A relational coordination training intervention to improve job satisfaction and intent to stay in the intensive care unit: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Relational coordination (RC) explores the coordination of work between and among professionals in a workgroup. RC is associated with higher job satisfaction and retention; however, researchers have not tested RC training interventions to improve job satisfaction and retention. PURPOSE: To explore changes in job satisfaction and intent to stay among health care professionals following a virtual RC training intervention. METHODS: We conducted a pilot, parallel group randomized controlled trial in four intensive care units. Data collection occurred via survey. Difference-in-difference regression models were used to analyze the job satisfaction and intent to stay outcomes. DISCUSSION: The RC training intervention did not influence job satisfaction or intent to stay. Participants with baccalaureate degrees and African American/Black participants reported lower intent to stay. CONCLUSION: The results from this pilot study are a critical first step in testing the efficacy of an RC training intervention to improve staff outcomes in a larger powered study.

RWJF Future of Nursing Scholars experience and recommendations: Focus group results at final convening.

BACKGROUND: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched the Future of Nursing Scholars program to support nurses to complete PhDs in 3 years in schools across the United States. PURPOSE: To explore why scholars participated in the program and to articulate challenges and facilitators to successful completion of their doctoral degrees. METHOD: Thirty-one scholars representing 18 different schools participated in focus groups at a convening in January 2022. FINDINGS: Scholars identified that funding and planned length of degree completion were important factors in their choosing the accelerated program. Mentorship, networking, and support were identified as facilitators to program completion with the tight timeline of three years noted as a challenge. DISCUSSION: Accelerated students require adequate resources including access to data, mentoring, and financing to overcome challenges presented by accelerated PhD training programs. Cohort models provide support and clarity of expectations for both students and mentors is critical.

911 Calls for Emergency Medical Services in Heart Failure: A Descriptive Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is a common condition leading to activation of emergency medical services (EMS). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe reasons given by persons with HF, family members, or other caregivers for requesting EMS activation during 911 calls. METHODS: In this descriptive qualitative study, a content analysis was performed on transcribed audio files of 383 EMS requests involving 383 persons with HF in the community. RESULTS: One hundred forty-seven calls (38.4%) were placed by the family members, 75 (19.6%) were placed by the patients, 56 (14.6%) were placed by healthcare workers or personnel from living facilities, and the remaining calls (n = 105, 27.4%) were placed by others (eg, friends, neighbors, officers). Three broad categories of symptoms, signs, and events were identified as the reasons for an EMS request. Frequently reported symptoms were breathing problems (55.4%), chest pain (18.3%), and other pain (eg, head, extremities) (16.7%). Signs included decreased consciousness (15.4%), swelling (5.7%), and bleeding (5.0%). The reported events involved falls (8.1%), heart attack (6.3%), hypoxic episodes (6.0%), stroke (5.2%), and post-hospital-discharge complications (4.7%). In most calls (74.9%), multiple reasons were reported and a combination of symptoms, signs, and events were identified. Heart failure diagnosis was mentioned in fewer than 10% of the calls. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, symptoms and signs of HF exacerbation were common reasons to activate 911 calls. Falls were frequently reported. Under the duress of the emergent situations surrounding the 911 call, callers rarely mentioned the existence of HF. Interventions are needed to guide patients with HF and their family members to promote the management of HF to reduce EMS activation as well as to activate EMS quickly for acute changes in HF conditions.

Seeking to Understand: Qualitative Research on Sustainability of Evidence-Based Practice in Acute Care.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe cultural characteristics, values, and beliefs that influence sustainability of an evidence-based practice (EBP) intervention in the acute care clinical setting. BACKGROUND: There is an urgent need to identify best practices to sustain EBP to gain efficiencies in nursing care delivery and improve patient outcomes. METHODS: A focused ethnographic qualitative study was conducted in a community hospital with nurses that used Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT). RESULTS: Customizing the intervention to the unit culture evolved and was crucial for sustainability. Overlap in responsibilities, time, clinician confidence, and impact to workflow were noted as negative influences. The intervention was primarily viewed as a task to be checked off a list instead of a tool that informs the patient's plan of care. CONCLUSIONS: Assessing clinician experiences, beliefs, and values of an EBP should be incorporated into a strategic sustainability plan. Clinician understanding of how an EBP can advance the patient plan of care could promote ownership of professional practice and sustainment.

