The training available to perioperative nurses in rural areas is often inefficient and can be difficult to access. We designed a distance training programme using educational material from the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN). Over a six-year period, we compared the performance of 22 nurses undertaking the programme via telemedicine with that of 13 nurses undertaking it conventionally, in person. The telemedicine nurses were based at six rural hospitals and interacted with their preceptors via remotely controlled videoconferencing systems. There was no significant difference in the time taken to complete the programme: 118 days in the telemedicine group and 84 days in the in-person group. There were no significant differences between groups in the AORN module scores. The average AORN final examination score was 88% for the telemedicine group and 91% for the in-person group. The scores from skills assessed were not significantly different between groups. The majority of students in the in-person and telemedicine groups considered that the programme was a success (92% and 91% respectively). The study suggests that telemedicine merits serious consideration for training in perioperative nursing specifically, and probably more generally in the nursing field.

Journal of Diabetes Science and TechnologyVolume 7, Issue 6, November 2013 © Diabetes Technology Society Abstract Individually, sleep disturbances and type 2 diabetes pose pervasive challenges to health. In addition, the negative symptomology associated with each condition is exacerbated further when presenting concomitantly. This relationship formulates a destructive loop wherein those with diabetes experience decreased sleep quality, which, in turn, worsens a wide range of health threats experienced by those with diabetes, including obesity and glucose intolerance. Because major lifestyle changes and daily care are needed to effectively manage both diabetes and sleep disturbances, an efficient and timely modality of treatment is essential. Advanced technology incorporating telemedicine and telehealth has the potential to enhance treatment by delivering accepted standard of care, medical monitoring, and education quickly and seamlessly-even in rural locations. This type of intervention has the added potential benefit of fostering patient empowerment.

“Learning Agility, Resilience, and Successful Derailment” discusses the practices that individuals and organizations can adopt to increase their short-term resilience in crisis, their long-term resilience capacity, and their ability to successfully navigate derailment. Short-term resilience practices include problem framing and identification, building a fence to focus energy, managing emotions, drawing on social networks, and promoting healthy practices. Long-term resilience strategies include envisioning possible futures, practicing bricolage, cue and reinforcer management, deepening social support, and reflection. Last, strategies to successfully navigate derailment are reviewed, including the key practices and lessons that allow a leader to grow from the experience. Throughout, the relationships between learning agility, resilience, and derailment are examined, including promising directions for future research.

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