Relationships Between Triage Knowledge, Training, Working Experiences and Triage Skills Among Emergency Nurses in East Java, Indonesia

Background: Since there are increased numbers of clients with traumatic injuries and non-traumatic cases in the emergency department in Indonesia, triage skill is an essential competency required for the emergency nurses.Purposes: This study aimed to examine the level of perceived triage skills and the relationship between knowledge, training, working experience and perceived triage skills among emergency nurses.Method: Two hundred and sixty six emergency room (ER) nurses working in two secondary and two tertiary public hospitals in East Java Province, Indonesia, were recruited by purposive sampling. Data were collected using a set of questionnaires which included the Demographic Data including training and working experiences, Triage Knowledge Questionnaire (TKQ) and Triage Skill Questionnaire (TSQ). The contents of questionnaires were validated by three experts and tested for reliability. The correlation coefficient for the TKQ was 0.99 and Cronbach\u27s alpha coefficient of the TSQ was 0.93. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including Pearson\u27s product-moment correlation to examine the relationship.Result: The results showed that the majority of subjects were female (71.4%) with aged of 22 – 40 years (79.3%), educated to diploma level (94.4%). All subjects had attended Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ACLS), and about half of them had greater than 5 years working experiences in ED. Overall perceived triage skill was at a moderate level with the mean score of 75.12 (SD = 11.23). There were significantly positive correlations between triage skill and working experience (r = .27, p < .01), training experience (r = .37, p < .01), and triage knowledge (r = .38, p < .01).Conclusion: The findings provide a better understanding of triage skills among ER nurses and suggest that the continuing education and training courses related to triage and advanced management of medical emergencies for ER nurses are required in order to increase and update the triage skills in enhancing the quality of emergency care and patient safety

Effect of Self-Efficacy Enhancing Education Program on Family Caregivers\u27 Competencies in Caring for Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the effect of a self-efficacy enhancing education program on family caregivers\u27 competencies regarding perceived confidence and performance in caring for patients with mild TBI in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Methods: The quasi-experimental study, two groups pre-test and post-test design was conducted. Fifty family caregivers and patients with mild TBI who met the inclusion criteria were recruited. The first 25 control group received the routine care were, while another 25 subjects in the experimental group received a self-efficacy enhancing education program developed by the researchers. The program was constructed using Bandura\u27s four sources of self-efficacy. The family caregivers\u27 perceived confidence and performance were measured by using the Perceived Confidence Questionnaire (PCQ) and the Performance Questionnaire (PQ). The data were analyzed using paired t-test, independent t-test, Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The findings showed that the family caregivers who participated in the program had a higher in perceived confidence (t = 8.30, p < .05) and performance (U = .00, p < .05) in caring for patients with mild TBI upon the completion of the program. Conclusion: This study suggests the program may have contributed in improving the family caregivers\u27 competencies regarding perceived confidence and also influencing their performance in caring for patients with mild TBI. Therefore, this program is recommended for nurses to extend this knowledge for nursing practices and improve family caregivers\u27 competencies in caring for patients with mild TBI before and after discharge

Quality of Life (QoL) in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): a Literature Review

Purpose: To describe the definition of quality of life (QoL) and identify the most appropriate tool for QoL assessment used in patients with TBI.Method: Searching was conducted from PubMed, CINAHL, EBSCO, and ProQuest during 2000-2011. A total of 33 studies were analyzed for this review consisting of 9 review studies, 2 intervention studies, and 22 descriptive studies.Result: Two important definitions of QoL were used in studies related to TBI namely achievement and subjective well-being. Although varieties of generic measurements have been used to measure QoL in TBI patients, there was a lack of TBI-specific Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) instrument. Despite the different approach and time measured either short or long outcomes, appropriate domains of QoL tool seem essential particularly among those with moderate and severe TBI.Conclusion: QoL is a wide concept which can be defined in several dimensions. The QOLIBRI as a new disease-specific QoL measurement in TBI seems a feasible and valid approach for the assessment of QoL in TBI. However, the application across cultural remains a challenge and needs a validation

Knowledge and Skills of Emergency Care During Disaster for Community Health Volunteers: a Literature Review

Background: Nowadays, disaster preparedness and responses are essential for everyone to be involved since the disaster becomes increasing. The Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) in particular are the key partners required adequately prepared in emergency care during disaster event. Purpose: The study aims to examine the essential knowledge and skills of emergency care during natural disaster for CHVs. Method: The reviews published during 2000 and 2011 searching from PubMed, Science Direct, CINAHL, ProQuest Medical Library were conducted. Result: Twenty-four articles and documents related to community-based disaster preparedness programs were intensively reviewed. Based on the review, six components of knowledge and skills for emergency care in natural disaster for CHVs are required including 1) early warning, 2) disaster triage, 3) first aid, 4) search and rescue, 5) logistic and communication, and 6) team organizations. Conclusion: There was a few studies focusing on the emergency care in disaster management and some factors related to knowledge and skills were shown. It is therefore recommended that the current CHVs' knowledge and skills should be explored in order to assist people in their community following disaster event when professional responders are not immediately available to help

Thai Nurses' Learning Needs Regarding Disaster Nursing: High Needs?

Background: Disaster nursing has become a critical concern, worldwide, due to a trend toward management strategy. However, limited studies are conducted in Thailand where nurses have faced increasing threat to both natural and man-made disasters.Purpose: To describe the amounts of learning needs (both expressed and normative needs) regarding disaster nursing among Thai nurses.Methods: The sample included 454 registered nurses who have been working inThailand for at least six months selected through the multi-stage sampling methods. Data were collected using questionnaire included the Learning Needs Regarding Disaster Nursing Questionnaire (LNDNQ), developed based on the learning needs triangle model and the concept the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Framework of Disaster Nursing Competencies. The LNDNQ was tested for content validity by three experts and for reliability with 20 nurses using Cronbach's alpha coefficient yielding a value of .97 (expressed needs), and .99 (normative needs), respectively. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics.Result: This study found that the top three contents of the most learning needs in expressed needs were similarly with the most normative needs which items were related to mitigation/prevention and response phase. The most learning needs they expressed were assisting and first aid for victims at the scene (n=229, 50.4%), followed by basic principle of triage (n=218, 48.0%), and training of the disaster nursing management plans (n=217, 47.80%). However, the top least expressed needs were related to mitigation/prevention and recovery/rehabilitation phase. These were providing an information for community with the notification, and announcement the severity level of disaster (n=32, 7.0%), followed by preparing and organizing the evacuation area for victims (n=37, 8.1%).Conclusion: The contents related to the most learning needs (expressed needs andnormative needs) regarding disaster nursing must be emphasized in training course and nursing curriculums in Thailand to improve Thai nurses' capability in disaster nursing management