Objectives: People who live in unsheltered situations, such as the streets, often have poorer health, less access to health care, and an increased risk of premature mortality as compared with their sheltered counterparts. The objectives of this study were to (1) compare the characteristics of people experiencing homelessness who were sleeping primarily in unsheltered situations with those who were accessing homeless shelters and other sheltered situations, (2) identify correlates of unsheltered status, and (3) assess the relationship between unsheltered status and increased risk of mortality.

Purpose: This project examined nurses' positive and negative perceptions of the technology used in language interpretation for patients who have limited English proficiency (LEP). The intervention was guided by the technology acceptance model, a framework that addresses users' acceptance or rejection of computer-based technology. Methods: A sample of 47 nurses participated. Nurses' perceptions of an existing telephone-based remote interpretation technology were compared with their perceptions of a video remote interpretation (VRI) system. Instruments included a structured questionnaire to collect nurses' demographic and other characteristics and to measure their perceptions of the technology used in language interpretation; open-ended questions were added on how technology affected nursing care and nurses' rapport and communication with patients. Questionnaires on the telephone-based interpretation technology were administered, and after an eight-week trial of the VRI technology, questionnaires on the VRI system were administered. Results: Overall, positive perceptions of VRI were significantly higher and negative perceptions significantly lower compared with perceptions of telephone-based interpretation technology (P < 0.001 for both). Qualitative findings indicated that VRI technology improved communication and was less time consuming for nurses. Conclusions: Nurses preferred VRI technology because of its positive effects on time expenditure and communication. VRI technology is likely to be adopted successfully and ensures increased use of professional language interpretation for patients with LEP.

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Providing engaging activities to supplement classroom learning can be a challenge for today's nurse educator. Quick response (QR) code technology provides hands-on clinical experiences without the use of high-fidelity simulators. The purpose of this article is to evaluate how QR codes during a health assessment simulation activity enhanced learning for first-semester baccalaureate nursing students. The use of QR codes increased student confidence during health assessment with a form of technology they found engaging.