Mixed Methods Study of Nurse Assessment of Patient Preferences for Engagement During Hospitalization.

BACKGROUND: Global healthcare initiatives emphasize the importance of engaging patients in their healthcare to improve patients' experience and outcomes. Assessing patient preferences for engagement is critical, as there are many ways patients can engage in their care and preferences vary across individuals. OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of implementation of the Patient Preferences for Engagement Tool 13-Item Short Form (PPET13) during hospitalization on patient and nurse experience of engagement. Readmissions and emergency department (ED) usage within 30 days postdischarge were also examined. METHODS: The mixed methods study was conducted within two medical units in the United States between December 2018 and May 2019. Preimplementation group patients completed a demographic survey and the Patient Experience of Engagement Survey (PEES) on discharge. Implementation group patients completed the PPET13 within 24 hours of admission with their nurse and the demographic survey and PEES on discharge. A focus group with nurses who implemented the PPET13 was conducted following the implementation period. Data analysis included confirmatory factor analysis, multiple and logistic regression, and qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: There was significant improvement in PEES scores during the implementation phase. The PEES score was a significant predictor of ED visits, but not 30-day readmissions. Nurses were not always certain how to best integrate patient preferences for engagement into their care delivery and suggested integrating the PPET13 into the electronic health record to assist with streamlining the assessment and communicating preferences across the care team. DISCUSSION: Assessing patients' preferences for engagement using the PPET13 was associated with an improved experience of engagement, which was found to mediate the relationship between utilization of PPET13 and ED usage within 30 days postdischarge. Use of a patient engagement preference tool, such as the PPET13, can help inform the delivery of individualized engagement strategies to improve patient and family engagement and outcomes; however, nurses need formalized education on how to tailor their care to meet the individual engagement preferences of their patients.

Reliability of the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale in Evaluating Linear Scars after Thyroidectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the reliability of the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) with the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) in evaluating thyroidectomy scars. METHODS: At 6 months after the operation, 112 patients who underwent thyroid surgery via collar neck incision were evaluated by two blinded plastic surgeons and two senior residents using the VSS and the observer component of the POSAS. In addition, the observer-reported VAS score and patient-reported Likert score were evaluated. Internal consistency, interobserver reliability, and correlations between the patient- and observer-reported outcomes were examined. RESULTS: The observer component of POSAS scores demonstrated higher internal consistency and interobserver reliability than the VSS. However, the correlations between the observer-reported VAS score and the patient-reported Likert score (0.450) and between the total sum of patient and observer component scores (0.551) were low to moderate. CONCLUSIONS: The POSAS is more consistent over repeated measurements; accordingly, it may be considered a more objective and reliable scar assessment tool than the VSS. However, a clinician's perspective may not exactly match the patient's perception of the same scar.

Concordância interavaliadores do Protocolo de Acolhimento e Classificação de Risco em Obstetrícia do Ministério da Saúde / Inter-rater agreement of the Reception Protocol and Risk Classification in Obstetrics of the Ministry of Health

