Intellectual well-being is the ability to constantly expand upon one’s own knowledge through creative and stimulating activities and experiences and to share what is already known with others. It is the exercising of the mind.
BACKGROUND: Persons with mental illnesses (MI) who use tobacco are likely to experience poorer physical health and worsened psychiatric symptomology as compared to their non–tobacco-using counterparts. Therefore, engaging them in treatment is an important aspect of evidence-based care.
Congratulations to Kevin Bryant, DNP, BSN, on his graduation from the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Nursing (CON) with his Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Dr. Bryant’s project, “The Impact of an Educational Training to Front-line Nurses and Providers to Reduce Seclusion and Restraint: Assessing Knowledge, Practices, and Attitudes” explores effect of web-based educational intervention on front-line nurses knowledge, practices, and attitudes concerning use of seclusion and restraint of patients within psychiatric in-patient facilities. Dr. Bryant is Director of Inpatient Services at Eastern State Hospital (ESH).
Dr. Bryant traces his passion for nursing back to his experience working with residents at a nursing home in his senior year of high school. This early clinical exposure ignited his confidence to pursue UK’s College of Nursing program where he completed his BSN in 2011. Bryant began his career with ESH in 2012 as a clinical nurse and served as interim nurse manager beginning in 2014.
Bryant had the desire to continue his education and enrolled into UK’s DNP program in 2020. Flourishing under the mentorship of Dr. Woods, Bryant notes, “Dr. Woods was always very supportive and proud of us and always provided opportunities.”
Dr. Marc Woods, Chief Nursing Officer for UK Healthcare, shares, "Dr. Kevin Bryant's leadership journey reflects a strong commitment to bolstering the future of academic and clinical behavioral health nurses. His efforts in patient and staff safety are paving the way for robust and resilient care practices within the inpatient setting."
In addition to Dr. Woods’ support, Bryant credits the Work Learning Program (WLP) and his cohort for nurturing his success by providing resources and a supportive environment. Bryant states, “The Work Learning Program provided us great support, from helping with presentations and offering a relaxing study space with snacks to Dr. Okoli’s mentorship on writing literature reviews. In general, the WLP leadership’s support at ESH made it a whole lot easier for my cohort and I to successfully complete this program.”
As Dr. Bryant reflects on his DNP graduation, he emphasizes the importance of a strong support system outside of work and the WLP as well. “Outside of my cohort's support, I have a really great support system from my family- with my parents, my brothers, and my nieces that I love to hang out with. So, I am very grateful and appreciative of that” Dr. Bryant proudly states.
Congratulations to Johna Arnett, DNP, RN, on her graduation from the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Nursing (CON) with her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Dr. Arnett’s project, “The Impact a Nurse Recruiter has on Nursing Staff Shortages and Nurse Manager Satisfaction in an Acute Psychiatric Facility” explores the impact of a nurse recruiter role in addressing nursing staff shortages and nurse manager satisfaction within an acute psychiatric facility. Dr. Arnett is a Nurse Manager at Eastern State Hospital (ESH).
Having begun her career as a clinical nurse at Eastern State Hospital in 2015, Dr. Arnett has remained dedicated in her pursuit of professional growth and development within the same institution. Along Dr. Arnett’s journey, she transitioned from a clinical role to into a patient care manager role. Dr. Arnett’s decision to pursue a DNP was driven by her passion for executive leadership and a desire to ignite positive change within the healthcare landscape.
Throughout her academic pursuit, Dr. Arnett has participated in and benefited from the Work Learning Program (WLP) at Eastern State Hospital (ESH), finding support in a community that showed dedication to fostering growth and collaboration. Dr. Arnett notes that this program has been extremely beneficial in shaping her academic journey, providing invaluable resources and a nurturing environment conducive to learning and professional development. In fact, Dr. Arnett completed her BSN through the WLP program prior to entering the DNP WLP. In reflecting on her journey, Dr. Arnett emphasizes the importance of a strong support system and the invaluable role played by EHS and the WLP in her success.
Marc Woods, Chief Nursing Officer for UK Healthcare, comments, “Dr. Johna Arnett's journey from clinical nurse to a transformative leader shows the impact of dedication on shaping the future of nursing. Her focus on education and empowerment sets a strong example for the next generation of nurse leaders."
