Examining Faith Community Nurses’ Perception and Utilization of Electronic Health Records

Abstract The purpose of this study is to identify current faith community nurse documentation practices, explore factors impacting intention to adopt electronic health records, and identify perceived barriers and benefits to electronic health record use among faith community nurses practicing in the Midwest. The technology acceptance model is used to examine impact of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of electronic health records on intention to adopt. This study is a quantitative exploratory research study utilizing a cross-sectional researcher-developed 39-item questionnaire. Surveys were distributed by mail and e-mail to faith community nurses practicing in South-Central Indiana and Western Kentucky. Survey data was collected from 114 faith community nurses whose nursing educational levels ranged from diploma to PhD for a response rate of 46%. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlations were used to report study results. Positive correlations were found between both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use and intention to adopt with a stronger correlation associated with perceived usefulness. Participants reported financial challenges as most significant barriers to electronic health record adoption while the highest rated benefits were associated with record access, enhanced care coordination, and improved ability to identify and communicate FCN practice to decision makers. This study adds new knowledge on documentation practices and perceptions of faith community nurses related to electronic health records. Understanding the impact of perceived usefulness, ease of use, barriers, and benefits on electronic health record adoption will inform future initiatives seeking to increase faith community nurse electronic health record adoption. Keywords: faith community nurses, electronic health record, adoption, barriers, facilitator

Nursing Students\u27 Perceptions of Briefing in Simulation

Briefing for a clinical simulation in nursing school is an information session that sets the stage for a meaningful simulation activity. Improper or inadequate briefing practices can impact the quality of learning nursing students receive through clinical simulation experience. The purpose of this study, guided by the novice to expert and social cognitive theories, was to explore accelerated baccalaureate nursing (ABN) students\u27 perceptions of their briefing experiences and how the briefing experiences influenced the acquisition of clinical skills and knowledge. Twelve ABN students from a school of nursing in one of the Northeastern states were interviewed through e-mail correspondence. Thematic coding was conducted on the data and the themes derived were inconsistencies in briefing practices, a sense of uncertainty, and inefficient acquisition of clinical skills and knowledge. The inconsistencies in the practice of briefing varied between courses and instructors and improper briefing generated a sense of uncertainty among participants and feelings of ineffective acquisition of clinical skills and knowledge from simulations. The results will enable nurse educators in the local setting to improve briefing protocols and adhere to the briefing standards to facilitate students\u27 learning. The use of rigorous research designs involving a larger sample size from multiple research sites in different geographical regions is recommended for future research to examine if this problem is relevant to all nursing schools. The implications for positive social change include the potential impact of proper briefing practices in enabling ABN students to acquire clinical skills and knowledge effectively so that they can safely provide quality care to their patients

Email for clinical communication between healthcare professionals

Email is one of the most widely used methods of communication, but its use in healthcare is still uncommon. Where email communication has been utilised in health care, its purposes have included clinical communication between healthcare professionals, but the effects of using email in this way are not well known. We updated a 2012 review of the use of email for two-way clinical communication between healthcare professionals

Integrating Research and Quality Improvement Using TeamSTEPPS: A Health Team Communication Project to Improve Hospital Discharge

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this article is to describe an innovative approach to the integration of quality improvement and research processes. A project with the objective of improving health team communication about hospital discharge provides an exemplar case. Description of the Project/Program: The TeamSTEPPS 10-step action planning guide provided the structure for planning, developing, and evaluating a redesign of interprofessional health team communication to improve hospital discharge led by 2 clinical nurse specialists. The redesign involved development of processes for team bedside rounding, registered nurse bedside shift reports, and briefing tools to support the rounding processes. Outcome: Using the TeamSTEPPS process, a 4-phase combined quality improvement and research project was designed and implemented. Implementation is ongoing, supported by process evaluation for continuing process improvement. Longitudinal analysis of research outcomes will follow in the future. Conclusions: Led by unit-based clinical nurse specialists, use of an integrated process of quality improvement and research creates evidence-based innovation to solve interprofessional practice problems. Incorporating research within the project design allows for data-based decisions to inform the clinical process improvement, as well as documentation of both the processes and outcomes of the local improvements that can inform replications in other sites

An Electronic Delphi Study to Establish Pediatric Intensive Care Nursing Research Priorities in Twenty European Countries*

OBJECTIVES:: To identify and to establish research priorities for pediatric intensive care nursing science across Europe. DESIGN:: A modified three-round electronic Delphi technique was applied. Questionnaires were translated into seven different languages. SETTING:: European PICUs. PARTICIPANTS:: The participants included pediatric intensive care clinical nurses, managers, educators, and researchers. In round 1, the qualitative responses were analyzed by content analysis and a list of research statements and domains was generated. In rounds 2 and 3, the statements were ranked on a scale of one to six (not important to most important). Mean scores and SDs were calculated for rounds 2 and 3. INTERVENTIONS:: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:: Round 1 started with 90 participants, with round 3 completed by 64 (71%). The seven highest ranking statements ( 5.0 mean score) were related to end-of-life care, decision making around forgoing and sustaining treatment, prevention of pain, education and competencies for pediatric intensive care nurses, reducing healthcare-associated infections, identifying appropriate nurse staffing levels, and implementing evidence into nursing practice. Nine research domains were prioritized, and these were as follows: 1) clinical nursing care practices, 2) pain and sedation, 3) quality and safety, 4) respiratory and mechanical ventilation, 5) child- and family-centered care, 6) ethics, 7) professional issues in nursing, 8) hemodynamcis and resuscitation, and 9) trauma and neurocritical care. CONCLUSIONS:: The results of this study inform the European Society of Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care's nursing research agenda in the future. The results allow nurse researchers within Europe to encourage collaborative initiatives for nursing research