Introdução: A classificação de risco é definida como uma ferramenta utilizada nos serviços de urgência e emergência que auxilia na identificação de pacientes que necessitam atendimento prioritário. Em obstetrícia o surgimento de um protocolo específico por intermédio do Ministério da Saúde que conta com 12 fluxogramas tem sido uma medida adotada para organização e humanização dos serviços que atendem obstetrícia, no intuito de minimizar danos relacionados à saúde dessas usuárias que aguardam atendimento . O objetivo do estudo foi: determinar o grau de concordância interavaliador na aplicação do protocolo de acolhimento e classificação de risco em obstetrícia do Ministério da Saúde em uma unidade de pronto atendimento obstétrico. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo transversal, com abordagem metodológica, que analisou a reprodutibilidade do protocolo em obstetrícia do Ministério da saúde. Para a coleta dos dados: foram avaliados prontuários com o registro de atendimentos ocorridos entre novembro 2019 e maio de 2020. Foram entrevistados enfermeiros que possuem treinamento em classificação de risco e também enfermeiros que não possuem treinamento em classificação de risco. Para análise estatística dos dados foram calculados através do coeficiente de Kappa, sensibilidade e especificidade. Resultados: Os resultados do estudo demonstraram que o grau de confiabilidade interavaliadores foi considerado de moderado a forte representado pelo coeficiente Kappa que variou entre (0,47 e 0,77), foi observado também uma tendência na subestimação do grupo prioritário vermelho e amarelo, e uma tendência de superestimação nas prioridades clínicas amarelo e verde. Apesar de ter acontecido casos de subestimação e superestimação não ocorreram diferenças significativas nos grupos de enfermeiros treinados versus não treinados para utilização do protocolo de A&CR-O. Assim, os resultados desta dissertação corroboram com a hipótese que o protocolo de A&CR ­ O é confiável para o que se propõe. Conclusão: Esse estudo possibilitou verificar que o protocolo é confiável para sua utilização no campo da obstetrícia, uma vez que demonstrou concordância moderada a forte entre os grupos de avaliadores, além disso contribuiu para a análise da reprodutibilidade do protocolo de classificação de risco em obstetrícia que vem sendo implantado desde se sua publicação podendo ser utilizado com maior segurança por Enfermeiros. Palavras-chave: Protocolos. Protocolos clínicos. Confiabilidade. Obstetrícia. Classificação de risco. Serviços de emergência obstétrica. Reprodutibilidade. Enfermagem. Enfermagem Obstétrica. Estudos de avaliação.

Introduction: Risk classification is defined as a tool used in urgent and emergency services that helps to identify patients who need priority care. In obstetrics, the emergence of a specific protocol through the Ministry of Health, which has 12 flowcharts, has been a measure adopted to organize and humanize the services that attend obstetrics, in order to minimize the health-related damage of these users who are awaiting care. The objective of the study was: to determine the degree of inter-rater agreement in the application of the welcoming protocol and risk classification in obstetrics of the Ministry of Health in an obstetric emergency care unit. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, with a methodological approach, which analyzed the reproducibility of the protocol in obstetrics of the Ministry of Health. For data collection: medical records were evaluated with the record of visits that took place between November 2019 and May 2020. Nurses who have training in risk classification and nurses who do not have training in risk classification were interviewed. For statistical analysis of the data, they were calculated using the Kappa coefficient, sensitivity and specificity. Results: The results of the study showed that the degree of inter-rater reliability was considered moderate to strong, represented by the Kappa coefficient that varied between (0.47 and 0.77), a tendency was also observed in the underestimation of the red and yellow priority group, and a tendency to overestimate the yellow and green clinical priorities. Despite cases of underestimation and overestimation, there were no significant differences in the groups of trained versus untrained nurses to use the A & CR-O protocol. Thus, the results of this dissertation corroborate the hypothesis that the A&CR - O protocol is reliable for what it is proposed. Conclusion: This study made it possible to verify that the protocol is reliable for its use in the field of obstetrics, since it demonstrated mode rate to strong agreement between the groups of evaluators, in addition it contributed to the analysis of the reproducibility of the risk classification protocol in obstetrics that it has been implemented since its publication and can be used more safely by nurses.

Prechemotherapy nursing assessment among adult cancer patients in a university cancer center in Shanghai, China: a best practice implementation project.

