Dementia care practices among community healthcare workers in Vietnam: a qualitative descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Vietnam is one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world and the likelihood that someone may have dementia rises dramatically as the population ages. Although caring for persons living with dementia is important, little is known about the circumstances under which community healthcare professionals in Vietnam provide dementia care. This study aimed to describe the practice of caring for persons with dementia among community healthcare professionals in Vietnam. METHODS: This qualitative descriptive study was conducted with 23 community healthcare professionals recruited from 10 primary healthcare centers, representing 10 of 24 districts in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Participants were physicians (n = 11), physician's assistants (n = 8) and community nurses (n = 4). Data were collected through in-depth face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Interview data were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the 23 participants was 44.6 ± 8.8 years; most were female (n = 16, 69.6%); and the mean time of working in the field of dementia care was 15.9 ± 8.4 years. Analysis of the interview data revealed five categories, which informed how care was provided: 1) Knowledge about dementia and its prevalence among older adults; 2) Identification of dementia in Vietnam; 3) Lack of attention to early diagnosis of dementia and difficulty in providing continuous care; 4) Dependence on family members for prompt and continuous care; and 5) challenges to providing dementia care. Despite having knowledge about dementia, some healthcare professionals incorrectly viewed dementia as an inevitable part of the ageing process. Participants reported that their limited training and practical experience in caring for persons with dementia caused a lack of confidence in dementia care. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of care provided to persons living with dementia was negatively impacted by the limited training of healthcare personnel. The diagnosis, treatment, and provision of supportive services to persons living with dementia and their families are substantial challenges for the Vietnamese healthcare system. It is crucial to initiate and cultivate dementia care education programs aimed at expanding curricula for physicians, physicians' assistants, and nurses.

Enhancing Nurse-Robot Engagement: Two-Wave Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Robots are introduced into health care contexts to assist health care professionals. However, we do not know how the benefits and maintenance of robots influence nurse-robot engagement. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine how the benefits and maintenance of robots and nurses' personal innovativeness impact nurses' attitudes to robots and nurse-robot engagement. METHODS: Our study adopted a 2-wave follow-up design. We surveyed 358 registered nurses in operating rooms in a large-scale medical center in Taiwan. The first-wave data were collected from October to November 2019. The second-wave data were collected from December 2019 to February 2020. In total, 344 nurses participated in the first wave. We used telephone to follow up with them and successfully followed-up with 331 nurses in the second wave. RESULTS: Robot benefits are positively related to nurse-robot engagement (ß=.13, P<.05), while robot maintenance requirements are negatively related to nurse-robot engagement (ß=-.15, P<.05). Our structural model fit the data acceptably (comparative fit index=0.96, incremental fit index=0.96, nonnormed fit index=0.95, root mean square error of approximation=0.075). CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first to examine how the benefits and maintenance requirements of assistive robots influence nurses' engagement with them. We found that the impact of robot benefits on nurse-robot engagement outweighs that of robot maintenance requirements. Hence, robot makers should consider emphasizing design and communication of robot benefits in the health care context.

How do three components of professional commitment influence nurse-reported patient-centred care and care quality?

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To test how the three components of professional commitment (i.e. affective, continuance and normative professional commitment) are associated with nurse-reported patient-centred care and care quality. BACKGROUND: Patient-centred care and care quality are the two critical care outcomes. However, no study has yet examined how the three components of professional commitment are related to nurse-reported patient-centred care and care quality, showing a research gap. DESIGN: This study adopted a two-wave design (first wave in 2017 and second wave in 2019), which is known to reduce the possibility of reverse causality, and which was conducted in a large hospital in Northern Taiwan. METHODS: Proportionate random sampling was used. Full-time nurses were surveyed, while nursing students, interns, nurse practitioners and nursing supervisors were excluded. The first wave included 524 nurses, and 438 nurses were retained in the second wave. We used confirmatory factor analysis to verify the psychometric properties of the measures. Structural equation modelling was used to implement hypothesis testing. We used the Professional Commitment Scale of Meyer et al. (Journal of Applied Psychology, 1993, 78, 538), the Patient-Centered Care Scale of Laird-Fick et al. (Patient Education and Counseling, 2011, 84, 90) and the Care Quality Perceptions Scale of Teng et al. (Journal of Nursing Management, 2010, 18, 275). The STROBE statement was chosen as the EQUATOR checklist. RESULTS: Affective professional commitment was positively associated with nurse-reported patient-centred care (ß = .18, p = .002 and .01), which was positively associated with nurse-reported care quality (ß = .85, p < .001). Affective and normative professional commitment were also positively associated with nurse-reported care quality (ß = .17, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings offer insights for nursing managers that nurses' affective and normative professional commitment could help upgrade care outcomes. Hospital managers should consider professional commitment as relevant to their workforce. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nursing managers could publicise reports documenting nurses' significant contributions to public health. This could strengthen affective professional commitment among nurses.