Investigating the Correlation Between Nurses\u27 Spiritual Well-Being and Spiritual Care Perspectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between nurses\u27 spiritual well-being (using the JAREL Spiritual-Well Being Scale) and their perspectives of spiritual care (using the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale). Both instruments use Likert-scale ratings. An additional survey obtained general demographic information including an item regarding spirituality in nursing in-service participation. A total of 130 registered nurses (23%) participated in the study. The data was analyzed using SPSS in which a Pearson\u27s r correlation was performed on the JAREL and SSCRS scores. The results were statistically significant for a positive correlation between nurses\u27 spiritual well-being and perspectives of spiritual care (r = 0.43, p \u3c .01) demonstrating that a portion of the nurses\u27 spiritual care perspectives can be attributed to their spiritual well-being. The results underscore the need for academic and post-professional spirituality training for nurses as well as collaboration of the health care team and administrative support

Evaluation of the Wellspring Model for Improving Nursing Home Quality

Examines how successfully the Wellspring model improved the quality of care for residents of eleven nonprofit nursing homes in Wisconsin. Looks at staff turnover, and evaluates the impact on facilities, employees, residents, and cost

Nurse Practitioner Competency Standards: Findings from Collaborative Australian and New Zealand Research

Background: The title, Nurse Practitioner, is protected in most jurisdictions in Australia and in New Zealand and the number of nurse practitioners is increasing in health services in both countries. Despite this expansion of the role there is scant national or international research to inform development of nurse practitioner competency standards. Objectives: The aim of the study was to research nurse practitioner practice to inform development of generic standards that could be applied for the education, authorisation and practice of nurse practitioners in both countries. Design: The research used a multi-methods approach to capture a range of data sources including research of policies and curricula, and interviews with clinicians. Data were collected from relevant sources in Australia and New Zealand Settings: The research was conducted in New Zealand and the five states and territories in Australia where, at the time of the research, the title of nurse practitioner was legally protected. Participants: The research was conducted with a purposeful sample of nurse practitioners from diverse clinical settings in both countries. Interview and material data were collected from a range of sources and data were analysed within and across these data modalities. Results: Findings included identification of three generic standards for nurse practitioner practice namely, Dynamic Practice, Professional Efficacy and Clinical Leadership. Each of these standards has a number of practice competencies, each of these competencies with their own performance indicators. Conclusions: Generic Standards for nurse practitioner practice will support a standardised approach and mutual recognition of nurse practitioner authorisation across the two countries. Additionally these research outcomes can more generally inform education providers, authorising bodies and clinicians on the standards of practice for the nurse practitioner whilst also contributing to the current international debate on nurse practitioner standards and scope of practice

Technology-Enhanced Practice for Patients with Chronic Cardiac Disease: Home Implementation and Evaluation

Objective: This 3-year field experiment engaged 60 nurses and 282 patients in the design and evaluation of an innovative home-care nursing model, referred to as technology-enhanced practice (TEP). Methods: Nurses using TEP augmented the usual care with a web-based resource (HeartCareII) that provided patients with self-management information, self-monitoring tools, and messaging services. Results: Patients exposed to TEP demonstrated better quality of life and self-management of chronic heart disease during the first 4 weeks, and were no more likely than patients in usual care to make unplanned visits to a clinician or hospital. Both groups demonstrated the same long-term symptom management and achievements in health status. Conclusion: This project provides new evidence that the purposeful creation of patient-tailored web resources within a hospital portal is possible; that nurses have difficulty with modifying their practice routines, even with a highly-tailored web resource; and that the benefits of this intervention are more discernable in the early postdischarge stages of care

Competency and Capability: Imperative for Nurse Practitioner Education

Objective The objective of this study was to conduct research to inform the development of standards for nurse practitioner education in Australia and New Zealand and to contribute to the international debate on nurse practitioner practice. Setting The research was conducted in all states of Australia where the nurse practitioner is authorised and in New Zealand Subjects The research was informed by multiple data sources including nurse practitioner program curriculae documents from all relevant universities in Australia and New Zealand, interviews with academic convenors of these programs and interviews with nurse practitioners. Primary argument Findings from this research include support for masters level of education as preparation for the nurse practitioner. These programs need to have a strong clinical learning component and in-depth education for the sciences of specialty practice. Additionally an important aspect of education for the nurse practitioner is the centrality of student directed and flexible learning models. This approach is well supported by the literature on capability. Conclusions There is agreement in the literature about the lack of consistent standards in nurse practitioner practice, education and nomenclature. The findings from this research contribute to the international debate in this area and bring research informed standards to nurse practitioner education in Australia and New Zealand