The Distinguished Nurse Clinician Academy: An Innovative Recognition Program for Frontline Clinicians.

The complexity and growth of healthcare systems provide nurse leaders an opportunity to recognize and facilitate professional development for experienced frontline clinicians and to create formal structures that give expert direct care nurses a stronger voice. The purpose of this article is to describe how one health system developed and implemented an innovative Distinguished Nurse Clinician Academy. This elite academy demonstrates the longitudinal impact of a health systems' Magnet culture.

The outcomes and experience of people receiving community-based nurse-led wound care: A systematic review.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To review the literature related to the outcomes and experience of people receiving nurse-led care for chronic wounds in the community. BACKGROUND: Chronic wounds lead to a poor quality of life and are an economic burden to the Australian healthcare system. A lack of awareness into the significance of chronic wounds leads to limited resources being available to facilitate the provision of evidence-based care. The majority of chronic wounds are managed by nurses in the community, and a better understanding into current models of care is required to inform future practice. DESIGN: A systematic quantitative literature review. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in four electronic databases, and the inclusion criteria were as follows: English language, peer-reviewed, published from 2009-2019 and primary research. The data were compiled into an Excel database for reporting as per the Pickering and Byrne (Higher Education Research & Development, 33, 534.) method of systematic quantitative literature review. This review used the PRISMA checklist. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used for quality appraisal. RESULTS: Twelve studies were included in the review. Home nursing care, social community care and nursing within a wound clinic were identified as three types of nurse-led care in the literature. The findings demonstrate that nurse-led care was cost-effective, reported high levels of client satisfaction and contributed to improved wound healing and reduced levels of pain. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse-led care is a positive experience for people with chronic wounds and leads to better outcomes. The findings suggested a need for further client education and specialised training for healthcare practitioners managing chronic wounds. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This review demonstrates that nurse-led care for people with chronic wounds in the community is cost-effective and improves client outcomes. Raising awareness into the significance of chronic wounds aims to promote the resources required to facilitate evidence-based care.

The framework for developing nursing specialist roles in the health care system of Iran.

BACKGROUND: A key step to the development of a roadmap for developing nursing specialist roles is to create its framework based on the immediate context. PURPOSE: This study aimed to create the framework for developing nursing specialist roles in the health care system of Iran. METHODS: This was a descriptive qualitative study. A purposeful sample of 81 nursing and nonnursing experts was recruited. The directed content analysis approach was used for data analysis. FINDINGS: The framework for developing nursing specialist roles in the health care system include eight main categories. These categories are role titles, prioritization of the necessary specialties, the necessary competencies of nurses at specialist level, the scope of nursing specialist practice, expected authorizations, requirements for role development, and its barriers and facilitators. DISCUSSION: Creating a context-based framework for nursing specialist role development based on the characteristics of each country is recommended.

A comparison of prescribing and non-prescribing nurses in the management of people with diabetes.

AIM: The aim of this study were to compare nurse prescribers and non-prescribers managing people with diabetes in general practice regarding: (a) patient characteristics; (b) activities and processes of care; (c) patient outcomes (self-management, clinical indicators, satisfaction) and (d) resource implications and costs. BACKGROUND: Over 28,000 nurses in the UK can prescribe the same medicines as doctors provided that it is in their level of experience and competence. Over 30%, mostly in general practice, prescribe medicines for patients with diabetes. DESIGN: A comparative case study. METHOD: Nurses managing care of people with Type 2 diabetes were recruited in twelve general practices in England; six could prescribe, six could not. Patients, recruited by nurses, were followed up for 6 months (2011-2012). RESULTS: The patient sample comprised 131 in prescriber sites, 83 in non-prescriber sites. Patients of prescribers had been diagnosed and cared for by the nurse longer than those of non-prescribers. There were no differences in reported self-care activities or HbA1c test results between the patients of prescribers and non-prescribers. Mean HbA1c decreased significantly in both groups over 6 months. Patients of prescribers were more satisfied. Consultation duration was longer for prescribers (by average of 7·7 minutes). Non-prescribing nurses sought support from other healthcare professionals more frequently. Most prescribing nurses were on a higher salary band than non-prescribers. CONCLUSION: Clinical outcomes of patients managed by prescribing and non-prescribing diabetes nurses are similar. Prescribing nurses had longer relationships with their patients and longer consultations, possibly contributing to higher satisfaction with care. Employment costs of prescribing nurses are potentially higher.

Communicate with me: Information Exchanges between Nurses.

Patient safety and continuity of quality care are dependent on effective communication. Clinical nurse specialists at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg were finding that when they sought out essential patient information from front-line nurses, they sometimes encountered gaps in knowledge about the patient. Having to acquire this information elsewhere was causing unnecessary delays in care. The authors, members of an advanced practice nurses group at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, undertook a quality improvement project to gain an understanding of the problems in information exchanges between nurses. Through interviews with front-line nurses on four units, they found that many factors contributed to the lack of knowledge nurses had about patients, such as inconsistent documentation, poorly defined plans of care and variable communication patterns. This project highlighted the need to develop a standardized handoff template to aid in information exchanges.

