From cover to cover, Fast Facts for the Family Medicine Board Review is designed to help you achieve success on the American Board of Family Medicine exam. This easy-to-use, up-to-date review tool is ...aligned with the ABFM exam, providing essential information to help you succeed. In every chapter, succinct clinical knowledge is structured to allow immediate practice for testing that knowledge-a proven format for success on medical board exams and in practice. Key Features Organized according to ABFM exam sections, including Pediatrics, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Internal Medicine, Emergency/Surgery, Psychiatry and Geriatrics.Content is weighted according to ABFM exam coverage.The eBook format includes flashcard capability that allows you to quiz yourself easily in either print or electronic formats.General and specific guidance on the skill and art of test-taking, as well as the blueprint of the ABFM exam, prepare you for exam day.Ideal for family medicine residents, medical students in their family medicine clerkship, and physicians taking the ABFM recertification exam. Your book purchase includes a complimentary download of the enhanced eBook for iOS, Android, PC & Mac. Take advantage of these practical features that will improve your eBook experience: The ability to download the eBook on multiple devices at one time - providing a seamless reading experience online or offlinePowerful search tools and smart navigation cross-links that allow you to search within this book, or across your entire library of VitalSource eBooksMultiple viewing options that enable you to scale images and text to any size without losing page clarity as well as responsive designThe ability to highlight text and add notes with one click
This article explores ways in which a dialogue between researchers and practitioners can be bidirectional, effective, and beneficial for the two professional communities. We suggest concrete ...directions for second language (L2) research: (a) a collaborative mindset, (b) the nature of research, (c) venues for dialogue, and (d) institutional support. First, we argue that we, researchers and teachers alike, can develop a collaborative mindset and understand that the dialogue is established by equal contributions and benefits. Second, we discuss that if a researcher's intention is to impact practice, they need to consider the practice relevance of their studies. We propose practice‐based research, in which practitioners and researchers work together for development and implementation of research. Third, we explore venues where reciprocal contributions may be explored, including teacher‐training programs, professional development workshops, and university–school collaborations. Finally, we share our hopes that institutions (universities and schools) will provide support for researchers and practitioners that would help create and facilitate reciprocal relationships, such as time release and promotive incentives. Overall, we argue that researchers shoulder the lion's share of responsibility in paving a path for a productive research–practice dialogue in the future.
The purpose of this study was to identify evidenced-based, focused intervention practices for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder. This study was an extension and elaboration of a ...previous evidence-based practice review reported by Odom et al. (Prev Sch Fail 54:275–282,
2010b
, doi:
10.1080/10459881003785506
). In the current study, a computer search initially yielded 29,105 articles, and the subsequent screening and evaluation process found 456 studies to meet inclusion and methodological criteria. From this set of research studies, the authors found 27 focused intervention practices that met the criteria for evidence-based practice (EBP). Six new EBPs were identified in this review, and one EBP from the previous review was removed. The authors discuss implications for current practices and future research.
Contrary to our stereotypical views, dictators often introduce elections in which they refrain from employing blatant electoral fraud. Why do electoral reforms happen in autocracies? Do these ...elections destabilize autocratic rule? The Dictator’s Dilemma at the Ballot Box argues that strong autocrats who can garner popular support become less dependent on coercive electioneering strategies. When autocrats fail to design elections properly, elections backfire in the form of coups, protests, and the opposition’s stunning election victories. The book’s theoretical implications are tested on a battery of cross-national analyses with newly collected data on autocratic elections and in-depth comparative case studies of the two Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
Purpose: To describe international trends on the developing role of the nurse practitioner‐advanced practice nurse (NP‐APN), including nomenclature, levels and types of NP‐APN education, practice ...settings, scope of practice, regulatory policies, and political environment.
Design: A cross‐sectional, descriptive Web‐based survey sent in February and March 2008 to a total of 174 key informants and active members of the International Nurse Practitioner‐Advanced Practice Nursing Network of the International Council of Nurses.
Methods: An international Web‐based survey preceded by a pilot survey.
Findings: Ninety‐one nurses from 32 countries responded. Thirteen titles were identified on nomenclature for the NP‐APN in different countries. NP‐APN education was available in 71% of the 31 countries responding to this item, with 50% identifying the master's degree as the most prevalent credential. Twenty‐three countries had formal recognition of the NP‐APN role. Of these, 48% had licensure maintenance or renewal requirements for the NP‐APN, with most requiring continuing education or clinical practice. The greatest support for the NP‐APN role came from domestic nursing organizations (92%), individual nurses (70%), and the government (68%), while opposition came primarily from domestic physician organizations (83%) and individual physicians (67%).
Conclusions: Interest in the NP‐APN role has been gaining ground worldwide. This study presents a snapshot of education, practice, and regulation for NP‐APNs as they develop their unique role in delivering health care in various countries. Areas that may require more support are highlighted.
