An examination of retracted articles in nursing literature.

INTRODUCTION: The output of scholarly publications in scientific literature has increased exponentially in recent years. This increase in literature has been accompanied by an increase in retractions. Although some of these may be attributed to publishing errors, many are the result of unsavory research practices. The purposes of this study were to identify the number of retracted articles in nursing and reasons for the retractions, analyze the retraction notices, and determine the length of time for an article in nursing to be retracted. DESIGN: This was an exploratory study. METHODS: A search of PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Retraction Watch databases was conducted to identify retracted articles in nursing and their retraction notices. RESULTS: Between 1997 and 2022, 123 articles published in the nursing literature were retracted. Ten different reasons for retraction were used to categorize these articles with one-third of the retractions (n = 37, 30.1%) not specifying a reason. Sixty-eight percent (n = 77) were retracted because of an actual or a potential ethical concern: duplicate publication, data issues, plagiarism, authorship issues, and copyright. CONCLUSION: Nurses rely on nursing-specific scholarly literature as evidence for clinical decisions. The findings demonstrated that retractions are increasing within published nursing literature. In addition, it was evident that retraction notices do not prevent previously published work from being cited. This study addressed a gap in knowledge about article retractions specific to nursing.

Developing competency of nursing students in cardiopulmonary resuscitation using Resuscitation Quality Improvement technology.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the outcomes of training nursing students in CPR skills using the Resuscitation Quality Improvement (RQI) program. METHODS: Nursing students (n=2,193) in 12 schools across the United States participated in this study. Students performed compressions and bag-masked ventilation on adult and infant manikins using the RQI simulation station without and then with feedback on their performance. RESULTS: With real-time, objective feedback from the RQI simulation station, students' performance of CPR skills improved, and they retained their skills over time. CONCLUSIONS: The RQI program and methodology of feedback is effective for training nursing students to be competent in CPR skills, essential for safe patient care. Nursing and other healthcare professions programs should consider adopting the RQI program for students to develop competency in CPR.

Time-to-Task in Interval Simulated Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training: A Method for Maintaining Resuscitation Skills.

PURPOSE: The literature supports interval simulation training as a means of improving nurses' cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills. The aim of this project was to improve the time-to-task skills in single-rescuer basic life support (BLS) in an outpatient surgery center through interval simulation training. DESIGN: Quality Improvement project. METHODS: Twenty-nine nursing staff were included in this pretest/post-test within subjects interventional design quality improvement project. A 2-minute pretest cardiac arrest simulation was performed in the outpatient surgery center where time-to-task and quality of CPR data were collected. The pretest was followed by a lecture and CPR training. Three months later, the simulation was post-tested in an identical scenario with measures of time-to-task and quality of CPR. FINDINGS: The mean times for code bell activation and initiation of CPR decreased significantly following the interval simulation training (P < .05). A clinically significant decrease was seen in the mean time-to-task placement of a backboard on code team arrival. CONCLUSIONS: Interval simulation training is an effective means of maintaining CPR skills in the outpatient surgery center setting.

Nursing Students From China and the United States: Learning Together Through Virtual Simulation.

AIM: The purpose of this project was to connect nursing students from schools of nursing in China and the United States for colearning using virtual simulations. BACKGROUND: With technology and international partnerships, nursing programs can offer global education without students traveling to other countries. METHOD: Virtual simulations were produced by each school for the project. Students completed them in two synchronous 1.5-hour virtual sessions, one month apart. At the end of each session, students completed the Simulation Effectiveness Tool-Modified and the Nurses Clinical Reasoning Scale. RESULTS: Scores on the Simulation Effectiveness Tool-Modified ranged from 75.0 percent to 100 percent on Simulation 1 (video vignettes focused on prioritization) and 88.9 percent to 100 percent on Simulation 2 (computer-based obstetrics case). Most students strongly agreed or agreed that the simulation improved their clinical reasoning skills. CONCLUSION: Virtual simulations allowed students to learn together and develop an awareness of differences in nursing practices across countries.

