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Have you ever thought about why - if you do - you read the combination of ingredients found in a particular product? Usually, you want to know what makes something good for you or not; what enhances the palatability of the chosen item; or, sometimes, it's sheer curiosity as to whether you have made a good choice. More often than not, you buy something by virtue of its popularity and market penetration or its personal appeal. The successful launch of a product is frequently linked to creative and targeted marketing. But let's face it, there are times when we throw caution to the wind and simply ignore the caloric, saturated fat, sodium and sugar counts of a chosen product. In so doing, we accept the associated potential risks to our well-being.

Web technologies, including intranet and internet applications, have become pervasive throughout society. Applications in healthcare settings are evolving rapidly and clearly demonstrating that professional and departmental activities can be enhanced, streamlined, and supported by this new technology. At Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, obvious benefits are being derived from evolving internet and intranet applications that support nursing practice and management. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the advantages of internet/intranet functionality for nurses, and to describe an intranet application designed specifically for the adult critical care unit.

A study was undertaken to examine the factors that influence student and registered nurse attitudes toward computers. This article provides a report of the psychometric findings related to the use of Stronge and Brodt's Nurses' Attitudes Toward Computerization questionnaire. The convenience sample consisted of 394 registered nurses employed in a large metropolitan hospital and 299 baccalaureate student nurses. Principal component analysis was performed identifying three factors for the nurse sample, including nurses' work, organizational issues, and barriers to use. Four factors emerged in the student sample: nurses' work, barriers, organizational issues, and efficiency issues. These findings were inconsistent with previous studies and the underlying categories identified by Stronge and Brodt. Further development of the understanding of the substantive components of attitudes toward computers is recommended.