JUNE 1995, VOL 61, NO 6

u I< v I I< w s

FILM REVIEW

SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN HEALTH- CARE: RELEARNING THE RULES

T nel discussing their experi- ences with sexual harassment. It often is difficult to define sexual harassment because of the gray areas surrounding many incidents. Not all people find the same things offensive; it often is a mat- ter of personal judgment.

Sexual harassment legally is considered a form of discrimina- tion and is defined in the 199 1 Civil Rights Act. Two types of sexual harassment are discussed in the videotape: when a hostile environment is created and when advancement, salary, or job secu- rity are tied to sexual favors. The videotape presents different sce- narios, and discussions follow each scenario.

Hospitals are seen by the pub- lic as unusual work environments because of the increased stress, life and death situations, and inti- mate exposures. Over time, health care personnel may become desensitized because of this envi- ronment and, to diffuse tension, they may resort to gender-related or inappropriate discussions or jokes. When these discussions or jokes invade someone’s personal values or space, however, it is considered sexual harassment. A basic civil right is to function in the workplace without intimida- tion or victimization.

The videotape presents guide- lines on how to recognize sexual harassment, how sexual harassment affects health care personnel, and what should be done when harass- ment occurs. It provides an excel- lent comprehensive review of sexu-

his videotape begins by show- ing various health care person-

al harassment in the workplace. This 35-minute videotape and

its accompanying study guide can be purchased for $99 or rented for $70 plus $7.50 for shipping and handling. Both one-half-inch VHS and three-quarter-inch U-matic for- mats are available. Continuing edu- cation credit is an additional $5. To order, contact Judith Tyler, RN, MA, director of educational ser- vices, American Journal of Nurs- ing Co, 555 W 57th St, New York,

CYNTHIA A. BRAY RN, MSED, CNOR

AUDIOVISUAL COMMIITEE

NY 10019-2961; (212) 582-8820.

RESEARCH REVIEW

READING RESEARCH CRITICALLY: ASSESSING THE VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF RESEARCH

AND 2 M. Giuffre Journal of Post Anesthesia Nursing Vol10 (February 1995) 33-37; (April 1995) 107-112

hese two articles provide well-written guidelines for T practicing nurses to use when

reading and critiquing research. The author’s intent is for nurses to understand that not all research is conducted correctly and that it is better to live with the status quo in nursing practice than to change nursing practice based on poor research. The author inter- jects humor and realism through- out both articles and urges nurses always to be critical of research results.

The first article defines valid- ity (ie, how well an instrument measures the characteristic being studied) and discusses its impor- tance in research. The author dis- cusses different types of validity

INSTRUMENTATION-PARTS 1

(eg, face, construct, criterion- related, content). She also explains why it is important for nurses to evaluate the validity of research instruments and pro- vides questions nurses can ask when evaluating instrument validity.

In the second article, the author discusses reliability and describes measurement error (eg, situational contaminants, response set bias, transitory personal fac- tors, administration variations, instrument clarity, response sam- pling). The author explains how to test for stability, equivalence, and internal consistency.

tions. Nursing is based on the sci- entific study of the effects of nursing interventions on patient care outcomes. Research is nec- essary to validate and advance nursing practice, but not all pub- lished research is sound, as researchers make mistakes that jeopardize the reliability and validity of study results.

AORN has identified nursing research as a priority. All periop- erative nurses must read and understand research and be able to make intelligent decisions about implementing changes in their practice settings. To accom- plish this, penoperative nurses must be able to examine pub- lished research critically and determine whether to accept the reported findings. Perioperative nurses who want to apply research findings to clinical prac- tice but who are not comfortable in their knowledge of the research process will find these two arti- cles valuable resources.

Perioperative nursing impiica-

ANITA JO SHOUP RN, MSN, CNOR

NURSINQ RESEARCH COMMITTEE CHAIR

1083 AQRN JOURNAL