OBJECTIVE: The current implementation project aimed to promote evidence-based practice with prechemotherapy nursing assessment among adult cancer patients in a large university cancer center in Shanghai, China, over a 6-month timeframe. INTRODUCTION: Prechemotherapy nursing assessment is an essential element of cancer patient care, aiming to prevent or minimize potential problems from chemotherapy treatment. Regular comprehensive prechemotherapy assessment is not part of routine care currently in many clinical settings within China. METHODS: The project utilized the JBI approach to implementation, incorporating audit and feedback tools. Twelve evidence-based audit criteria were developed for use in the program. A baseline audit was conducted of prechemotherapy nursing assessment among adult cancer patients, with a sample size of 68 patients and 36 nursing staff. Following implementation of systematic strategies based on the analysis of three main barriers, a follow-up audit involving a similar sample as the first audit was conducted using the same audit criteria. RESULTS: The baseline audit indicated that for nursing assessment among adult cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, the criteria (1, 10, 11 and 12) which related to nurse education, weight measurement, premedication and access device assessment had very high compliance (from 93 to 100%). Compliance for criteria (2, 6, 7, 9) related to medical history, previous exposure to chemotherapy, patients' or caregivers' comprehension of treatment and psychosocial assessment was 0%, while compliance with the other five criteria (3, 4, 5, 8) was low, ranging from 16 to 61%. There was improvement in all 12 criteria in the follow-up audit. Criteria 1, 11 and 12 maintained high compliance (100%). Criterion 2 (patients' medical history), criterion 3 (presence or absence of allergies), criterion 7 (previous exposure to chemotherapy) and criterion 9 (psychosocial elements) demonstrated a significant improvement in compliance. Although progress has been made, there were still some criteria that require further improvement. These included assessment of patients' current diagnosis and cancer status (criterion 4, from 61 to 66%), recent laboratory results (criterion 5, from 31 to 62%), patients' and/or caregivers' comprehension of information regarding the disease and treatment (criterion 6, from 0 to 34%), any previous exposure to chemotherapy agents (criterion 7, from 0 to 57%), and physical assessment of the patient (criterion 8, from 46 to 72%). CONCLUSION: The project achieved increased compliance with evidence-based best practice in all assessed audit criteria improving the practice of prechemotherapy assessment. Involvement of informatics technology is a great strategy to help overcome barriers, simplify the change process and assist in sustaining evidence-based practice change. Future plans and ideas are in place and have been discussed. Further audits will need to be carried out to improve the validity and quality of nursing assessment.

Effectiveness of basic training session regarding the awareness of Ebola virus disease among nurses of public tertiary care hospitals of Lahore.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of basic training session regarding the awareness of ebola virus disease among nurses of public tertiary care hospitals. METHODS: The quasi-experimental study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, from November to December 2015, and comprised nurses working at three public tertiary care hospitals. Baseline and post intervention data was collected through a questionnaire, and was compared using SPSS 20 . RESULTS: The sample comprised 100 nurses. The mean baseline knowledge score was 3.93±2.519 which indicated poor knowledge. The post-intervention mean score was 13.18±1.192 and the difference was significant (p<0.05).. CONCLUSIONS: The basic training session regarding awareness of ebola virus disease was highly effective.

Congruence between nurses' and patients' assessment of postoperative pain: a literature review.

Postoperative pain remains poorly managed for many patients. Effective pain management begins with accurate pain assessment, with patient self-reporting considered the most accurate measure of pain. This literature review aimed to identify how congruent nurses' assessments of pain were with patients' self-reporting. A search identified six observational studies and one quasi-experimental study that met the inclusion criteria. The findings from these studies were summarised under two themes: nurses' underestimation of patients' pain and nurses' knowledge and understanding of pain assessment. Some nurses' pain management knowledge was deemed inadequate, with evidence of negative attitudes towards managing pain in certain groups of patients. Educational interventions have so far had limited impact on correcting the ethical and professional problem of inadequate pain relief in many patients postoperatively. Randomised controlled trials are required to identify effective education interventions that can contribute to ending this avoidable suffering.

Nausea in Numbers: Electronic Medical Record Nausea and Vomiting Assessment for Children With Cancer.