A study of Indiana University Health's spirit of inquiry and innovation during COVID.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has required nursing innovations to meet patient care needs not previously encountered. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe nursing innovations conceived, implemented, and desired during the first COVID-19 surge. METHODS: The investigators invited registered nurses employed across 16 Midwest hospitals (6,207) to complete the survey. Respondents provided demographics and written descriptions of innovations they conceived, witnessed, and desired. Investigators analyzed text responses using standard content analytic procedures and summarized quantitative demographics using percentages. FINDINGS: Nurses reported seven types of innovations that would (a) improve personal protective equipment (PPE), (b) limit the need to repeatedly don and doff PPE, (c) ensure safer practice, (d) conserve and access supplies, (e) provide patient and family education and support, (f) make team member communication more efficient, and (g) improve peer support. DISCUSSION: Nurses are in a unique position to generate innovative solutions to meet patient care needs under adverse and rapidly changing situations.

Development and assessment of the usability of a web-based referral to treatment tool for persons with substance use disorders.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalized people with unhealthy substance use should be referred to treatment. Although inpatient referral resources are often available, clinicians report that outpatient referral networks are not well-established. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the development and usability testing of a web-based Referral to Treatment Tool (RTT © 2020 Trustees of Indiana University, all rights reserved) designed to identify treatment centers for people with unhealthy substance use. RESULTS: The RTT was conceptualized, developed, and then populated with public use and local survey data of treatment centers from 14 market ZIP codes of hospitals participating in an SBIRT implementation study. The tool underwent initial heuristic testing, followed by usability testing at three hospitals within a large healthcare system in the Midwest region of the United States. Administrative (n = 6) and provider (n = 12) users of the RTT completed a list of tasks and provided feedback through Think-Aloud Tests, the System Usability Scale, and in-person interviews. Patients (n = 4) assessed multiple versions of a take-home printout of referral sites that met their specifications and completed in-person interviews to provide feedback. Each administrative task was completed in less than 3 min, and providers took an average of 4 min and 3 s to identify appropriate referral sites for a patient and print a referral list for the patient. The mean System Usability Scale score (M = 77.22, SD = 15.57, p = 0.03) was significantly higher than the passable score of 70, indicating favorable perceptions of the usability of the RTT. Administrative and provider users felt that the RTT was useful and easy to use, but the settings and search features could be refined. Patients indicated that the printouts contained useful information and that it was helpful to include multiple referral sites on the printout. CONCLUSION: The web-based referral tool has the potential to facilitate voluntary outpatient referral to treatment for patients with unhealthy substance use. The RTT can be customized for a variety of health care settings and patient needs. Additional revisions based on usability testing results are needed to prepare for a broader multi-site clinical evaluation. Trial Registration Not applicable.

Implementation of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) by nurses on acute care units: A qualitative descriptive study.

Background: Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based intervention for patients with substance use disorders, but this intervention is under-utilized. Little is known about the implementation of SBIRT in acute care facilities. The purpose of this study is to describe implementation of SBIRT by nurses in acute care hospitals. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was used for this study. Registered nurses who agreed to participate in the study completed a 1:1 interview using a semi-structured interview guide. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed and then data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: When implementing SBIRT in an acute care setting, participants identified several factors that affect implementation. Some nurses felt that it is "one more thing to do" but other nurses feel that it was a "good, simple" screening tool that does not take long to do and can "plant the seeds of change" for patients. Additionally, participants mentioned barriers and facilitators related to the patients' responses to SBIRT and organizational factors. Conclusions: This study identified several barriers and facilitators to SBIRT implementation related to the nurses, patients, and organization. By understanding the factors that influence implementation, healthcare providers can develop strategies to support effective implementation of SBIRT.

