The perspectives of internationally qualified nurses regarding their specialty skill transition to Australia: A cross-sectional survey.

AIM: To identify barriers and facilitators of speciality skill transfer for internationally qualified nurses in Australia from the nurses' perspective. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was distributed through social media, snowballing and nursing professional organization. Data analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. DATA SOURCES: Online survey data from participants matching the inclusion criteria were collected from July to September 2022. RESULTS: Survey results reveal facilitators (competence, scope of practice, linguistic sufficiency, understanding of decision-making) and barriers (lack of opportunity, transition pathways, confidence in overseas education, financial instability) for internationally qualified nurses' speciality skill utilization in Australia. CONCLUSION: Identifying and addressing barriers and facilitators, along with developing tailored transition pathways, are crucial for maximizing speciality skill utilization among internationally qualified nurses. These findings have implications for policymakers, healthcare organizations and nurses. They highlight the need to address barriers, facilitate smooth transitions and implement proactive measures for internationally qualified nurses to effectively utilize their specialty skills. IMPACT: The study addresses maximizing skill usage for internationally qualified nurses, identifies barriers and facilitators for specialty skill transfer in Australia and will impact policymakers, healthcare organizations and nurses by guiding strategies for safe nursing service delivery and optimizing patient care. REPORTING METHOD: STROBE checklist. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: A total of 71 internationally qualified nurses contributed their experiences and opinions. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER CONTRIBUTE TO THE WIDER GLOBAL CLINICAL COMMUNITY?: Lack of opportunity and the lack of transition pathways inhibit the use of specialty nursing skills by internationally qualified nurses. This study's findings contradict the result of other studies that suggest language is a significant obstacle to the utilization of specialty skills of internationally qualified nurses. TRIAL AND PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The protocol is registered on OSF. The data for this study are available for sharing with the reviewers upon request. However, it is worth noting that ethical approval has not been obtained specifically for web sharing, and therefore, the data has not been posted in any repositories or public platforms.

Roles of nurse-surgeons in global surgical care: A scoping review.

AIM: To identify the roles of nurse-surgeons in the provision of surgical care. DESIGN: Scoping review. METHODS: This scoping review adhered to the JBI guideline for scoping reviews and EQUATOR Network's PRISMA-ScR checklist. Searches were performed from May 2022 to July 2022 using a combination of MeSH headings, keywords and filters via database and hand searching based on the eligibility criteria. Keywords included nurse-surgeon, nurse endoscopist, nurse hysteroscopist and nurse cystoscopist. Data sources were CINAHL, Cochrane, Google Scholar, PubMed and Scopus. Descriptive analysis was used to report the findings. RESULTS: Ninety-six included records indicated nurse-surgeon practice in 26 countries. Forty-one nurse-surgeon titles were found, the majority of which were types of nurse practitioner. A total of 5,684,198 surgeries were performed by nurse-surgeons varying from laparotomies to biopsies. Nine records reported that nurse-surgeons perform surgeries safely and on par with physicians with zero to minimal complications. Nineteen records reported improved surgical care efficiency by nurse-surgeons in terms of patient access to surgery, waiting times, surgery times, patient show rates, patient education, physician workload and junior physicians' training. Seven records reported high patient satisfaction. Nurse-surgeons were cost-effective according to five records. Thirteen records recommended the standardization of nurse-surgeon practice. CONCLUSION: Nurse-surgeons performed millions of surgeries worldwide assisting in easing the global surgical burden. This review identified the roles and benefits nurse-surgeons play in global surgical care. Research gaps on nurse-surgeon roles were discovered including the ambiguity in nurse-surgeon titles and the need to regulate nurse-surgeon practice. IMPACT: This research addressed the clinical safety, quality, contribution to timely surgical access and cost efficiency of nurse-surgeon performed surgeries, as well as the need to standardize nurse-surgeon practice and use a more consistent nurse-surgeon title to ensure role identification and monitoring.

Biomedical, Socioeconomic and Demographic Predictors of Heart Failure Readmissions: A Systematic Review.

