TennCare is an approach to providing health care for former Medicaid recipients and the uninsured in Tennessee. The state designates a specific dollar amount per patient and contracts with managed care organizations to allocate funds and provide services. (JOW)

Statistical analyses of responses from 774 of 1,850 registered nurses on the Professionalism Inventory found that professionalism was related to years of experience as a nurse, higher education degrees in nursing, organizational membership and service as an officer, and specialty certification. (Contains 52 references.) (SK)

Role playing is a useful method for teaching cultural competence in nurse-patient situations. Successful implementation depends on identification of objectives and grading criteria, adequate time, guidelines for role specifications, monitoring of the process, delineation of the relationship to theory, and facilitation of constructive analysis.…

At Rush University's nursing college, a task force interviewed 21 nurse leaders at doctorate-granting institutions. Differences between the doctor of nursing science and doctor of philosophy degrees were identified in terms of focus, coursework, and external recognition. Almost half recommended that Rush retain the doctorate of nursing science,…

Addresses the nursing shortage and public fatigue surrounding the topic of the health care crisis. Describes the knowledge worker model and hospitals' move to a business model and the implications of these models for the reframing of nursing education. (SK)

Frail elderly nursing home residents (n=19) in Israel were taught computer use, some with adaptations for disabilities. Men used computers slightly longer, perhaps due to the type of software they chose. Both the trainees and 14 controls improved attitudes toward computers; the controls may have benefitted from observing others using them and…

Notes empathy is a commonly used but poorly understood concept, difficult to define or measure. Suggests it develops with maturity and uses communication skills that can be taught by modeling and role play. Its use as a foundation for nursing education is uncritically accepted, but should be reassessed. (SK)

A survey of 199 midwifery students in England identified two classes of stress: the organization/learning experience and home/family. Three primary sources were insufficient time for coursework, conflicts between study and home/family demands, and facing life and death situations in practice placements. (SK)

Suggests nursing curricula have changed over time due to the influence of prevailing ideologies, such as the current market orientation. Notes that to meet the needs of both students and society, educators must recognize the influence of contexts and their ideological underpinnings. (SK)

Literature review on organizational effectiveness focuses on major assessment models: goal attainment, human relations, open systems, internal processes, culture, and life cycle. A review of studies of nursing school effectiveness is used to present an agenda for nursing research. (SK)

Discusses how, following an intensive 2-day clinical experience for nursing students in a rural, culturally diverse region, student evaluations and papers showed evidence of cultural learning and increased knowledge of rural health care systems. Includes reflections by a teaching associate and two students. (Contains 33 references.) (SK)

Presents a key module in a 3-day train-the-trainer course in end-of-life nursing--competence in communicating with patients and families. Factors affecting communication, coping strategies for families, strategies for classroom and clinical teaching, and resources are described. (SK)

Nursing students in preceptored clinical experiences assumed more responsibility, managed time better, and learned to prioritize patients. The partnership benefited hospitals by spreading student clinical supervision across more staff and enabling smaller institutions to participate. (SK)

Offers a rationale for involvement of nursing doctoral programs in health services research, which examines health care delivery. Presents recommendations of the Re-envisioning the Ph.D. project, which identified problems in doctoral programs. (Contains 46 references.) (SK)

A survey of 452 nurse practitioner educators (343 in clinical practice) found that 70% have doctorates, but only 37% of those in clinical practice are tenured; 51% reported that practice is not considered in promotion and tenure decisions at their institutions. (SK)