can empower HVs to identify PMHP beyond PND and plays a vital role in promoting confidence. Conclusions: This research highlights the potential that training of this type has on service provision and delivery. In a resource-limited service, the feasibility of a brief training package has demonstrated positive results for health visitors, childbearing women and their families

Chemotherapy treatment of multiple myeloma patients increases circulating levels of endothelial microvesicles

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Vaccination timeliness in preterm infants: An integrative review of the literature

© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Aims and objectives: To take a systematic approach to reviewing the scientific literature examining the timeliness of vaccination in preterm infants and to identify any factors associated with timeliness. Background: Preterm infants are vulnerable to infection and guidance advocates they are vaccinated in accordance with their full-term peers. Vaccination is well tolerated and protective immune responses are observed, yet some early enquiries suggest that preterm infants experience unwarranted delays. The recent surge in pertussis cases and the increase in vaccinations administered make this a topic requiring further exploration. Design: An integrative review of the empirical literature. Methods: Studies were identified following a search of Medline, Academic Search Premier, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. The review methods used were influenced by a narrative synthesis approach. The retrieval of papers adhered to recognised reporting standards. Results: Fourteen studies were identified, which indicated that infants with the lowest gestational ages and birthweights experience the greatest delays. Vaccination timeliness is influenced by hospitalisation and increased postdischarge follow-up. There was a lack of consensus to indicate that parental socio-economic status and level of education were indicators for a delay. The studies propose that many delays are unjustified and not according to genuine contraindications. Conclusion: This review indicates that preterm infants are not vaccinated in a timely manner. Those involved in vaccinating preterm infants must be informed of the genuine contraindications to avoid unnecessary delays putting preterm infants at an increased risk of infection. Relevance to clinical practice: Care providers should acknowledge the risk of a delay in preterm infants and actively promote vaccination in this population. Regular training should help to negate the occurrence of inappropriate delays, and careful discharge planning is needed to ensure that preterm infants are vaccinated on time

Detection of continuous variable entanglement without coherent local oscillators

We propose three criteria for identifying continuous variable entanglement between two many-particle systems with no restrictions on the quantum state of the local oscillators used in the measurements. Mistakenly asserting a coherent state for the local oscillator can lead to incorrectly identifying the presence of entanglement. We demonstrate this in simulations with 100 particles, and also find that large number fluctuations do not prevent the observation of entanglement. Our results are important for quantum information experiments with realistic Bose-Einstein condensates or in optics with arbitrary photon states.Comment: 7 Pages, 4 Figure

Anomalous spatial diffusion and multifractality in optical lattices

Transport of cold atoms in shallow optical lattices is characterized by slow, nonstationary momentum relaxation. We here develop a projector operator method able to derive in this case a generalized Smoluchowski equation for the position variable. We show that this explicitly non-Markovian equation can be written as a systematic expansion involving higher-order derivatives. We use the latter to compute arbitrary moments of the spatial distribution and analyze their multifractal properties.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Suicide-Related Internet Use Among Suicidal Young People in the UK: Characteristics of Users, Effects of Use, and Barriers to Offline Help-Seeking

The study replicates earlier research using a UK sample to examine differences between suicidal people who go online for suicide-related reasons and suicidal people who do not, perceived effects of suicide-related Internet use, and perceived barriers to offline help-seeking. A total of 72 UK citizens (18–24 years old) who had contemplated killing themselves or deliberately harmed themselves with the intention of dying within the past 12 months participated in an anonymous online survey. Results indicate that suicidal young people who use the Internet for suicide-related purposes are a high-risk group characterized by higher levels of social anxiety. The main purposes of suicide-related Internet use were to connect with others and seek information. Both positive and negative effects were found

Involving carers in risk assessment: a study of a structured dialogue between mental health nurses and carers

© The Author(s) 2019. Background: Involving carers is a key priority in mental health services. Carers report the sharing of service users’ safety information by mental health nurses is problematic and seldom takes place. Aims: The impact of an intervention on consensus between nurses and carers on perceptions of risk was investigated. Methods: Carer–nurse risk consensus scores were measured pre- and post-introduction of a structured dialogue (paired t-test/ANOVA). Carer experience with involvement was surveyed pre-test (n = 60) and compared with the post-test intervention group (n = 32) (chi-square tests of linear-by-linear association). Results: Consensus and perceptions regarding type and severity of risk did not change significantly for carers or nurses after engaging in a structured dialogue. Statistically significant differences were found with carers reporting higher levels of satisfaction with services in four out of six areas surveyed. Conclusions: Findings provide support for increasing carer contribution to discussions regarding risk. Further work to embed carer involvement in clinical practice is warranted

Timescales of spike-train correlation for neural oscillators with common drive

We examine the effect of the phase-resetting curve (PRC) on the transfer of correlated input signals into correlated output spikes in a class of neural models receiving noisy, super-threshold stimulation. We use linear response theory to approximate the spike correlation coefficient in terms of moments of the associated exit time problem, and contrast the results for Type I vs. Type II models and across the different timescales over which spike correlations can be assessed. We find that, on long timescales, Type I oscillators transfer correlations much more efficiently than Type II oscillators. On short timescales this trend reverses, with the relative efficiency switching at a timescale that depends on the mean and standard deviation of input currents. This switch occurs over timescales that could be exploited by downstream circuits

Incorporating Acupuncture Into American Healthcare: Initiating a Discussion on Implementation Science, the Status of the Field, and Stakeholder Considerations

Introduction: The field of implementation science is the study of methods that promote the uptake of evidence-based interventions into healthcare policy and practice. While acupuncture has gained significant traction in the American healthcare landscape, its journey has been somewhat haphazard and non-linear. Methods: In June 2019, a group of thirty diverse stakeholders was convened by the Society for Acupuncture Research with the support of a Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Eugene Washington Engagement Award. This group of stakeholders represented a diverse mix of patients, providers, academicians, researchers, funders, allied health professionals, insurers, association leaders, certification experts, and military program developers. The collective engaged in discussion that explored acupuncture\u27s status in healthcare, including reflections on its safety, effectiveness, best practices, and the actual implementation of acupuncture as seen from diverse stakeholder viewpoints. Objectives: A primary goal was to consider how to utilize knowledge from the field of implementation science more systematically and intentionally to disseminate information about acupuncture and its research base, through application of methods known to implementation science. The group also considered novel challenges that acupuncture may present to known implementation processes. Findings: This article summarizes the initial findings of this in-person meeting of stakeholders and the ongoing discussion among the subject matter experts who authored this report. The goal of this report is to catalyze greater conversation about how the field of implementation science might intersect with practice, access, research, and policymaking pertaining to acupuncture. Core concepts of implementation science and its relationship to acupuncture are introduced, and the case for acupuncture as an Evidence Based Practice (EBP) is established. The status of the field and current environment of acupuncture is examined, and the perspectives of four stakeholder groups--patients, two types of professional practitioners, and researchers--are explored in more detail