AIMS: To identify the biomedical, socioeconomic and demographic predictors of heart failure (HF) related readmissions in adult patients with HF. METHODS: This systematic review was conducted in March 2020 using the databases EMBASE, CINAHL and Medline to identify publications between 2015-2020. The resulting articles were systematically reviewed according to the PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS: Eighteen (18) studies were included in this review. Unemployment (HR=1.09; 95%CI=1.05-1.14; p=0.03) was the only socioeconomic factor predictive of HF-readmissions. Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) scores did not predict HF readmissions in adults with HF (p>0.05). All patients included in the studies had pre-existing HF. Based on the included studies, Indigenous status was identified as a risk factor for HF readmissions in 1 study (p<0.05), and age or sex did not affect HF readmission patterns (p>0.05). New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels, and heart rate were also predictive of HF readmission (p<0.05). Left ventricular ejection fraction and blood pressure, however, were non-significant risk factors of HF readmissions (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This review identified unemployment, Indigenous status, NYHA class, heart rate, and BNP levels to predict HF related readmissions in adult patients with HF. Adding demographic and socioeconomic variables to readmission risk models has the potential to more accurately target patients at risk of readmissions.

Patient, provider, and system factors that contribute to health care-associated infection and sepsis development in patients after a traumatic injury: An integrative review.

OBJECTIVES: Patients after traumatic injury continue to develop health care-associated infections. The aim of this review was to identify risk factors for developing hospital-acquired infection and sepsis in patients experiencing a traumatic injury. DESIGN: This is an integrative review following the framework of Whittemore and Knafl. DATA SOURCES: An electronic database search was undertaken using Scopus and Medline databases in early October 2019. Hand searching of key references was also conducted. The existing literature published between January 2007 and September 2019 was searched to identify clinically relevant studies that reflected current healthcare practices and systems. REVIEW METHODS: Four reviewers independently assessed articles for inclusion eligibility. Full-text versions of the articles were systematically appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses format was used. RESULTS: A total of 15 studies from the United Kingdom, the United States of America, China, and South Korea were included. Twelve of the 15 studies were focused exclusively on patient-based risk factors including gender and comorbidities. Provider-based factors were identified as nurse staffing levels between different categories of nurses with various levels of proficiency. System-level risk factors included interhospital admissions, surgical interventions, and length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital-acquired infections are preventable, and it is imperative that provider and system risk factors that contribute to patients with traumatic injuries from developing a hospital-acquired infection be identified. Patients with traumatic injuries are unable to amend any patient-related risk factors such as comorbidities or gender. However, the identification of provider and system risk factors that contribute to patients with traumatic injuries from developing a hospital-acquired infection would provide clinically relevant and applicable strategies at the macro and meso level being implemented.

The association between unexplained falls and cardiac arrhythmias: A scoping literature review.

BACKGROUND: Falls in older adults are common. Age is a risk factor for falls and with an ageing population, presentation to the emergency department (ED) resulting from falls is rising. Reasons for falls in older adults are numerous and include cardiac arrhythmias. However, older patients who present with falls do not appear to be routinely screened for cardiac arrhythmias. OBJECTIVES: To determine the association between cardiac arrhythmias and unexplained falls in older adults presenting to the ED and to identify the processes for cardiac screening in patients presenting to the ED after an unexplained fall. METHODS: A scoping literature review was conducted because of the scarce number of primary research articles using an investigational design to undertake a detailed systematic review. Several databases were searched using the search terms: emergency department; trauma centers; arrhythmias cardiac; fall; and accidental fall. DATA SOURCES: A structured and systematic search using MEDLINE, Embase, and PubMed was conducted from 2002 to December 2017. RESULTS: Five quantitative studies were included in this review that reported on adults who presented to the ED after an unexplained fall. Several factors associated with falls and cardiac arrhythmias were extracted from the data. These included age, past history of falls, current medications, comorbidities, electrocardiography, and other cardiac findings. CONCLUSION: Falls in the elderly population account for a significant number of presentations to the ED. A number of known factors are associated with falls in elderly patients, including cardiovascular causes, yet specific individualised factors are largely unknown. There is no routine screening process for the identification of cardiovascular risk factors in those who present to the ED with an unexplained fall. Further research is needed to identify specific cardiac factors associated with the risk of unexplained falls in this patient cohort and to transfer these findings into a routine screening process.

A Cognitive Load Theory Simulation Design to Assess and Manage Deteriorating Patients.

