Journal of pediatric nursing
-
The relationships among weight, mental health, social competence, healthy lifestyle beliefs, choices, and behaviors in overweight and obese school-age children (9 to 12 years) who were participating in a pilot Healthy Choices Intervention Program were examined using a descriptive correlational design. Results indicated that the children's weight negatively correlated with the children's self-concept, social skills, and, most importantly, healthy lifestyle choices. Their healthy lifestyle beliefs demonstrated positive correlations with their intentions to choose a healthy lifestyle. ⋯ A positive self-concept was associated with decreased anxiety and depressive symptomology. These data support the need for health care providers to understand the psychological and social issues that overweight and obese school-age children experience. Cognitive behavior skills building techniques, such as those in the Healthy Choices Intervention Program, may promote healthy lifestyle choices and behaviors.
-
Further research on cost-effective techniques to verify enteral tube placement is warranted using a variety of pediatric populations with differing conditions that may impact gastric pH. It is imperative that clinical facilities review current policies and procedures to ensure that evidence-based findings are guiding nursing practice. ⋯ Education and competency validation can assist with current practices for NGT placement being consistently incorporated by all personnel in the health care setting. Continuing to search for evidence related to nursing care will guide the direct care RN in providing best practice.
-
Optimal staff performance of resuscitation skills is best achieved through regular effective training. However, providing this teaching in a busy high-acuity pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) had become a challenge due to time and logistical constraints. A program to effectively and efficiently teach ICU nurses the skills necessary in patient resuscitation was developed using simulation training to better meet staff learning needs. ⋯ Data revealed statistically significant improvement in scores pre and post training and at 1 year for self-reported knowledge, skills, and comfort related to resuscitation. Nursing staff reported that simulation training in resuscitation skills was helpful and positively impacted their knowledge, comfort, and skills. Feedback from nursing staff continues to be very positive, and performance of actual resuscitations on the unit has improved anecdotally.
-
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the third leading cause of infant mortality in the United States and the leading cause of death among infants 28-364 days of age. The "Back to Sleep" program was implemented in 1992 to promote supine sleeping in efforts to prevent SIDS. Along with this implementation came several consequences that are avoidable in infants. The purposes of this article are to describe the Back to Sleep program and its intended purpose, to identify the adverse consequences, and to develop a teaching program for nurse practitioners to use with parents that will both promote safe sleeping and reduce the untoward consequences of the back to sleep program while maintaining the integrity of the SIDS prevention advice.