Task-technology fit of video telehealth for nurses in an outpatient clinic setting.

BACKGROUND: Incorporating telehealth into outpatient care delivery supports management of consumer health between clinic visits. Task-technology fit is a framework for understanding how technology helps and/or hinders a person during work processes. Evaluating the task-technology fit of video telehealth for personnel working in a pediatric outpatient clinic and providing care between clinic visits ensures the information provided matches the information needed to support work processes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The workflow of advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) care coordination provided via telephone and video telehealth was described and measured using a mixed-methods workflow analysis protocol that incorporated cognitive ethnography and time-motion study. Qualitative and quantitative results were merged and analyzed within the task-technology fit framework to determine the workflow fit of video telehealth for APRN care coordination. RESULTS: Incorporating video telehealth into APRN care coordination workflow provided visual information unavailable during telephone interactions. Despite additional tasks and interactions needed to obtain the visual information, APRN workflow efficiency, as measured by time, was not significantly changed. Analyzed within the task-technology fit framework, the increased visual information afforded by video telehealth supported the assessment and diagnostic information needs of the APRN. CONCLUSIONS: Telehealth must provide the right information to the right clinician at the right time. Evaluating task-technology fit using a mixed-methods protocol ensured rigorous analysis of fit within work processes and identified workflows that benefit most from the technology.

Discharge planning in a cardiology out-patient clinic: a clinical audit.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to audit the active discharge (DC) planning process in a general cardiology clinic, by pre-assessing patients' medical notes and highlighting those suitable for potential DC to the clinic physician. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The cardiology clinical nurse specialist (CNS) identified patients' for nine- to 12-month return visits one week prior to attendance. The previous consultation letter was accessed and information was documented by the CNS in the medical record. The key performance indicator (KPI) used was patient DCs for each clinic visit. The process was audited at three separate times to reflect recommended action carried out. FINDINGS: The CNS pre-assessment and presence at the clinics significantly increased total DCs during the first period compared to usual care, 11 vs 34 per cent (p < 0.0001). During the third audit period, DCs fell (9 per cent) with a reduction in CNS pre-assessed DCs (10 per cent). Recommendations were implemented. The process was continued by clinic administration staff, colour coding all nine- to 12-month returns, resulted in a 19 per cent DC rate in 2012. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: CNS pre-assessment and highlighting DC suitability increased the number of patient DCs. As the CNS presence at the clinic reduced so did the rate of DC. Specific personnel need to be responsible for monitoring and reminding staff of the process; this does not always have to be medical or nursing. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Implementing positive discharging procedures is aimed at improving quality, increasing efficiency and accessibility of services for patients. This audit describes a process to promote DC planning from cardiology outpatients.

Gaining independent prescriptive practice: one state's experience in adoption of the APRN Consensus Model.

Nurses are increasingly encouraged to be active participants in health policy. This article provides an exemplar of how nurse practitioners (NPs) in one state, North Dakota, used strategic policy actions to obtain independent prescriptive privileges. Consistent and clear communication among NPs and with key stakeholders, including legislators, contributed to a positive policy outcome. North Dakota nurse leaders in this initiative have shared their experiences with a variety of audiences including other state boards of nursing and NP organizations in states such as New York, South Dakota, and Louisiana. In addition, a webinar sponsored by the Center to Champion Nursing in America at AARP featured several of the North Dakota NP leaders, who shared their reflections of this experience and the strategies they used. Regulatory environments and public policies will continue to significantly influence the future of all nurses. This case study of one state can be useful to NPs and other nurses seeking meaningful policy change through laws or regulations with regard to scope of practice or other health policy issues.

The development of a 7-day community specialist palliative care service.

The author worked as a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) in community palliative care in the Central Lancashire area of England when the CNS service was extended to a 9am-to-5pm 7-day service. A project group was set up to canvas some of the key stakeholders for their views on the extension of the service. The group undertook a literature search, a telephone survey of services in other areas that were providing this level of service, and interviews to ascertain the views of district nurses in the locality of the proposed service extension. The extension of service has long been advocated and was one of the key recommendations in the UK Department of Health's peer-review process. Such an extension was implemented following the research phase and was then evaluated by the project lead and the community services manager. The extension was found to be effective in the ongoing monitoring and support of patients. Anecdotally, the CNS team also felt it had been proactive in preventing unnecessary hospital admissions, although this specific aspect is difficult to quantify. This article looks at how the service was developed, how it has evolved over time, and how it works today. Consideration is also given to benefits and limitations.

Bridging the gap between problem recognition and treatment: the use of proactive work behaviors by experienced critical care nurses.

