Biomedical subjects
S Kardong-Edgren
Publications and source records attributed to S Kardong-Edgren.
Assessment of professional nursing students' knowledge and attitudes about patients of diverse cultures.
This study examined personal attitudes of 152 Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN), registered nurse (RN) to BSN, and master's students enrolled in a school of nursing in the southwestern United States toward culturally diverse patients and their perceived knowledge of specific cultural practices and culture-specific skills. Three instruments were used to collect data: the Ethnic Attitude Scale-Part I, the Transcultural Questionnaire, and a demographic survey. Findings reveal that students in all three programs had a relatively low knowledge base about specific cultural groups. The only statistically significant difference found in attitudes, perceived knowledge of cultural patterns, or perceived cultural skills by program was the slightly higher perceived ability of generic BSN students to distinguish between concepts such as ethnocentrism and discrimination, intra- and intercultural diversity, and ethnicity and culture. Similar to other studies of measurement of provider attitudes and perceived cultural knowledge, the results of this study reinforce the struggle experienced by educators and the challenges faced by health care administrators grappling with teaching and delivering culturally competent care. The findings imply that nurse educators need to examine alternate models and teaching strategies to move students along the continuum of cultural learning.
Is it time to change the paradigm?
Published research has suggested that infants whose mothers received opiates, barbiturates, or nitrous oxide gas during labor are significantly more likely to become addicted to opiates if they experiment with drugs in later life. Why has no one further investigated this hypothesis? What if these researchers are correct? In the future will there be class action lawsuits against the medical and nursing research communities for failure to follow up on this question? Is it time to change the research paradigm?
Using evidence-based practice to improve intrapartum care.
The Cochrane Data Base (www.cochranelibrary. com/clibhome/clib.htm, retrieved February 23, 2001), a comprehensive international review of current medical and obstetric practices, demonstrates that birth outcomes improve with one-to-one labor support but not necessarily with continuous fetal monitoring. Because of a cultural bias toward technology, however, few extrinsic rewards exist for nurses who provide individualized labor support. Clinical scholarship in the obstetric setting is one way to begin changing ritualized practices, incorporating evidence-based practice, and improving nursing care.
Diabetes Education Programs for African American Women: what works?
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