Competence-based human resource management to improve managerial competence of first-line nurse managers: A scale development.

AIM: This study aimed to develop and psychometrically test a competence-based human resource management scale to improve managerial competence of first-line nurse managers in public hospitals. BACKGROUND: To ensure the high competence of the first-line nurse managers, the competence-based human resource management should be evaluated using the best-fit instrument. However, no instrument has been identified in the hospital setting. METHODS: This methodological study consists of three main steps: (1) generating scale items based on literature review and expert interviews, (2) pilot testing of face and content validity and (3) evaluating psychometric properties with 300 first-line nurse managers from 16 public hospitals in Indonesia selected using a multistage sampling. Data were collected from May to December 2017. Principal component analysis and Cronbach's α were used for construct validity and internal consistency reliability. RESULTS: The final scale consists of 30 items in five dimensions, which explained 65.48% of the total variance. The dimensions include 'training and evaluation, career planning and development, rewards scheme, recruitment and selection, and appraisal system'. Cronbach's α for the scale was .89, with a range of .85 to .88. CONCLUSION: The competence-based human resource management scale is reliable and valid to use in public hospital settings.

Fall Prevention Decision Making of Acute Care Registered Nurses.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine acute care registered nurses' (RNs') fall prevention decision-making. BACKGROUND: The RN decision-making process related to fall prevention needs to be investigated to ensure that hospital policies align with nursing workflow and support nursing judgment. METHODS: Qualitative semistructured interviews based on the Critical Decision Method were conducted with RNs about their planning and decision making during their last 12-hour shift worked. RESULTS: Data saturation was achieved with 12 RNs. Nine themes emerged related to the RN decision-making process and included hospital-level (eg, fear of discipline), unit-level (eg, value of bed alarm technology), and nurse-level (eg, professional judgment) factors that could influence fall prevention. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing administrators should consider a multilevel approach to fall prevention policies that includes promoting a practice environment that embraces self-reporting adverse events without fear of shame or being reprimanded, evaluating unit-level practice and technology acceptance and usability, and supporting autonomous nursing practice.

Perceived Managerial Competence of First-Line Nurse Managers: A Comparative Analysis Among Public Hospitals.

Knowing the perceptions of first-line nurse managers (FLNMs) regarding their managerial competence is an important step to resolve disparities between their perceived competence and the competencies required for them to effectively function in their roles. Yet, evidence examining managerial competence of FLNMs among public hospitals in Indonesia is sparse. To fill this gap, we conducted a cross-sectional study aimed to identify managerial competence of FLNMs according to hospital type and ownership. This study was conducted from January to May 2018 and included a convenience sample of 233 FLNMs selected from 13 public hospitals. We used the Indonesian-First-Line Nurse Managers Managerial Competence Scale (I-FLNMMCS) to measure managerial competence. Descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis, and Dunn's Pairwise were used for data analysis. Findings showed a significant difference in managerial competence according to the hospital type (p < .05). The FLNMs with a Diploma III, those relatively older, in their position for 7 or more years, and with managerial training in Type A hospitals (larger hospitals) had the highest managerial competence. The FLNMs with a bachelor's degree, those relatively younger, with less training, and those in their position for 3 to 4 years in Type B and C hospitals (smaller hospitals) had less managerial competence. A significant difference was also found in managerial competence according to hospital ownership (p <.05). Public hospitals owned by the Ministry of Health of Indonesia had the highest competence among the others. This study is useful for guiding future policy work for human resource development in public hospitals.

Evidence-based tobacco treatment utilization among dual users of cigarettes and E-cigarettes.

Dual users of e-cigarettes and cigarettes may represent a unique and receptive population for evidence-based tobacco dependence treatment. We measured the frequency of quit attempts during the past year, and the use of evidence-based tobacco dependence treatments (i.e., behavioral and/or pharmacological treatments), among adult smokers who are current e-cigarette users (dual users) compared with those who do not use e-cigarettes (exclusive smokers). Data were analyzed from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey. Multivariate-adjusted regression models were used to examine the correlates of tobacco treatment use among adult smokers, comparing current e-cigarette users with those who did not use e-cigarettes, stratifying by age group, and adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Analyses were based on 5415 adult current cigarette smokers. Compared to exclusive smokers, dual users were more likely to report a quit attempt in the past year among adults <65 years: 18-24 years (odds ratio [OR] = 2.25), 25-44 years (OR = 1.60), and 45-64 years (OR = 1.96). With the exception of adults ≥65 years, dual users reported low rates of using combination (behavioral and pharmacological) treatments that were not statistically different from exclusive smokers: 18-24 years (0.1% vs. 2.1%, respectively), 25-44 years (4.3% vs. 4.7%), and 45-64 years (3.0% vs. 8.3%). Despite higher likelihood for dual users to make a quit attempt, their use of evidence-based tobacco treatment is low, similar to exclusive smokers. Dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes represent a prime target for interventions to expand access and utilization of evidence-based tobacco use treatments.