Delayed access to physicians has been identified as a factor in preventable adverse patient events during hospitalization. Nurses as front-line providers are well positioned to provide a timely response to the needs of patients. Yet legal regulations and hospital policies limit the actions nurses can initiate without physician authorization. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe what experienced critical care nurses do when they recognize a problem that warrants treatment but lack physician authorization to intervene. The 13 nurses who participated in this study bridged the gap between problem recognition and treatment by communicating proactively, being persistent, running interference for other nurses, and, in some situations, acting without physician authorization. Revising legal regulations and hospital policies to incorporate greater acknowledgment of the overlapping functions between medicine and nursing and recognition of the knowledge and expertise of experienced nurses may be important in reducing unnecessary treatment delays during hospitalization.

Policy implications for optimizing advanced practice registered nurse use nationally.

This article examines the potential benefits of enhanced use of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) given health care workforce projections that predict an inadequate supply of certain types of providers. The conclusions of a systematic review comparing the effectiveness of care provided by APRNs with that of physicians alone or teams without APRNs indicate the viability of this approach. Allowing APRNs to assume roles that take full advantage of their educational preparation could mitigate the shortage of primary care physicians and improve care processes. The development of health care policy should be guided by patient-centric evidence rather than how care has been delivered in the past.

Political participation of registered nurses.

Level of political participation and factors contributing to participation were measured among Midwest RNs (n = 468) via an online survey (Cronbach's α = .95). Respondents reported engaging in primarily "low cost" activities (e.g., voting, discussing politics, and contacting elected officials), with fewer reporting speaking at public gatherings, participating in demonstrations, and membership in nursing organizations. Psychological engagement was most predictive (p < .001) of political participation with the dimensions of political interest, political efficacy, and political information/knowledge highly significant (p < .001). Resources (time/money/civic skills) significantly contributed to political participation (p < .001). Less than half (40%) felt they could impact local decisions, and fewer (32%) felt they could impact state or national government decisions. Most respondents (80%) indicated their nursing courses lacked political content and did not prepare them for political participation. Findings showed that nurse educators and leaders of professional nursing organizations need to model and cultivate greater psychological engagement among students and nurses.

Supporting the Mental Health of Primary Care Nurses and Staff through the Pandemic and Beyond.

As a clinical nurse specialist, I provide leadership and strategy for our primary care program where I lead clinical initiatives and develop practice tools and guidelines across our clinics. My portfolio encompasses five clinics, one perinatal program, an opioid agonist therapy (OAT) clinic and an intensive case management team, and in the past year I supported several teams that focus on COVID-19 testing and isolation support. Our clinics specialize in serving people who experience significant economic and social marginalization and those who are not well served by traditional health services. Our nurses, in particular, juggle many roles: providing both outreach- and clinic-based care and supporting our injectable OAT program, youth clinic and our transgender specialty care program. Our work has become increasingly complex as our clients navigate survival with competing syndemics - the opioid crisis, COVID-19, a Shigella outbreak and an ongoing housing crisis - among the many significant structural factors that impact our clients' health.

Familial impact of imprisonment and the community specialist practitioner.

This paper examines the impact of imprisonment upon family members and illuminates the effects of imprisonment upon family health and wellbeing, the affect of shame and stigma and the lack of formal health and social welfare provision available to this distinct marginalised group. The dilemmas generated by the transition faced by families when someone receives a custodial sentence are significant and include physical and emotional loss, loss of social mobility and income stability, stigmatisation, stress and anxiety. The health visitor has a significant role to play in assessing and assisting families to acknowledge and meet the needs of this marginalised group within society. Research to inform practice is limited, and typically the research that is available is of poor quality, dated and has limited application to the UK. This paper provides a number of recommendations for community specialist practitioners and highlights the need for further research in this subject.

A year to remember. Interview by Lynne Pearce.

Since being named Nursing Standard's 2009 nurse of the year, Lin Graham-Ray has worked hard to raise the profile of looked-after children.

Dedicated support in every hospital. Interview by Lynne Pearce.

Reports have identified poor care for people with a learning disability. One RCN branch is calling for a specialist nurse in every hospital. Other nurses have different strategies.

Supporting people with learning disabilities in acute care.

It is recognised that people with learning disabilities fail to access health screening and that in the past, hospital services failed to meet the needs of this group of patients. This article explains how, through a partnership between the health facilitation and acute liaison team at Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Partnership Trust and staff at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, these issues have been addressed. The article discusses the protocols, systems and training that have been introduced to raise awareness of the needs of people with learning disabilities, and focuses on the working partnership between the community and hospital settings.

The rapid responders.

A Birmingham A&E department has introduced a 24-hour rapid response team to assess and treat patients with mental health problems.

Injection of support.

The number of children arriving in A&E departments with ketoacidosis is rising and more nurse specialists are needed to help families and schools manage diabetes.

Community rescue. Interview by Lynne Pearce.

One primary care trust has tackled the shortfall in health visitors and completely overhauled children's services.