Dissemination of doctor of nursing practice project findings: Benefits and challenges associated with publishing in healthcare journals.

BACKGROUND: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs require a project to improve outcomes in a health care setting. However, dissemination methods vary. PURPOSE: This evaluation examined benefits and challenges associated with submitting project manuscripts to a peer-reviewed health care journal in a DNP program with this requirement. METHODS: Benefits and challenges were assessed with surveys completed by 85 DNP program alumni and 28 DNP mentors and by interviewing 5 faculty who teach in the DNP program and 5 editors of nursing journals. FINDINGS: Benefits of completing a manuscript included sharing knowledge to improve health care outcomes and enhancing nursing scholarship. Among alumni, 81% reported manuscript development was beneficial and 69% published their work. Most students, most faculty, and all editors endorsed the requirement with alternatives for projects lacking rigor or innovation. Challenges included need for faculty involvement and editorial/statistical resources. DISCUSSION: Despite challenges, there are benefits of publishing rigorous and innovative DNP work.

How to identify predatory journals in a search: Precautions for nurses.

ABSTRACT: Nursing journals offer important content on new practices and approaches to care. Unfortunately, predatory journals that use unsavory publication practices have emerged. This article shares guidance to help nurses effectively appraise information and their sources, distinguish predatory from legitimate journals, and conduct due diligence.

Publishing in Predatory Journals: Guidelines for Nursing Faculty in Promotion and Tenure Policies.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which academic promotion and tenure (APT) criteria and guidelines in schools of nursing recognize predatory publishing. This assessment included an analysis of APT documents looking specifically for guidance about predatory publications by faculty in schools of nursing. DESIGN: This study used a cross-sectional, descriptive design and was conducted in 2020. METHODS: A mixed methods approach was used to collect data from two sources. Data were extracted from APT documents for 92 research-intensive universities found online and specifically focused on documents for universities and for schools of nursing in the United States. Interviews were conducted with a subsample of academic administrators (n = 10) from selected schools. FINDINGS: The majority (57%; n = 50) of APT documents reviewed addressed quality of the journals in which faculty publish. However, very nonspecific terms, such as "high quality" or "peer reviewed" were used. None of the documents reviewed (n = 88) included any reference to predatory journals. Deans who were interviewed validated the analysis of the APT documents. While most deans reported faculty were aware of predatory journals and the risks of publishing in them, formal guidelines for consequences for publishing in predatory journals were not developed or available. CONCLUSION: This study examined how schools of nursing in research-intensive universities address the issue of predatory journals. APT criteria do not provide guidance to faculty and promotion and tenure committees about issues related to predatory publications as low-quality publication outlets. Recommendations for APT committees, mentors, and faculty are provided. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Clinicians rely on researchers, many of whom are faculty, to publish rigorous studies that produce evidence they can translate into practice. One measure of the quality of a study's findings is where the paper is published and reflects the level of peer review it has been through. Faculty who publish in predatory journals may not have had their work reviewed by experts; evidence produced may or may not be adequate for translation to guide nursing practice.

An Evaluation of Websites Offering Caregiver Education for Tracheostomy and Home Mechanical Ventilation.

BACKGROUND: Parental and familial caregivers of a child with a tracheostomy, and possibly home mechanical ventilation (HMV), face the overwhelming task of learning to medically care for their child prior to discharge. Caregivers may cope by seeking health information on the Internet. This is concerning because information found during an Internet search may not be accurate, comprehensive, or up to date. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the quality and content of websites offering information about tracheostomies and HMV using a valid assessment tool. METHODS: A total of 46 websites were identified for evaluation using the DISCERN instrument for quality and reliability, and the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) and Flesh- Kincaid (FK) grade level instruments for readability. Accuracy of content was determined by expert opinion. FINDINGS: Few of the websites met the recommended quality and/or readability levels. The websites recommended had a range of DISCERN scores 21-40, adjusted FRE 61-89.1, and adjusted FK 3.4-6.9. Many of the highest quality websites had a readability level at high school or college levels. DISCUSSION: The quality and readability of websites offering caregiver education for tracheostomy and HMV are not at a level suitable for caregivers. There was often a mismatch between DISCERN quality and readability. Many high-quality websites would not be easily read and understood by the general lay population. APPLICATION TO PRACTICE: DISCERN alone is not sufficient to determine whether a website should be recommended. One should consider reliability, quality, and readability when developing patient education materials, including those on the Internet.