Hypothesis generation using network structures on community health center cancer-screening performance.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES: Nationally sponsored cancer-care quality-improvement efforts have been deployed in community health centers to increase breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer-screening rates among vulnerable populations. Despite several immediate and short-term gains, screening rates remain below national benchmark objectives. Overall improvement has been both difficult to sustain over time in some organizational settings and/or challenging to diffuse to other settings as repeatable best practices. Reasons for this include facility-level changes, which typically occur in dynamic organizational environments that are complex, adaptive, and unpredictable. This study seeks to understand the factors that shape community health center facility-level cancer-screening performance over time. This study applies a computational-modeling approach, combining principles of health-services research, health informatics, network theory, and systems science. METHODS: To investigate the roles of knowledge acquisition, retention, and sharing within the setting of the community health center and to examine their effects on the relationship between clinical decision support capabilities and improvement in cancer-screening rate improvement, we employed Construct-TM to create simulated community health centers using previously collected point-in-time survey data. Construct-TM is a multi-agent model of network evolution. Because social, knowledge, and belief networks co-evolve, groups and organizations are treated as complex systems to capture the variability of human and organizational factors. In Construct-TM, individuals and groups interact by communicating, learning, and making decisions in a continuous cycle. Data from the survey was used to differentiate high-performing simulated community health centers from low-performing ones based on computer-based decision support usage and self-reported cancer-screening improvement. RESULTS: This virtual experiment revealed that patterns of overall network symmetry, agent cohesion, and connectedness varied by community health center performance level. Visual assessment of both the agent-to-agent knowledge sharing network and agent-to-resource knowledge use network diagrams demonstrated that community health centers labeled as high performers typically showed higher levels of collaboration and cohesiveness among agent classes, faster knowledge-absorption rates, and fewer agents that were unconnected to key knowledge resources. Conclusions and research implications: Using the point-in-time survey data outlining community health center cancer-screening practices, our computational model successfully distinguished between high and low performers. Results indicated that high-performance environments displayed distinctive network characteristics in patterns of interaction among agents, as well as in the access and utilization of key knowledge resources. Our study demonstrated how non-network-specific data obtained from a point-in-time survey can be employed to forecast community health center performance over time, thereby enhancing the sustainability of long-term strategic-improvement efforts. Our results revealed a strategic profile for community health center cancer-screening improvement via simulation over a projected 10-year period. The use of computational modeling allows additional inferential knowledge to be drawn from existing data when examining organizational performance in increasingly complex environments.

Using computational modeling to assess the impact of clinical decision support on cancer screening improvement strategies within the community health centers.

Our conceptual model demonstrates our goal to investigate the impact of clinical decision support (CDS) utilization on cancer screening improvement strategies in the community health care (CHC) setting. We employed a dual modeling technique using both statistical and computational modeling to evaluate impact. Our statistical model used the Spearman's Rho test to evaluate the strength of relationship between our proximal outcome measures (CDS utilization) against our distal outcome measure (provider self-reported cancer screening improvement). Our computational model relied on network evolution theory and made use of a tool called Construct-TM to model the use of CDS measured by the rate of organizational learning. We employed the use of previously collected survey data from community health centers Cancer Health Disparities Collaborative (HDCC). Our intent is to demonstrate the added valued gained by using a computational modeling tool in conjunction with a statistical analysis when evaluating the impact a health information technology, in the form of CDS, on health care quality process outcomes such as facility-level screening improvement. Significant simulated disparities in organizational learning over time were observed between community health centers beginning the simulation with high and low clinical decision support capability.

Nurse manager cognitive decision-making amidst stress and work complexity.

