Nursing Center Research Articles

Examination of the Effectiveness of a Public Health Nurses’ National Call Center for Young Families

Abstract Background The Public Health Nurses Call Center (PHNCC) is an innovative, free-of-charge Israeli national pilot aimed at parents of 0-6 years old children. The Center provides information, counseling, and guidance re- issues of health and preventative medicine and is active when the daily Infant-Parent Centers are closed. Aims Examining the PHNCC's suitability for the target population's needs and evaluating its effectiveness in locating situations needing intervention, improving patient experience, and promoting the children's and their parent's health. Methods Three sub-studies were conducted: (1) a descriptive study using an initial analysis of 6,000 calls received at the Center, as well as a profound analysis of randomly selected 1,500 calls; (2) a comparative study among 201 parents who had called the Center and 232 parents who had not; and (3) a qualitative study which included interviews with 20 parents who had called the Center and six of the PHNCC nurses. Findings The PHNCC provides a fast, professional, and accessible response. Caller satisfaction is high, as is that of the Center's nurses. The population of people calling the Center is mainly made up of young parents to first-born children, as well as parents characterized by high levels of parental efficacy perception, social support, and health literacy, as opposed to the population of parents who did not call. There is a direct association between callers’ satisfaction with the PHNCC and their level of trust in the Center nurses. Conclusions Both parents and nurses describe an accessible, professional Center and high satisfaction levels. However, the study's findings highlight the need to minimize health-related gaps and make the Center accessible to additional populations, such as parents with lower health literacy. Key messages • Both parents and nurses describe an accessible, professional Center suitable for the target population's needs. • The PHNCC is a service with excellent implementation potential for promoting public health. It should be budgeted accordingly and made accessible to the various populations of Israeli society.

Hospital nurse staffing and patient outcomes in Chile: a multilevel cross-sectional study

Unrest in Chile over inequalities has underscored the need to improve public hospitals. Nursing has been overlooked as a solution to quality and access concerns, and nurse staffing is poor by international standards. Using Chile's new diagnosis-related groups system and surveys of nurses and patients, we provide information to policy makers on feasibility, net costs, and estimated improved outcomes associated with increasing nursing resources in public hospitals. For this multilevel cross-sectional study, we used data from surveys of hospital nurses to measure staffing and work environments in public and private Chilean adult high-complexity hospitals, which were linked with patient satisfaction survey and discharge data from the national diagnosis-related groups database for inpatients. All adult patients on medical and surgical units whose conditions permitted and who had been hospitalised for more than 48 h were invited to participate in the patient experience survey until 50 responses were obtained in each hospital. We estimated associations between nurse staffing and work environment quality with inpatient 30-day mortality, 30-day readmission, length of stay (LOS), patient experience, and care quality using multilevel random-effects logistic regression models and zero-truncated negative binomial regression models, with clustering of patients within hospitals. We collected and analysed surveys of 1652 hospital nurses from 40 hospitals (34 public and six private), satisfaction surveys of 2013 patients, and discharge data for 761 948 inpatients. Nurse staffing was significantly related to all outcomes, including mortality, after adjusting for patient characteristics, and the work environment was related to patient experience and nurses' quality assessments. Each patient added to nurses' workloads increased mortality (odds ratio 1·04, 95% CI 1·01-1·07, p<0·01), readmissions (1·02, 1·01-1·03, p<0·01), and LOS (incident rate ratio 1·04, 95% CI 1·01-1·06, p<0·05). Nurse workloads across hospitals varied from six to 24 patients per nurse. Patients in hospitals with 18 patients per nurse, compared with those in hospitals with eight patients per nurse, had 41% higher odds of dying, 20% higher odds of being readmitted, 41% higher odds of staying longer, and 68% lower odds of rating their hospital highly. We estimated that savings from reduced readmissions and shorter stays would exceed the costs of adding nurses by US$1·2 million and $5·4 million if the additional nurses resulted in average workloads of 12 or ten patients per nurse, respectively. Improved hospital nurse staffing in Chile was associated with lower inpatient mortality, higher patient satisfaction, fewer readmissions, and shorter hospital stays, suggesting that greater investments in nurses could return higher quality of care and greater value. Sigma Theta Tau International, University of Pennsylvania Global Engagement Fund, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing's Center for Health Outcomes, and Policy Research and Population Research Center. For the Spanish translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Evidence-based Nursing Practice in New York State: A Delphi Study

