Evaluación de una intervención para mejora en la administración segura de medicación en el turno de noche / An Intervention to Improve Safe Administration of Medication in the Night Shift

Introducción: Uno de cada siete pacientes hospitalizados experimenta un evento adverso relacionado con la administración de medicación. Los errores de medicación son una de las causas más importantes de mortalidad y morbilidad prevenible. Objetivo: Evaluar la eficacia de una intervención formativa sobre la población de enfermeras de turno de noche de un hospital de agudos para mejorar el cumplimiento del protocolo de administración segura de medicación. Métodos: Ensayo experimental, pre-post intervención formativa, realizado en Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, durante 2015-2016. Población: 268 enfermeras en dos turnos de noche, muestra: 177 participantes (88 Grupo Control y 89 Grupo Experimental). La intervención consistió en sesiones informativas y acceso a Procedimiento escrito. El instrumento de medida fue el Procedimiento Normalizado de Trabajo de la institución mediante check-list de cumplimiento. Se realzó estudio uni-bivariable, mediante Chi2 y test de Fisher con significancia para p < 0,05. Resultados: Se realizaron 219 observaciones en Grupo Control y 207 en Grupo Experimental. De 17 variables analizadas, solo tres mostraron diferencias significativas: en Grupo Experimental mejoró el conocimiento del Procedimiento; se incrementó el uso del agua y jabón sobre la solución hidroalcohólica; y empeoró la identificación normalizada de fármacos pendientes de administrar. Ninguna de las 14 variables restantes mostró diferencias significativas. De 426 observaciones, solo se produjeron 3 errores de medicación en Grupo control, subsanados antes de su administración, y 0 en Grupo Experimental. Conclusiones: Las intervenciones formativas clásicas con receptores pasivos pueden no ser eficaces para mejorar la práctica enfermera en administración segura de medicación(AU)

Introduction: One in seven hospitalized patients experiences an adverse event related to administration of medication. Medication errors are one of the most important causes of preventable mortality and morbidity. Objective: To assess the efficacy of a training intervention with the population of night shift nurses in an acute care hospital, in order to improve compliance with the protocol for the safe administration of medication. Methods: Experimental trial, pre-post training intervention, carried out at Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, during 2015-2016. The population consisted of 268 nurses in two night shifts. The sample consisted of 177 participants (88 from the control group and 89 from the experimental group). The intervention consisted in information sessions and access to a written procedure. The measurement instrument was the Institution's Standard Work Procedure by means of a compliance check-list. Uni-bivariate study was performed, using chi-square and Fisher's test with a significance of P < 0.05. Results: 219 observations were carried out in the control group and 207, in the experimental group. Of seventeen variables analyzed, only three showed significant differences: in the experimental group, knowledge of the procedure improved, increase in the use of soap and water over hydroalcoholic solution, and worsening of standardized identification of drugs pending from being administered. None of the fourteen remaining variables showed significant differences. Of 426 observations, only three medication errors occurred in the control group, corrected before its administration, and zero occurred in the experimental group. Conclusions: Classic training interventions with passive receptors may not be effective to improve nursing practice in safe administration of medication(AU)

Impacto sobre entorno laboral de un proyecto de gestión de enfermería en el turno de noche / A Nursing Management Project's Impact on the Work Environment during the Night Shift

Introducción: Para garantizar los cuidados 24h en instituciones hospitalarias es esencial la existencia de Equipos de Enfermería cuya actividad se desarrolle en horario nocturno. Existen factores organizativos que provocan, entre los equipos nocturnos, la percepción de menos oportunidades de desarrollo profesional y menos atención institucional. Esto puede repercutir en la calidad de los cuidados e incluso en la salud de los profesionales. Las enfermeras líderes tienen la responsabilidad de crear y mantener un entorno laboral con influencia positiva. Objetivo: Evaluar un proyecto de gestión de enfermería mediante el impacto sobre la percepción del entorno laboral en el turno de noche. Métodos: Estudio casi-experimental pre-post, con intervención sobre la población. De una población de enfermeras del turno de noche n = 268 se obtuvo muestra n = 159. Se utilizó el instrumento "Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index", que permite evaluar y comparar factores del entorno de la práctica de enfermería. Se realizaron estadísticos univariables de tendencia central y dispersión, y estadísticos de contraste con significancia p < 0,05. Resultados: En el 41,94 por ciento de las cuestiones obtuvieron diferencias significativas, destacando el Factor 3 "Habilidad, liderazgo y apoyo a las enfermeras por parte de sus responsables". El valor medio global obtenido en la prueba PRE fue de 2,37 (IC95 por ciento 2,22 2,52) y la media global para el valor POST fue 2,49 (IC95 por ciento 2,34 2,95), con p = 0,0254. Conclusiones: La evaluación de un proyecto de gestión de enfermería mediante el impacto sobre la percepción del entorno laboral en turno de noche muestra mejoras con diferencias significativas(AU)

