Assessing Executive Nurse Leaders' Financial Literacy Level: A Mixed-Methods Study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Financial Management Competency Self-assessment (FMCA) in executive nurse leaders (ENLs) and to determine how ENLs develop and apply financial knowledge. BACKGROUND: Financial literacy (FL) helps in planning, implementing, and evaluating fiscal decisions, but many ENLs report weaknesses in this core competency. METHODS: An explanatory-sequential mixed-methods study was conducted to psychometrically test the FMCA and explore how ENLs with different levels of FL develop and apply financial knowledge. Eligible participants (n = 178) were recruited from a population of ENLs across the United States. RESULTS: The test-retest reliability of the FMCA was good (mean difference, 6.80; 95% confidence interval). Correlations between domain scores (P < .01) and the overall score (Cronbach's α = .99) demonstrated the reliability and validity of the instrument. The cutoff scores were fair indicators of different levels of FL in ENLs (P < .001). Self-awareness, gaps in hospital and graduate nursing education, application of financial knowledge, and a micro versus macro view emerged as important themes in the qualitative analysis. CONCLUSION: FMCA reliability and validity were established. FMCA cutoff scores were established to determine FL level, and the ENL lived experience described in financial knowledge development and application.

The Language of Scholarship: How to Rapidly Locate and Avoid Common APA Errors.

This article is relevant for nurses and nursing students who are writing scholarly documents for work, school, or publication and who have a basic understanding of American Psychological Association (APA) style. Common APA errors on the reference list and in citations within the text are reviewed. Methods to quickly find and reduce those errors are shared.

Delivering team training to medical home staff to impact perceptions of collaboration.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this study was to explore whether an evidence-based educational and experiential intervention to develop team skills in medical homes would positively affect team members' perceptions of interprofessional collaboration. PRIMARY PRACTICE SETTINGS: The study population consisted of primary care medical home practices associated with the health plan sponsor of this research. All practices were located within the greater Houston region of Texas and had more than 500 patients. METHODOLOGY AND SAMPLE: A cluster design experimental study was conducted between August 2013 and June 2014. Fifty medical home practices, 25 intervention and 25 attention control, were recruited as study sites. RESULTS: Results indicate that individual team members in the medical homes receiving the intervention were significantly more likely than the individual team members in the attention control groups to report higher levels of positive perception of team collaboration after the 12-week intervention. IMPLICATIONS FOR CASE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE: This research indicates that educating teams about interprofessional collaboration tools and supporting technique use may be an effective strategy to assist medical homes in developing collaborative environments. Case management experience in collaboration supports the role facilitating team training. Transforming culture from hierarchical to team-based care supports the case management approach of collaborative practice. In addition, role satisfaction attained through the respect and communication of team-based care delivery may influence retention within the case management profession. As case managers in primary care settings assume roles of embedded care coordinators, program leaders, and transition facilitators, an understanding of collaboration techniques is needed to support the entire care team to achieve desired outcomes.

Evaluation of a standardized hourly rounding process (SHaRP).

Current research suggests that hourly rounds on hospitalized patients may be associated with improvements in care delivery and in the patients' perception of care, as well as a reduction in patient safety events. Implementing an hourly rounding protocol involves a major change in nursing staff workflow and a substantial training and education program to ensure the success of the program. This quasi-experimental study aimed to determine if a standardized hourly rounding process (SHaRP), implemented through a formal education program, would result in improved efficiency, quality, safety, and patient satisfaction metrics when compared to a less standardized process introduced through the traditional train-the-trainer method. Data were collected over a 6-month period and results were trended for an additional 6 months later to determine if significant gains were sustained over time. Significant reductions in call light use during the study period (p = .001) and the number of steps taken by the day-shift staff (p = .02) were seen on the intervention unit. Differences in the number of patient falls, 30-day readmission rates, and patients' perception of care were not statistically significant.

Converting data into information.

Improving healthcare in the 21st century will depend on how well vast amounts of data are mined. However, converting data contained in multiple hospital and clinical databases into information that can be used for clinical decision support is a complex task. The process involves a combination of cultural and technological steps that are time-consuming and resource-intensive. The authors describe one hospital's long journey toward becoming a data-driven organization.