Background. Today’s landscape of population health, economics, and educational delivery methods have influenced the progress and implementation of nursing practice built on the best evidence. International literature has documented barriers to implementing and sustaining evidence-based practice (EBP). Purpose. The purposes of this study were to (a) identify barriers to implementing evidence into clinical practice in New York State (NYS), (b) prioritize resources needed to address these barriers, and (c) determine how the Cathryne A. Welch Center for Nursing (CNR) of the Foundation of NYS Nurses might provide support to address the identified barriers. Methodology. Using a modified Delphi technique, a sample of nurse leaders completed two online survey rounds. The first Round provided qualitative feedback, which was categorized via content analysis, with a second Round that asked respondents to rank the categories from Round I. Results. Organizational culture, productivity demands, and time were ranked as the top three barriers to implementing EBP in NYS. Time, leader support, and guidance/mentoring were identified as top resources needed to employ EBP. Respondents reported the CNR could facilitate EBP through financial support, communication, and mentoring. Data stratification revealed differences between rural and urban respondents, academic and clinical respondents, and geographical regions of the State, and differences in resources and support needed. Conclusion. Findings confirm barriers for NYS nurses mirror those described in the literature. Resources and support needed, however, may be demographically specific. Awareness of these differences will enable the CNR to best support NYS nurses’ implementation of EBP across the State. MeSH Keywords: Nursing, Delphi Technique, Evidence-Based Practice, Barriers to EBP, Resources for EBP

Conceptual framework of the nursing centre for the integration of community health nursing practice, education, and research.

To develop a conceptual framework that can be used for the integration of community health nursing (CHN) practice, education, and research within a Nursing Centre (NC) model. New forms of training and support are needed to equip nurses to manage the complex and costly challenges facing health care systems. The NC model provides scope to address these challenges by integrating nursing practice, education, and research. However, there is little information about how these constructs are integrated or how education is constituted within the model. This study used an embedded single case study design across three Nursing Centres (NCs) in West Java Indonesia. Semi-structured interviews and a review of relevant documents were conducted. Interview participants were recruited purposively to select stakeholders with rich information, including clients, nurses, nursing students and lecturers who have been using the NC model, as well as the head of the co-located Community Health Centres. Data was analysed using thematic analysis, pattern matching and cross-unit synthesis. Four components relevant to integration in the NC were identified, namely (1) client-centred care as the shared common ground for integration in the NC; (2) nursing education using a service learning approach; (3) the NC as a model for reviving CHN services; and (4) service improvement through research and community service activities. The service learning approach was identified as appropriate because it links services with the learning process and this serves to address the interests of both practice and education institutions. The conceptual framework identified in this study can be used to improve the functionality of NCs in Indonesia and be considered for use internationally.

From Doc to Post‐Doc to Career: The Transition from Nursing Student to Nursing Scholar

From Doc to Post‐Doc to Career: The Transition from Nursing Student to Nursing Scholar

A Key to Success: Building an Internal Trauma Education Program.

Developing an internal education program that specifically meets the needs of your trauma center's nurses is fundamentally an optimal method in educating. This article offers an overview of an internally developed trauma educational series that was created for novice and experienced nurses who work in a Level 1 trauma center.

Research Priorities of Oncology Nurses in the Republic of Ireland

To determine the research priorities of oncology nurses in the Republic of Ireland, a descriptive survey study was undertaken at a national oncology specialist center. The center's nurses (N = 119) were invited to participate in the study, and a 66% (n = 79) response rate was obtained. The research priority areas identified were concentrated around nurse-led care and the effectiveness of nurse-led services in areas such as pain management. Communication, information, and continuity of care issues and stress and burnout in oncology nursing were also among the top priorities selected. Quality of life and radiotherapy were the most important themes that emerged in the open-question section of the questionnaire. The result of this study provides important insights and direction for the development of oncology nursing research in the Republic of Ireland. It also adds to the international literature on research priorities across different jurisdictions.

The Midwest Nursing Centers Consortium Research Network: Translating Research Into Practice

Community nursing centers (CNCs) serve the health needs of culturally diverse populations that are often marginalized and likely to experience disparities in health. CNCs utilize innovative models of primary health care that blend traditional medical management with nursing case management and community-based health promotion strategies. This article describes the mission and activities of the Midwest Nursing Centers Consortium Research Network (MNCCRN), a practice-based research network (PBRN) funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and is one of only two federally funded nonphysician primary care PBRNs and the only PBRN in the United States comprising exclusively CNCs. The MNCCRN utilizes Advanced Practice Nurses to deliver primary health care with a particular emphasis on reducing health disparities. The MNCCRN has successfully established a multisite, multistate collaboration for community-based participatory research that will ultimately inform practice, education, and health policy.

Practice-Based Research Networks: Nursing Centers and Communities Working Collaboratively to Reduce Health Disparities

Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) can provide a range of opportunities for nurses working in primary care settings. This article reports on the early experiences of the Midwest Nursing Centers Consortium Research Network (MNCCRN), one of only two nursing PBRNs in the nation. Findings from the MNCCRN's first research study, Wellness for a Lifetime, indicate success with implementing research across geographically distant sites, and positive client outcomes related to improving nutrition and physical activity. Lessons learned in establishing a PBRN and implementing research studies in the real world are described as well as challenges for the future.

