Nurse Residency Program: A Critical Care Benchmark Project

Nursing school is arguably one of the most challenging degree plans in existence. The level of professionalism and intelligence of newly graduated nurses (GNs) is exceptional, and the expectation is that they will excel in whatever field of nursing they choose. That said, navigating the theory-practice gap between school and a GN’s first job can be extremely intense, especially in specialty areas such as critical care. According to Belvins (2016), both The Joint Commission and the Institute of Medicine recognize that many GNs are not prepared for fast-paced, high-acuity healthcare environments. The recommendation is the implementation of additional education and skills structured into Nurse Residency Programs (NRPs) provided by onboarding facilities. Not only have NRPs been proven to increase GN satisfaction and retention rates, but they are also cost-effective because these facilities are able to retain these nurses. GNs entering the nursing workforce are extremely vulnerable during their transition into practice. Role stress, skill deficiency, and lack of confidence are just a few factors influencing the success of new nurses (Crimlisk et al., 2017). While nursing schools are proficient at preparing student nurses for their state boards, they often fail to provide adequate clinical socialization into nursing practice. The result is new nurses who are unhappy, stressed out, and at times scared to the point of not only leaving their first nursing positions, but sometimes nursing altogether. It is the duty of experienced nurses and onboarding organizations to ease the theory-practice transition and to give new nurses the tools they need to practice independently. While many organizations have adopted NRPs, many are geared towards med-surg because most hospital GNs start out on these floors. However, up to 60% of GNs choose to work in critical care areas (Rush (2013). Critical care areas such as Emergency Departments (EDs), Intensive Care Units (ICUs), and Operating Rooms (ORs) have more specialized training, such that med-surg-specific education may not be relevant for these nurses. Another issue found in literature searches is that many authors suggest adopting NRPs, but actual studies with standardized programs are lacking. In an effort to address both issues, a critical care NRP was designed to be piloted at a large level one trauma hospital in Texas. But how effective will this program be? PICOT Question: In GNs (P), how does a critical care specific NRP (I), compared with a traditional internship (C), affect retention rates and satisfaction levels (O) within one year (T) in the ED at a large trauma hospital

Lymphoma Therapy and Adverse Events: Nursing Strategies for Thinking Critically and Acting Decisively

BACKGROUND: Multiple treatment options, combined with disease heterogeneity, have created nursing challenges in the management of adverse events (AEs) during antilymphoma therapy. Testing has revealed that less than half of participating nurses correctly graded peripheral neuropathy and neutropenia related to antilymphoma regimens. OBJECTIVES: This article identifies nursing challenges in the management of AEs associated with therapy for lymphomas and describes how strategies in critical thinking can help meet those challenges. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search in oncology nursing, nursing education, and critical thinking was conducted; participant responses to pre- and post-tests at nursing education programs were evaluated; and a roundtable meeting of authors was convened. FINDINGS: Oncology nurses can cultivate critical thinking skills, practice thinking critically in relation to team members and patients, leverage information from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, and manage workflow to allow more opportunity for critical thinking

Understanding the Critical Ingredients for Facilitating Consumer Change in Housing First Programming: A Case Study Approach

Housing First is a form of permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless consumers with mental health and substance abuse issues. In light of the model’s growing popularity and wide diffusion, researchers and policy makers have identified a need to better understand its critical ingredients and the processes through which they affect consumer outcomes. Researchers used a bottom-up approach to understand the critical ingredients of Housing First within community-based programs. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with 60 informants (staff and consumers) across 4 “successful” Housing First programs. Qualitative analysis demonstrated six program ingredients to be essential: (1) a low-threshold admissions policy, (2) harm reduction, (3) eviction prevention, (4) reduced service requirements, (5) separation of housing and services, and (6) consumer education

The (Lacking) User Adoption of COVID-19 Contact Tracing Apps – Insights from Switzerland and Germany

COVID-19 contact tracing apps are one of the best tools we currently have available to avoid a potential second wave of COVID-19. However, sufficient critical mass in terms of uptake is required for these apps to be effective. Given the low adoption rate, a better understanding of the users\u27 perspective is important to define measures to drive their adoption. Building on the privacy calculus, this study analyses the adoption of COVID-19 apps as a benefit-risk trade-off and provides empirical insights for Germany and Switzerland, which have been among the more successful adopters. Interestingly, we find many commonalities between both countries, which may be explained by their geographic and cultural proximity, but also with the similarities in app design and launch. However, we observe significant differences in benefit and risk perception between different groups of the population, which we classify as advocates, critics, and undecided. The findings reveal that all groups recognize the benefits of COVID-19 apps and confirm that reservations about privacy are the biggest hurdle to uptake. For the undecided and critics, our empirical data also confirms the privacy paradox, i.e. the differences between general attitudes and concrete behaviour

Contributions of the Earned Income Tax Credit to Community Development in Indian Country

The earned income tax credit (EITC) has become a central element in a suite of programs and polices that promote “asset building” for the poor. Increasingly, it has become a way not only for individuals but also communities to turn their economic circumstances around. The Center for Social Development in collaboration with Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies engaged ten Native community organizations currently providing free tax preparation services in a study that examined uptake and potential uses of Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) income by Native people. Through community surveys we learned that a majority of survey respondents (88.26%) have bank accounts. Respondents indicated that they would use their tax refunds to cover personal expenses such as emergencies and catching up on bills. 24.13% indicated that they plan to put their tax return in a savings account while others plan to use the refund to obtain necessary household items such as vehicles and furniture. Community members expressed strong interest in getting information about matched savings accounts, homeownership and financial management education, as well as starting their own business. These findings provide insight into the kinds of community infrastructure and programs that help dollars stay in a community and help citizens leverage their assets

Understanding the Consequences of Interpersonal Confrontation: The Role of Goal Pursuit in Men\u27s Responses to Being Confronted as Sexist

Research investigating interpersonal outcomes resulting from confrontation of bias shows mixed results. Some studies show that men expect to react harshly when imagining confrontation (Saunders & Senn, 2009), whereas other research finds that men often react well when actually confronted (Mallett & Wagner, 2011). The current studies investigated this inconsistency by exploring the role of men\u27s interaction goals on men\u27s goal-directed compensation and interpersonal outcomes following confrontation. In Study 1, I measured accessibility of three goals (liking, respect, egalitarian) after men either imagined or experienced confrontation for sexist or uninformed behavior (gender-neutral). An egalitarian goal was the most accessible goal when men experienced confrontation for sexism, supporting the idea that actual confrontation leads to other-focus. Further supporting the assertion that general and imagined threats lead to self-focus (Crocker, 2008), a respect goal was uniquely accessible when men imagined gender-neutral confrontation. In Study 2, men were primed with either an other-oriented liking goal or a self-oriented respect goal. I then observed men\u27s self-promoting or ingratiating compensation following confrontation for sexism or uninformed behavior by a female interaction partner. Confrontation for sexism elicited immediate ingratiation from men, but neither confrontation affected self-promotion. Men\u27s ingratiation also mediated the relation between liking goal pursuit and positive interpersonal outcomes. Together, these studies enhance our understanding of men\u27s responses to confrontation