Variation in SBIRT delivery among acute care facilities.

BACKGROUND: Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based process to recognize and intervene with people who use substances. Despite evidence to support the SBIRT effectiveness, this process is rarely used in acute care. To facilitate use of SBIRT in acute care, it is important to first understand the implementation processes. PURPOSE: To describe SBIRT processes across 14 acute care facilities. METHODS: A phone interview was conducted with site coordinators at 14 facilities to describe their SBIRT process and clinicians involved in each step. FINDINGS: Seven different SBIRT processes were identified for people that use alcohol and/or drugs, and five different processes were identified for people that use tobacco. The function of SBIRT was consistent throughout facilities, but the form of implementation varied based on organizational context. DISCUSSION: Future SBIRT dissemination efforts will need to first understand the local processes and clinicians involved within each facility to tailor implementation to local context.

Methods of nursing certification in North America-A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Definitions of nursing certification are lacking in the research literature and research on certification in nursing is remarkably limited. METHODS: A six-stage scoping review framework was used to identify the nature, extent, and range of certification within the nursing literature. FINDINGS: Thirty-six articles were included in this scoping review. Most originated in the United States (89%), were classified as research articles (56%), and used a quantitative approach (90%). The majority focused on initial certification (50%), and written examination was the most prevalent approach to certification (39%). Missing and incomplete data were prevalent. DISCUSSION: The overall lack of nursing certification origin, focus, methodological rigor, and clear certification mastery criteria have hindered meaningful study of the relationship between nursing certification and patient outcomes. Common data elements, reporting standards, and observational studies linking common data elements and patient outcomes could guide future research and improve the transparency of certification processes and reporting.

Building Evidence-Based Nursing Practice Capacity in a Large Statewide Health System: A Multimodal Approach.

Integration of evidence-based practice (EBP) into the culture of a healthcare organization is essential to provide safe patient care and promote a thriving culture for the nurses within the healthcare organization. Collaboration and utilization of both clinical and academic experts facilitate the removal of barriers to EBP. This article describes the successful partnership between a healthcare system and school of nursing in executing a 3-phased multimodal approach to an EBP training program.

Constructing a Sensitizing Definition of Certification in Nursing for Research Purposes: A Hybrid Methodology Using Consensus-Building Approach.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to construct a sensitizing definition of certification in nursing for research purposes that can provide a foundation from which to further develop a coherent research program building evidence about the impact of certification on healthcare outcomes. BACKGROUND: The lack of a single definition of certification in nursing makes it difficult to draw conclusions about the relationship between specialty certification and patient outcomes. METHODS: This study was guided by the Delphi-Chaffee hybrid methodology proposed by Grant et al. DISCUSSION: Constructing a single, sensitizing definition of certification: 1) provides coherency for direction of certification research; 2) serves as a guide for researchers; and 3) facilitates multimethodological approaches to exploring the relationship among the different components of the definition of certification. CONCLUSION: A sensitizing definition of certification provides an opportunity for researchers to study the relationship between nursing certification and patient outcomes.

A Multisite Health System Survey to Assess Organizational Context to Support Evidence-Based Practice.

BACKGROUND: Implementation and sustainability of a culture of evidence-based practice (EBP) require a systematic approach. A baseline assessment of the organizational context can inform implementation efforts. AIMS: To examine organizational hospital context and provider characteristics associated with EBP readiness and to describe EBP context across hospitals. METHODS: A nonexperimental descriptive correlational design was used to conduct a web-based survey of direct-care registered nurses (N = 701) and nurse managers (N = 94) across a large Midwestern multisite healthcare system using the Alberta Context Tool (ACT). RESULTS: Many significant relationships existed among nurse characteristics and ACT domains, including age (lower age had higher Leadership, Evaluation, and Formal Interactions), education (graduate education had lower Social Capital than a bachelor's or associate degree), role (direct-care nurses had lower Culture than managers and lower Social Capital), and work status (full-time employees had lower Evaluation and Social Capital). EBP context across type of hospitals is similar, with marginal differences in Social Capital and Organizational Slack (higher in critical access hospitals). LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: Assessing organizational context to support EBP is the first step in developing and enhancing a sustainable culture of inquiry. The ACT has been tested across countries, settings, and healthcare disciplines to measure perception of readiness of the practice environment toward EBP. Optimal organizational context is essential to support EBP and sustain the use of evidence in professional nursing practice. Nursing leaders can use baseline assessment information to identify strengths and opportunities to enhance EBP implementation. Enhancing organizational context across nurse characteristics (e.g., age, role, and work status) to acknowledge nurses' contributions, balance nurses' personal and work life, enhance connectedness, and support work culture is beneficial. Fostering development of Social Capital in nurses is needed to influence EBP readiness. A systematic and standardized approach to foster EBP across health systems is key to successful implementation.