Introduction: To guarantee 24 hours of care in hospital institutions, the existence of nursing teams is essential whose activity is carried out at night. There are organizational factors that provoke, among night teams, the perception of fewer opportunities for professional development and less institutional attention. This can have an impact on the quality of care and even on the health of professionals. Leader nurses are responsible for creating and maintaining a positively influencing work environment. Objective: To evaluate a nursing management project through the impact on the perception about the work environment on the night shift. Methods: Pre-post quasi-experimental study carried out with intervention on the population. From a population of night-shift nurses (n=268), we obtained a sample of 268. The instrument "Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index" was used, which allows evaluating and comparing factors from the nursing practice setting. Univariate statistics of central tendency and dispersion were determined, as well as contrast statistics with significance p < 0.05. Results: In 41.94 percent of the questions, significant differences were obtained, highlighting factor 3 (nurses' skill, leadership and support by their heads). The global mean value obtained in the PRE test was 2.37 (95 percent CI, 2.22-2.52) and the global mean for the POST value was 2.49 (95 percent CI, 2.34-2.95), with p=0.0254. Conclusions: A nursing management project's evaluation through the impact on the perception about the work environment in the night shift shows improvements with significant differences(AU)

Levels of exposure to ethical conflict in the ICU: Correlation between sociodemographic variables and the clinical environment.

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the level of exposure of nurses to ethical conflict and determine the relationship between this exposure, sociodemographic variables and perceptions of the clinical environment. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective and descriptive correlational study conducted at 10 intensive care units in two tertiary hospitals affiliated to the University of Barcelona. Sociodemographic and professional data were recorded from a questionnaire and then the previously validated Ethical Conflict in Nursing Questionnaire-Critical Care Version was administered to obtain data regarding experiences of ethical conflict. RESULTS: Two hundred and three nurses (68.6%) participated in the study, of whom only 11.8% had training in bioethics. Exposure to ethical conflict was moderate with a x¯=182.35 (SD=71.304; [0-389]). The realisation that analgesia is ineffective and the administration of treatment without having participated in the decision-making process were the most frequently reported ethical conflicts. Professionals who perceived their environment as supportive for dealing with ethical conflicts reported lower levels of these events (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Ethical conflict is an internal problem but it is strongly influenced by certain variables and environmental conditions. The involvement of nurses in the decision-making processes regarding the care of critically ill patients emerges as a factor that protects against ethical conflicts.

Long-term care of the elderly in Uruguay.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the perception of care of the elderly in long-term centers. DESIGN: Qualitative study through participant observation and 23 in-depth interviews with administrators, caregivers, and residents between January 2011 and January 2012 in nine long-term care centers in Uruguay. From analysis, three care-perception factors emerged: (a) meaning of care, (b) experience of care, and (c) care continuity. CONCLUSION: Care of the elderly in nursing homes is perceived as a duty. There is an exchange of feelings and recognition of the caregiver is needed. However, the need for technical or specialized training is not mentioned. Recognition of the task of care provision, duty as a moral determinant, the exchange of affection and solidarity between staff and the elderly allows care continuity despite the centers' lack of resources. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study contributes information that may help improve the care conditions of elderly institutionalized people.

Ethical behaviour in clinical practice: a multidimensional Rasch analysis from a survey of primary health care professionals of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain).

PURPOSE: Normative ethics includes ethical behaviour health care professionals should uphold in daily practice. This study assessed the degree to which primary health care (PHC) professionals endorse a set of ethical standards from these norms. METHODS: Health care professionals from an urban area participated in a cross-sectional study. Data were collected using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. We examined the level of ethical endorsement of the items and the ethical performance of health care professionals using a Rasch multidimensional model. We analysed differences in ethical performance between groups according to sex, profession and knowledge of ethical norms. RESULTS: A total of 452 Professionals from 56 PHC centres participated. The level of ethical performance was lower in items related to patient autonomy and respecting patient choices. The item estimate across all dimensions showed that professionals found it most difficult to endorse avoiding interruptions when seeing patients. We found significant differences in two groups: nurses had greater ethical performance than family physicians (p < 0.05), and professionals who reported having effective knowledge of ethical norms had a higher level of ethical performance (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Paternalistic behaviour persists in PHC. Lesser endorsement of items suggests that patient-centred care and patient autonomy are not fully considered by professionals. Ethical sensitivity could improve if patients are cared for by multidisciplinary teams.

[Efficacy of interventions aimed at the main carers of dependent individuals aged more than 65 years old. A systematic review]. / Eficacia de las intervenciones dirigidas a cuidadores principales de personas dependientes mayores de 65 años. Una revisión sistemática.