Purpose: Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a distressing, underrecognized effect of treatment that can occur in up to 80% of patients. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the impact of implementation of a standardized nausea assessment tool, the Baxter Animated Retching Faces (BARF) scale, on nursing compliance with nausea assessment and the frequency and severity of patient-reported CINV for children with cancer. Method: The Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle was used to implement this practice change. With stakeholder support and hospital governance council approval, the BARF scale was introduced into the electronic medical record. Nurses were provided education about the assessment tool and were given badge buddy cards to prompt use of the tool, and workstation reminders were created. A root cause analysis was conducted to provide feedback for continuous quality improvement. Results: Retrospective, aggregate electronic medical record data from May 2018 to April 2019 were analyzed for assessment compliance, total number of admissions with vomiting episodes, and average BARF score. Over the 12-month implementation period, run charts demonstrated a shift in nursing practice with increased compliance in documented nausea assessments during the second 6-month period. There was not a significant decrease in patient-reported CINV. Conclusion: The use of standardized nausea assessments based on patient self-reporting can provide useful and consistent feedback for nurses and health care providers. This quality improvement project demonstrated increased compliance with nausea assessment documentation. Further studies are needed to demonstrate that improvements in nausea assessment may reduce the frequency and severity of CINV.

The implementation and usability of HIRAID, a structured approach to emergency nursing assessment.

BACKGROUND: Emergency nurses are responsible for the initial assessment, management and safety of critically ill patients. HIRAID, an evidence-informed emergency nursing assessment framework, is known to improve emergency nursing patient-assessment in the simulated environment however has not been evaluated in the clinical setting. METHODS: A pre-post design was used to assess the usability and impact of HIRAID on emergency nurses self-efficacy in the emergency department (ED). Nursing and medical staff from three Australian EDs were surveyed. Descriptive and optimal pooled sample t-tests statistics were conducted. RESULTS: One hundred and two emergency nurses completed the pre-intervention self-efficacy survey and 63 completed the post-intervention self-efficacy and satisfaction survey. Forty-two and 17 medical officers completed the pre- and post-intervention satisfaction surveys, respectively. Nursing staff self-efficacy levels were unchanged pre- and post-HIRAID implementation (Mean (SD): 8.8 (0.21) vs. 8.7 (0.20)) as was medical staff satisfaction (Mean (SD):7.5 (1.43) vs. 7.8 (1.07)), although there was a trend towards improved communication. CONCLUSION: The HIRAID structured approach to patient assessment is acceptable, feasible, practical and appropriate for use in the clinical environment. Further research will demonstrate the direct effects of HIRAID on clinical performance.

Ways of Reasoning Used by Nurses in Postoperative Pain Assessment.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pain is a major concern of patients undergoing surgery. Pain assessment for patients undergoing surgery is a common requirement for surgical nurses and is the most important nursing approach to ensuring patient comfort. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to identify the reasoning used by nurses when assessing postoperative pain in patients. METHODS: Phenomenography was the research approach chosen to analyze the nurses' experiences. This approach is used to acquire qualitative knowledge about the ways individuals experience the world. RESULTS: The reasoning used by nurses in postoperative pain assessment was identified from two perspectives: the frames of reference used to interpret a patient's perception of pain and the strategic efforts used to assess the pain. An outcome space for the various categories of reasoning employed by the nurses with regard to postoperative pain assessment was constructed to determine how these categories were logically related. CONCLUSIONS: These findings have the potential to lead to a diverse range of nursing education modalities related to the adoption of different focuses and actions in postoperative pain assessment.

Barriers to Physical Assessment: Registered Nurses in Mainland China.

The authors focus on discussing the barriers in the use of physical assessment skills by RNs (Registered Nurses) in mainland China. This study was a multicenter, cross-sectional survey conducted in 6 cities with 1,115 RNs in mainland China. The results indicated that 15.36% of the skills were used regularly, where general and skin condition assessment skills are used most frequently. Lack of training and a unified documentation form were the top two barriers RNs faced. In conclusion, RNs are not performing assessment skills with required proficiency in mainland China and still need managerial attention in continuing education.

Vascular assessment in venous leg ulcer diagnostics and management in Australian primary care: Clinician experiences.