Factors associated with the intention to engage in care planning among persons with mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

This study examined factors associated with the intention to engage in advance care planning among persons with cognitive impairment. This cross-sectional study recruited 116 persons with cognitive impairment by convenience sampling from two teaching hospitals in Northern Taiwan from November 1, 2018, to December 31, 2020. Fewer than 50% of the participants intended to engage in advance care planning, and less than 10% signed the living will for hospice and palliative care. Multivariate linear regression determined factors influencing advance care planning intention included education level, a proxy signed do-not-resuscitate document, belief that family members would provide a signed do-not-resuscitate at their end-of-life, and necessity of explaining future care in advance. It is recommended to popularize advance care planning education and ensure the rights of persons with cognitive impairment to enable them to fully participate in their own care plans through family-centered advance care planning.

Relationship between psychological ownership of the nursing profession and turnover intention: A correlational survey among Taiwanese nurses.

AIMS: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between psychological ownership of the nursing profession and turnover intention. BACKGROUND: There is a severe shortage of nurses worldwide. Research is needed to understand how nurses' intention to leave hospitals and the nursing profession can be alleviated. METHODS: This study adopted a cross-sectional design and a survey method. Proportionate random sampling was used to ensure sample representativeness. This study surveyed 430 registered nurses in a medical centre in Taiwan between December 2021 and January 2022. We used Turnover Scale and Self-Efficacy Scale and developed Having a Place Scale. RESULTS: Psychological ownership comprises three dimensions: self-efficacy, nurse identity and 'having a place' in the nursing profession. This research is the first to examine how these three dimensions of psychological ownership of the nursing profession are related to the intention to leave a hospital or the nursing profession. Self-efficacy and 'having a place' are negatively related to nurses' intention to leave a hospital (r = -.23 and -.31, p < .001). Nurse identity is negatively related to nurses' intention to leave the nursing profession (r = -.38, p < .001). Intention to leave a hospital is positively related to nurses' intention to leave the profession (r = .76, p < .001). CONCLUSION: The findings provide novel insights for retaining nurses. Nurse managers could use strategies such as including nurses in making workplace decisions and encouraging them to personalize their workspace. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers can enhance nurses' self-efficacy and sense of 'having a place' to retain nurses in hospitals, while enhancing nurse identity to retain nurses in the profession.

How robots impact nurses' time pressure and turnover intention: A two-wave study.

AIMS: To examine the relationships among effort ensuring robots' smooth operation (EERSO), time pressure, missed care, and nurses' turnover intention, and how robot performance moderates such relations. BACKGROUND: Robots may reduce nurses' workload but typically still require some effort of nurses for robots' smooth operation. However, the negative impact of EERSO on nurses' workplace outcomes is unknown. METHODS: This study used a two-wave follow-up design. Data were collected in a medical center in Taiwan, with first wave collected in 2019 and second wave collected between 2019 and 2020. A total of 331 participants were followed through the two waves. RESULTS: EERSO is positively linked to missed care and time pressure. Time pressure is also positively linked to missed care and turnover intention. Positive robot performance weakens the positive link between EERSO and time pressure. CONCLUSION: Using robots may help reduce nurses' workload, but it also requires nurses' efforts to maintain robots' continuous operation, that is, EERSO. It may adversely impact nursing professional workplaces. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers should reduce nurses' time pressure whilst suggest hospital managers to seek robots that require minimal EERSO.

Reducing turnover intention to improve care outcome: A two-wave study.

