Strain and health implications of nurses' shift work

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National Associations (NAs) project. Violence & aggression: prevention and management strategies in European dialysis, nephrological and transplantation units.

Aim: The descriptive survey aims to explore strategies for prevention and management of violence and aggressions in dialysis units in the different European countries. Method: The convenience sample was composed of dialysis, nephrological and transplantation units in European countries. We used a questionnaire developed with the collaboration of NAs, piloted on a group of renal workers. It consists of 2 parts (26 questions), and it was completed by the head-nurse or a delegated nurse in the unit. Each NA appointed a Representative colleague. They lead the project in every country and translated the questionnaire if necessary. Questionnaires were distributed in paper or electronic form, by mail or during congresses. Data were analysed using STATA software. It was performed a preliminary descriptive variable analysis and then verified the association between variables using the \u3c72 test; values of p < 0.005 were considered statistically significant. Results: We received 568 completed questionnaire from units from 13 countries (participation rate (21 %). 436 questionnaires were completed in 12 European countries. Results shows that written policies and procedure regarding violence and aggression are present only in 18 % of units. Educational strategies are diffused in less than the 20 % of units. Events are prevented mainly by security staff (48 %) or pharmacological treatment (66 %). Incident report is mandatory for any violence and aggressions behaviour in 66 % of units. University and private hospitals implement more strategies. There are differences between European countries. Discussion and conclusion: Violence and aggression prevention and management strategies are not widely implemented in European countries. It would be useful to construc

Access to intensive care units: A survey in North-East Italy.

The factors associated with policies for allowing visitors into intensive care units (ICUs) are a debated issue in the nursing literature. The aim of this survey was to describe visiting policies in the ICUs of North-East Italy and to verify the hypothesis of an association between attitudes regarding accessibility to visitors and environmental, organisational or logistic variables. Data were collected by means of questionnaires sent by mail to head nurses of ICUs. The questionnaires were completed for 104 of the 110 ICUs contacted (94.5%). Visiting hours were generally less than 4h a day (86%) and only 14% of the ICUs reported imposing no restrictions. Children under 12 years old were rarely admitted (22%). Twenty-one percent of the ICUs reported always allowing exceptions, while 77% did so only under 'particular' circumstances. Visiting times were not associated with logistic and organisational factors, but rather with the type of ICU (p=0.000), city setting (p=0.009), exceptions to rules (p=0.029), allowing more than one person (p=0.016) and opening to children (p=0.001). Restrictive visiting policies emerged; paediatric units were generally more flexible. The association between the variables regarding visiting policy, such as visiting times and exceptions to rules, or allowing more than one person or children, seem to confirm how the rules are influenced mainly by the staff's attitude, which could be changed by continuing professional education

Nurse managers\u2019 preferred and perceived leadership styles: a study at an Italian hospital

Aim\u2002 The aim of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to compare the different leadership styles based on perceptions of nurse managers and their staff. Background\u2002 Nurse managers\u2019 styles are fundamental to improving subordinates\u2019 performance and achieving goals at health-care institutions. Methods\u2002 This was a cross-sectional study. A questionnaire developed by Ekvall & Arvonen, considering three leadership domains (Change, Production and Employee relations), was administered to all nurse managers and to their subordinates at a city hospital in north-east Italy. Results\u2002 The comparison between the leadership styles actually adopted and those preferred by the nurse managers showed that the preferred style always scored higher than the style adopted, the difference reaching statistical significance for Change and Production. The leadership styles preferred by subordinates always scored higher than the styles their nurse managers actually adopted; in the subordinates\u2019 opinion, the differences being statistically significant in all three leadership domains. Implication for nursing management\u2002 The study showed that nurse managers\u2019 expectations in relation to their leadership differ from those of their subordinates. These findings should be borne in mind when selecting and training nurse managers and other personnel, and they should influence the hospital\u2019s strategic management of nurse

Studio sulle attitudini e la culturadella ricerca negli infermieridi due aziende sanitarie

OBIETTIVI: Non solo il sostegno e il coinvolgimento del personale infermieristico nella ricerca \ue8 importante in una azienda sanitaria, ma anche l\u2019identificazione delle caratteristiche degli infermieri e del contesto lavorativo che possono facilitare od ostacolare la partecipazione a lavori di ricerca. Lo studio ha lo scopo di descrivere attitudini, capacit\ue0 e conoscenze degli infermieri riguardo alla ricerca infermieristica. MATERIALI E METODI: \uc8 stato condotto uno studio quantitativo trasversale, con finalit\ue0 descrittive e analitiche. Lo studio \ue8 stato realizzato presso l\u2019Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova e l\u2019Azienda Ulss 16 di Padova, dove operano complessivamente 3330 infermieri. Lo strumento utilizzato \ue8 stato il Nursing Research Questionnaire (NRQ). RISULTATI: Emerge come i partecipanti (603) abbiano scarse conoscenze della ricerca infermieristica, il 91,54% dei partecipanti infatti dichiara che non aveva partecipato a corsi di ricerca infermieristica, EBN o ricerca bibliografica dopo la formazione accademica. Il 70,48% sostiene di avere una bassa conoscenza generale della ricerca infermieristica, ma l\u201987,56% si dichiara interessato a ricevere una formazione specifica e 73,13% a partecipare a progetti di ricerca. Si segnala come gli infermieri siano in genere convinti di non avere sufficienti capacit\ue0 di produrre ricerca ma che spesso non conoscono nemmeno i risultati della stessa, soprattutto perch\ue9 non hanno tempo di leggere, e che non si sentono stimolati ad essere attivi in questo ambito. Inoltre, non sembrano sempre convinti della sua utilit\ue0 per la pratica, pur considerandola interessante. Emerge inoltre come la maggior parte degli infermieri non abbia partecipato ad attivit\ue0 di ricerca (93,34%). Gli infermieri usano le banche dati nell\u201984,74% dei casi una-due volte all\u2019anno e quasi mai le biblioteche. Inoltre, raramente leggono articoli di ricerca. Raramente o a volte usano i risultati della ricerca a scopo decisionale o per elaborare protocolli. L\u201989,05% partecipa oltre una volta all\u2019anno a congressi o simposi infermieristici, ma \ue8 rarissima la presentazione di comunicazioni e poster. Solo 4 infermieri hanno dichiarato di avere pubblicato un articolo su riviste indicizzate. IMPLICAZIONI PER LA PRATICA E CONCLUSIONI: Lo studio ha confermato che gli infermieri hanno mediamente scarse conoscenze della ricerca infermieristica e come siano scarsamente impegnati in attivit\ue0 di ricerca. Una redistribuzione dei carichi di lavoro e maggiori investimenti in campo formativo possono migliorare le conoscenze e sensibilizzare ed incentivare gli infermieri ad essere pi\uf9 attivi in questo ambito