Multisite Studies Demonstrate Positive Relationship Between Practice Environments and Smoking Cessation Counseling Evidence-Based Practices.

PROBLEM: High-quality smoking cessation counseling guidelines for people who use tobacco are not fully integrated in acute-care services presenting missed opportunities to improve health outcomes. The role of the practice environment on enhancing or inhibiting guideline use is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between the nurse practice environment and nurses' use of smoking cessation counseling practices, and to evaluate the effect of the individual nurse and organization characteristics on nurse smoking cessation counseling practices. DESIGN: Cross-sectional secondary analysis of survey data from two multisite studies. SAMPLE: The sample included responses from registered nurses (N = 844) in 45 hospitals (22 rural hospitals from the Eastern United States and 23 Magnet hospitals across the United States). METHODS: Linear mixed model was used to adjust intradependency among the responses of individual nurses nested within hospitals. Data were abstracted from survey responses including nurse characteristics, the Smoking Cessation Counseling Scale (SCCS), and the Practice Environment Scale-Nursing Work Index (PES). RESULTS: Increasing positive relationships exist between PES and SCCS total and subscales scores. Also, SCCS total scores were significantly related with favorable PES total scores (SCCS score difference of 0.26 between favorable and unfavorable PES scores, SE = .08, p = .002) controlling for other covariates. Non-White respondents (vs. White) demonstrated a positive association with SCCS total scores (difference of .18, SE = .07, p = .010), but not in advanced counseling. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: Nurse practice environments are positively associated with the use of evidence-based smoking cessation practices by nurses. As practice environments become more favorable, higher level counseling practices occur more often. Healthcare leaders should focus on enhancing the practice environment using a quality improvement approach and framework for evidence translation. Quality improvement initiatives should be prioritized in which high-quality evidence is available to support nursing processes.

Early assessment of the 10-step patient engagement framework for patient-centred outcomes research studies: the first three steps.

Background: A key principle of patient-centred outcomes research (PCOR) is the engagement of patients and other stakeholders in the research process, but the evidence is still emerging on the impact patient engagement has on the research process. A 10-step framework has been developed to provide methodological guidance for patient engagement throughout the research process. However, the utility of the framework for patient engagement has not been tested in actual research studies. Objective: To describe researcher's overall experiences with engaging patients at the beginning of their PCOR research process. Methods: Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted face-to-face and by telephone with PCOR researchers between November 2014 and January 2015 at an Academic Health Center in the eastern USA. All data were audiotaped and transcribed, and NVivo 10 software was used for data analysis. Results: Four major themes emerged (i) the importance of patient engagement and how it provides 'a perspective you can't get unless you talk to the patient'; (ii) the impact of patient engagement; (iii) challenges and barriers of engagement; and (iv) the realities of patient engagement. Conclusions: Researchers' views illustrate the need to re-evaluate patient engagement in PCOR based on current realities. Given the many challenges to engagement that researchers encounter, it may be more productive to redefine the process of patient engagement so that the issues researchers now face are taken into account in future funding announcements, engagement rubrics and methodology frameworks developed.

Inpatient Unit Heart Failure Discharge Volume Predicts All-cause 30-Day Hospital Readmission.