Clinical Relevance: The NP‐APN role in healthcare systems is expanding and will benefit from international networking and support.
The size and flexibility of the nursing workforce has positioned nursing as central to the goals of health service improvement. Nursing's response to meeting these goals has resulted in proliferation ...of advanced practice nursing with a confusing array of practice profiles, titles and roles. Whilst numerous models and definitions of advanced practice nursing have been developed there is scant published research of significant scope that supports these models. Consequently there is an ongoing call in the literature for clarity and stability in nomenclature, and confusion in the health industry on how to optimise the utility of advanced practice nursing.
To identify and delineate advanced practice from other levels of nursing practice through examination of a national nursing workforce.
A cross-sectional electronic survey of nurses using the validated Advanced Practice Role Delineation tool based on the Strong Model of Advanced Practice.
Study participants were registered nurses employed in a clinical service environment across all states and territories of Australia.
A sample of 5662 registered nurses participated in the study. Domain means for each participant were calculated then means for nursing position titles were calculated. Position titles were grouped by delineation and were compared with one-way analysis of variance on domain means. The alpha for all tests was set at 0.05. Significant effects were examined with Scheffe post hoc comparisons to control for Type 1 error.
The survey tool was able to identify position titles where nurses were practicing at an advanced level and to delineate this cohort from other levels of nursing practice, including nurse practitioner. The results show that nurses who practice at an advanced level are characterised by high mean scores across all Domains of the Strong Model of Advanced Practice. The mean scores of advanced practice nurses were significantly different from nurse practitioners in the Direct Care Domain and significantly different from other levels of nurse across all domains.
The study results show that the nurse practitioner, advanced practice nurse and foundation level registered nurse have different patterns of practice and the Advanced Practice Role Delineation tool has the capacity to clearly delineate and define advanced practice nursing. These findings make a significant contribution to the international debate and show that the profession can now identify what is and what is not advanced practice in nursing.
Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) occur in as many as 5% of infants, making them the most common benign tumor of infancy. Most IHs are small, innocuous, self-resolving, and require no treatment. However, ...because of their size or location, a significant minority of IHs are potentially problematic. These include IHs that may cause permanent scarring and disfigurement (eg, facial IHs), hepatic or airway IHs, and IHs with the potential for functional impairment (eg, periorbital IHs), ulceration (that may cause pain or scarring), and associated underlying abnormalities (eg, intracranial and aortic arch vascular abnormalities accompanying a large facial IH). This clinical practice guideline for the management of IHs emphasizes several key concepts. It defines those IHs that are potentially higher risk and should prompt concern, and emphasizes increased vigilance, consideration of active treatment and, when appropriate, specialty consultation. It discusses the specific growth characteristics of IHs, that is, that the most rapid and significant growth occurs between 1 and 3 months of age and that growth is completed by 5 months of age in most cases. Because many IHs leave behind permanent skin changes, there is a window of opportunity to treat higher-risk IHs and optimize outcomes. Early intervention and/or referral (ideally by 1 month of age) is recommended for infants who have potentially problematic IHs. When systemic treatment is indicated, propranolol is the drug of choice at a dose of 2 to 3 mg/kg per day. Treatment typically is continued for at least 6 months and often is maintained until 12 months of age (occasionally longer). Topical timolol may be used to treat select small, thin, superficial IHs. Surgery and/or laser treatment are most useful for the treatment of residual skin changes after involution and, less commonly, may be considered earlier to treat some IHs.
This volume offers a number of forensic indicators of election fraud applied to official election returns, and tests and illustrates their application in Russia and Ukraine. Included are the ...methodology's econometric details and theoretical assumptions. The applications to Russia include the analysis of all federal elections between 1996 and 2007 and, for Ukraine, between 2004 and 2007. Generally, we find that fraud has metastasized within the Russian polity during Putin's administration with upwards of 10 million or more suspect votes in both the 2004 and 2007 balloting, whereas in Ukraine, fraud has diminished considerably since the second round of its 2004 presidential election where between 1.5 and 3 million votes were falsified. The volume concludes with a consideration of data from the United States to illustrate the dangers of the application of our methods without due consideration of an election's substantive context and the characteristics of the data at hand.
Why do some governments improve public services more effectively than others? Through the investigation of a new era of administrative reform, in which digital technologies may be used to facilitate ...citizens' access to the state, Jennifer Bussell's analysis provides unanticipated insights into this fundamental question. In contrast to factors such as economic development or electoral competition, this study highlights the importance of access to rents, which can dramatically shape the opportunities and threats of reform to political elites. Drawing on a sub-national analysis of twenty Indian states, a field experiment, statistical modeling, case studies, interviews of citizens, bureaucrats and politicians, and comparative data from South Africa and Brazil, Bussell shows that the extent to which politicians rely on income from petty and grand corruption is closely linked to variation in the timing, management and comprehensiveness of reforms.
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