Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services
Vol. 47 No. 11 November 2009
Trauma Spectrum Disorders: Clinical Imperatives
Maryhelen Kreidler, EdD, RN, CNS; and Colleen Kurzawa, RN, MSN, MFA
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this article is to explore the literature relating to the
physiological impact of early childhood trauma on adult survivors. Neurological
consequences as a result of childhood trauma have an impact on treatment
choices and patient and family educational sessions; therefore, nurses need to
recognize the diagnostic and therapeutic implications related to brain
functioning in adults in the aftermath of childhood trauma.
AUTHORS
Dr. Kreidler is Professor, and Ms. Kurzawa is Instructor, The University of
Akron, College of Nursing, Akron, Ohio.
The authors disclose that they have no significant financial interests in
any product or class of products discussed directly or indirectly in this
activity, including research support.
Address correspondence to Maryhelen Kreidler, EdD, RN, CNS, Professor, The
University of Akron, College of Nursing, Mary Gladwin Hall 201H, Akron, OH
44325-3701; e-mail: mkreidler@uakron.edu.
doi:10.3928/02793695-20090930-02
Conducting Efficient Literature Searches: Strategies for Mental Health
Nurses
Michelle Cleary, PhD, RN; Glenn E. Hunt, PhD, BA; and Jan Horsfall, PhD
ABSTRACT
Access to the most relevant articles with recent evidence is essential for
writing peer-reviewed articles and informing clinical decision making. A clear
method is needed to undertake a mental health literature review to ensure the
topic is covered adequately. Choosing the right key words and search strategies
and using appropriate databases are essential starting points. Drawing on
different search methods to access a variety of sources ensures the most
relevant articles are retrieved for a high-quality clinical literature review.
Advanced searching includes the use of the medical subject headings thesaurus
and other strategies to refine and focus the search for optimum sensitivity and
specificity. Regardless of whether a search is basic or advanced, stages of the
search procedures, such as determining key terms, databases used and the date
range used within each, fields selected, dates of access, a history of search
sets, and the justification for excluding data, should be documented to provide
an audit trail. This article provides an overview of these search steps.
AUTHORS
Dr. Cleary is Clinical Nurse Consultant, Dr. Hunt is Senior Research Fellow,
and Dr. Horsfall is Research Officer, Research Unit, Sydney South West Area
Mental Health Service, Concord Centre for Mental Health, Sydney, New South
Wales, Australia. Dr. Cleary is also Associate Professor, School of Nursing and
Midwifery, University of Western Sydney, and Dr. Hunt is also Senior Research
Fellow, Discipline of Psychological Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, New
South Wales, Australia.
The authors disclose that they have no significant financial interests in
any product or class of products discussed directly or indirectly in this
activity, including research support.
The authors thank Sandra Matheson for her initial contribution to the
manuscript.
Address correspondence to Michelle Cleary, PhD, RN, Clinical Nurse
Consultant, Research Unit, Sydney South West Area Mental Health Service, Level
1 Executive Unit, Concord Centre for Mental Health, Concord Hospital, Hospital
Road, Concord, New South Wales, 2139, Australia; e-mail:
michelle.cleary@email.cs.nsw.gov.au.
doi:10.3928/02793695-20090930-03
The Telling My Story Quilting Workshop: Innovative Group Work with Older
African American Women Transitioning Out of Homelessness
Olivia G.M. Washington, PhD, PMHCNS-BC, NP, LPC; David P. Moxley, PhD; and
Lois Jean Garriott, LMSW, LMFT, ACSW
ABSTRACT
This article examines the use of a quilting workshop as a strategy for
helping older African American women address the consequences of their homeless
experience. In this examination, four studies are addressed: the original, the
re-analysis, the interviews, and the quilting intervention. The relationship of
quilting to group work and social support is described, and the use of quilting
in the Telling My Story homeless research project is demonstrated. The
researchers used the lay definition of quilting that implies the general
meaning of attaching many disparate and unique pieces of material together into
a whole. The researchers also describe the relevance of the group work method
inherent in the quilting workshop in helping women successfully transition out
of homelessness and progress in their recovery from its consequences.
AUTHORS
Dr. Washington is Associate Professor, College of Nursing and Institute of
Gerontology, Wayne State University, and Co-Director, Michigan Center for Urban
African American Aging Research, Community Liaison Core, Ann Arbor and Detroit,
Michigan; Dr. Moxley is Oklahoma Health Care Authority Medicaid Professor, Anne
and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work, University of Oklahoma, Norman,
Oklahoma; and Ms. Garriott is Licensed Social Worker, HavenWyck Hospital
Partial Hospitalization Program, Auburn Hills, and Adjunct Faculty, Wayne State
University, School of Social Work, Detroit, Michigan.
The authors disclose that they have no significant financial interests in
any product or class of products discussed directly or indirectly in this
activity. This project was supported by grants from the National Institute on
Aging, R03 AG203300-01; Wayne State University Humanities Center; and the
Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research.
Address correspondence to Olivia G.M. Washington, PhD, PMHCNS-BC, NP, LPC,
Associate Professor, College of Nursing and Institute of Gerontology, Wayne
State University, 5557 Cass Avenue, Detroit, MI 48202; e-mail:
o.washington@wayne.edu.
doi:10.3928/02793695-20090930-01
