RURAL NURSE CONNECTION Official Newsletter of the RNO

Transcription

1 May 2015 Vol. 16 Issue 2 RURAL NURSE CONNECTION Official Newsletter of the RNO Board Membership: President Elizabeth Merwin President Elect Sheila Ray Montgomery Secretary Martha Scheckel Treasurer Ann Graves Executive Director Angeline Bushy Past President Pamela S Fahs Member at Large Gary Lausten Member at Large Adrianne Lane Member at Large Gary Lausten Member at Large Joan Grant Keltner Committee Chairs: Bylaws Judith Pare Communications Co-Chairs Online Journal Pamela S. Fahs Newsletter Sandie Nadelson Website Sheila Ray Montgomery Education Catherine Belden Membership Nicole Rouhana Office Manager Karla Jordan Contact: Web address: RURAL NURSING IS MY SPECIALTY [email protected] Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care: Newsletter Content: President s Update Page 1 RNO Local Chapter Pilot Page 2 Rural Aviation Resources Page 2 RN to MSN Program Page 2 Internet Resources Page 3 RNO Abstracts Page 3 President s Update By Elizabeth Merwin, PhD, RN, FAAN What an exciting time it is for our organization as we make plans for the next INTERNATIONAL RURAL NURSING CONFERENCE to be held July 19-21, 2016 in Rapid City, South Dakota! Board member Adrianne Lane ([email protected]) and myself ([email protected]) are representing the Rural Nurses Organization on the conference planning committee along with representatives from the other hosting organizations including the Matson Halverson Christiansen Hamilton Foundation (MHCH), South Dakota State University, and the University of South Dakota. Please let either one of us know of your suggestions of keynote speakers, of specific activities or of suggestions you have for the upcoming conference. A call for abstracts for podium and poster presentations will be announced on the RNO website soon----watch for this and be thinking about what you would like to present. This conference is an opportunity for our members to meet face-to-face with each other and with other rural nursing leaders. The connections we have and the ability of our organization to help foster communication and collaborations among both nursing and other rural health leaders can lead to initiatives that enhance the impact of rural nursing.

2 President s Column (Continued) There are increasing opportunities to us to provide leadership across multiple organizations, agencies and communities and to serve as boundary spanners to improve rural health care and to open the way for greater connections between rural nurses in different communities and in different agencies. One of our challenges is identifying rural nurses in all roles and areas of practice, education, research and policy and finding ways to connect, to share knowledge and experiences and to influence change. Membership and active participation in the RNO is a strategy for strengthening the visibility and the influence of rural nurses. As I have had the opportunity to travel to other countries and to interact with nurses and health leaders from other countries the common need for better solutions for rural health care is apparent. Our international rural health conference will allow us to connect rural nurses from around the nation and from other parts of the world all seeking solutions to rural health challenges. Please share your ideas for making the conference special, consider submitting an abstract, offer to be a reviewer of abstracts and please save the dates of July 19-21, 2016 to spend time together at the International Rural Nursing Conference in South Dakota! Creating a Model for Success and Expansion: RNO to Pilot the Creation of Local Chapters By Judith Pare The RNO has been approached by several rural nurses in the New England area with a request to support the formation of a chapter of the Rural Nurse Organization. Local nursing educators and researchers state that they would love to expand their opportunities to network and collaborate with colleagues. However, geographic boundaries and funding limitations often pose barriers to participate in national conferences. The Board of Directors of the RNO listened to this request and formulated a task force to examine the process and policies of formulating local chapters of the organization. The task force is currently comprised of three members, Shelia Montgomery, RNO President-Elect, Judith Paré, Chair-Person Bylaws; and Pamela S. Fahs, Communication Co-Chair, Online Journal. The Committee reviewed the organization s bylaws and drafted a proposal for the implementation of a chapter structure. The proposal was reviewed and discussed by member of the RNO Board of Directors during the February and April meetings. Following the discussions and deliberations a recommendation was put forth to contact interested constituents in the New England area and structure a process for the implementation of a pilot project that will result in the creation of a local chapter of the RNO. The task force is confident that this strategy will help the Board identify potential challenges and opportunities for the development of additional local chapters that 2

