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Biomedical subjects

R Welton

Publications and source records attributed to R Welton.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Mutagenesis and gene cloning in Schizosaccharomyces pombe using nonhomologous plasmid integration and rescue.

Genes are commonly cloned in yeasts and bacteria by plasmid complementation, where the introduction of the gene of interest into a host strain carrying a recessive mutation in that gene suppresses the host's mutant phenotype. However, a lack of low copy cloning vectors in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe can complicate this approach especially when overexpression of one gene may suppress a defect in another gene or when overexpression of the desired gene is detrimental, if not lethal, to the cell. We describe here a method of identifying mutations in S. pombe that allows for the rapid and direct cloning of the defective gene. This involves the nonhomologous integration of a marked plasmid into the yeast genome and its subsequent rescue into Escherichia coli, so that DNA at the site of insertion is incorporated into the recovered plasmid. As two of three insertions obtained in this study occurred outside of the affected gene's open reading frame, this method should be applicable to cloning both essential genes and nonessential genes.

Cloning, Molecular↗
PubMed1995

Rewarding staff nurse preceptors.

Using clinical facility staff members to act as preceptors for senior students can provide multiple advantages; however, this process is labor intensive for staff nurses. The authors describe a survey of staff nurse and nurse manager perceptions of preceptor rewards. There were two statistically significant findings--a special dinner honoring the preceptors and a gift from the student. Anecdotal comments provided useful information. Namely, ongoing feedback between faculty and preceptor about the preceptor's effectiveness was seen as critical. Faculty consultation with unit projects, research, and continuing education programs provided by the faculty also were highly rated.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1984

ICU visiting policies.

Head nurses from 78 ICUs in 37 northeast Ohio hospitals were interviewed about visiting policies. There was tremendous variation with regard to frequency and length of visits; 25% of these ICUs allowed only 2 visits/day, and 42% restricted visits to under 20 min. Most units rarely or never allowed children under 12 yr old to visit. Traditional rationales for restricted visiting are not supported by studies in the literature, nor are they consistent with current concepts of patients' rights. In an era where high technology and medicine by-the-numbers threaten to dehumanize patients, open visiting is an important part of the humanization process.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Developing computer-based training for age-related competencies.

Competency in adapting care to the developmental needs of patients is not only a clinical expectation but also a requirement of regulatory agencies. Training programs on age-specific care competencies vary widely in format, content, and method. This article describes the process used by the authors to develop computer-based training (CBT) programs on age-specific care competencies and the process used to develop traditional self-paced learning modules on age-specific care competencies. The conversion of these printed modules to CBT is described and reports are given on the pilot test experiences of using CBT with clinical staff. Also included are lessons learned since organization-wide CBT deployment for age-specific care competency and other mandatory training.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Study of the relationships of physical and mental health to patient satisfaction.

This study examined the relationships of patients' self-report of their physical and mental health to their satisfaction with care received during recent hospitalization. These associations were examined within and across 11 service groups in a mid-Atlantic academic medical center. The sample size of 944 patients was distributed among the service groups, with 68-105 patients in each service. The instruments were a portion of the institution's patient satisfaction survey and the SF-12 (a 12-item generic measure of health status), both administered through telephone interviews. Across all hospital services, the relationships between satisfaction and health were too weak to interpret, with only 0.36% and 0.81% of the variance explained between overall satisfaction with care delivery and physical and mental health, respectively. At the service level, however, a number of significant but weak associations were found between satisfaction and health status in the otolaryngology, orthopedic, cardiothoracic, and transplant populations. Mental health and patients' likelihood to return to the hospital were negatively correlated in the neurology/neurosurgery populations, indicating that at higher levels of mental function, patients reported lower likelihood of their returning to the hospital.

Academic Medical Centers↗