Maltreatment occurring early in life has been shown to cause life-long emotional and physical problems. The topic of Infant and Toddler Mental Health (ITMH) is therefore important in ensuring that infants and toddlers develop into healthy, well-adjusted children and adults. Properly trained nurses can make an immense impact in recognizing and encouraging relational health for this age group. The problem is that there is a gap in the baccalaureate nursing curriculum in regards to training nurses to recognize concepts of ITMH, subsequently affecting the way nurses are able to work with children ages 0-3 and their caregivers. This BSN honors project addressed the question: what are the key ITMH principles and concepts that should be included in baccalaureate nursing curriculum? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 2-5 Infant Mental Health Specialists from a variety of nursing backgrounds with open-ended questions about ITMH in the context of BSN curriculum. Data from the interviews was analyzed to identify themes, which comprised the essential concepts of ITMH to be included in BSN curriculum. Interviewees were notified of the identified concepts so they may endorse the results and a final literature review was conducted for validation. In addition, a survey of UW BSN nursing students, and new pediatric nurses with less than one year of experience at Seattle Children’s Hospital, was conducted to gauge their knowledge of ITMH concepts. The survey featured a short video depicting a relational health challenge followed by an opportunity for respondents to provide open-ended written reflections. Survey results were analyzed to determine which ITMH concepts the surveyees recognize and where BSN curriculum could be strengthened. The results of this two-part research project is being used to suggest potential improvements to nursing curricula, which in turn will improve the quality of life of infants, toddlers and their families.

The rate of preterm birth in the United States is alarmingly high. While many studies focus on the preterm infant (< 32 weeks gestation) as a patient receiving the highest quality care, very little attention has been paid to the well-being of the newly forming family, and in particular the parents. There is beginning evidence to show that the shattering experience of giving birth to a preterm infant can potentially cause unrest within a couple, furthering the distress caused by the event and laying a groundwork for future difficulties for both the partners and the infant. This study, which is a secondary analysis of existing data, aimed to explore the parents’ experience of distress following preterm birth, and in particular how they felt the distress had affected their couple relationship. Using dyadic analysis of each partner’s interviews we explored how each partner discussed their relationship following the preterm birth. We analyzed four interview transcripts, comprising two couples, one heterosexual and one lesbian, who had had a preterm infant at least six months in the past. Results thus far have demonstrated the feasibility of intra-couple data analysis and we hope to contribute to increased understanding of how the distress of preterm birth impacts each parent and the couple relationship.

As the world becomes more interconnected, health issues that may once have been considered local problems are increasingly of international concern. While a number of academic institutions have made efforts to incorporate global health topics into their curricula, the role of global health in nursing education remains relatively undefined. As one of the nation’s top nursing schools, the University of Washington’s School of Nursing (UW SON) is in a position to embrace this opportunity. The goal of our research is summarize existing practices, explore linkages between international experiences and global health educational programs, and gauge student interest in global health topics at the UW SON. A mixed methods approach will be used. Quantitative data will be obtained via a brief anonymous survey of three current 2012-2014 UW SON baccalaureate cohorts. Qualitative data will be collected through online program reviews and semi-structured interviews. Online program reviews will assess global health course offerings in the top ten US nursing schools, as well as pre- and post-Peace Corps educational opportunities including the Coverdell Fellowship and Masters International Program. Interviews will be conducted with three purposively selected global health professionals who previously served with Peace Corps. Summary statistics (frequency and percent), including 95% Confidence Intervals, will be presented. Program reviews will be presented in summary tables, and interview findings will be coded into themes with assistance of a social scientist. Results will demonstrate interest level among current nursing students in global health in general, as well as in specific topics. We also seek to identify themes linking Peace Corps experiences with awareness of global health topics, educational choices, and professional development. We will use our findings to inform the UW SON leadership of possible recruitment strategies and curriculum content to enhance global health offerings.