The Importance of Screening for, and managing, Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Malta

The detection and management of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been a source of controversy for many years. Evidence has now accumulated that dietary and insulin therapy are effective and reduce the risk of macrosomia and Caesarean section. Studies are underway to assess the impact of screening and of the different diagnostic criteria for GDM. However, studies to date have reported only an impact on obstetric, neonatal and fetal outcomes. It is now possible to prevent or at least delay the onset of maternal Type 2 diabetes, and interventions targeting women with a history of GDM are likely to have a substantive impact on the current diabetes epidemic. An even greater impact may result from preventing excessive intra-uterine exposure to hyperglycaemia, increasingly implicated as a cause of obesity and diabetes in the offspring of women with past GDM. Developing and implementing approaches to preventing long term risks to mother and baby across populations will take many years and possibly decades. In the meantime, all women should be screened for GDM so that the need for long term follow up, and, where possible, intervention for mother and baby can be identified. Such action requires knowledge of the diagnosis not only by the health care team but also the woman herself.peer-reviewe

Master Teacher Interview, Dr. Jimmie Downing

Transcript of an interview with Dr. Jimmie Downing. ACES 803 Qualitative Research.https://scholars.fhsu.edu/ors/1242/thumbnail.jp

Supporting newly qualified nurses in the UK: a systematic literature review

Aim: This is a systematic literature review of the existing published research related to the development of preceptorship to support newly qualified nurses in the United Kingdom (UK). Background: It has been known for some time that newly qualified nurses experience a period of unsettling transition at the point of registration. In the UK, preceptorship has been the professional body’s recommended solution to this for over 20 years. Data Sources: Searches were made of the CINAHL Plus and MEDLINE databases. Review Methods: A systematic review was carried out in August 2011. Twelve separate searches were conducted generating 167 articles, of which 24 were finally reviewed. Papers were critically reviewed and relevant data were extracted and synthesised using an approach based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis ( PRISMA). Results and Discussion: A results table is presented of the twenty-four sources generated by the systematic search. Three themes were identified from the empirical evidence base: ‘Managerial Support Framework’; ‘Recruitment and Retention’; and ‘Reflection and Critical Thinking in Action’;. Conclusion: There is strong evidence that the newly qualified nurse benefits from a period of supported and structured preceptorship, which translates to improved recruitment and retention for the employing organisations. Recommendations for Further Research and Practice: The existing literature provides an evidence base upon which to construct a preceptorship programme and a means by which to measure its efficacy and monitor its future development. Case study research projects should be considered for future preceptorship programmes in order to find the most effective methods of delivery.Research funded by Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Trus

A preceptorship toolkit for nurse managers, teams and healthcare organisations

The transition from student to newly qualified nurse can be challenging. A period of preceptorship is recommended to support newly qualified nurses in their new work environment, and to give them time to adapt and gain confidence. Researchers have developed a toolkit based on previous research that contains several resources that nurse managers, teams and organisations can use to develop and improve preceptorship for newly qualified nurses. The toolkit includes an organisational support tool, a managerial support framework, a supernumerary time tool and a local culture of support tool. This article describes these resources and gives an example of how the toolkit can be adapted locally.Chesterfield Royal Hospital funded the original research project upon which this is base

The Proper Role of Women (and Men): A Comparison of Beliefs from 1980 and 1997 for Utah State University Students

Since 1970, the United States has seen an explosion in the rate of women working and a change towards equality in men\u27s and women\u27s roles. In 1980, Helal Mobasher Liaey gave a survey to measure what Utah State University students thought were proper roles for women, in categories ranging from occupations to decision making. He did this research at a time when traditional and egalitarian role views were still furiously clashing, especially in Utah, which is generally considered to be one of the most conservative states in the country since it is primarily LDS. This study revisits how gender roles are shaped by gender and religion for Utah State University students. This research project\u27s goal is to assess the changes that have occurred in seventeen years

