DATA SOURCES: Transcripts from 21 semi-structured audio taped interviews with seven peri- and postmenopausal women who had a recently visited a nurse practitioner (NP) and were making a decision about menopausal management.

CONCLUSIONS: Decision making was a nonlinear process in which women considered available options, weighed benefits and risks and likely outcomes. Reevaluation of the decision was ongoing. Both internal and external conditions influenced their decisions. Media reports of findings from the Women's Health Initiative study may have influenced some women's perceptions of the risk of using hormones for symptom relief.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Women described caring and empowering consultations with the NPs. They appreciated provision of information, adequate time spent at the visit, and decision support. NPs have a critical role to play in providing women with current research findings about hormone therapy and alternatives for symptom relief, and assisting women with understanding risks and benefits of each possible choice. Both individual and group approaches for decision support should be available to women. The approach of a collaborative partnership in decision making is a model that is congruent with nursing practice. Practitioners.

1. Examine the processes and outcomes of a project aimed at increasing enrollment into two nurse educator courses at the Graduate School of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Worcester.

2. Discuss the pros and cons of the strategy selected for the project.

This peer-reviewed slide presentation was presented at the 15th Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning, on October 30, 2009, in Orlando, Florida.

Aim 1: Describe graduate student and faculty perceptions of using tablet laptop technology to enhance active collaborative classroom learning.

Aim 2: Identify supporting structures and processes for using tablet laptop technology to enhance active collaborative classroom learning.

This peer-reviewed poster was presented as a series of mounted/laminated Microsoft PowerPoint slides at the UMass Instructional Technology Conference, April 2008.

Aim:
Expand access to two web-based nurse educator courses at the University of Massachusetts Worcester by offering nurses the choice, within a single course, of completing either a hybrid or fully online course.

N620: Teaching and Curriculum Development
N623: Identifying and Measuring Outcomes

Research Design:
Exploratory prospective design. Qualitative data gathered from student focus groups and interviews. Quantitative data gathered through initial, formative and end of course surveys, student assignments, grades.

Findings:
1. 50% of the students completed the hybrid course because face to face interaction was highly valued.
2. Students with prior satisfactory online learning experiences and who knew each other from other courses completed the fully online course.
3. Students with no previous experience taking online courses did not anticipate the time commitment.
4. Even a hybrid course format can increase access to graduate courses for busy students with jobs and families. The online format reduced the burden of commuting and allowed for flexibility. Enrollment in N 620 more than doubled from the previous year (four versus nine students).

Recommendations:
1. Potential students should complete a self-assessment to determine if they are motivated to be self-directed learners and learn basic computer skills, Powerpoint© and Blackboard Vista© technology prior to beginning a hybrid or fully online course.
2. To facilitate communication in a hybrid or fully online course, course syllabi should contain detailed descriptions of all assignments, grading criteria and due dates. (U Wisconsin Milwaukee Learning Technology Center)

Presented at the UMass GSN Nursing Excellence Conference on April 28, 2009.