Background Cognitive load theory (CLT) uses an understanding of brain architecture for educational design, with implications for simulation. Since working memory is limited, minimising extraneous cognitive load improves learning of new tasks (intrinsic load) and use of existing knowledge (germane load). This study evaluates the effectiveness of low-fidelity simulation (LFS) utilising CLT principles in the assessment and management of the deteriorating patient (AMDP). Method CLT design principles informed the choice of LFS and simulation design. The self-rated ability of 13 undergraduate nurses across seven aspects of AMDP was measured in a pre-post design. Results Self-rated ability increased from 2.98 (SD = 0.19) to 4.47 (SD = 0.12) (p < 0.001), with improvements across all AMDP aspects. Conclusion This study indicates that CLT informed design has benefits for simulation. LFS may be preferred to high fidelity simulation for AMDP teaching and medical simulation for novice learners.

Resilience and the rehabilitation of adult spinal cord injury survivors: A qualitative systematic review.

AIM: To synthesize the qualitative research evidence that explored how survivors of adult spinal cord injury experience and make sense of resilience. BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury is often a sudden and unexpected life-changing event requiring complex and long-term rehabilitation. The development of resilience is essential in determining how spinal cord injury survivors negotiate this injury and rehabilitation. DESIGN: A qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis of the research evidence. DATA SOURCES: CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, Scopus and PsycINFO were searched, no restriction dates were used. REVIEW METHODS: Methodological quality was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist. Thematic synthesis focused on how survivors of adult spinal cord injury experience and make sense of resilience. RESULTS: Six qualitative research articles reported the experiences of 84 spinal cord injury survivors. Themes identified were: uncertainty and regaining independence; prior experiences of resilience; adopting resilient thinking; and strengthening resilience through supports. CONCLUSION: Recovery and rehabilitation following spinal cord survivors is influenced by the individual's capacity for resilience. Resilience may be influenced by previous life experiences and enhanced by supportive nursing staff encouraging self-efficacy. Survivors identified the need for active involvement in decision-making about their care to enable a sense of regaining control of their lives. This has the potential to have a significant impact on their self-efficacy and in turn health outcomes.

An Absolute Risk Prediction Model to Determine Unplanned Cardiovascular Readmissions for Adults with Chronic Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Frequent readmissions are a hallmark of chronic heart failure (CHF). We sought to develop an absolute risk prediction model for unplanned cardiovascular readmissions following hospitalisation for CHF. METHODS: An inception cohort was obtained from the WHICH? trial, a prospective, multi-centre randomised controlled trial which was a head-to-head comparison of the efficacy of a home-based intervention versus clinic-based intervention for adults with CHF. A Cox's proportional hazards model (taking into account the competing risk of death) was used to develop a prediction model. Bootstrap methods were used to identify factors for the final model. Based on these data a nomogram was developed. RESULTS: Of the 280 participants in the WHICH? trial 37 (13%) were readmitted for a cardiovascular event (including CHF) within 28 days, and a further 149 (53%) were readmitted within 18 months for a cardiovascular event. In the proposed competing risk model, factors associated with an increased risk of hospitalisation for CHF were: age (HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.90-1.26) for each 10-year increase in age; living alone (HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.74-1.59); those with a sedentary lifestyle (HR 1.44, 95% CI, 0.92-2.25) and the presence of multiple co-morbid conditions (HR 1.69, 95% CI 0.38-7.58) for five or more co-morbid conditions (compared to individuals with one documented co-morbidity). The C-statistic of the final model was 0.80. CONCLUSION: We have developed a practical model for individualising the risk of short-term readmission for CHF. This model may provide additional information for targeting and tailoring interventions and requires future prospective evaluation.

