The effect of spending time outdoors in daylight on the psychosocial well-being of older people and their family carers

Abstract of presentation from the Dementia Collaborative Research Centres\u27 (DCRC) 2014 National Dementia Research Forum, Sydney, 19 September 2014

Effect of an evidence based quality improvement framework on patient safety

Objectives To investigate the impact of the introduction of The Productive Ward Program™ on two patient safety indicators; patient falls and medication errors. Design Retrospective quantitative study. Setting The study was conducted at a major metropolitan acute care hospital in Sydney, Australia. Subjects This study was conducted in a medical, surgical and two aged care wards, with a combined total of 120 inpatient beds over a 32 month time period. Main Outcome Measures The number of patient falls and medication errors for each of the participating wards. Results The implementation of The Productive Ward Program™, did not have an overall significant statistical reduction in the number of falls and medication incidents. Aged Care 1, had a reduction of 13 falls between intervention and post intervention phase, these results were not statistically significant (OR 1.17; 95% CI 0.86, 1.59). For Aged Care 1 ward there was a statistically significant reduction in medication errors from 66 errors pre intervention to 27 medication errors post intervention (OR 2.73;95% CI 1.71, 4.38). Conclusion The results of this small study indicate that the implementation of The Productive Ward Program™, did not have an overall significant statistical reduction in the number of falls and medication errors. This paper highlights the need for future research on the impact of the Productive Ward Program on patient safety

Bachelor of Nursing Honours Programs in Australia: current trends and key challenges

Background: To prepare nurses for a role in knowledge generation they need to engage in research training. Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) programs are a first step in this training. Developing a better understanding of current programs, their challenges and outcomes will provide an evidence base to inform curriculum development and policy making. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore current Australian Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) programs in terms of their composition, delivery and number of enrolments/graduates. Methods: Bachelor of Nursing Honours Coordinators or Heads of Schools of Nursing and Midwifery at Australian Universities were emailed an invitation to participate in an online survey. Findings: Of the 19 academics who responded to the survey, 15 (78.9%) reported currently offering a Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) program in their institution. A steady decline in mean enrolments was evident over recent years. There were clear differences in course delivery and assessment tasks between courses. Conclusion: This paper highlights the need to further explore Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) programs across Australia to ensure consistency in outcomes and to explore innovations in course delivery and project development. Such changes should incorporate feedback from students, supervisors, curriculum developers and professional stakeholders to ensure that programs address their various needs

A psychometric analysis of the Caring Assessment Tool version V

Aim The aim of this study was to examine the factor structure and construct validity of the Caring Assessment Tool version V (CAT‐V) for patients in Australian hospitals. Design Secondary analysis of CAT‐V surveys from the Australian Nursing Outcomes Collaborative (AUSNOC) data set was used. The CAT was originally developed in the United States of America. Methods The 27‐item CAT‐V was administered to patients prior to discharge from eight wards in three Australian hospitals in 2016. The psychometric properties of the CAT were evaluated using item analysis and exploratory factor analyses. Results Item analysis of surveys from 476 participants showed high levels of perceived caring behaviours and actions. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two‐factor structure consisting of: Nurse-patient communication; and Feeling cared for. The CAT‐V is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring patients\u27 perceptions of the attitudes and actions of nurses in Australia

Systematic reviews

Despite the increasing popularity of systematic reviews, there remains a need to ensure that they are conducted rigorously and provide an objective critical summary of research findings. The strength of a systematic review is its rigorous methodological approach to interrogating a body of literature. Both authors and readers should be familiar with the methodology used to conduct and evaluate systematic reviews. By way of introduction, this article explains and explores the steps that make up the systematic review process

Health-related quality of life among adults living with diabetic foot ulcers: a meta-analysis

Purpose To undertake a systematic review of the literature to investigate the HRQOL among adults living with DFUs. Methods A systematic search of the medical and nursing/health content databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO was conducted up to November 2018. The methodological quality of each study was assessed independently by all authors using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. Data analysis was conducted using the Comprehensive Meta-analysis software. All analyses were performed using random-effects models and heterogeneity was quantified. Results A total of 12 studies were included in the review. Overall, the HRQOL of participants in the studies was poor on four of eight subscales in the SF-36: physical functioning (mean = 42.75, SE 1.5); role physical (mean = 20.61, SE 3.4); general health (mean = 39.52, SE 1.7); and vitality (mean = 45.73, SE 2.8). In addition, presence of pain, high levels of C-reactive protein (\u3e 10 mg/L), ulcer size \u3e 5 cm2, Ankle Brachial Index \u3c 0.9, high glycosylated haemoglobin and body mass index \u3e 25 kg/m2 were associated with poorer HRQOL in people with DFUs. Conclusions This review has provided evidence indicating that people with DFUs have a significantly lower HRQOL. Evidence-based interventions to improve the HRQOL in this group of people is needed

Demographic and clinical predictors of health-related quality of life among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus living in northern Thailand: A cross-sectional study