3 will ultimately help to grow the national membership. If you are interested in learning more about the development of local chapters of the Rural Nurse Organization, please contact Judith Pare at SAVE THE DATE! Rapid City, South Dakota July 19-21, 2016 INTERNATIONAL RURAL NURSING CONFERENCE Please join us in the scenic black hills of western South Dakota! The bi-annual International Rural Nursing Conference will be held July 19-21, 2016 in Rapid City, South Dakota. This conference will be led by the Matson Halverson Christiansen Hamilton Foundation (MHCH), South Dakota State University, and the University of South Dakota, in conjunction with the Rural Nurses Organization. This conference will follow in the tradition of previous rural nursing and health research conferences held most recently in Bozeman, Montana, USA; Binghamton, New York, USA; Sudbury, Ontario, Canada; and Albury, Australia. Nationally and internationally known researchers, practitioners, and educators from multiple disciplines whose focus is improving the health of rural people and communities will be participating. We hope to see all of you! Conference Location The 2016 International Rural Nursing Conference will be held July 19-21, 2016 at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, located at 444 N. Mt. Rushmore Road, Rapid City, South Dakota downtown Rapid City, South Dakota Conference Hotel Holiday Inn Rushmore Plaza, Conference Hotel, downtown Rapid City, South Dakota is providing discounted rates to conference attendees. The special room rate of $149 per night will be available until (date to be determined) or until the group block is sold out, whichever comes first. You may make your reservations online: or call Rural Aviation Resources By Brad Korton Formed in 2007, the Alliance for Aviation Across America is a non-profit, non-partisan coalition of over 6,300 individuals, businesses, agricultural groups, FBO s, small airports, elected officials, charitable organizations, and leading business and aviation groups that are helping to raise awareness about the value of general aviation and local airports, particularly for rural communities. For these communities, general aviation and local airports support business activity, medical care, disaster relief, firefighting, agriculture, law enforcement, and a host of important resources and services. For more information, please go to the website at: 3

4 RN to MSN Programs By Shaun McKay RNtoMSNedu.org was specifically designed to serve as a dedicated resource for RNs as they work to select a bridge program to earn a MSN and help make enrolling in these programs easier by providing the information needed to make informed decisions about their education options. Specialized RN to MSN programs provide an efficient way to become an advanced practice licensure, or to allow nurses to meet qualifications for nonclinical roles in education, informatics, public health, research and administration. Find out more at: rntomsnedu.org Internet Resources for Nurses By Sandie Nadelson, RN, PhD The National Rural Health Association has a Facebook page at: The regular webpage is at: Both sites provide information about conferences and issues related to rural health care. Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care, 14(2) Abstracts Perceptions of Older Rural Women Using Computerized Programs for Weight Tara Renee O'Brien, Carolyn Jenkins, Elaine Amella, Martina Mueller, Michael Moore, Meredith Troutman- Jordan and Steffanie Sullivan Abstract Purpose: To explore older rural women s perceptions of an Internet assisted weight loss program. Sample: The sample (n = 24) included white women (70%) and black women (30%) age 55 and older recruited from two rural senior centers in the Appalachian region of North Carolina. Method: A qualitative design was used to explore rural older obese women s perceptions of an Internet assisted weight loss program using semi-structured interviews. A total of six focus groups were held with a convenience sample (n=24) of Appalachian adult women (age 55 and older) from two community sites. Findings: The 24 women gave their perspective on the use of the Internet for weight loss. Six themes emerged from the two groups were: awareness, use of the Internet, personal relationships, self-image, peer support, and obstacles. Conclusions: Weight loss is a sensitive subject matter for rural obese older women. Evidence from this study suggests that rural women lack social support for weight loss. Nurses may assist women living in rural areas with weight loss through the use of the Internet weight loss social support program in which older obese women can access in the privacy of their own homes. Keywords: Rural, Technology, Appalachian Region, Older Adults Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care, 14(2), Interpersonal Influences on the Asthma Self-Management Skills of the Rural Adolescent Judith Quaranta, Mallory Wool, Kayla Logvis, Kimberly Brown, and David Joshy Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand how self-management behaviors 4

