PULSE BEATS

One Rx for Nursing Shortage community health nurse, became a faculty Does Religious Struggle Affect In March 2002, Catherine Walsh, RN, vice member and spent the last seventeen years of Mortality? president of patient care services at Mercy her thirty-year tenure at the University of Iowa A study has found that certain types of nega- Hospital and Medical Center, wondered if as an associate dean of the College of Nursing. tive feelings or thoughts relating to religious Hispanic nurses living in Chicago who were She retired June 30, 2002. The award was a beliefs can increase the risk of death in ill already licensed in another country could result of McClelland’s lifelong association with older patients. Nearly 600 medical inpatients, become licensed in the U.S. Her question Nurses Christian Fellowship® and her applica- 55 years or older (more than 95% Christian), prompted the collaboration of ten organiza- tion of Scripture to her work. Surprised by the completed questionnaires about their relig- tions, and four months of discussion resulted in award, McClelland said, “When I talk to ious coping (for example, the extent to which the groundbreaking Chicago-Mexico Nurse someone about their faith, I meet them where they sought spiritual support or religious Initiative. The program assists Hispanic nurses their interests are and try to be their friend.”— forgiveness) and religious struggle (for whose professional skills have been unused Iowa City Press-Citizen, December 6, 2002 example, the extent to which they thought due to language and system barriers. An infor- they were being punished, questioned God’s mational meeting drew 262 initial applicants; Stem Cells Show Promise powers or were discontented with religion). twenty-two candidates now attend classes four A researcher at the University of Minnesota Three beliefs were associated with a 19- nights a week to prepare for the Commission has discovered what is being called the “ulti- 28% increase in the likelihood of dying on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools mate stem cell.” Stems cells found in adult within two years: “Wondered whether God examination, the Test of English as a Foreign bone marrow have passed every test proving had abandoned me,” “Questioned God’s love Language examination, and, ultimately, the that they: can form every single tissue in the for me” and “Decided the devil made this NCLEX. Graduates of the program should be body; can be grown in culture indefinitely, happen.” Those who survived beyond two working by August 2003. Walsh is now inves- with no sign of aging; can be isolated from years had reported lesser degrees of religious tigating expanding the program to nurses humans; and do not form cancerous masses struggle.—AJN, November 2001 holding licenses from Asian and European when injected into adults. countries. For more information about the John Kilner, president of Center for Disaster Preparedness program, call Gloria Dominguez at 773-843- Bioethics and Human Dignity (CBHD), said, The honor society of nursing, Sigma Theta Tau 4531.—Advance for Nurses, February 17, “If confirmed, we no longer need to wait International, and the American Red Cross have 2003 until human cloning becomes reliable— jointly developed Disaster Preparedness and something that may never happen—to Response for Nurses, an online case study avail- Morning-After Pill pursue therapies and treatments. The geneti- able free to all nurses at www.nursing Morning-after pill regimens have been cally appropriate, flexible stem cells that society.org/education/ceonline.html. The case considered emergency contraception, drugs patients need are right in their own bodies.” study has been peer-reviewed for accuracy and taken shortly after unprotected sex to For more information, check CBHD at completeness, and leads nurses through clinical prevent pregnancy. But a report released by [email protected]. decision-making steps. It includes links to The Annals of Pharmacotherapy shows abstracts, full-text articles and research related evidence that, instead of preventing ovula- Literacy Affects Health to the topic. Nurses who complete the case tion, the drug may cause the death of a The American Medical Association (AMA) study can register for two hours of free contin- living embryo by blocking its attempts to estimates that about 90 million Americans have uing education.—Advance for Nurses, February attach inside the uterus, causing abortion of difficulty comprehending medical information 17, 2003 the newly-formed embryonic life. This raises and acting on it. That means an inability to questions about the effort to make the follow instructions on pill bottles, understand Comfort Essential in Nursing? morning-after pill available over the health advice, complete office forms or insur- Ann Malinowski and Lynette Stamler believe counter, as well as presenting serious moral ance applications, or give informed consent to that Watson’s Theory of Human Care and and ethical challenges to the use of these have an operation or office medical procedure. Leininger’s Theory of Culture Care both drugs in ERs and private medical practice. The results can be devastating—more visits to capture the essence of what nursing is and It is important that health care workers give EDs, increased likelihood of complications, and that both incorporate comfort. In other patients information relevant to their beliefs even death. The AMA says many patients are words, comfort is fundamental in nursing and value systems.—The Annals of Pharma- simply too embarrassed to let health care practice. Malinowski and Stamler fear cology, Spring 2002 providers know they do not understand what nursing is losing important values, including they are being asked or told. Bottom line: RNs comfort, in the face of increasing technology Blending Faith and Academia must be sensitive to patients’ health literacy and and different management practices. They From a field of 115 nominations, Eleanor understand a patient’s shame may be the argue that comfort is one of the soft concepts McClelland, PhD, RN, a member of JCN’s greatest hindrance to health.—Nursing Spec- that needs to be validated because “Comfort review panel, recently received the Faith and trum, April 16, 2001 is a basic human need, and as such, it must be Learning Award from the Geneva Lecture achieved before the person can turn his/her Committee, fifteen University of Iowa faculty PulseBeats compiled by Melodee Yohe, attention to the process of healing.”—Journal members. McClelland was recruited as a consulting editor of Advanced Nursing, September 2002

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