Developing Transformational Leaders to Advance Health Policy

Purpose: To explore the willingness of senior executives to mentor future nurse leaders and specifically, to provide them the knowledge and skills to advance health policy. Design and Methods: Two regional seminars were convened in May 2012 and February 2013 of subject matter experts in transformational leadership and invited stakeholders. Findings: The participants identified key conceptual domains for transformational leadership for advancing health policy and articulated strategies for mentoring new nurse leaders in specific domains. Conclusion: Willingness exists to use mentorship to develop transformational nurse leaders to advance health policy. Clinical Relevance: Willingness exists to use mentorship to develop transformation nurse leaders to advance health policy

Disaster nursing and emergency preparedness:for chemical, biological, and radiological terrorism and other hazards

The breadth and depth of this publication is phenomenalli broad, comprehensive, theoretically and scientifically sound as well as practical.xxiv, 656 hlm.: ilus.; 26 c

ReadyRN : Handbook for Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness

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The nursing profession: a critical component of the growing need for a nuclear global health workforce

Abstract Background Instability in the global geopolitical climate and the continuing spread of nuclear weapons and increase in their lethality has made the exchange of nuclear weapons or a terrorist attack upon a nuclear power plant a serious issue that demands appropriate planning for response. In response to this threat, the development of a nuclear global health workforce under the technical expertise of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organization Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance Network has been proposed. Main body of the abstract As the largest component of the global healthcare workforce, nurses will play a critical role in both the leadership and health care effectiveness of a response to any public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) resulting from the unprecedented numbers of trauma, thermal burn, and radiation affected patients that will require extensive involvement of the nursing professional community. Short conclusion Lives can and will be saved if nurses are present. The clinical care of radiation contaminated patients (e.g. radiation burns, fluid management, infection control), thermal burn patients, and other health system response activities such as community screening for radiation exposure, triage, decontamination, administration of medical countermeasures and the provision of supportive emotional and mental health care will be overwhelmingly nurse intensive

Adherence to Prophylactic Anticonvulsant Guidelines for Newly Diagnosed Brain Tumor Patients: A Quality Improvement Study

Background and purposeClinical guidelines suggest that prophylactic antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) should be given to newly diagnosed seizure-naive brain tumor patients for up to 1 week after craniotomy. Yet, data suggest that prophylactic AEDs are used up to 12 months after surgery. A quality improvement project was implemented to improve adherence to evidence-based prophylactic AED guidelines.MethodsA quasi-experimental, pre- and post-test intervention design was used to assess the effect of a multiphase intervention on guideline adherence and prophylactic anticonvulsant prescription rates. The 16-week intervention consisted of provider education sessions, provider alerts, documentation templates, and a weekly audit and feedback. Participants included four providers and newly diagnosed seizure-naive brain tumor patients. Measures included guideline adherence rates and AED prescription rates extracted from chart review, and a provider attitude and knowledge survey. Analyses included descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and Chi-square tests.ResultsGuideline adherence increased significantly (p < .01) from 4 months before implementation (15.8%) to 1 year before implementation (27.8%) and then to 93.3% after implementation. Provider knowledge showed clinically meaningful decreases in the likelihood to prescribe prophylactic AEDs (-.5 point) and increased understanding of prophylactic AED side effects (+0.5 point), although these were not statistically significant (p = .083). Finally, prophylactic AED prescription rates decreased by 2.2% (p = .119) compared with 4 months and 1 year before implementation (2.6%; p = .072).ConclusionThis project highlights the important role of provider education, provider alerts, a documentation template, and audit and feedback in improving guideline adherence rate. Findings suggest that the combination intervention and weekly audit and feedback strategy can improve guideline adherence to prophylactic anticonvulsant use in seizure-naive newly diagnosed brain tumor patients.ImplicationsBy following prophylactic AED guideline recommendations, clinicians can avoid the potential side effects of anticonvulsant-induced cognitive, behavioral, and psychiatric issues that can impair patients' quality of life

Respiratory Protection Considerations for Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a surge of patients that exceeds available human and physical resources in many settings, triggering the implementation of crisis standards of care. High-quality respiratory protection is essential to reduce exposure among healthcare workers, yet dire shortages of personal protective equipment in the United States threaten the health and safety of this essential workforce. In the context of rapidly changing conditions and incomplete data, this article outlines 3 important strategies to improve healthcare workers' respiratory protection. At a minimum, healthcare workers delivering care to patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 should wear N95 respirators and full-face shields. Several mechanisms exist to boost and protect the supply of N95 respirators, including rigorous decontamination protocols, invoking the Defense Production Act, expanded use of reusable elastomeric respirators, and repurposing industrial N95 respirators. Finally, homemade facial coverings do not protect healthcare workers and should be avoided. These strategies, coupled with longer-term strategies of investments in protective equipment research, infrastructure, and data systems, provide a framework to protect healthcare workers immediately and enhance preparedness efforts for future pandemics.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155553/1/Friese_Health_Security_article.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155553/3/DeepBluepermissions_agreement-Friese.docxDescription of Friese_Health_Security_article.pdf : ArticleDescription of DeepBluepermissions_agreement-Friese.docx : Deep Blue sharing agreemen