Nursing

Huddleston, P., M. E. Mancini and J. Gray (2017). “Measuring nurse leaders’ and direct care nurses’ perceptions of a healthy work environment in acute care settings, part 3: Healthy work environment scales for nurse leaders and direct care nurses.” J Nurs Adm 47(3): 140-146.

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BACKGROUND: Survey items on the Healthy Work Environment Scales (HWES) for nurse leaders (NLs) and direct care nurses (DCNs) were developed using statements from 2 qualitative research studies conducted in a healthcare system. PURPOSE: The purposes of 2 quantitative studies were to develop items on the HWES for NLs and DCNs, to assess the validity and reliability of these new tools, and to describe the NLs and DCNs perceptions of a healthy work environment (HWE) using nonexperimental descriptive designs. METHODS: Each research study had 2 separate phases. In phase 1 of the studies, NLs and DCNs assigned each item to 1 of the 8 characteristics of an HWE to assess face validity. Content validity was determined by calculating the scale content validity and item content validity indices. Based on these results, the items were revised or deleted to obtain version 3 of both tools. In phase 2 of the studies, principal component analysis (PCA) assessed the validity of the tools, Cronbach’s alpha served as the test for reliability, and the NLs and DCNs perceptions of an HWE were measured. RESULTS: Samples included 314 subjects for the HWES for NL study and 986 subjects for the HWES for DCN study. Principal component analysis for the HWES for NLs (version 3) revealed 40 items comprising 4 components, and PCA for the HWES for DCNs (version 3) revealed 39 items comprising 5 components. Internal consistencies of the tools were 0.974 and 0.957, respectively. Based on the findings of these studies, the tools demonstrated promising psychometric properties to measure a HWE in acute care settings.

Probst, C. A., M. Carter, C. Cadigan, C. Dalcour, C. Cassity, P. Quinn, T. Williams, D. C. Montgomery, C. Wilder and Y. Xiao (2017). “Utilizing a human factors nursing worksystem improvement framework to increase nurses’ time at the bedside and enhance safety.” J Nurs Adm 47(2): 94-100.

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OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to increase nurses’ time for direct patient care and improve safety via a novel human factors framework for nursing worksystem improvement. BACKGROUND: Time available for direct patient care influences outcomes, yet worksystem barriers prevent nurses adequate time at the bedside. METHODS: A novel human factors framework was developed for worksystem improvement in 3 units at 2 facilities. Objectives included improving nurse efficiency as measured by time-and-motion studies, reducing missing medications and subsequent trips to medication rooms and improving medication safety. RESULTS: Worksystem improvement resulted in time savings of 16% to 32% per nurse per 12-hour shift. Requests for missing medications dropped from 3.2 to 1.3 per day. Nurse medication room trips were reduced by 30% and nurse-reported medication errors fell from a range of 1.2 to 0.8 and 6.3 to 4.0 per month. CONCLUSIONS: An innovative human factors framework for nursing worksystem improvement provided practical and high priority targets for interventions that significantly improved the nursing worksystem.

Smith-Blair, N., M. Hernandez-Leveille and L. L. Lefler (2016). “Together we can do much: Message from the president.” Res Nurs Health 39(6): 396-398.

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The Southern Nursing Research Society has been instrumental in the promotion of nursing research that addresses health promotion, symptom management,quality of care, and quality of life, not only in the Southern region but nationally and internationally. Our country is witness to mounting rates of obesity and chronic illness and large gaps in healthcare provision and outcomes among racial and ethnic group s. Strains are mounting onthe healthcare syste m to provide cost effective care w ithli mited res ources. This is particularly true in the states ofthe Southern region.

Pilcher, J. (2016). “Mobile apps for educational purposes.” J Nurses Prof Dev: 2016 Aug [Epub ahead of print].

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With the growing number of mobile resources, nurse educators and professional development practitioners have the opportunity to harness mobile applications as a tool for their education toolbox. Yet, the overwhelming availability of choices can lead to questions, such as the following: How do we locate apps without spending huge amounts of our valuable time? How do we know which apps to choose? How can we evaluate apps? This article is aimed at addressing these questions.

Beal, C. C., S. A. Flanders and S. G. Bader (2016). “Can children reduce delayed hospital arrival for ischemic stroke?: A systematic review of school-based stroke education.” J Neurosci Nurs 48(3): E2-e13.

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BACKGROUND: Delayed hospital arrival after onset of ischemic stroke reduces the number of patients eligible for tissue plasminogen activator, which must be given soon after stroke onset. There are conflicting results about the impact of mass media stroke education on timing of hospital arrival and tissue plasminogen activator administration rates. School-based programs are a new way to communicate stroke information. METHODS: A search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ERIC databases from 1995 to 2014 identified school-based stroke education interventions. Twelve studies involving 3,312 children and 612 parents met criteria for review. RESULTS: School-based stroke education interventions were effective to improve knowledge of stroke symptoms among children in kindergarten through junior high. Improvement for stroke risk factors was less robust. Interventions were effective regardless of format, length, or who delivered the information. Despite low parental response rates in some studies, there was evidence that children transmitted stroke information to parents. CONCLUSIONS: School-based stroke education programs appear effective to improve knowledge of stroke symptoms. Research is needed to determine if children who participate are able to recognize stroke and respond appropriately by calling 911 in the real world. More study is needed about transfer of stroke knowledge from child to parent. Strategies to improve parent participation are needed.