Dr. Arnett's accomplishments have extended beyond academia to her contributions to patient care and staff development. She has mastered compassionate care practices, emphasizing how important it is to be understanding while addressing patients’ needs. Dr. Arnett emphasizes her leadership style of prioritizing staff education and empowerment. She also hopes to inspire her team toward excellence and to approach challenges with humility and compassion.
Now that Dr. Arnett has successfully completed the DNP program, she is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. She will begin the Leadership Grow Program at UK in Fall 2024 to further enhance her leadership skills.
The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of a web-based education module on the knowledge, attitudes, and ratings of willingness to access help related to suicide prevention in psychiatric-mental health nurses.
Congratulations to Michele Van Outer, DNP, BSN, on her graduation from the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Nursing (CON) with her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Dr. Van Outer’s project, “Improving Structural Empowerment Through the Co-Creation of a Professional Governance Program of Nurse Managers and Frontline Nurse Leaders” aims to uncover the potential benefits of a collaborative approach on staff members’ patient care outcomes. Dr. Van Outer serves as a Nurse Manager at Eastern State Hospital (ESH).
Dr. Van Outer began her career as an associate degree Nurse (ADN) at ESH developing her skill in patient care. Over time, she completed her BSN and is graduating May 2024 with her DNP in the Executive Leadership track. From her time as a floor nurse to her DNP, Van Outer has consistently found herself in leadership roles where she can impact best practices for patient care.
Dr. Van Outer has always been passionate about community support and public health relations and how they impact patient care. During her early nursing education, she was already interested in mental health and psychiatric nursing. She understands how inpatient psychiatric hospitals provide crucial support for underserved communities, often serving as a last resort for seeking care. Dr. Van Outer states, “We provide evidence-based care at ESH for people who, maybe, wouldn't be able to access it any other way.”
Throughout her academic journey, Dr. Van Outer mentioned how beneficial the support was from her cohort and the Work Learning Program (WLP) at ESH. She specifically appreciated Dr. Okoli’s writing workshops and the support from WLP leaders in reviewing papers and conceptualizing assignments. She notes, “It was a four-year program; so, with that extra support, it enabled us to keep going because when you got in a bind, we had each other, but we also had the Work Learning Program (WLP) and their experience and research.”
Dr. Marc Woods, Chief Nursing Officer with UK Health Care notes, "Dr. Michelle Van Outer's resilient pursuit of her doctoral degree showcases her unwavering dedication to leadership in nursing. Her work on shared governance not only enhances her capabilities but also inspires others in the healthcare field to excel in this area."
Now that Dr. Van Outer has successfully completed the DNP program, she has time to appreciate her new accomplishment. Her goal remains to eventually transition into a director position and to continue to support nurse leaders.
Tobacco use remains one of the most used substances among adults globally and substantially impacts individuals and society. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) contribute to tobacco use. However, the association between cumulative ACEs and tobacco use behaviors (TUB) has not been established in the literature. In this review, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of ACEs among adult tobacco users and evaluated the relationship between cumulative ACEs and TUB.
The authors regret the following error. The second affiliation of the first author was omitted from the article. The corrected affiliations are as follows:
State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China;
School of Nursing, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 1166 Liutai Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu City, Sichuan province 611137, China.
Background: Depressive symptoms are common in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and heart failure (HF) living in rural areas and are associated with worse health outcomes. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can effectively improve depressive symptoms in patients with CHD and HF, however, traditional CBT is not accessible to most rural individuals, and some, particularly males, may be reluctant to participate in traditional CBT even if available. Therefore, we developed and tested two types of virtual CBT, video conferences with a therapist (vCBT) and self-directed CBT (iCBT). Aim: To determine whether gender moderated the effect of vcCBT or iCBT interventions on depressive symptoms in rural people with CHD and HF.
In this paper we aimed to explore: (1) challenges that people with mental illnesses (MIs) describe in engaging in smoking cessation, (2) challenges that mental health providers (MHPs) perceive that people living with MIs face, and (3) how the perceived challenges are similar and/or different from both perspectives. Semi-structured interviews were used to obtain narrative data from 16 MHPs and 13 psychiatric inpatients with MIs. We identified themes purport societal, group, and individual factors may influence smoking cessation treatment engagement. The scope of the perceived challenges appeared varied in the narratives of MHPs as compared to those with MI.