AIMS: To ascertain how professional turnover intention impacts nurse-assessed care outcomes, including patient-centered care and care quality. BACKGROUND: Patient-centered care and care quality are critical to care outcomes. However, we do not know whether care outcomes would be improved by reducing nurses' professional turnover intention. DESIGN: We implemented a two-wave correlational follow-up design. METHODS: This study was conducted in a large-scale general in Taiwan during January and February 2018, and January and February 2019. We successfully obtained responses from 448 nurses in 2018 and subsequently followed up (in 2019). Most were women (97.5%), reflecting the profile of the local nurse population. Structural equation modeling was used to test hypotheses. RESULTS: Our findings indicate that nurses' professional turnover intention is negatively related to nurse-assessed, patient-centered care. Nurses' professional turnover intention is also negatively related to all the five perceptions of nurse-assessed care quality: that is, assurance, reliability, responsiveness, empathy, and tangibles. Moreover, years of working as a nurse is also positively related to nurse-assessed, patient-centered care and all the five perceptions of nurse-assessed care quality. CONCLUSION: This study examined nurses' professional turnover intention as an antecedent of nurse-assessed, patient-centered care and care quality. Our study shows that professional turnover intention may predict care outcomes. Overall, our study suggests that professional turnover intention not only impacts workforce stability but also impacts health-care outcomes. IMPACT: Our findings suggest that reduction of nurses' turnover intentions could benefit care outcomes. Hospital managers should know that nurses' turnover negatively impacts care outcomes.

Impact of professional commitment on professional capability improvement and care quality dimensions: A multi-wave study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To examine how the three dimensions of professional commitment impact professional capabilities improvement and five key dimensions of care quality. BACKGROUND: While professional commitment is known to retain nurses, we do not know how its three dimensions-affective, continuance and normative commitment-formulate five care quality dimensions: assurance, reliability, responsiveness, empathy and tangibles. DESIGN: We used a three-wave, follow-up design to follow a sample of nurse participants. METHODS: We collected responses from 430 nurses who worked for a medical centre in Northern Taiwan during 2017-2019. Most (78.9%) of the respondents had an age between 20-40 years. We used Professional Commitment Scale of Meyer et al. (Journal of Applied Psychology, 1993, 78, 538) and Care Quality Scale of Teng et al. (Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2010, 41, 301). STROBE statement was chosen as EQUATOR checklist. RESULTS: We found that affective professional commitment is positively related to intention to improve professional capabilities, action to improve professional capabilities and thus to four dimensions of care quality: assurance, reliability, responsiveness and empathy. CONCLUSIONS: Our model explains how three key dimensions of professional commitment contribute to care quality. Our findings support the link between action to improve professional capabilities and dimensions of care quality. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nursing managers can inform nurses of positive patient feedback, thus enhancing nurses' affective professional commitment, which would likely motivate their devotion to upgrading their professional capabilities, thus further contributing to the quality of the care they provide.

Trajectory of adherence to home rehabilitation among older adults with hip fractures and cognitive impairment.

This study aimed to identify different trajectories of adherence to home rehabilitation for older adults with hip fracture and cognitive impairment, to examine associations between different adherence trajectories and postoperative recovery outcomes, and to explore the predictors of adherence trajectories. Group-based trajectory modeling showed two adherence trajectories: low (39.06%) and high (60.94%) adherence. The high adherence group had better activities of daily living (ß=11.77, p<.001), instrumental activities of daily living (ß=0.56, p<.01), femoral muscular strength (ß=3.35, p<.01) on the fractured side and quality of life (ß=-0.81, p=.02) than the low adherence group. Participants who established exercise habits (OR=6.49, p<.01) and consulted a physical therapist (OR=4.29, p=.03) during hospitalization were more likely to be in the high adherence group.

Adherence to Home-Based Rehabilitation in Older Adults With Diabetes After Hip Fracture.