5 of the adolescent with asthma are influenced by the perceived expectations (normative beliefs/subjective norms) for selfmanagement behaviors from healthcare providers, school nurses, teachers, family and friends. Sample: Seven rural adolescents (five males and two females with an age range of years) Method: Focus groups were conducted with analysis for common themes influencing management behaviors. Results: The majority of participants perceived provider and parental expectations for asthma management as only consisting of medication compliance. The students did not report any perceived expectations from the school nurse except independent inhaler use. There was no expectation to report use to the school nurse. The participants felt that their teachers were not aware of their asthma diagnosis; therefore, no expectations were noted. Expectations from peers had no influence on self-management behaviors. Conclusion: The results from this study demonstrate the influence of the expectations for asthma self-management by significant people in the adolescents life. The adolescents in this study were unable to identify what behaviors they needed to perform in order to control their asthma. Except for taking their prescribed medications, no other behaviors were addressed by their health care provider, parents, friends or school nurse. The lack of expectation for other self-management behaviors that are essential for asthma control, such as knowledge of asthma symptoms, trigger avoidance and when to seek help during an asthma attack may be a leading contributor for uncontrolled asthma. Asthma action plans, if consistently used by health care providers, parents and schools, can reinforce the expectation for behaviors that will result in good asthma outcomes. Key words: Asthma, Adolescent, Selfmanagement, Theory of Planned Behavior, Policy Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care, 14(2), Physical Activity Patterns in Ruralresiding Spousal Caregivers and Cardiac Surgery Patients in the First 6 Months Post-Surgery Paula Schulz, Lani Zimmerman, Patrik Johansson, Melody Hertzog, and Sue Barnason Abstract Background: Caregivers (CGs) play a major role in cardiac surgery patients adoption of secondary prevention strategies. Little research has examined spousal CGs activities to preserve their own health and support patients heart-healthy behaviors. Purpose: The aims of this descriptive pilot study are to: 1) compare cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and physical activity (PA) levels and 2) examine trajectories of change in PA patterns at 3 and 6 weeks and 3 and 6 months after cardiac surgery. Sample: 28 rural residing adult (> 60 years) cardiac surgery patients and their spousal CGs. Methods: PA data was obtained from ActiGraph accelerometers mailed to dyads at 4 time points after cardiac surgery. Descriptive analyses and multivariate hierarchical modeling were used to describe and identify PA patterns. Findings: The dyads were older (CG M = 68.5 ± 6.6, Patient M = 70.7 ± 6 years) with primarily female CGs (92%) residing in small rural towns (n=26, 46.4%) or farm/ranch (n=16, 28.6%). CV risk factor concordance was evident particularly for hypertension (60.7%) and hypercholesterolemia (25%). CGs and patients spent the majority of time in sedentary activity. Most patients (89.3%) completed cardiac rehabilitation programs and increased their mean minutes/day spent in moderate to vigorous PA over the 4 time points (13.3 ± 15.6 to 22.6 ± 24.4). However, 5

6 CGs mean minutes/day remained virtually unchanged over time (15.8 ± 20.8 to 12.7 ± 11.7). Considered as dyads, 38% (n=8) showed essentially no change for either member, but for 29% (n=6) the caregiver showed no change while the patient activity increased. Conclusions: CGs were similar in age and comorbidities to their spouses, however, CGs were less likely to increase their PA levels. Health disparities in CVD mortality in the rural population may have additional impact and underscores the need for future targeted interventions addressing CV risk in CGs. Key words: Health behavior, Cardiac surgery, Caregiver, Risk factors Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care, 14(2),

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