The Quest for Sustainability Gets Closer: CMS Funds Nurse-Managed Health Center Congressional Demonstration

In July 2002, the National Nursing Centers Consortium (NNCC) received a demonstration grant from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) to create a descriptive profile and conduct an evaluation of selected health services at 15 nurse-managed health centers. This demonstration project will begin to assess the potential of nurse-managed health centers to serve as an alternative safety net model of community-based primary health care and health promotion. A final report is due in Fall 2003.

Should schools of nursing develop nursing centers?

This article examines the current debate about the role and worth of academically based community nursing centers. The positions and experiences of national nursing organizations, schools of nursing, organized medicine, government, and the managed care industry are considered. The underlying motivations and perspectives of each player are analyzed, and it is concluded that despite opposition from organized medicine, inconsistent support from government, and mixed messages from academia, schools of nursing should develop nursing centers. Although nursing centers in general can improve patient access to healthcare, academically based nursing centers also provide an avenue for research, training, and faculty practice.

Community Nursing Centers???Issues for Managed Care

Community nursing centers (CNCs) can contribute significantly to the effectiveness and efficiency of managed care networks. The Silver Spring CNC is one example of a community nursing center that has demonstrated the ability to positively affect both the process and outcome of care for users from an urban community in Milwaukee. The CNCs must develop mechanisms to document both the process and outcomes of nursing practice and place these data squarely in the public policy arena if the full potential of these innovative practice organizations is to be realized.

Developing Effective Editorial Boards for Hospital‐Based Newsletters and Magazines

Editorial boards can be of tremendous help to a busy editor of a hospital-based newsletter or magazine. This article shows you how to develop the role of the editorial board member, make certain all members know and can achieve the editor's expectations, and chair a board that shares with you a commitment to excellence in publishing. These strategies apply to other in-house publications, such as school of nursing and association newsletters as well.

Understanding older adult satisfaction with primary health care services at a nursing center

The measurement of satisfaction levels is a positive evaluation of a distinct health care outcome. The purposes of this descriptive-correlational study were to describe the following: (a) the levels of satisfaction with primary health care services received at a nursing center (NC), and (b) the relationships between satisfaction levels and the demographic characteristics of the older adult NC clients. Older adult clients were very satisfied with the primary health care. Subscale analysis showed that the clients were most satisfied with the technical aspects of professional nursing.

Community Nursing Centers Gaining Ground as Solution to Health Issues

Community Nursing Centers Gaining Ground as Solution to Health Issues

In a Community Mental Health Center NURSING IS

In a Community Mental Health Center NURSING IS

The recruitment and training of nures–the working party's report

Unrest in Chile over inequalities has underscored the need to improve public hospitals. Nursing has been overlooked as a solution to quality and access concerns, and nurse staffing is poor by international standards. Using Chile's new diagnosis-related groups system and surveys of nurses and patients, we provide information to policy makers on feasibility, net costs, and estimated improved outcomes associated with increasing nursing resources in public hospitals.For this multilevel cross-sectional study, we used data from surveys of hospital nurses to measure staffing and work environments in public and private Chilean adult high-complexity hospitals, which were linked with patient satisfaction survey and discharge data from the national diagnosis-related groups database for inpatients. All adult patients on medical and surgical units whose conditions permitted and who had been hospitalised for more than 48 h were invited to participate in the patient experience survey until 50 responses were obtained in each hospital. We estimated associations between nurse staffing and work environment quality with inpatient 30-day mortality, 30-day readmission, length of stay (LOS), patient experience, and care quality using multilevel random-effects logistic regression models and zero-truncated negative binomial regression models, with clustering of patients within hospitals.We collected and analysed surveys of 1652 hospital nurses from 40 hospitals (34 public and six private), satisfaction surveys of 2013 patients, and discharge data for 761 948 inpatients. Nurse staffing was significantly related to all outcomes, including mortality, after adjusting for patient characteristics, and the work environment was related to patient experience and nurses' quality assessments. Each patient added to nurses' workloads increased mortality (odds ratio 1·04, 95% CI 1·01–1·07, p<0·01), readmissions (1·02, 1·01–1·03, p<0·01), and LOS (incident rate ratio 1·04, 95% CI 1·01–1·06, p<0·05). Nurse workloads across hospitals varied from six to 24 patients per nurse. Patients in hospitals with 18 patients per nurse, compared with those in hospitals with eight patients per nurse, had 41% higher odds of dying, 20% higher odds of being readmitted, 41% higher odds of staying longer, and 68% lower odds of rating their hospital highly. We estimated that savings from reduced readmissions and shorter stays would exceed the costs of adding nurses by US$1·2 million and $5·4 million if the additional nurses resulted in average workloads of 12 or ten patients per nurse, respectively.Improved hospital nurse staffing in Chile was associated with lower inpatient mortality, higher patient satisfaction, fewer readmissions, and shorter hospital stays, suggesting that greater investments in nurses could return higher quality of care and greater value.Sigma Theta Tau International, University of Pennsylvania Global Engagement Fund, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing's Center for Health Outcomes, and Policy Research and Population Research Center.For the Spanish translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.