BACKGROUND: Adherence to rehabilitation is beneficial to patients with hip fracture. However, the relationships between different levels of adherence and postoperative recovery among older adults after hip fracture have not been addressed thoroughly in the literature. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to explore the trajectories of adherence to home-based rehabilitation during the 12-month period after hospital discharge and to examine the effects of adhering to prescribed home-based rehabilitation on postoperative recovery of physical functions. METHODS: We employed a secondary data analysis, and 88 hip-fractured older adults with diabetes were recruited. The Chinese Barthel Index was used to measure daily physical functions, a goniometer was used to measure range of motion, and the MicroFET2 dynamometer was used to measure muscle power. Adherence was measured as the rate of adherence to the suggested frequency of home-based rehabilitation activities. RESULTS: Adherence to home-based rehabilitation decreased over time. The high-adherence group was more likely to recover prefracture physical functions than was the low-adherence group, and the high-adherence group had better self-care abilities, greater range of motion for ankle extension, and higher muscular strength on both adduction and abduction than did the low-adherence group. DISCUSSION: The results of our study suggest that patients adhere to more than 50% of prescribed rehabilitation. Future studies should continue to explore interventions to enhance rehabilitation adherence after hospital discharge.

Diagnostic accuracy of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living for dementia in community-dwelling older adults.

BACKGROUND: many people living with dementia remain underdiagnosed and unrecognised. Screening strategies are important for early detection. OBJECTIVE: to examine whether the Lawton's Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale, compared with other cognitive screening tools-the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Ascertain Dementia 8-item Informant Questionnaire (AD8)-can identify older (≥ 65 years) adults with dementia. DESIGN: population-based cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: all 19 counties in Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS: community-dwelling older adults (n = 10,340; mean age 74.87 ± 6.03). METHODS: all participants underwent a structured in-person interview. Dementia was identified using National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association core clinical criteria for all-cause dementia. Receiver operator characteristic curves were used to determine the discriminant abilities of the IADL scale, MMSE and AD8 to differentiate participants with and without dementia. RESULTS: we identified 917 (8.9%) participants with dementia, and 9,423 (91.1%) participants without. The discriminant abilities of the MMSE, AD8 and IADL scale (cutoff score: 6/7; area under curve = 0.925; sensitivity = 89%; specificity = 81%; positive likelihood ratio = 4.75; accuracy = 0.82) were comparable. Combining IADL with AD8 scores significantly improved overall accuracy: specificity = 93%; positive likelihood ratio = 11.74; accuracy = 0.92. CONCLUSIONS: our findings support using IADL scale to screen older community-dwelling residents for dementia: it has discriminant power comparable to that of the AD8 and MMSE. Combining the IADL and the AD8 improves specificity.

Predictors of advance directives among nursing home residents with dementia.

ABSTRACTBackground:Advance directives are important for nursing home residents with dementia; for those with advanced dementia, surrogates determine medical decisions. However, in Taiwan, little is known about what influences the completion of these advance directives. The purpose of this study was to identify factors, which influence the presence of advance directives for nursing home residents with dementia in Taiwan. METHOD: Our cross-sectional study analyzed a convenience sample of 143 nursing home dyads comprised of residents with dementia and family surrogates. Documentation of residents' advance directives, physical and cognitive status was obtained from medical charts. Surrogates completed the stress of end-of-life care decision scale and a questionnaire regarding their demographic characteristics. Nursing home characteristics were obtained from each chief administrator. RESULTS: Less than half of the nursing home residents (39.2%) had advance directives and most (96.4%) had been completed by family surrogates. The following were predictors of an advance directive: surrogates had previously signed a do-not-resuscitate as a proxy and had been informed of advance directives by a healthcare provider; nursing homes had policies for advance directives and a religious affiliation. CONCLUSIONS: Advance directives were uncommon for nursing home residents with dementia. Presence of an advance directive was associated with surrogate characteristics and the nursing home facilities; there was no association with characteristics of the nursing home resident. Our findings emphasize the need to develop policies and strategies, which ensure that all residents of nursing homes and their surrogates are aware of their right to an advance directive.

Protective preparation: a process central to family caregivers of persons with mild cognitive impairment.

ABSTRACTBackground:To develop a theoretical model explaining the longitudinal changes in the caregiving process for family caregivers of persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Taiwan. METHODS: A longitudinal, grounded theory approach using in-depth face-to-face interviews and an open-ended interview guide. We conducted 42 interviews over a two-year period; each participant was interviewed at least once every six months. All participants were interviewed in their home. The participants total of 13 family caregivers of persons with MCI. RESULTS: One core theme emerged: "protective preparation." This reflected the family caregiving process of preparation for a further decline in cognitive function, and protection from the impact of low self-esteem, accidents, and symptoms of comorbidities for the family member with MCI. Protective preparation contained three components: ambivalent normalization, vigilant preparation, and protective management. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to help family caregivers manage the changes in persons with MCI can reduce caregiver burden. Our findings could provide a knowledge base for use by healthcare providers to develop and implement strategies to reduce caregiver burden for family caregivers of persons with MCI.

