Carol Reineck, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, NEA-BC, (left), visits with American Organization of Nurse Executives President Donna Herrin, M.S.N., RN, NEA-BC, CANP, FACHE, at the International Council of Nurses conference.
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UT Health Science Center San Antonio nursing faculty member Carol Reineck, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, NEA-BC, attended two international conferences this summer in Durban, South Africa. While there, she discussed health care challenges prevalent throughout the world and delivered a lecture about her newly revised workbook on how to review scientific literature in preparation for incorporating evidence-based practice.

Dr. Reineck is chair, associate professor and holder of the Amy Shelton & V.H. McNutt Professorship in Nursing in the Department of Acute Nursing Care.

The International Network for Doctoral Education in Nursing conference was held June 24-26. The conference addressed the importance of encouraging nurses to seek advanced higher education and leadership positions, and become involved in evidence-based practice to improve health care delivery where they work. Doctoral students in nursing from all over the world presented their dissertation research and shared experiences from their pre-doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships.

The International Council of Nurses’ (ICN) 24th Quadrennial Congress, with the theme of “Leading Change: Building Healthier Nations,” was held from June 27 to July 4.

South African nurses seek more education
“I’ve been to many places in the world, but I’ve never seen poverty like I saw in Africa,” said Reineck, who has served on the faculty for several years following a 31-year career as an Army nurse. “Compounding the poverty was the overlay of overwhelming, chronic infectious disease — tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria. The nurses in South Africa seek more education to be a major part of the solution, bringing care, therapeutics and education to those who have little hope,” she said.

“I also learned that in some areas of Africa the death rate is one death for every 16 births. As a comparison, the birthrate in the U.S. is about 15 deaths per 1,000 births. Fortunately, more African nurses are being trained in midwifery, which is improving the birth survival rate there,” Dr. Reineck said.

Dr. Reineck shows a copy of her workbook, “Clinical Reading of Research Publications.” She holds several national professional nursing leadership positions including treasurer of the American Organization of Nurse Executives, membership on the American Hospital Association's Operations and Investment Committees, and membership on The Joint Commission Nursing Advisory Council.

Workbook invites investigation of scientific literature
During the ICN conference, Dr. Reineck delivered a presentation on her recently revised workbook, “Critical Reading of Research Publications,” a how-to manual that leads small groups of health care professionals through the process of reviewing scientific literature, the first step in creating new research projects. Her presentation co-author was Evelyn Swenson-Britt, Magnet Recognition Program coordinator at University Health System and Health Science Center School of Nursing doctoral student. Interprofessional members in the international audience at the conference asked permission to translate the work into their languages, which included Swedish and Dutch.

Implementing proven best practices
Since the Institute of Medicine’s landmark report 10 years ago, “To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System,” the emphasis has been on using evidence-based practice — conducting scientific studies to prove best practices — to improve the delivery of health care. “The beauty of this workbook is that can be used even in developing countries where nurses and other health care workers have some education, but not much experience with conducting studies. It teaches them the basics of how to review scientific literature so that they can become familiar with it and institute best practices at their hospital or clinic. It also prepares them to conduct their own research, which will contribute to the world’s body of knowledge to improve health care,” she added.

Military and HSC nurses contribute to workbook
Dr. Reineck began the workbook in the early 1990s while she was still in the military. Pilot testing of the methods was conducted by nurses from Brooke Army Medical Center and Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio, as well as the 5501st U.S. Army Hospital Reserve Unit at Fort Snelling in St. Paul, Minn., and the South Texas Veterans Health Care System’s Audie L. Murphy Division.

The third-edition updates were accomplished with the help of many others, including School of Nursing graduates Kirsten Verkamp and Angela Casio, and graduate student Sarah Campana.

In addition, the program is provided at University Hospital and Methodist Hospital by Assistant Professor Paula Clutter, Ph.D., RN, CNS-BC, Associate Clinical Professor Cheryl Lehman, Ph.D., RN, CCNR-A, BC, and Associate Professor Mickey Parsons, Ph.D., M.H.A., RN, FAAN, all from the Department of Acute Nursing Care, and Sara Gill, Ph.D., RN, IBCLC, associate professor in the Department of Family Nursing Care.

Publication of the workbook was funded by the Health Science Center’s Nursing Advisory Council.

Workbook available online
Fred Boord, audiovisual equipment technician in the School of Nursing Curriculum Resource Center, prepared the workbook for online access at http://www.nursing.uthscsa.edu/CRRP/Critical%20Reading%20of%20Research_all.html. QuickTime software is required to access the workbook.