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Background: Leadership development, career advancement, and collaboration among scholars are essential to nurturing nursing research excellence and sustainability. The Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) has incorporated several strategies to advance nursing science and to increase the pool of future nurse leaders. In this article, we describe the process, activities, and outcomes of the Leadership Academy (LA), an innovative initiative from MNRS developed to identify, engage, and nurture future generations of leaders. Methods: For the LA 2022 to 2023 period, the MNRS leaders selected a cohort of 5 nurse scholars and engaged them in activities to develop, enhance, and advance their leadership skills. By following the LA purposes, the cohort participated in monthly meetings with MNRS leaders, received individual mentoring sessions, assessed strengths and areas for further development, attended seminars, participated in a book club, and implemented a cohort project that focused on the promotion and support of early career scholars. Results: Outcomes showed increased knowledge about organizational governance, direction, and resource development; leadership confidence culminating with leadership positions inside and outside MNRS; career development plans; engagement with board members, and enhanced networking. Moreover, the cohort members planned and executed a well-attended conference special session that engaged a large group of scholars to discuss challenges and opportunities for career development at the MNRS Annual Conference. Conclusion: The MNRS LA is a thriving organizational initiative that promotes engagement and leadership skills development thereby increasing the pool of candidates confidently prepared to lead the nursing profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the shortage of nursing educators in the United States and proposes a solution in the form of a novel terminal degree, the Doctor of Nursing Education (DNE), aiming to address the deficit in qualified faculty positions and prepare educators specifically for roles in nursing education, filling a gap left by existing terminal degrees like the PhD and DNP; the authors conducted a nationwide survey to assess the need for the DNE program.

It has been reported previously that the offspring of rat dams consuming low dietary copper (Cu) during pregnancy and lactation experience a deficiency in cardiac cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) characterized by reduced catalytic activity and mitochondrial and nuclear subunit content after postnatal d 10. The present study was undertaken to determine whether the cardiac CCO deficiency was caused directly by low postnatal Cu intake or whether it was a prenatal effect of low Cu intake by the dams that became manifest postnatally. Dams were fed either a Cu-adequate diet (6 mg Cu/kg) or Cu- deficient diet (1 mg Cu/kg) beginning 3 wk before conception and throughout gestation and lactation. One day following parturition, several litters from Cu-adequate dams were cross fostered to Cu-deficient dams and several litters from Cu-deficient dams were cross fostered to Cu-adequate dams. Litters that remained with their birth dams served as controls. CCO activity, the content of the mitochondrial-encoded CCO subunit 1 (COX1), and the content of the nuclear- encoded subunit COX4 in cardiac mitochondria were reduced in the 21-d-old offspring of Cu-deficient dams. COX1 content was normal in the 21-d-old cross-fostered offspring of Cu-deficient dams, but CCO activity and COX4 were reduced. Cross fostering the offspring of Cu-adequate dams to Cu-deficient dams did not significantly affect CCO activity, COX1 content, or COX4 content in cardiac mitochondria of 21-d-old offspring. These data indicate that low prenatal Cu intake by dams was the determinant of CCO activity in cardiac mitochondria of the 21-d-old offspring and may have led to the assembly of a less-than-fully active holoenzyme.

We explored the associations among perceived stress, depressive symptoms, loneliness, and social support during the COVID-19 pandemic; and differences in perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and social support prior to the pandemic and during the pandemic among pregnant Black women. A sample of 33 pregnant Black women who participated in the Biosocial Impact on Black Births (BIBB) and were still pregnant in May–June 2020 were invited to complete an online survey about their experiences during the pandemic. Fifteen women responded very much or somewhat to experiencing stress and anxiety because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight women had CES-D scores ≥23, which have been correlated with depression diagnosis. Women who reported higher levels of loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic also reported higher levels of perceived stress and depressive symptoms and lower levels of social support during the pandemic. Women who reported lower levels of social support during the pandemic also reported higher levels of perceived stress and depressive symptoms during the pandemic. There were no changes in perceived stress, depressive symptoms, or social support prior to the pandemic and during the pandemic. Clinicians should assess for signs of loneliness and depressive symptoms for pregnant women and offer recommendations for therapy and support groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigenetic modifications are chemical changes that can modify gene expression without changing the sequence of the gene. These modifications are potentially identifiable and reversible, making the epigenome an important area of research for discovering biomarkers to identify those who may be at risk and providing therapeutic interventions to prevent adverse health outcomes. African Americans bear a disproportionate risk of adverse health outcomes (e.g., hypertension, cancer). Indeed, African American women experience preterm birth (PTB; <37 completed weeks gestation) at more than twice the rate of non-Hispanic White women. Research suggests that environmental influences may play a significant role in PTB outcomes for this population. However, the biological pathways by which these influences contribute to PTB are poorly understood. This paper describes research methods and ethical considerations for the collection and analysis of biological samples based on our study examining the epigenetic regulation of stress pathways in PTB in pregnant African American women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]