Caregiving demands, job demands, and health outcomes for employed family caregivers of older adults with dementia: Structural equation modeling.

Many family caregivers are also employed full- or part-time and are known to be affected by job demands. This study explored the mediating effect of job demands on the relationship between caregiving demands and caregiver health outcomes in primary family caregivers of older persons with dementia in Taiwan (N = 214). A cross-sectional design using a self-completed structured questionnaire was implemented. Structural equation modeling analyses showed that job demands partially mediated the relationship between caregiving demands and caregiver health outcomes. The indirect effect of caregiving demands on caregiver health outcomes through job demands was 0.208 (95% confidence interval: 0.053 - 0.335). Nurses should evaluate job demands when screening for high-risk caregiver groups vulnerable to high caregiving demand. Interventions aimed at lessening both caregiving demands and job demands may improve caregiver health outcomes for family caregivers of older adults with dementia.

The relationship between preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification scores and functional recovery following hip-fracture surgery.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the relationship of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification scores (ASA scores) on patient outcomes following hip fracture surgery in Asian countries. Therefore, this study explored the association of patients' preoperative ASA scores on trajectories of recovery in physical functioning and health outcomes during the first year following postoperative discharge for older adults with hip-fracture surgery in Taiwan. METHODS: The data for this study was generated from three prior studies. Participants (N = 226) were older hip-fracture patients from an observational study (n = 86) and two clinical trials (n = 61 and n = 79). Participants were recruited from the trauma wards of one medical center in northern Taiwan and data was collected prior to discharge and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after hospital discharge. Participants were grouped as ASA class 1-2 (50.5%; ASA Class 1, n = 7; ASA Class 2, n = 107) and ASA class 3 (49.5%, n = 112). Measures for mortality, service utilization, activities of daily living (ADL), measured by the Chinese Barthel Index, and health related quality of life, measured by Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36, were assessed for the two groups. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to analyze the changes over time for the two groups. RESULTS: During the first year following hip-fracture surgery, ASA class 1-2 participants had significantly fewer rehospitalizations (6%, p = .02) and better scores for mental health (mean = 70.29, standard deviation = 19.03) at 6- and 12-months following discharge than those classified as ASA 3. In addition, recovery of walking ability (70%, p = .001) and general health (adjusted mean = 58.31, p = .003) was also significantly better than ASA 3 participants. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant association of hip-fracture patients classified as ASA 1-2 with better recovery and service utilization during the first year following surgery. Interventions for hip fractured patients with high ASA scores should be developed to improve recovery and quality of life.

Progressive compensatory symbiosis: spouse caregiver experiences of caring for persons with dementia in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: Spouse caregivers have been the predominant family members who care for persons with dementia in Taiwan. Although studies in western countries have described the caregiving experiences and changes in the marital relationship for these spouse caregivers, this information is lacking in Taiwan. This study explored the experiences of spouse caregivers caring for persons with dementia in Taiwan. METHODS: A grounded theory approach was used for this qualitative descriptive study. Data were collected through recorded in-depth interviews and observations with 15 spouse caregivers of persons with dementia. Constant comparative analysis was used to analyse the transcripts and field notes. RESULTS: Analysis of interview transcripts revealed that the experiences of caregiving for spouse caregivers who lived with persons with dementia could be described as 'progressive compensatory symbiosis.' This core category included three components: awareness of unbalanced intimacy, making a commitment and implementing a compensatory scheme. These experiences could be either mutually beneficial or unbalanced and fluctuated as the disease progressed through the phases of 'subtle,' 'revealed' and 'confirmed,' which also influence the pace, transition and evolution of the compensatory symbiosis. CONCLUSION: This exploratory study describes the family caregiving experiences for 15 spouse caregivers of persons with dementia in Taiwan. These results can provide guidance for developing interventions to prepare, facilitate and promote a mutually beneficial adjustment for spousal caregivers and their spouses as dementia progresses. The findings are worthy of further investigation with a larger sample and a prospective design.

How does burnout impact the three components of nursing professional commitment?