BACKGROUND: All-cause 30-day hospital readmission is a heart failure (HF) quality of care metric. Readmission costs the healthcare system $30.7 million annually. Specific structure, process, or patient factors that predispose patients to readmission are unclear. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to determine whether the addition of unit-level structural factors (attending medical service, patient-to-nurse ratio, and unit HF volume) predicts readmission beyond patient factors. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 425 patients who resided in Maryland and were discharged home in 2011 with the primary diagnosis of HF from a large, urban academic center was conducted. RESULTS: The patients were predominately (66.6%) black/African American, with mean (SD) age of 62.2 (14.8) years. Men represented 48.2% of the sample; 32% had nonischemic HF, 31.3% had preserved ejection fractions, 25.4% had implantable cardioverter defibrillators, and 15.3% had permanent pacemakers. Average length of stay was 6.0 days. All-cause 30-day hospital readmission rate was 20.2%. Inpatient unit HF discharge volume significantly predicted readmission after controlling for patient factors. CONCLUSIONS: The study found that discharge from inpatient units with higher HF discharge volume was associated with increased risk of readmission. The findings suggest that in caring for patients with severe HF, inpatient unit HF discharge volume may negatively impact care processes, increasing the odds of hospital readmission. It is unclear what specific care processes are responsible. The discharge period is a vulnerable point in care transition that warrants further investigation.

Building Research Infrastructure in Magnet® Hospitals: Current Status and Future Directions.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the infrastructures supporting research in Magnet® hospitals. BACKGROUND: Hospitals undertaking the journey toward Magnet designation must build research and evidence-based practice (EBP) infrastructures that support the infusion of research and EBP into clinical practice. METHODS: An electronic survey was developed and distributed to the chief nursing officer or Magnet coordinator of all Magnet hospitals between June 10, 2015, and July 8, 2015. RESULTS: Of the 418 Magnet hospitals invited, 249 responses (60%) were received. Resources dedicated to nursing research were difficult to isolate from those for EBP. Supporting clinical nurses' time away from the bedside remains a challenge. Nearly half (44%) indicated that research is conducted within the nurses' usual clinical hours, and 40% indicated that nurses participate on their own time. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitals use a variety of resources and mentor arrangements to support research and EBP, often the same resources. More targeted resources are needed to fully integrate research into clinical practice.

Engaging patients with heart failure into the design of health system interventions: Impact on research methods.

The purpose of this study was to engage patients with heart failure (HF) to assess if changes are needed in a research study design, methods and outcomes when transferring interventions used in urban/community hospitals to rural hospital settings. A qualitative structured interview was conducted with eight patients with a diagnosis of HF admitted to two rural hospitals. Patients validated the study design, measures and outcomes, but identified one area that should be added to the study protocol, symptom experience. Results validated that the intervention, methods and outcomes for the planned study were important, but modifications to the study protocol resulted. Patient engagement in the conceptualization of research is essential to guide patient-centered studies.

Leading Organizational Cultural Competency: Nurse Leader Rounds and Care for Diverse Patients.

Chief nurse executives (CNEs) face challenges in providing high-quality, patient-centered care for diverse populations. Although the implementation of culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) may improve patient satisfaction, the cost of initiatives and education coupled with shortened episodes of care pose obstacles. The article describes themes from a qualitative study with CNEs, describes resources and best practices, and highlights nurse leader rounds as a vehicle for implementing CLAS.

The patient-centered outcomes research institute: research done differently.

BACKGROUND: The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) was authorized by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 to fund comparative clinical effectiveness research to provide reliable evidence to help patients and their healthcare providers make informed decisions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to describe the synergy between nursing research and PCORI funding priorities, discuss unique aspects of PCORI funding, and identify the implications for nurse researchers. DISCUSSION: Goals of nursing research are well aligned with PCORI interests. Given this synergy, many phenomena that nursing scientists study could become topics of a competitive proposal for PCORI funding. Major aspects of PCORI funding with implications for nurse researchers include the nature of the questions asked, funding priorities, engagement of patients and stakeholders, compliance with the PCORI's methodology standards, and the proposal review criteria and process.