AIM: The present study provides insight into nurse manager cognitive decision-making amidst stress and work complexity. BACKGROUND: Little is known about nurse manager decision-making amidst stress and work complexity. Because nurse manager decisions have the potential to impact patient care quality and safety, understanding their decision-making processes is useful for designing supportive interventions. METHODS: This qualitative descriptive study interviewed 21 nurse managers from three hospitals to answer the research question: What decision-making processes do nurse managers utilize to address stressful situations in their nurse manager role? Face-to-face interviews incorporating components of the Critical Decision Method illuminated expert-novice practice differences. Content analysis identified one major theme and three sub-themes. RESULTS: The present study produced a cognitive model that guides nurse manager decision-making related to stressful situations. Experience in the role, organizational context and situation factors influenced nurse manager cognitive decision-making processes. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings suggest that chronic exposure to stress and work complexity negatively affects nurse manager health and their decision-making processes potentially threatening individual, patient and organizational outcomes. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Cognitive decision-making varies based on nurse manager experience and these differences have coaching and mentoring implications. This present study contributes a current understanding of nurse manager decision-making amidst stress and work complexity.

Reaching out, inviting back: using Interactive voice response (IVR) technology to recycle relapsed smokers back to Quitline treatment--a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco dependence is a chronic, relapsing condition that typically requires multiple quit attempts and extended treatment. When offered the opportunity, relapsed smokers are interested in recycling back into treatment for a new, assisted quit attempt. This manuscript presents the results of a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of interactive voice response (IVR) in recycling low income smokers who had previously used quitline (QL) support back to QL support for a new quit attempt. METHODS: A sample of 2985 previous QL callers were randomized to either receive IVR screening for current smoking (control group) or IVR screening plus an IVR intervention. The IVR intervention consists of automated questions to identify and address barriers to re-cycling in QL support, followed by an offer to be transferred to the QL and reinitiate treatment. Re-enrollment in QL services for both groups was documented. RESULTS: The IVR system successfully reached 715 (23.9%) former QL participants. Of those, 27% (194/715) reported to the IVR system that they had quit smoking and were therefore excluded from the study and analysis. The trial's final sample was composed of 521 current smokers. The re-enrollment rate was 3.3% for the control group and 28.2% for the intervention group (p < .001). Logistic regression results indicated an 11.2 times higher odds for re-enrollment of the intervention group than the control group (p < .001). Results did not vary by gender, race, ethnicity, or level of education, however recycled smokers were older (Mean = 45.2; SD = 11.7) than smokers who declined a new treatment cycle (Mean = 41.8; SD = 13.2); (p = 0.013). The main barriers reported for not engaging in a new treatment cycle were low self-efficacy and lack of interest in quitting. After delivering IVR messages targeting these reported barriers, 32% of the smokers reporting low self-efficacy and 4.8% of those reporting lack of interest in quitting re-engaged in a new QL treatment cycle. CONCLUSION: Proactive IVR outreach is a promising tool to engage low income, relapsed smokers back into a new cycle of treatment. Integration of IVR intervention for recycling smokers with previous QL treatment has the potential to decrease tobacco-related disparities. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01260597.

Understanding nurse manager stress and work complexity: factors that make a difference.

OBJECTIVE: This study provided insight into nurse manager stress and coping experiences. BACKGROUND: Overwork and stress have been implicated in today's nursing shortage. Although nurse managers play a pivotal role in creating work environments that retain staff nurses, little is known about nurse manager work. METHODS: This qualitative descriptive study used a sample of 21 nurse managers to determine what situations contribute to their stress, individual coping strategies, and health-related outcomes. Content analysis identified 3 study themes. RESULTS: People and resources, tasks and work volume, and performance expectations affect nurse managers' perceptions of stress. When comparing novice nurse managers with experienced nurse managers, experienced nurse managers (especially comanagers) used more effective (problem focused) coping strategies and had fewer negative health-related outcomes. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study suggest that to impact stress, coping, and complexity in the nurse manager role requires a combination of strategies that address individual and organizational factors.

Comparison of managerial competence of Indonesian first-line nurse managers: a two-generational analysis.

BACKGROUND: Much research provides evidence that four age groups or generations of nurse managers exist, and it is assumed that they work and act differently according to each generation's characteristics and attitudes, which may influence their managerial competence. AIMS: To compare first-line nurse managers' managerial competence according to generational analysis across public hospitals in Indonesia. METHODS: This study employed a cross-sectional survey in 18 public hospitals in Indonesia with 254 first-line nurse managers selected using simple random sampling. The Indonesian First-Line Nurse Managers Managerial Competence Scale (IFLNMMCS) was used to measure managerial competence. Data were analysed using descriptive analyses using means, standard deviations and independent t-test. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the total score of managerial competence of Generation X and Millennial first-line nurse managers (p = 0.077). Of five dimensions of managerial competence, only applying quality care improvement (p = 0.028) and financial management (p = 0.013) were significantly different, while leadership (p = 0.142), facilitating spiritual nursing care (p = 0.353), self-management (p = 0.130), staffing and professional development (p = 0.068) and utilizing informatics (p = 0.304) were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: This study serves as a foundation for better human resource management, education and professional development for first-line nurse managers among public hospitals in Indonesia.