BACKGROUND: While the impact of burnout on organisational commitment has been widely observed, its impact on nursing professional commitment has not previously been investigated. The literature has clarified that professional commitment has three distinct components: affective, continuance and normative. AIMS: This study aims to investigate the relationships between burnout and the three components of nursing professional commitment. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study using questionnaires to collect data in one large medical centre. Responses from 571 nurses were used for regression analysis. Among the sampled nurses, 90.9% had <15 years of nursing experience. MBI-HSS was used for measuring burnout. Three components of nursing professional commitment came from Meyer et al. (J Appl Psychol, 78, 1993 and 538) a formally validated instrument. RESULTS: Analytical results indicated that burnout is negatively related to affective and normative professional commitment (B ≤ -0.09, p < 0.01), but not related to continuance professional commitment (B = 0.05, p > 0.05). LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: Nurse managers aiming to improve nurses' professional commitment should consider reducing nurses' burnout, for example improving nursing optimism and reducing administrative tasks, as suggested by the literature.

Perceptions about eating experiences of low-literate older adults with heart disease: a qualitative study.

AIMS: To explore perceptions of low-literate older adults with heart disease about their eating experiences. BACKGROUND: Heart disease has been closely linked with nutrition, and nutritional status is poor in patients with limited education, but no studies have explored the eating experiences of low-literate adults with heart disease. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive study. METHODS: Data were collected in tape-recorded semi-structured interviews from March-June 2012. A convenience sample of 13 low-literate older adults with heart disease was recruited from a cardiovascular ward of a medical centre in northern Taiwan. Participants were recruited until findings reached saturation and data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS: Analysis of participants' interview data on eating experiences identified three main categories: (1) eating-related hardships because of low literacy; (2) eating adjustments due to low literacy; and (3) misinformation about dietary modifications for heart disease. CONCLUSION: Because of their low literacy, these older adults had difficult life experiences, gained inappropriate or inadequate eating information and held a passive, fatalistic perspective about eating with heart disease. Healthcare practitioners caring for this population need to appreciate their unique eating challenges and respect their eating customs. Nurses could play a greater role in educating and supporting low-literate older adults in selecting appropriate foods and preparing meals. Strategies to help this population learn to select, prepare and cook their food should be easy and practical, using specific symbols, concrete signs and simple labels.

The impact of sleep duration on recovery post-hip fracture among older diabetic adults in Taiwan.

This study explored postoperative changes in sleep duration and physical activity and their relationships with physical function recovery, the muscular strength of the affected side and blood glucose control in elderly adults (n = 41) with diabetes mellitus (DM) who underwent surgery for hip fracture. Thirty-two participants (78.0%) had abnormal sleep durations for at least two time points, and they all had low physical activity levels (an average of 1348.2 kcal/day for the first month, 1377.9 kcal/day for the third month, and 1389.1 kcal/day for the sixth month) during the six months post-hip fracture. The participants with normal sleep durations showed greater femoral muscle improvement on the affected side (adduction: ß = 3.70, p = 0.029; abduction: ß = 7.25, p = 0.016) and better blood glucose control before meals (ß = -73.29, p < 0.001) and after meals (ß = -47.90, p = 0.007) compared with those with abnormal sleep durations. Those with higher physical activity levels had better physical function recovery.

Which Aspects of Professional Commitment Can Effectively Retain Nurses in the Nursing Profession?

PURPOSE: This study examined which aspects of professional commitment can effectively retain nurses in the nursing profession. DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PARTICIPANTS: This study used a longitudinal design, simple random sampling, and two-wave data collection to survey and follow up a representative sample of 579 nurses for 1 year in a major medical center in northern Taiwan. METHODS: Items measuring each aspect of professional commitment came from Meyer et al.'s scale. In the second wave, administrative data were culled to determine whether these nurses remain employed as nurses. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Analytical results indicate that continuance commitment predicts nurse retention in the nursing profession (path coefficient = 0.34, p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Institutional efforts to improve continuance commitment (e.g., improved salary structures and enhanced professional development opportunities) likely retain nurses in the nursing profession. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The findings of this study indicate the importance of continuance intention in retaining nurses. Nursing managers who face staff retention issues may consider making efforts to improve nurse salary and employer-sponsored benefits.