Fever, Hyperglycemia, and Swallowing Management in Stroke Unit and Non-Stroke-Unit European Hospitals: A Quality in Acute Stroke Care (QASC) Europe Substudy.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Stroke unit care reduces patient morbidity and mortality. The Quality in Acute Stroke Care Europe Study achieved significant large-scale translation of nurse-initiated protocols to manage Fever, hyperglycemia (Sugar), and Swallowing (FeSS) in 64 hospitals across 17 European countries. However, not all hospitals had stroke units. Our study aimed to compare FeSS protocol adherence in stroke unit versus non-stroke-unit hospitals. METHODS: An observational study using Quality in Acute Stroke Care Europe Study postimplementation data was undertaken. Hospitals were categorized using 4 evidence-based characteristics for defining a stroke unit, collected from an organizational survey of participating hospitals. Differences in FeSS Protocol adherence between stroke unit and non-stroke-unit hospitals were investigated using mixed-effects logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. RESULTS: Of the 56 hospitals from 16 countries providing organizational data, 34 (61%) met all 4 stroke unit characteristics, contributing data for 1825 of 2871 patients (64%) (stroke unit hospitals). Of the remaining 22 hospitals (39%), 17 (77%) met 3 of the 4 stroke unit characteristics (non-stroke-unit hospitals). There were no differences between hospitals with a stroke unit and those without for postimplementation adherence to fever (49% stroke unit vs 57% non-stroke unit; odds ratio [OR], 0.400; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.087-1.844; P = .240), hyperglycemia (50% stroke unit vs 57% non-stroke unit; OR, 0.403; 95% CI, 0.087-1.856; P = .243), swallowing (75% stroke unit vs 60% non-stroke unit; OR, 1.702; 95% CI, 0.643-4.502; P = .284), or overall FeSS Protocol adherence (36% stroke unit vs 36% non-stroke unit; OR, 0.466; 95% CI, 0.106-2.043; P = .311). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that the nurse-initiated FeSS Protocols can be implemented by hospitals regardless of stroke unit status. This is noteworthy because hospitals without stroke unit resources that care for acute stroke patients can potentially implement these protocols. Further effort is needed to ensure better adherence to the FeSS Protocols.

Importance of predictors of rehospitalisation in heart failure: a survey of heart failure experts.

AIMS: We investigated the opinion of clinical experts and researchers involved in chronic heart failure disease management regarding the ranking of patient, provider and system factors that predict the risk of rehospitalisation. METHODS: Item generation for the online survey was informed by a literature review and current risk prediction models. Consultation with experts was undertaken via a secure online survey platform. Invitations to participate in the 10 question online survey were sent through Listserves of professional nursing and medical associations within Australia and New Zealand. RESULTS: Data were collected in August 2011. A total of 119 respondents completed the survey. Respondents ranged from researchers, registered nurses, cardiologists and allied health personnel. A mean importance score was used to rank risk factors for rehospitalisation. Risk factors that scored high for predicting the risk for rehospitalisation included poor adherence to medications (9.04) and prior hospitalisation for heart failure (8.33). Having private health insurance (4.8) and being female (4.9) scored lower in influencing rehospitalisation for adults with heart failure. CONCLUSIONS: No new risk factors were identified from the experts in predicting the risk of rehospitalisation. The survey results will contribute to the development of a nomogram to convey prognostic information related to adults with heart failure that will guide clinicians in management decisions.

Patient, provider and system factors influencing rehospitalisation in adults with heart failure.

OBJECTIVES: To identify patient, provider and system factors predicting rehospitalisation in adults with heart failure (HF). METHOD: The electronic data bases MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase and PsychInfo were searched from 1996-2008 to identify studies identifying predictors of rehospitalisation from which the factors of patient, provider and systems were extracted. RESULTS: A total of 62 elements were identified. These elements were then sorted into patient, provider and system categories. Risk factors identified for rehospitalisation were predominantly related to clinical factors. There were less factors identifying risk from the perspective of provider and health care systems. CONCLUSIONS: In people with HF it is likely that non-clinical factors including provider and system play an important role in rehospitalisation. There is a need to identify individuals at risk of rehospitalisation and tailor disease management programmes accordingly.

Strategies employed by developed countries to facilitate the transition of internationally qualified nurses specialty skills into clinical practice: An integrative review.