Managerial Competence of First-Line Nurse Managers in Public Hospitals in Indonesia.

PURPOSE: Working as a first-line nurse manager requires high managerial competence as an essential component in the delivery of health care. Therefore, factors that influence managerial competence warrant examination. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with managerial competence of the first-line nurse managers using the best-fit model of human resource management framework. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 247 first-line nurse managers from 18 public hospitals in Indonesia participated. Data on managerial competence and its related factors were collected via validated questionnaires. RESULTS: The five factors of managerial competence were identified - performance appraisal (ß = 0.476, p < 0.001), career advancement (ß = 0.425, p < 0.001), recruitment and selection (ß = 0.354, p < 0.001), larger hospitals (ß = 0.165, p = 0.001), and management training attendance (ß = 0.109, p = 0.029), which collectively explained 44.9% of the variance in managerial competence. CONCLUSION: Human resource management factors, hospital types, and training attendance have significant roles to improve managerial competence of the first-line nurse managers. Nurse managers should provide routine performance appraisal, career advancement, and transparent recruitment and selection as well as to improve the attendance of management training and learn from larger hospitals for leadership and development of the first-line nurse managers.

Systems approaches to tobacco dependence treatment.

Nurses have been at the forefront of initiatives to improve patient outcomes through systems change. Nursing research addressing systems approaches to treatment of tobacco dependence has demonstrated increased implementation of evidence-based practice guidelines. Existing health system research conducted by nurse scientists has focused on four strategies: tobacco use identification systems, education and training of nursing staff to deliver tobacco intervention, dedicated staff for tobacco dependence treatment in both acute and primary care settings, and institutional policies to support tobacco intervention. Nursing involvement in multidisciplinary health services research focusing on tobacco treatment has lagged behind advances in clinical nursing research of individual-focused smoking cessation interventions. Health information technology shows promise as part of an integrated approach to systems changes to support tobacco intervention, particularly in light of the current national emphasis on adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records. Future directions for translational research present unprecedented opportunity for nurse scientists to respond to the call for policy and systems changes to support tobacco treatment.

EMBRACE: Developing an Inclusive Leadership Program With and for Undergraduate Nursing Students.

In order to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse patient population, nursing schools around the United States have been trying to recruit future nurses from a variety of racial/ethnic backgrounds, with limited success. To date, the literature does not describe how to develop culturally appropriate engagement models that can successfully transform minority nursing students into nurse researchers and leaders. Thus, the purpose of this article is to describe a promising research and leadership program for underrepresented undergraduate students entitled, "EMBRACE - Engaging Multiple-communities of BSN students in Research and Academic Curricular Experiences". More specifically, this article will: 1) describe the steps one College of Nursing has taken toward developing the EMBRACE program; 2) describe the theoretical framework developed for the program; and 3) present the initial challenges and positive outcomes of the program. The theoretical framework of the program is based on principles of excellence for diversity and inclusion as well as student and faculty engagement. The EMBRACE framework includes components of education, faculty contributions, social connections and emotional intelligence. The EMBRACE program consists of group mentoring with peers, one-on-one mentoring with faculty and graduate students, and working on a hands-on project relating to research or leadership.

Development and Psychometric Properties of Managerial Competence Scale for First-Line Nurse Managers in Indonesia.

This study aimed to develop and psychometrically test the managerial competence scale for first-line nurse managers (FLNMs) in Indonesia. The scale was based on items derived from an integrative review and interviews with experts. A total of 300 FLNMs from 16 public hospitals were randomly selected for this test of psychometric properties. A principal component analysis generated seven dimensions with 43 items as a final scale, with overall Cronbach's α of .95 while the dimensions' Cronbach's α ranged from .71 to .90. The findings demonstrate that the scale is valid and reliable as a vehicle for assessment of managerial competence of FLNMs.

Consumer health informatics: from genomics to population health.

Innovations in health information technology have ushered in a new era of health care. The use of emerging information and communication technology to improve or enable health and health care is the central focus of consumer health informatics (CHI). Traditionally, CHI interventions to promote health and well-being have targeted the individual or family. Advances in genomic health and the emergence of public health informatics call for broadening the scope of CHI. The authors discuss CHI from the point-of-view of the consumer (e.g., from individuals to policy makers) and the level of health data from the subcellular (e.g., genetic or protein structures) to population (e.g., geographically-referenced information).

A transdisciplinary training program for behavioral oncology and cancer control scientists.

