Johns Hopkins University Nursing News And Research Briefs For July

JHPIEGO, an international health affiliate of The Johns Hopkins
University, has enlisted the Hopkins School of Nursing (JHUSON) in
spearheading efforts to improve the curriculum for midwifery education in
Afghanistan, a country that has suffered from the highest infant and child
mortality rate and second highest maternal mortality rate in the world. Few
midwives, who deliver many of the nation's infants, were trained during the
civil war. And, because of restrictions on education during the political
unrest, many students did not receive basic science, math and pre-clinical
skills needed to provide basic maternal and newborn care. JHUSON will help
in the creation of visual teaching tools and learning activities in general
science and math, anatomy and physiology, microbiology and pharmacology to
create a more comprehensive program. Assistant Professor Dr. Nancy Woods
pointed out that the new curricula is an interdisciplinary collaboration,
noting, "It is crucial that we take full advantage of the
multi-disciplinary expertise available to us to create the best possible
programs and products to save lives beyond our borders." The updated
curriculum will be translated into Dari and used in more than 20 midwifery
schools in Afghanistan. For more information, go to jhpiego.


Research Shows Sharp Rise in Coronary Heart Disease in Korea


According to a study published in the International Journal of
Cardiology (110 - [2006]), Assessing Risk Factors of Coronary Heart Disease
and its Risk Prediction Among Korean Adults: The 2001 Korea National Health
and Nutrition Examination Survey, JHUSON Associate Professor Miyong T. Kim,
RN, PhD, FAAN, and co-authors note there has been a steeply increasing
incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in developing countries
undergoing rapid westernization, including Korea. The in-depth assessment
of CHD based on the 2001 Korea National Health and Examination Survey
concludes: "...contrary to the popular notion of relatively better coronary
heart health status in Asian countries, the results of this analysis
indicate that the overall coronary health of the adult Korean population is
comparable to that of other developed countries." Cited as factors
contributing to the problem were poor management of high blood pressure,
fairly high low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and a strikingly high
smoking rate among men (61.6%). Diabetes mellitus was also implicated.


Should Oncology Nurses Provide Spiritual Care?















Anne E. Belcher, PhD, RN, AOCN, CNE, FAAN, JHUSON Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, points out in ONS News (Vol 21, No.5) that many
oncology nurses report a reluctance to assess patients' spiritual needs or
intervene when spiritual distress is diagnosed. She states that nurses
should feel empowered to provide the spiritual care that people with cancer
need and want. In the article, Dr. Belcher addresses significant issues
related to spirituality and nursing including defining the differences
between spirituality and religion, characteristics of spiritual well-being
and the conduct of a spiritual assessment, how a nurses' spiritual
perspective impacts practice, barriers to spiritual care as identified by
nurses in general and oncology nurses in particular, and how nurses develop
expertise in spirituality and incorporate it into their practice.


Rushton Named Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow
Cynda H. Rushton, DNSc, RN, FAAN, JHUSON Associate Professor, has been
named one of 20 nurses nationwide selected as a "2006 Robert Wood Johnson
Executive Nurse Fellow." The three-year fellowship program is designed to
strategically position the voice of nursing across key sectors of the
economy in a health care system undergoing unprecedented change and
challenges. Dr. Ruston said: "Nurses must play a pivotal role in leading
the redesign and success of health care now and in the future." She added
she was honored to have the intensive opportunity to develop critical
leadership skills and work with a nationally recognized team of coaches and
instructors drawn from the health care industry and other sectors of the
economy.


For more information, go to

son.jhmi/aboutus/directory/faculty/faculty_detail.asp?ID=599


The Emergence of Personal Health Records Will Change Health Care


According to lead author and JHUSON professor Marion J. Ball, EdD,
FHIMSS. CHIME, consumer and patient demand for Personal Health Records
(PHRs) will change health care just as automatic teller machines changed
banking. Writing in the Journal of Healthcare Information Management (Vol.
20 No. 2), she states PHRs are made possible through the development of
Electronic Health Records. But unlike electronic health records, which are
typically maintained by physicians or other health care provider
organizations, PHRs will be directed by consumers/patients and maintained
by independent Regional Health Information Organizations. Various models
are described in the article but all offer the consumer the benefits of
encompassing both the basic health information contained in electronic
health records as well as information needed to help the consumer manage a
broad array of health-related personal data that can be immediately
accessed when needed.


himss/ASP/publications_jhim_issue.asp?issue=3/1/2006


The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing is a global leader in
nursing research, education and scholarship and is ranked among the top 10
nursing higher education institutions in the country. The School's
community health program is second in the nation and the nursing research
program now holds eighth position among the top nursing schools for
securing federal research grants. The School continues to maintain its
reputation for excellence and educates nurses who set the highest standards
for patient care, exemplify scholarship, and become innovative national and
international leaders in the evolution of the nursing profession and the
health care system.


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