BACKGROUND: Recruitment of internationally qualified nurses as a labour source is a long-standing human resource strategy being implemented to address the current and increasing global nursing shortage. Internationally qualified nurses transitioning into the health workforce of developed countries following immigration often possess specialty skills. A lack of a clear pathway of specialty skill utilisation makes recognising and using these specialty skills complex for many nurses. The ability for nurses to transition between countries and maintain specialty practice demands immediate attention in the current atmosphere of the global pandemic and the predictions to recruit more specialist nurses from overseas. AIM: To identify and synthesise strategies taken by various developed countries in transitioning specialist internationally qualified nurses into practice. METHODS: An integrative review was conducted to identify common themes, patterns, and best practices in order to inform policy development and improve the successful integration of internationally qualified nurses into the healthcare systems of developed countries. The study employed the Whittemore and Knafl five-stage integrative review approach. To conduct a comprehensive search, four electronic databases, namely Medline, CINAHL Complete, ProQuest Health, and EMBASE, were systematically searched in October 2021. The search was updated in March 2022 to ensure the inclusion of the most recent literature. Additionally, Google Scholar was utilised to avoid overlooking any important articles. Prior to the full-text review, three reviewers independently evaluated titles and abstracts. The included papers' quality was determined using the JBI critical appraisal tools. RESULTS: This study included 10 papers, comprising three studies and seven reports. However, none of these documents provided information on how internationally qualified nurses could transfer their specialty skills acquired overseas to developed countries after immigrating. The guidelines and policies reviewed only offered generic advice on becoming a specialist nurse. Although some countries mentioned that post-graduate qualifications were not mandatory for nurse specialists, the majority of documents in this review emphasised the need for a national framework of education at level eight or higher (equivalent to a post-graduate level) to attain the status of a nurse specialist. Moreover, the included documents did not provide clear information on whether an international specialisation degree would be recognised during the registration process. As a result, confusion persists regarding the requirement of post-graduate qualifications for nurses aiming to specialise and the recognition of international specialisation degrees during the registration process. DISCUSSION: The lack of consistency in defining nurse specialty and the skill transferability among institutions and state borders were evident in this review. According to all the 10 documents analysed, developed countries appear to have minimum policies on the transfer of internationally qualified nurse's specialty skills. Recommendations for policymakers, employers, and aspirant migrants have been proposed. Limited research has been done on how developed countries used their internationally qualified nurses' overseas-acquired specialist skills after immigration, indicating a lack of a distinct specialist skill transition pathway. CONCLUSIONS: This review presents data to support the need for greater research in this area to better utilise the abilities that internationally qualified nurses bring from their home country and put them to constructive use in the host country, especially in the context of a global pandemic.

What are the factors in risk prediction models for rehospitalisation for adults with chronic heart failure?

BACKGROUND: Risk prediction models can assist in identifying individuals at risk of adverse events and also the judicious allocation of scare resources. Our objective was to describe risk prediction models for the rehospitalisation of individuals with chronic heart failure (CHF) and identify the elements contributing to these models. METHODS: The electronic data bases MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Ovid Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews and Scopus (1950-2010), were searched for studies that describe models to predict all-cause hospital readmission for individuals with CHF. Search terms included: patient readmission; risk; chronic heart failure, congestive heart failure and heart failure. We excluded non-English studies, pediatric studies, and publications without original data. RESULTS: Only 1 additional model was identified since the review undertaken by Ross and colleagues in 2008. All models were derived from data sets collected in the United States and patients were followed from 60 days to 18 months. The only common predictors of re-hospitalisation in the models identified by Ross and colleagues were a history of diabetes mellitus and a history of prior hospitalisation. The additional model extends its scope to include the non clinical factors of social instability and socioeconomic status as predictors of rehospitalisation. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of the burden of hospitalisation in CHF, there are limited tools to assist clinicians in assessing risk. Developing risk prediction models, based on patient, provider and system characteristics may assist in identifying individuals in the community at greatest risk and in need of targeted interventions to improve outcomes.

Risk factors for nosocomial infections and/or sepsis in adult burns patients: An integrative review.

BACKGROUND: In comparison to general trauma patients, loss of skin barrier amongst the burns cohort predisposes them to a higher risk of nosocomial infections and sepsis, and this often leads to unfavourable morbidity and mortality outcomes. PURPOSE: This integrative review aimed to explore existing literature to identify risk factors related to nosocomial infections and/or sepsis in adult burns patients following hospital admission. METHODS: Electronic searches for journals published between 2007 and 2021 were performed in CINAHL, Scopus and Medline, and key journals were hand-searched. Inclusion criteria was: (1) peer-reviewed, primary studies; (2) qualitative, quantitative or mixed-methods studies; (3) study participants had sustained burns-related injury and developed nosocomial infections and/or sepsis during the course of hospitalisation. Studies were appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skill Program checklists. RESULTS: 15 studies ranging from 'poor' to 'fair' to 'moderate' quality were included in the final review. Patient factors that contributed to the development of nosocomial infections and/ or sepsis included: (1) Full thickness burns; (2) age; (3) % Total Burns Surface Area; and (4) Herpes Simplex Virus activation. Several provider-system risk factors were identified by 'poor' quality studies and further research is required to substantiate those findings. DISCUSSION: Findings remained inconclusive due to the lack of 'good' quality studies however, there was an overemphasis on patient-related risk factors instead of healthcare workers or the system. Future research may focus on activation of the latest infection prevention strategies and early enforcement of care bundles. Through identification of related risk factors, it may reduce the incidence of nosocomial infection and/or sepsis post-burns.