Background Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease which is growing global health problems. However, research on such prediction of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Thailand is limited, in particular on the demographic and clinical characteristic in each HRQOL domains. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the demographic and clinical predictors of health-related quality of life among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Northern Thailand. Methods A cross-sectional study of people with T2DM at a large teaching hospital in Northern Thailand was conducted. The HRQOL was evaluated using the Thai version of Diabetes-39. Descriptive analysis was used to summarize the demographic and HRQOL scores. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of overall HRQOL and the predictors of each D-39 dimension. Results A total of 502 people with T2DM were recruited. Forty-one were identified as having diabetic foot ulcers. The mean score for perception of overall HRQOL was 61.18 (SD 18.74). Scores in the D-39 questionnaire showed a poor HRQOL among people with T2DM. The predictors of demographic and clinical characteristics of people with T2DM were calculated for overall HRQOL and all six domains. Conclusion These results demonstrate that people with T2DM have a poor HRQOL. The presence of diabetic foot ulcers and smoking status were identified as significant predictors of low HRQOL in the domains relating to diabetes control, social burden and energy and mobility presence of obesity, receiving insulin injection or a combination of insulin and oral medication were predictors of poor HRQOL in the domain of other health problems and diabetes complications. These findings allow for a nursing care plan for diabetes management to achieve optimal glycaemic control and improve their HRQOL

Health-Related Quality of Life and Self-Care Management Among People With Diabetic Foot Ulcers in Northern Thailand

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a common complication of diabetes that impacts on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Foot care is an important factor in the self-care management of patients with DFUs. The objective of this study was to investigate the HRQOL and foot care management of people with DFUs. A cross-sectional study involving 41 people with DFUs was conducted at a large tertiary hospital in Northern Thailand. The Diabetic Foot Ulcer Scale-Short Form and the VA-Diabetes Foot Care Survey were used to assess the HRQOL and foot care management among people with DFUs. The majority of the participants were female (n = 24, 58.5%), and the mean age was 62.13 years. The scores for HRQOL in the six domains were as follows: leisure (66.95 ± 28.03), physical health (68.93 ± 28.51), dependence or daily life (80.08 ± 25.23), negative emotions (71.23 ± 29.48), worried about ulcers (62.20 ± 31.97), and bothered by ulcer care (69.36 ± 25.20). High scores indicate a high (good) HRQOL. Less than a third of the participants reported that they had received education about foot care management. Almost all participants reported that they washed their feet daily; however, a large proportion did not test the water temperature or use lubricants on their feet. Most of the participants did not have a mirror for checking under their feet (48.8%), and there was a lack of knowledge about how to use a mirror for foot inspections (51.2%). This study provides guidance for clinicians on the content and delivery of diabetes education programs for people with diabetes (and DFUs) in Northern Thailand. The findings provide guidance on existing knowledge and the need for programs to address barriers to foot self-care management both in terms of skills and attitudes

Linguistic and Psychometric Validation of the Thai Version of Simplified Diabetes Knowledge Scale: A Measure of Knowledge of Diabetes in a Thai Population

Purpose: To develop a linguistically and psychometrically validated Thai version of the Simplified Diabetes Knowledge Scale (T-SDKS) for adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Design: A cross-sectional study was carried out among people with T2DM. Methods: Consecutive sampling was undertaken to recruit participants at the outpatient diabetes clinic of a hospital in Northern Thailand. Results: A total of 502 patients with T2DM were recruited. The mean age of the participants was 60.2 years, and 60.5% were female. The T-SDKS attained a reliability coefficient of .79. The item-total correlation value was greater than 0.20 for each item, and the inter-item correlation ranged between 0.03 and 0.49. Respondents attained a mean percentage knowledge score of 42.39% 15.45 on T-SDKS. Discussion/conclusions: The T-SDKS has demonstrated to be a brief and simple diabetes knowledge assessment tool to use in a busy clinical setting. Implication for practice: The findings can be used to improve health education interventions

Demographic predictors of emotional intelligence among radiation therapists

Introduction: Contemporary health care services are more productive and successful when their health professionals have emotional intelligence (EI). The objective of this study was to explore the demographic predictors of EI among radiation therapists working in cancer care centres in NSW, Australia. Methods: Data were collected using a cross-sectional self-administered survey. Emotional intelligence was measured using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire- Short version (TEIQue - SF). Multiple regression analysis was used to identify if age, years of experience, gender, highest level of education obtained or level of current employment were predictors of EI. Results: A total of 205 radiation therapists participated in this study. The mean scores for Global EI, emotionality, self-control, wellbeing and sociability dimensions were 5.16 (SD = 0.6), 5.3 (SD = 0.7), 4.9 (SD = 0.9), 5.7 (SD = 0.8) and 4.7 (SD = 0.8) respectively. Age and level of current employment were identified as predictors of global EI. Gender and level of education were significant predictors of the EI emotionality dimension. Levels of employment along with level of education were both significant predictors of the sociability dimension of EI. Conclusions: Being a young radiation therapist, female, and having higher levels of employment and higher levels of education were predictors of EI. Given that level of education and level of employment are both amendable demographic factors, strategies to address these factors to reduce the effects of emotional struggle experienced by radiation therapists in their work need to be implemented