Replies to the comments by Tyron, Silverstein and Auerbach, and Raps on the author's original article. I was very pleased to read these comments about the priority of bridging research and clinical practice and to have the benefit of further perspectives on how this goal might be achieved. The article to which these comments were addressed…

An attempt is made to explain the nurses' role: what the nurse is, what the nurse does, how the nurse is viewed by society, why nurses suffer burnout, nursing costs, and health care system reform. (CT)

Two viewpoints on written informed consent are presented: Written informed consent should not be required unless research goes beyond the bounds of normal practice and poses danger or discomfort to the patient; and the principles of autonomy and individual rights must be applied at least as stringently to research as to practice. (CT)

Discusses the many different taxonomies of nursing diagnosis and how it can be brought out of the theory into practical application. Explains five steps of nursing diagnosis: assessment, formulation, expected outcomes, individualized interventions, and evaluation. (JOW)

A model for program evaluation that was originally designed for use by educational evaluators has been found useful for the evaluation of health care delivery programs. The model provides the basis for comprehensive evaluation and could serve as a useful tool for nurse administrators in the ongoing evaluation of programs they supervise. (Author)

The need for and definition of children's advocacy in the area of health care needs is explored as well as three issues relating to children's advocacy. Journal Availability: American Academy of Pediatrics, P.O. Box 1304, Evanston, IL 60204. (Author/PHR)

A concern is raised about the criterion for the interpretation of certain throat culture tests. (JD)

Inflation and hospital cost containment, a national health plan, and preventive medicine are discussed at the 57th meeting of the American College Health Association. (JD)

Further improvements in health care are best achieved through the development of lay resources rather than professional resources in health. (JD)

A vacation provided the author with the opportunity to meet with school nurses in Australia. (MM)

This Congressional oversight hearing was convened to examine evidence that many of the nation's nursing homes restrict or deny access to the elderly poor and disabled, leaving the 18 million Americans dependent on Medicaid especially vulnerable to neglect and exploitation. Evidence was heard on discriminatory admissions, on the practice of…

The author states that assessing a client's network and the support it provides expands the database available to the nurse for making decisions about care. She examines also the relationship between networks and stress, the use of networks to alert the nurse to patients at risk, and network building. (CT)

Notes that the rapid rise in private practice of an economic model known as "contract medicine" (such as the HMO) has introduced powerful new organizational constraints on interaction between member physicians and their patients. Examines the negotiation of specialty referral in two practices participating in contract plans. (MM)

The merits of systematic planning and the implementation and evaluation of a staff health education program are discussd. Health education programs for such target populations as the university staff are advocated. (JN)

Practical and heuristic reasons for evaluating the quality of mental health care on a college campus are given, an example of such an evaluation is presented, and difficulties in arriving at a valid assessment are discussed. (JD)