Impact of nurse-surgeons on patient-centred outcomes: A systematic review.

Background: Nurse-surgeons have been performing surgeries for decades. Yet, their impact on perioperative clinical outcomes has not been explored in detail. Objective: To investigate the impact of nurse-surgeons on patient-centred outcomes. Design: Systematic review. Method: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flow diagram and checklist for systematic reviews were used as the screening and reporting guideline. CINAHL, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and PubMed databases were searched for articles that fit the review's eligibility criteria. A combination of Medical Subject Headings, keywords and filters for each database were used. Following screening and full text review, the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used for quality assessment and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations framework for certainty and confidence assessment. Narrative synthesis was used to report the findings due to the design heterogeneity of the included studies. Results: Forty-eight (n = 48) patient-centred outcomes were identified from 25 included studies. These outcomes were grouped into four categories: patient satisfaction and experience; waiting list; perioperative complications; and quality of surgical care. Patient satisfaction and experience was rated high to very high in 16 studies; none reported patient dissatisfaction. Waiting lists improved in eight studies. Perioperative complications were none to very low in nine studies. Mortality rates in the nurse-surgeon group were better than the physician group in three studies. The quality of care in the performance of surgeries by nurse-surgeons was either similar or better than physicians in ten studies. Conclusions: Nurse-surgeons performed safe, satisfactory, and high-quality surgeries with minimal perioperative complications similar to physicians. The use of nurse-surgeons has significantly reduced waiting lists regardless of surgical speciality. Policies around nurse-surgeon practice needs to be developed at national and international levels to streamline the delivery of much needed surgical services amidst the coronavirus pandemic in the areas of cancer diagnostic surgeries, emergency surgeries, minor surgeries, and remote and rural health.

Australia's health care reform agenda: implications for the nurses' role in chronic heart failure management.

INTRODUCTION: The importance of the nursing role in chronic heart failure (CHF) management is increasingly recognised. With the recent release of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC) report in Australia, a review of nursing roles in CHF management is timely and appropriate. AIM: This paper aims to discuss the implications of the NHHRC report and nursing roles in the context of CHF management in Australia. METHOD: The electronic databases, Thomson Rheuters Web of Knowledge, Scopus and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), were searched using keywords including; "heart failure", "management", "Australia" and "nursing". In addition policy documents were reviewed including statements and reports from key professional organisations and Government Departments to identify issues impacting on nursing roles in CHF management. RESULTS: There is a growing need for the prevention and control of chronic conditions, such as CHF. This involves an increasing emphasis on specialist cardiovascular nurses in community based settings, both in outreach and inreach health service models. This review has highlighted the need to base nursing roles on evidence based principles and identify the importance of the nursing role in coordinating and managing CHF care in both independent and collaborative practice settings. CONCLUSION: The importance of the nursing role in early chronic disease symptom recognition and implementing strategies to prevent further deterioration of individuals is crucial to improving health outcomes. Consideration should be given to ensure that evidence based principles are adopted in models of nursing care.

Identifying the effects of supplemental oxygen administration on the health outcomes of patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome and oxygen saturation >93% - a systematic review.

Objectives: Oxygen was commonly used in the early management of patients presenting with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) regardless of their oxygen saturation. Inappropriate administration of supplemental oxygen could potentially result in adverse patient health outcomes.Aim: To identify the effects of supplemental oxygen administration on the health outcomes of patients presenting with ACS and oxygen saturations >93%.Method: Systematic review. The CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane and Medline databases were searched for relevant literature. Inclusion criteria included articles published from 2008-2019, adult participants, primary studies, and participants with uncomplicated ACS and have oxygen saturation >93%. Eligible studies were assessed for rigour using a critical appraisal tool.Results: Seven randomised controlled studies were included for analysis. Themes were also used to group the assessed endpoints. The three main outcomes analysed were: infarct size and cardiac function; adverse cardiac events; and mortality. Two of the seven studies found a statistically significant relationship between oxygen administration, infarct size, and adverse cardiac events. Conversely, five of the seven studies reported that supplemental oxygen did not have statistically significant benefit over room air.Conclusion: This review identified that oxygen should not be administered to patients who present with ACS and have oxygen saturations >93%. This is due to the potential risk of adverse outcomes: increased infarct size, mortality, and adverse events.Impact statement: Recent update of guidelines despite evidence opposing oxygen delivery in ACS means the education of nurses is imperative for safe practice.

