Biomedical subjects
W Oderkirk
Publications and source records attributed to W Oderkirk.
Enthusiasm misplaced? Revisiting cholesterol screening.
Nursing journals have not reflected the abundant literature criticizing the National Cholesterol Education Program's goal to screen every adult American's cholesterol levels. Because this goal affects every nurse in professional, economic, and personal ways, it behooves nurses to consider the intensive debate that frames the benefits claimed for cholesterol screening. Issues raised by the debate may give nurses reason to question the program's goals. Once acquainted with inherent epidemiologic, methodologic, cost, and public policy issues, nurses may conclude there is insufficient scientific evidence to warrant cholesterol screening for the entire adult population. Rather, cholesterol screening may best be reserved for the relatively few Americans most likely to benefit from both screening and subsequent treatment.
Challenging Spanish: ways for nurses to become bilingual.
A desire to provide culturally competent care to an increasing population of non-English-speakers may lead some nurses to consider learning another language as a way to minimize cross-cultural communication barriers. Nurses wishing to learn a second language may be surprised at the variety of ways to acquire bilingual skills, particularly in Spanish, the most common foreign language encountered in the United States. Reasons to learn Spanish are discussed and ways to do so are reviewed. Learning Spanish or another language can enrich the nurse-patient relationship, enhance nurses' self-esteem, and advance nurses' employment opportunities. Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish (or another language) should be regarded as an authentic clinical skill supporting nurses' cultural and clinical competencies.