Sarah Kelly

Montclair State University · Nursing

Purpose An associate degree in nursing (ADN) is an established pathway to becoming a Registered Nurse (RN) in the United States (US) however there is a push for ADN trained RNs to pursue further training and obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Within the AACN Essentials, Essential VII: Clinical Prevention and Population Health a Communit...

The current professional nursing workforce in the United States is predominantly White and female, even though minorities compose 33% of the national population (Travers, Smaldone, & Cohn, 2015). Minority patients are more effectively cared for when their particular cultural milieu is taken into consideration as part of their health care plan (Sull...

Background: The exploration of the non-traditional or self-sufficient financially independent student experiences in higher education are considerably less researched, specifically addressing personal experience while pursuing higher education, when compared to traditional, those who recently graduated from high school, college students. Therefore,...

Super Storm Sandy, one of the largest storms endured by the East Coast of the United States, devastated New Jersey and the eastern seaboard. Although natural disasters affect individuals of all ages, children are particularly vulnerable because their sense of normalcy is altered. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects that exposure to...

Across the nation, doctor of nursing practice programs require a final project for partial completion of the degree. What happens to these projects after the degree is conferred? This article seeks to describe how a group of nursing faculty used a capstone project to address the needs of the local community in an underserved inner city middle schoo...

The purpose of this study was to identify the major risk factors among adolescents who have either contemplated or attempted suicide. Along with successful suicides, suicide attempts and contemplation are coexisting factors that are prominent in the adolescent population and therefore warrant major concern. A secondary data analysis of the Youth Ri...

La violence des gangs est un probleme de societe en pleine croissance. La presente etude a pour but de se pencher sur la perception qu’ont les adolescents, non membres de gangs, a propos des gangs, de la violence qui y est associee et de l’influence qu’elle exerce, selon eux, sur leur quartier. Vingt adolescents ont participe a des groupes de discu...

Background: Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, can have a substantial impact on the mental health and coping abilities of those affected by the disaster. In October 2012, the communities and towns along the New Jersey Coast were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. During that time, many were without power, gasoline, and food for several weeks. Socia...

Background: Community violence is an escalating public health problem. In 2010, among youth aged 15 to 24, there were more than 26,000 nonfatal gunshot injuries and more than 650,000 youth were treated in emergency rooms for assaults injuries. For some youth, violence is part of life. Either way, the impact on their health is serious; with proximal...

Background: Early childhood and adolescent sexual assault is a significant problem in the United States. There has been a substantial effort made to analyze the long term effects that childhood sexual assault (CSA) has on individuals during their lifetime. Due to the various ways of defining sexual assault and the difficulty of categorizing its var...

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of body image and depression upon sexual risk taking in an adolescent female population. Adolescent health is an area of growing interest in today's society, encompassing such issues as obesity, depression, and sexual health. Negative body image has repeatedly been shown to affect...

Background: Adolescent suicide is a major public health concern in the United States. It is the third leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults ages 10-24. The purpose of this study was to identify the major risk factors among adolescents who have either contemplated or attempted suicide. Along with successful suicides, suicide attemp...

Background: Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death for Americans. Asthma and obesity are two of the leading illnesses among youth. One in five youth are obese and one in twelve have asthma. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship among asthma, obesity, and physical activity in 9th grade girls. The lack of research focused...

Background: There is a growing problem of gang violence in Greensboro, NC. Factors such as the media, social interactions with peers, and family relationships can influence adolescent views of gangs, gang violence, and the effect they have on their community. Purpose: To explore non-gang member adolescents' perceptions of gangs and gang violence in...

Gang violence is a growing public health concern in the United States, and adolescents are influenced by exposure to gang violence. This study explored the influence of exposure to gang violence on adolescent boys' mental health using a multi-method design. A semi-structured interview guide and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children were used to...

Adolescents are exposed to various forms of gang violence, and such exposure has led them to feel unsafe in their neighborhood and have differing interactions with their parents and peers. This qualitative study explored adolescents', parents', and community center employees' perceptions of adolescents' interaction with their neighborhood, family,...

Background: Gang violence is an escalating public health problem in our society. Gang violence has affected many people in the United States (US); however, it may have the greatest effect on adolescents. The purpose of the study was to explore the influence of gangs and gang violence on adolescent boys. The specific aim of this study was to describ...

Background: Many communities in the United States are facing escalating gang membership and violence. According to the North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety (2008), the number of gangs in this state has increased by 43% since 2000. Gang membership has grown from 5,068 in 1999 to 14,593 in 2007, representing 550 different gang...

Gang violence affects many adolescents in the United States, and there has been an increase in violent crimes against adolescents in recent years. A literature review examined studies related to gang violence. Little research has focused on adolescents' exposure to gang violence and its effects on adolescents' mental health. Adolescents develop int...

Exposure to community violence can influence adolescents' anxiety. Researchers have examined the relationship between exposure to community violence and anxiety. In their pursuit to explore that relationship, researchers have used a variety of instruments. This review of literature provides an overview of the instruments used to measure anxiety in...

Background and Issue: The need for public health nurse leaders is greater now than ever before. There are many public health issues that face our nation and our world, some are the ones that PHNs have addressed for many years, and others are emerging concerns that affect health locally and globally. To effectively meet the health needs of these lar...

This study examined the psychological consequences to adolescents' exposure to gang violence in their neighborhood. This descriptive pilot study was conducted through personal interviews of youths from a community center. Five youth participated in interviews. Most were males, living in single parent homes. Three different categories emerged (emoti...

Background/ Significance: Exposure to community violence can influence adolescents' psychological development. Many researchers have examined the relationship between exposure to community violence and the development of anxiety among adolescents. In their pursuit to explore that relationship, researchers have used a variety of instruments. Purpose...

Background/Significance: Gang violence is an escalating public health problem in society. In 2000, the National Youth Gang Center estimated that there were 772,500 active gang members in the United States. Further, the report stated that a majority of cities with a population higher than 250,000 and cities with a population between 100,000 and 250,...

The purposes of this study were to: (1) describe the level of professional self-concept among new graduate nurses working in critical care and general medical surgical unit six months after completing a nursing program, (2) examine the professional self-concept in relation to age, marital status, and educational level of new graduate nurses, and (3...