Current methods of nurse-surgeon training and education: Systematic review.

Background: The role of nurse-surgeons has recently emerged to meet patient and health system surgical demands. However, methods of nurse-surgeon training and education requirements are unclear. Objective: To identify and describe the current methods of nurse-surgeon training and education worldwide. Design: Systematic review. Method: An electronic search was conducted using Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, Cochrane Library, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Public Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, and Google Scholar databases. Key words included nurse-surgeon, training, education, and perioperative. Following screening for inclusion, a mixed methods critical appraisal tool was used to ascertain methodological rigour and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations framework to assess confidence in the evidence. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flow diagram and checklist for reporting systematic reviews were used. Results: A total of 18 studies was included in this review. Current methods of nurse-surgeon training were identified as surgical speciality specific (n = 18). Most training courses were at least one year in length (n = 4) with a theoretical component (n = 15). All studies included a practical requirement (n = 18), which was generally supervised by a physician (n = 16). A competency assessment was required by 15 programmes, with nine (9) using a formative assessment approach. The evidence available for this review is low in quality and certainty. Conclusions: Current methods of nurse-surgeon training have been identified to be specific to speciality areas. Overall, training has required nurse-surgeons to undergo andragogical education in theory, supervision in practice by a surgeon and assessment of competency. An implication for practice is a streamlined nursing pathway to surgical residency training which would improve global surgical health outcomes and retain young perioperative nurses.

Can a heart failure-specific cardiac rehabilitation program decrease hospitalizations and improve outcomes in high-risk patients?

BACKGROUND: Heart failure is a common and costly condition, particularly in the elderly. A range of models of interventions have shown the capacity to decrease hospitalizations and improve health-related outcomes. Potentially, cardiac rehabilitation models can also improve outcomes. AIM: To assess the impact of a nurse-coordinated multidisciplinary, cardiac rehabilitation program to decrease hospitalizations, increase functional capacity, and meet the needs of patients with heart failure. METHOD: In a randomized control trial, a total of 105 patients were recruited to the study. Patients in the intervention group received an individualized, multidisciplinary 12-week cardiac rehabilitation program, including an individualized exercise component tailored to functional ability and social circumstances. The control group received an information session provided by the cardiac rehabilitation coordinator and then follow-up care by either their cardiologist or general practitioner. This trial was stopped prematurely after the release of state-based guidelines and funding for heart failure programs. RESULTS: During the study period, patients in the intervention group were less likely to have been admitted to hospital for any cause (44 vs. 69%, P = 0.01) or after a major acute coronary event (24 vs. 55%, P = 0.001). Participants in the intervention group were more likely to be alive at 12 months, (93 vs. 79%; P = 0.03) (odds ratio = 3.85; 95% confidence interval=1.03-14.42; P = 0.0042). Quality of life scores improved at 3 months compared with baseline (intervention t = o/-4.37, P<0.0001; control t = /-3.52, P<0.01). Improvement was also seen in 6-min walk times at 3 months compared with baseline in the intervention group (t = 3.40; P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study shows that a multidisciplinary heart failure cardiac rehabilitation program, including an individualized exercise component, coordinated by a specialist heart failure nurse can substantially reduce both all-cause and cardiovascular readmission rates, improve functional status at 3 months and exercise tolerance.

The role of b-type natriuretic peptide in heart failure management.

Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome that manifests itself with signs and symptoms which are neither sensitive nor specific for the diagnosis of heart failure. Natriuretic peptides and in particular b-type natriuretic peptide (and nt-proBNP) are widely used in clinical practice around the world as a maker of heart failure. BNP is primarily released from the left ventricle in response to pressure and volume overload. The strongest evidence for the use of BNP is to rule in or rule out heart failure as cause of breathlessness in people who present to the emergency room. There is enthusiasm for use of BNP as a marker of heart failure severity as well as a predictor of outcomes in people with heart failure and trials are ongoing. Nesiritide, a recombinant form of BNP is currently being tested as a possible treatment in people with acutely decompensated heart failure.