Transdisciplinary health research training has been identified as a major initiative to achieve the vision for research teams of the future as articulated in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Roadmap for Medical Research. To address the need for scientists who can integrate diverse scientific approaches and work in transdisciplinary teams to solve complex health problems, Indiana University (IU) has designed an innovative training program that will provide the didactic and research experiences to enable trainees to establish productive careers in behavioral oncology and cancer control research. Development of a successful transdisciplinary training program requires mentorship, research, and a specialized curriculum that encompass a broad range of disciplines. The program capitalizes on a unique set of existing and emerging training opportunities resulting from the collaborative activities of the IU Simon Cancer Center, the IU Schools of Nursing and Medicine, and multiple research institutes and academic centers located in Indiana and neighboring states.

Psychometric testing of the caring assessment tool: Administration (CAT-Adm©).

OBJECTIVES: The overall purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Caring Assessment Tool-Administration survey. Three specific aims were to (1) evaluate construct validity of the Caring Assessment Tool-Administration survey by testing the hypothesized eight-factor structure of staff nurses' perceptions of nurse manager caring behaviors, (2) estimate the internal consistency, and (3) conduct item reduction analysis. METHODS: A 94-item Caring Assessment Tool-Administration designed to assess nurse manager caring behaviors appeared in the literature but lacked robust psychometric testing. Using a foundational theory and a cross-sectional descriptive design, the Caring Assessment Tool-Administration was evaluated for reliability and construct validity. Using convenience sampling, 1143 registered nurses were recruited from acute care hospitals in three states located in the Midwestern, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern Regions of the United States. RESULTS: Psychometric testing of the Caring Assessment Tool-Administration was conducted using confirmatory analysis to determine the dimensionality of the construct, nurse manager caring behavior. The null hypothesis was an eight-factor solution fitting the theoretical model being tested. The null hypothesis was rejected because none of the measures examined for goodness of fit indicated the model fit the data. Confirmatory factor analysis did not support the hypothesized structure; however, exploratory factor analysis supported a one-factor solution that was conceptually labeled caring behaviors. To decrease subject burden, the 94-item survey was reduced to 25 items using item reduction analysis including assessing minimum factor loadings of ≥0.60 and evaluating survey item-total correlation and alpha. The Cronbach's alpha of the new 25-item survey was 0.98. CONCLUSION: The new 25-item Caring Assessment Tool-Administration survey provides hospital administrators, nurse managers, and researchers with a sound, less burdensome instrument to collect valuable information about nurse manager caring behaviors.

Refinement of a Conceptual Model for Adolescent Readiness to Engage in End-of-Life Discussions.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents living with incurable cancer require ongoing support to process grief, emotions, and information as disease progresses including treatment options (phase 1 clinical trials and/or hospice/palliative care). Little is known about how adolescents become ready for such discussions. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the process of adolescent readiness for end-of-life preparedness discussions, generating a theoretical understanding for guiding clinical conversations when curative options are limited. METHODS: We explored 2 in-depth cases across time using case-study methodology. An à priori conceptual model based on current end-of-life research guided data collection and analysis. Multiple sources including in-depth adolescent interviews generated data collection on model constructs. Analysis followed a logical sequence establishing a chain of evidence linking raw data to study conclusions. Synthesis and data triangulation across cases and time led to theoretical generalizations. Initially, we proposed a linear process of readiness with 3 domains: a cognitive domain (awareness), an emotional domain (acceptance), and a behavioral domain (willingness), which preceded preparedness. RESULTS: Findings led to conceptual model refinement showing readiness is a dynamic internal process that interacts with preparedness. Current awareness context facilitates the type of preparedness discussions (cognitive or emotional). Furthermore, social constraint inhibits discussions. CONCLUSIONS: Data support theoretical understanding of the dynamism of readiness. Future research that validates adolescent conceptualization will ensure age-appropriate readiness representation. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Understanding the dynamic process of readiness for engaging in end-of-life preparedness provides clinician insight for guiding discussions that facilitate shared decision making and promote quality of life for adolescents and their families.

Learning Skills Profiles of master's students in nursing administration: assessing the impact of problem-based learning.

Attempts to compare graduate student performances before and after introducing new curricula are rare; yet faculties need outcome measures to justify program costs and demonstrate effectiveness. Boyatzis and Kolb's Learning Skills Profile is used to assess the outcomes of a problem-based learning MSN program. Increases were demonstrated among all 12 learning skills; statistically significant increases were found in eight of the personal learning skills and six of the job skill demands. Comparisons are made between scores of students in the MSN program and scores of master's students in business administration.