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Background: Nursing science is heavily dependent on nurse scientists with adequate funding. Nurse scientists should be aware of organizations' research agendas and, to the extent possible, align research with stated research priorities. Current information on the demographics of nurse scientists, their projects, and the alignment to known priorities is illusive. Purpose: To describe areas of inquiry pursued by PhD-prepared nurses and congruence with the research agendas of nursing organizations. Methods: A descriptive, exploratory approach was undertaken with PhD-prepared nurse scientists to gather data about their PhD program, dissertation topic, current work status, productivity, and future recommendations. Results: Key findings were that dissertation topics were broad and aligned with research priorities. Elements influencing research productivity are described. Conclusions: Understanding current nursing science stewardship and intentionally strategizing for the future of research, academia, and clinical practice will enhance our ability to tailor PhD programs accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integral to holistic "big picture" nursing care is an empathy that strives for social justice. Social empathy requires more than technical skills or even interpersonal empathy or other-focus; it also requires a perspective that appreciates the impact of social determinants and seeks action to address them. This study sought to measure social empathy and potentially associated demographic, personal, and work-related factors among nurses. This cross-sectional, observational study used online survey methods to collect data from 614 registered nurses employed in a faith-based health care system in the northwestern United States. Constructs measured included social empathy, social advocacy, self-compassion, emotional exhaustion, and trust/mistrust in God. Parametric statistical tests, including multiple logistic regression, allowed analyses. Findings indicated that social empathy was high in this sample. Younger nurses, those more inclined to advocate, those more self-compassionate, those less burned out, those working part-time (in contrast only with those working overtime), and those with at least a baccalaureate degree in nursing were more socially empathic. Findings highlight further rationale for creating healthy work environments that foster self-compassion and minimize burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to elucidate characteristics of vaccine-hesitant nurses at two large Southern California medical centers where rates of COVID-19 vaccination were lower than expected. Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of nurse participants in a cross-sectional study conducted at the two medical centers. Participants completed an online survey regarding their demographics; work setting and role characteristics; influenza vaccination history; COVID-19 knowledge and beliefs; and personal history of COVID-19 exposure, diagnosis, and disease impact (infection or death) on those closest to them. Results: Of 869 nurse participants, most (78.6%) were vaccinated and 21.4% were unvaccinated; more than half of the unvaccinated participants reported being unwilling to be vaccinated ("vaccine hesitant"). The χ2 comparisons revealed no significant differences between vaccinated and vaccine-hesitant nurses in terms of education, contact with COVID-19 patients, work environment, or having friends and family impacted by COVID-19. Binary logistic regression showed that nurses who had no history of recent influenza vaccination were 10 times more likely to be vaccine hesitant, those who had inaccurate knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines were seven times more likely to be vaccine hesitant, and younger nurses and those with a prior COVID-19 diagnosis were approximately three times more likely to be vaccine hesitant. Furthermore, 17.3% of all participants were unwilling to recommend COVID-19 vaccination to others. Conclusion: The findings offer a nuanced understanding of vaccine hesitancy among nurses and will be useful to the planning and development of policies, campaigns, and interventions aimed at increasing vaccination rates among nurses. Changing attitudes is essential, and particular attention must be paid to nurses who are unwilling to recommend vaccination to others. Effective interventions are needed. This study aimed to elucidate the characteristics of vaccine-hesitant nurses at two large medical centers where rates of COVID-19 vaccination were lower than expected, and to understand the reasons for such hesitancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fulbright Scholar Program offers numerous awards, presenting nurse practitioners with opportunities to interact with colleagues around the world. As increasing acceptance of the nurse practitioner role is gaining acceptance and being defined in various countries across the world, with expanding role definitions, this represents a trailblazing opportunity to influence global representation. The recent completion of a Fulbright award experience in India is provided as an exemplar of the Fulbright opportunity. Nurse practitioner program development and continuing education are key to enhancing patient care and access to care among patients who need it most. To be a part of the effort to prepare nurse practitioners everywhere expands the reach beyond that of an individual nurse practitioner. We can learn from each other, share strategies for implementation across settings, and together address barriers to practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haitian nurses live in a precarious environment, with healthcare disparity and low wages. In the presence of significant politicosocial- economic disparities, adverse effects of natural disasters, deleterious infrastructure, challenged self-boundaries, and the burden of caring for high-need patients, the authors sought a better understanding of nurses' perspective of the situation. During qualitative interviews, Haitian nurses in two faith-based hospitals (N = 17) reported feeling powerless yet exhibited resilience and dedication to nursing as a calling. These conditions cry out for support of nurses' self-care needs. Future interventions may help nurses identify better resources to care for themselves and guide their practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Background: Advanced health assessment is a required course in advanced practice RN (APRN) education, essential to providing the foundation for differential diagnosis (DD) skills and the ability to formulate a plan of care. Problem: Feedback from clinical preceptors revealed that our doctor of nursing practice (DNP) students struggled to make a DD. Approach: This educational quality improvement project collected data from 7 cohorts of DNP students in either the Family Nurse Practitioner or Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner program to evaluate their readiness for clinical practicums and to inform necessary curriculum revisions. Outcomes: Data revealed that students' ability to identify 3 DDs correctly during the summative health assessment objective structured clinical examination was inconsistent. Qualitative data revealed students lacked understanding on how to use results from the physical assessment to formulate a DD. Conclusion: The findings of this project corroborate those from the literature that suggest we should teach APRN students DD skills explicitly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preceptors are essential to nurse practitioner (NP) students' transition from being a student to competent entry-level NP graduate. The literature is replete with data pertaining to the benefits of and barriers to preceptors engaging in the clinical education of NP students, and little has changed in the last two decades in this regard. Therefore, faculty solicited preceptor input to enhance curriculum revision and clinical training preparation. This qualitative inquiry project derived data from interviews with 13 preceptors in a variety of clinical settings. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a content analysis method. Recruiting, training, and retaining qualified, willing preceptors are of paramount importance to NP programs. This article describes preceptor expectations of NP students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes for optimal clinical rotation experiences. The results have important implications for innovative NP educational models, developing trust in NP education programs and promoting competency development of the NP student using entrustable professional activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a US population of adult male and female Sikh immigrant participants (N = 350), we explored sociocultural factors related to depression, giving participants a choice between English or Punjabi surveys. Language preference pointed to a subgroup with higher levels of depression and lower satisfaction with life. Underreporting of depression suggests a general reluctance to discuss depression. While multiple sociocultural variables were associated with depression bivariably, multivariate analysis identified negative religious coping and anxiety as unique predictors of depression. Community interventions should tap into the protective close-knit social fabric of this community as an opportunity to change the stigma of mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]