AIM: In this article, we focus on primary health clinicians' experiences of vascular assessment in venous leg ulcer (VLU) diagnostics and management, including ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) measurements using Doppler ultrasonography. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured face-to-face and telephone interviews with general practitioners [15] and practice nurses [20] from primary health care settings in Australia. Twenty-one participants were recruited from practices located in Melbourne metropolitan settings and 14 from rural Victoria. We used the theory driven thematic analysis as a method of data analysis. The Theoretical Domains Framework informed this analysis. RESULTS: Five domains were identified as relevant, including Environmental Context and Resources, Motivation and Goals, Skills, Knowledge, and Beliefs about Capabilities. Although the Australian and New Zealand clinical practice guideline for prevention and management of venous leg ulcers recommend that vascular assessment is conducted for all patients with suspected VLUs, findings from our study indicate vascular assessments are not routinely performed in many primary care settings. Our study also found that a lack of awareness of clinical practice guidelines among clinicians might be one of the main issues for not following the latest clinical recommendations for vascular assessment in venous leg ulcer diagnostics and wound management practice. CONCLUSION: We recommend development of theory-informed interventions for clinicians in primary health care settings to optimise VLU management and healing outcomes for patients with VLUs. Implementation and evaluation of these interventions have the potential to reduce the evidence-practice gap in VLU management and optimise healing outcomes.

The transcultural adaptation and the validity and reliability of the Turkish Version of Perroca's Patient Classification Instrument.

AIM: This study examines the transcultural adaptation and the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of Perroca's Patient Classification Instrument. BACKGROUND: Nurse managers need valid and reliable patient classification tools for determining patients' acuity or dependency levels on nursing care for measuring nursing workloads. METHODS: This study was conducted in two stages in a private hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. First, the instrument was translated, and its content validation was analysed. In the second stage, data were gathered from 300 hospitalized patients and were analysed by factor analyses, Cronbach's alpha and Cohen's kappa. RESULTS: Validity testing with ten experts revealed a scale-content validity index of 0.93. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-dimensional instrument with distinct factor loadings and a variance of 66.97%. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the fit indices were satisfactory. This instrument had an overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .86 and Cohen's kappa coefficient of .826. CONCLUSION: The study provides evidence that the Turkish version of Perroca's Patient Classification Instrument is a valid and reliable tool to determine patients' acuity levels on nursing care. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: This instrument may be used by nurse managers to determine acuity levels of patients and measure nursing workload.

Pulse oximetry and the enduring neglect of respiratory rate assessment: a commentary on patient surveillance.

Clinical surveillance provides essential data on changes in a patient's condition. The common method for performing this surveillance is the assessment of vital signs. Despite the importance of these signs, research has found that vital signs are not rigorously assessed in clinical practice. Respiratory rate, arguably the most important vital sign, is the most neglected. Poor understanding might contribute to nurses incorrectly valuing oxygen saturation more than respiratory rate. Nurses need to understand the importance of respiratory rate assessment as a vital sign and the benefits and limitations of pulse oximetry as a clinical tool. By better understanding pulse oximetry and respiratory rate assessment, nurses might be more inclined to conduct rigorous vital signs' assessment. Research is needed to understand why many nurses do not appreciate the importance of vital signs' monitoring.

