Evaluation of follow-through family projects that linked 120 nursing students with 90 childbearing families indicated that students enjoyed establishing therapeutic relationships and developed care skills and appreciation for childbirth as a transition. Families appreciated the health and education support and individualized assistance and felt…

Explains that external examiners who assess nursing education programs are common in Britain and British-influenced nations. Describes criteria for appointment, role and functions, and stages of the process. States that, although trends indicate declining use of examiners, the process can enrich both examiner and institution. (SK)

A process for teaching research synthesis to advanced practice nurses includes two courses: a first research applications course in which students build bibliographic databases, practice statistical analysis, and develop search skills; and a second course in which they complete literature reviews or meta analyses of research on clinical practice…

Watson's Theory of Human Caring was integrated into clinical staff development and a nursing school's mission and philosophy. It was the foundation for clinical student orientation and development of staff-student relationships. Students experiencing caring in their educational programs may be better prepared to be caring practitioners and…

Effective distance education principles include attention to the pacing and content of instruction, management of technical processes, and logistics. Successful models of interactive distance education humanize the media, foster learner participation, use the right message style, and get feedback from learners. (SK)

Nurses must develop political acumen, understand how power relations operate in a diverse society, and consider how various forms of power can strengthen the position of nursing in health care. (Commentaries by Martin Johnson, Mary Burchenall, and Eamonn Slevin follow.) (SK)

Provides a checklist to help clinical nurses critique research in order to use findings in practice. Categories include purpose of study, statement of problem, literature review, methodology, results and conclusions, and overall concerns (objectivity, ethics, readability). (SK)

Describes Linkages, a service learning project incorporated into a school of nursing. Suggests that service contributes to the mission of a university and is a response to real-world problems, issues, interests, and concerns. Identifies benefits for students, universities, and the community. (JOW)

Presents a framework for nursing curricula based on five conceptual cornerstones: nursing knowledge, skills, values, meanings, and experience. Outlines desired outcomes for each cornerstone for associate, bachelor's and master's degree programs. (Contains 47 references.) (SK)

To strengthen the supply of postdoctoral nurse researchers, strategies for recruitment, retention, mentoring, support, and evaluation must be improved. Strategies include get them early, create a culture, provide socialization, be flexible, and define outcomes. (JOW)

Nursing students (n=18) were assigned to a 10-week clinical setting (consistent placement) and 18 were assigned to 3 or more settings per term (multiple placements). There were no differences in learning style, self-esteem, or clinical learning outcomes. Those in multiple placements felt more challenged; consistent placements resulted in greater…

Written from a minority perspective, this article explores issues of transcultural nursing education and advocates reform of approaches that cast minority ethnic persons as "other," present minority ethnic nurses as experts on minority issues, and equate transcultural education with learning about cultural norms and practices. (Contains…

Defines metaphor and its uses; explains the construction and application of metaphors in nursing education. Describes the transformation of the abstract psychiatric concept of therapeutic milieu into a visual metaphor. (SK)

Purpose: Barriers to family involvement in the nursing home with the potential for change through intervention are examined, including transportation, caregiver health, relationships with staff, and resident characteristics. Design and Methods: Data were collected for 93 family caregiver-resident pairs by means of telephone interviews and chart…

Purpose: We sought to assess the quality of care provided by an innovative Medicare+Choice HMO targeted specifically at nursing home residents and employing nurse practitioners to provide additional primary care over and above that provided by physicians. The underlying premise of the Evercare approach is that the additional primary care will…