Pipeline Easement and Right-of-Way Agreements

This article describes an Extension educational program designed to increase landowner knowledge about pipelines and address issues related to right-of-way agreements. Specific terms of right-of-way agreements in Ohio are often difficult to obtain because many companies forbid landowners from discussing contract details with others. Uninformed individuals have signed agreements not understanding how management of their land may change, what some of the provisions in a document mean, and how much monetary compensation companies are willing to pay for easements. Postmeeting evaluations indicated that knowledge was gained by clientele and that participants were better equipped to understand and negotiate easement agreements

Timber Harvest Management Workshop

This article describes a forestry program designed to increase woodland owners\u27 knowledge and promote sustainable management practices. Each year uninformed individuals allow timber to be harvested from their property, receive fewer dollars than the timber was worth, and have no management plan for their woodland. Workshops were conducted in the classroom and in the field to address these issues. Surveys were conducted to determine knowledge gained and economic impact of the educational efforts. Results showed that significant knowledge was gained and participants who subsequently marketed timber received more income from their sale due to information learned at the workshops

Nurse Directed Palliative Care Discussions in the Emergency Department

Emergency department (ED) nurses are in a unique position to discuss with patients who have life-limiting illnesses. However, due to lack of training, ED nurses are often reluctant to have these conversations. Although ED patients receive written information about advanced directives, there is a gap in practice with discussing palliative and end-of-life care, resulting in increased potential for patient isolation, inconsistencies in treatment modalities, and delayed opportunities for patient-centered goal setting. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to address what resources are available to guide evidence-based practice for ED nurses in a small inner city hospital to implement nurse-directed palliative care discussions. A review of the literature was completed to analyze the nurse’s role for palliative and end-of-life discussions. ED nurses’ concerns were identified through ongoing discussions and conveyed to the DNP student by the ED education specialist during the interview process. In conjunction with an ED education specialist and validated by the institution’s leadership and palliative care team, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPG) were created. Validity was determined by the AGREE II instrument. Watson’s caring theory and Lewin’s change theory provided a foundation for the development of the CPG to facilitate a caring environment within the ED setting and to empower ED nurses with knowledge, skills, and resources. This project contributes to social change by providing educational opportunities to meet the needs of complex patient populations by offering a paradigm shift in nursing care from a bio-medical focus to include comfort and holistic care, thus promoting shared decision-making regarding quality of life and end of life care