Assessment for Assisted Peritoneal Dialysis by Peritoneal Dialysis Nurses: Results of a Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Selection of patients for assisted peritoneal dialysis (PD) is based on the nurse's assessment of the patient. There is no data available about the nurse's assessment of the PD patient at the initiation of PD to estimate the need for assisted PD at the national level. This study was carried out to evaluate the association between the nurse's subjective assessment of the patient's inability to be treated by self-care PD, the nurse evaluation of the patient disabilities and the utilization of nurse or family assisted PD. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients starting PD between July 1, 2010 and 2015 and registered in the nurse section of the French Language PD Registry (RDPLF). Poisson regression and a linear regression model with a robust variance estimator were used for the statistical analysis to determine relative risks (RRs) and risk differences (RDs). RESULTS: Of 4,101 PD patients, 403 were treated by family assisted PD, and 1,695 were treated by nurse-assisted PD. In the multivariate analysis, the nurse's subjective assessment of the patient's inability to be treated by self-care PD was associated with nurse-assisted PD (5.40 [4.58-6.35], 67% [64-70%]) and family assisted PD (11.11 [8.49-14.56], RD 62% [57-67%]). Nurse-assisted PD and family assisted PD were associated with functional impairment (RR 1.25 [95% CI 1.16-1.36], RD 14% [95% CI 10-19%] and RR 2.02 [95% CI 1.69-2.41], RD 27% [95% CI 20-34%] respectively), cognitive dysfunction (RR 1.23 [95% CI 1.15-1.32], RD 15% [95% CI 11-18%] and RR 1.73 [95% CI 1.39-2.16], RD 12% [95% CI 7-18%] respectively) and deafness (RR 1.10 [95% CI 1.04-1.16], RD 8% [95% CI 5-11%] and RR 1.46 [95% CI 1.22-1.74], RD 10% [95% CI 6-14%] respectively). CONCLUSION: Our results showed that the nurse's subjective assessment of the patient's inability to be treated by self-care PD and the patient's disabilities were strongly associated with the utilization of nurse- and family assisted PD.

Preparing students to be ready for practice: An innovative approach to teaching advanced physical assessment skills online.

Distance graduate nursing education has been expanding. Although many didactic courses are taught through an online platform, there are often challenges to providing skill-based courses, such as advanced physical assessment, through an online format. To prepare and assess advanced practice nursing students on their clinical knowledge and physical assessment skills, an online course was developed using multisource feedback and videography. Students used videography to record themselves as they conducted physical assessments on a volunteer patient. Students then critiqued their own video, critiqued two of their colleagues' videos, and the final critiques of the videos were conducted by faculty. All students were expected to perform and pass a complete physical examination on a standardize patient as their final examination. The final scores of the students learning through the online course were equivalent to the scores achieved by the students in the traditional face-to-face physical assessment course.

Nursing Diagnoses, Interventions, and Activities as Described by a Nursing Minimum Data Set: A Prospective Study in an Oncology Hospital Setting.

BACKGROUND: Oncological diseases affect the biopsychosocial aspects of a person's health, resulting in the need for complex multidisciplinary care. The quality and outcomes of healthcare cannot be adequately assessed without considering the contribution of nursing care, whose essential elements such as the nursing diagnoses (NDs), nursing interventions (NIs), and nursing activities (NAs) can be recorded in the Nursing Minimum Data Set (NMDS). There has been little research using the NMDS in oncology setting. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and distribution of NDs, NIs, and NAs and their relationship across patient age and medical diagnoses. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study. Data were collected between July and December 2014 through an NMDS and the hospital discharge register in an Italian hospital oncology unit. RESULTS: On average, for each of 435 enrolled patients, 5.7 NDs were identified on admission; the most frequent ND was risk for infection. During the hospital stay, 16.2 NIs per patient were planned, from which 25.2 NAs per day per patient were delivered. Only a third of NAs were based on a medical order, being the highest percentage delivered on nursing prescriptions. The number of NDs, NIs, and NAs was not related to patient age, but differed significantly among medical diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: An NMDS can depict patient needs and nursing care delivered in oncology patients. Such data can effectively describe nursing contribution to patient care. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The use of an NMDS raises the visibility of nursing care in the clinical records. Such data enable comparison and benchmarking with other healthcare professions and international data.

Evaluation of the Nursing Culture Assessment Tool for Pressure Injury Prevention: A Mixed-methods Study.