BACKGROUND: In our environment, care of the dependent elderly is usually provided by family members, thereby ensuring autonomy and avoiding institutionalization of the dependent adult. Thirty-three percent of Spanish caregivers have acknowledged the importance of acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary for daily care. Consequently, several interventions have been developed by health professionals from distinct disciplines. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to systematically review and evaluate the efficacy of published interventions for the caregivers of dependent elderly individuals. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of the literature on interventions in the caregivers of the dependent elderly (older than 65 years old) published between 1996 and 2006. The inclusion criteria included controlled clinical trials with outcome measures related to effectiveness in reducing caregiver burden, anxiety and depression. Our search yielded 15 reports. RESULTS: The interventions produced statistically significant reductions in burden (40%), anxiety (50%) and depression (90%). Interventions requiring active participation by caregivers and those based on cognitive-behavioral therapy were more effective than those focused on knowledge acquisition. CONCLUSION: Due to the heterogeneity of caregiving interventions, evaluation of both the clinical and statistical significance of these interventions is essential. Reducing the chronic stress experienced by caregivers is difficult to achieve. Consequently, future experimental designs should take into account the needs reported by caregivers as well as promote active participation.

[Informal caretakers in Spain, their profile and care provided]. / Los cuidadores informales en España. Perfil y cuidados prestados.

The authors carried out a systematic search in main data bases and a methodological content review by paired authors about selected publications. The authors reviewed and analyzed 332 articles about informal caretakers and they chose 182 which complied with their selection criteria. The profile for informal caretakers of persons aged over 65 in Spain is identified as well as the type of care he/she provides. It is worth highlighting the introduction of a new factor in caretaking for the elderly during recent years at a national Spanish level, and since the 1990s on an international level: paid non-professional immigrant caretakers. This phenomenon makes the different traits which ethnic minority caretakers have reflect on the dynamics and the results of this study.

El rol del profesional en enfermería / Nursing profesional role

El desarrollo de las teorías de enfermería ha cambiado irreversiblemente el desarrollo de la ciencia de la enfermería. La teoría ha contribuido no solo a definir las competencias profesionales, sino también al desarrollo de su cuerpo de conocimientos, los cuales reflejan lo que es específico de la profesión: su enfoque en la persona, su comportamiento y el significado de sus experiencias, considerados de manera holística. Por lo tanto, las transacciones biopsicosocioculturales y espirituales del ser humano son centrales a la disciplina de la enfermería.Este trabajo presenta una visión de la enfermería que analiza los conceptos fundamentales de ser humano, salud-enfermedad, entorno y enfermería. El desarrollo teórico también ha ayudado al entendimiento y aceptación de la complejidad de la enfermería y la inevitabilidad de sus múltiples teorías. El pluralismo paradigmático del desarrollo de la disciplina refleja la diversidad de su enfoque, la persona, la diversidad de sus interacciones en la salud y en la enfermedad, y la diversidad de las intervenciones de enfermería.

Nursing education in Spain -- past, present and future.

The delivery of health care services is changing dramatically. Increasing longevity, shortening of hospital stays, scientific and technological advances and population mobility contribute to the growing complexity of nursing. Nursing education must keep pace with these changes, which require new knowledge, skills and attitudes. Nursing education in Spain is developing rapidly in accordance with the European Union growth and within the trend towards globalization. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of nursing education in Spain. A brief history of modern nursing education is presented, together with its recent reforms and a view of future developments. The Nursing Diploma program, as the only academic nursing qualification, is inappropriate to respond to the present social needs. In Spain, as in other European countries, nursing education requires increasing professionalism, which could be achieved by implementing baccalaureate, master and doctoral programs within the framework of the Bologna Declaration signed in 1999 by the European Union Ministers of Education.

[Support groups in oncology. How does the nurse intervene?]. / Grupos de apoyo en oncología. Cómo interviene la enfermera?

Participation by nurses in support groups are beneficial for oncology patients and their families since they improve their degree of adaptation and they promote effective mechanisms to confront one's illness. This improvement in quality of life is reflected in patients emotional, physical, social and spiritual state; furthermore, in some cases this leads to an increase in their survival. Due to a nurse's role, oncology patients' families improve their adaptation to the situation; moreover, nurse's aid provides the necessary support to patients during their medical treatment. The authors review the existing literature about nurses' participation in support groups in order to improve a patient's and his/her family's adaptation to cancer and all it entails. With this objective in mind, the authors present the conceptual and empirical concepts of a support group along with their overall objectives and possible benefits. Finally, the authors document the role of nursing in support groups for oncology patients and their families. This study was financed by the Carlos III Health Institute as part of the Evaluation Studies of Health Technologies, reference FIS 00/10107.

[What is "coping"?]. / Qué es el afrontamiento?

The objective of this article is to analyze the concept of confrontation, especially how cancer patients apply it as related to their disease. To this end, the authors study empirical evidence from patients who are undergoing treatment for cancer. The authors evaluate the uses, attributes, antecedents and consequences of the concept of confrontation. Furthermore, the authors present different conceptual and operational definitions of confrontation.