An Innovative Interprofessional Course: Cultural Humility and Competence

As we tackle the disproportionate burden of chronic illness and access to quality health care of an increasingly diverse population, it is critical to infuse cultural and linguistic competence in all sectors of health care training. To reach the Healthy People 2020 goal of eliminating health disparities, health and human services education must provide the knowledge and experience to understand the root causes of health disparities, as well as strategies to advance ongoing cultural and linguistic competence

Teaching Cultural Humility and Competence: A Multi-disciplinary Course for Public Health and Health Services Students

Poster on the interdisciplinary Cultural Humility and Competence course taught at the Jefferson School of Population Health for the past several years. Overall Course Aim: Why a multi-disciplinary cultural humility competence course? An in-depth and advanced understanding of cultural diversity, health inequities and cultural competence in inter-professional health and human service delivery and administration. Facilitate development of cultural competence and humility in one\u27s self, colleagues and the work environment and its application to practice

Outcomes of a research project to identify the enablers and barriers to effective preceptorship for newly qualified nurses

Poster presentationFunded by Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Trus

Body size, body composition, and fat distribution: a comparison of young New Zealand men of European, Pacific Island, and Asian Indian ethnicities

Aims To investigate body size and body fat relationships and fat distribution in young healthy men drawn from New Zealand European, Pacific Island, and Asian Indian populations.Method A total of 114 healthy men (64 European, 31 Pacific Island, 19 Asian Indian) aged 17&ndash;30 years underwent measurements of height, weight, and body composition by total body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Body mass index (BMI) was then calculated. Percent body fat (%BF), fat-free mass, bone mineral content, bone mineral density, abdominal fat, thigh fat, and appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM) were obtained from the DXA scans.Results For the same BMI, %BF for Pacific Island men was 4% points lower and for Asian Indian men was 7&ndash;8% points higher compared to Europeans. Compared to European men for the same %BF, BMI was 2&ndash;3 units higher for Pacific Island, and 3&ndash;6 units lower for Asian Indian. The ratio of abdominal fat to thigh fat, adjusted for height, weight, and %BF, was significantly higher for Asian Indian men than European (p=0.022) and Pacific Island (p=0.002) men. ASMM, adjusted for height and weight, was highest in Pacific Island and lowest in Asian Indian men.Conclusions The relationship between %BF and BMI is different for European, Pacific Island, and Asian Indian men which may, at least in part, be due to differences in muscularity. Asian Indians have more abdominal fat deposition than their European and Pacific Island counterparts. Use of universal BMI cut-off points are not appropriate for comparison of obesity prevalence between these ethnic groups. <br /

Children\u27s experiences of companion animal maltreatment in households characterized by intimate partner violence

Cruelty toward companion animals is a well-documented, coercive tactic used by abusive partners to intimidate and control their intimate partners. Experiences of co-occurring violence are common for children living in families with intimate partner violence (IPV) and surveys show that more than half are also exposed to abuse of their pets. Given children\u27s relationships with their pets, witnessing such abuse may be traumatic for them. Yet little is known about the prevalence and significance of this issue for children. The present study examines the experiences of children in families with co-occurring pet abuse and IPV. Using qualitative methods, 58 children ages 7–12 who were exposed to IPV were asked to describe their experiences of threats to and harm of their companion animals. Following the interviews, template analysis was employed to systematically develop codes and themes. Coding reliability was assessed using Randolph\u27s free-marginal multirater kappa (kfree = .90). Five themes emerged from the qualitative data, the most common being children\u27s exposure to pet abuse as a power and control tactic against their mother in the context of IPV. Other themes were animal maltreatment to discipline or punish the pet, animal cruelty by a sibling, children intervening to prevent pet abuse, and children intervening to protect the pet during a violent episode. Results indicate that children\u27s experiences of pet abuse are multifaceted, potentially traumatic, and may involve multiple family members with diverse motives