The nursing culture in long-term care (LTC) settings may affect quality measures such as pressure injury (PrI) rates. PURPOSE: The study was conducted to evaluate the relevance of an LTC facility's nursing culture to both their quality measures and their staff's perceptions of care in the context of PrI prevention. METHODS: Directors of Nursing (DONs) in 4 purposively selected Medicare/Medicaid-certified skilled nursing facilities were invited by phone, agreed to participate in the 5-day project, and completed an initial 7-item, facility-related survey. Their staff completed the Nursing Culture Assessment Tool (NCAT), a pen-and-paper instrument that comprises 19 items regarding 6 principal dimensions of nursing culture (behaviors, expectations, teamwork, communication, satisfaction, and professional commitment) and participated in focus groups to discuss the NCAT and its findings using standardized probes of the perception of survey salience in relation to PrI prevention practices. Staff, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants employed either part- or full-time at each facility, were eligible for study participation over a 5-day period. All data collection and analyses were conducted by the authors. Facility-related data were descriptive only. Analyses of variance were used to test differences in standardized NCAT scores by facility, and focus group transcripts were coded and subjected to structured thematic content analysis. RESULTS: One hundred, nine (109) people completed the NCAT, and 47 participated in focus groups. NCAT scores varied significantly by facility (P value range .001-.027). Staff comments about their respective facility's results focused primarily on communication and teamwork and included both agreement or disagreement with the facility's high or low scores in the context of PrI prevention, as well as suggestions for instrument administration. CONCLUSION: Examination of nursing culture using the NCAT can provide new and targeted perspectives on how frontline workers perceive barriers and facilitators to delivery of PrI prevention in LTC. To support the evidence base regarding their values and beliefs, future research on effective workplace change in LTC settings will require nuanced assessment of the meaning and impact of the nursing culture on worker performance.

[Evidence of lack of agreement between hemodialysis patients and nurses on presence and severity of symptoms.] / Évidence d'un manque de concordance entre les patients hémodialysés et les infirmières sur la présence et la sévérité des symptômes.

Hemodialysis patients constitute a vulnerable population whose quality of life is affected by the many symptoms (e.g., pain, fatigue) they experience. The presence and severity of these symptoms are significantly under-assessed by health professionals. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the symptoms perceived by hemodialysis patients versus those detected by nurses. A total of 123 patients and 70 nurses working in six hemodialysis centers were included in the study. The results show that participating nurses detected less than 50% of the symptoms perceived by patients. Agreement between hemodialysis patients and nurses regarding symptom presence and severity was slight to fair at best (kappa < 0.47). This suggests that improving the knowledge and skills of hemodialysis nurses for detecting the symptoms of the patients in their care could go a long way toward intervening more efficiently and improving the quality of the care they offer.

Associations between patient symptoms and falls in an acute care hospital: A cross-sectional study.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To describe associations between patient fall risk and common symptoms among hospitalised inpatients. BACKGROUND: Predictors of falls have been identified in a variety of populations and settings, but the role of inpatients' symptom experience has not been adequately evaluated. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. METHODS: Participants included 614 medical and elective surgical patients in an acute hospital in Norway. Patient falls during hospitalisation were assessed by self-report and incident reports. Pain intensity and the occurrence and distress of 15 other symptoms were assessed by self-report. RESULTS: Patient falls were associated with male sex and having more comorbidities. Medical patients were more likely to fall than elective surgical patients. In logistic regression analyses, higher symptom counts were associated with increased risk of fall, with each additional symptom conferring a 15% increase in fall risk. Symptom distress related to concentration difficulties, lack of energy, sleep problems, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea was associated with increased risk of fall, even after adjusting for the influence of age, sex and comorbidities (odds ratios ranged 2.3-4.8). Severe pain, as well as symptom distress related to drowsiness, itching, dizziness or swelling of arms/legs, was also associated with patient falls, although these associations were attenuated after accounting for age, sex and comorbidities. Overall, symptom distress was more strongly associated with fall risk than symptom occurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Symptom burden and distress may help identify hospital patients at risk for fall. Additional research is needed to determine whether symptoms are useful for assessing fall risk among hospital patients and other high-risk populations. If symptoms are useful indicators of fall risk, they should be considered for inclusion in standardised risk assessments. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Clinicians ought to pay particular attention to increased fall risk among patients reporting many symptoms and those experiencing distress from concentration difficulties, fatigue, sleep problems, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.