Analysis of Citation Patterns and Impact of Predatory Sources in the Nursing Literature.

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to learn how predatory journal articles were cited in articles published in legitimate (nonpredatory) nursing journals. The extent of citation and citation patterns were studied. DESIGN: A two-phase approach was used. METHODS: In Phase 1, 204 articles published in legitimate nursing journals that cited a predatory publication were randomly selected for analysis from a list of 814 articles with predatory journal citations. In Phase 2, the four predatory journal articles that were cited most frequently were analyzed further to examine their citation patterns. FINDINGS: The majority (n = 148, 72.55%) of the articles that cited a predatory publication were research reports. Most commonly, the predatory article was only cited once (n = 117, 61.58%). Most (n = 158, 82.72%) of the predatory articles, though, were used substantively, that is, to provide a basis for the study or methods, describe the results, or explain the findings. The four articles in Phase 2 generated 38 citations in legitimate journals, published from 2011 to 2019, demonstrating persistence in citation. An evaluation of the quality of these articles was mixed. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide an understanding of the use and patterns of citations to predatory articles in legitimate nursing journals. Authors who choose predatory journals as the channel to disseminate their publications devalue the work that publishers, editors, and peer reviewers play in scholarly dissemination. Likewise, those who cite these works are also contributing to the problem of predatory publishing in nursing. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nurse authors should not publish their work in predatory journals and should avoid citing articles from these journals, which disseminates the content through the scholarly nursing literature.

A bibliometric analysis of articles identified by editors as representing excellence in nursing publication: Replication and extension.

AIMS: To analyse subsequent citations of 91 articles identified by editors as reflecting excellence in nursing literature and in a companion dataset of 82 other articles from the same journals; and to compare the concepts of reach, persistence, and dissemination in these two datasets. DESIGN: A quantitative bibliometric analysis and qualitative thematic analysis were done between February-June 2019. DATA SOURCES: In all, 91 articles nominated by editors comprised the first dataset. A companion dataset was created by selecting articles (N = 82) from the same journals. REVIEW METHODS: Articles were assessed for type, focus, discipline, total number of authors, and geographical location of the first author. Scopus was searched to obtain bibliographic information and subsequent second- and third-generation citations for all indexed articles. RESULTS: For the articles selected by the editors, 76 were indexed and 43 (56.5%) were cited at least once, resulting in 333 citations in the second and third generations. For the companion articles, 38 (of 78) were cited, with 175 subsequent citations. These findings are congruent with the prior study. CONCLUSION: Articles in nursing journals are being read and cited. The concepts of persistence, reach, and dissemination are supported and their use in bibliometric analysis is warranted. IMPACT: This novel research highlights the global and interdisciplinary impact of a unique set of articles representing nursing and nursing specialty areas. All the articles in the virtual journal and companion dataset were from nursing journals, but dissemination was to other disciplines, primarily medicine. Findings from this replication study continue the effort to document the rigour of content in the nursing literature; support its use to inform policy and practice at all levels; and offer evidence of excellence in content to inform nursing curricula.

Publication Productivity of Nursing Faculty in Selected Schools of Nursing Across the United States.

PURPOSE: Faculty productivity related to research and scholarship is assessed in schools of nursing throughout the world. The purpose of this study was to examine the publication productivity of nursing faculty at each academic rank and in both tenure and nontenure tracks in selected schools of nursing across the United States. DESIGN: This was a descriptive study of publications and the h-index of nursing faculty. METHODS: Publication and citation data and the h-index for faculty (N = 1,354) in 18 schools of nursing were obtained from the Scopus database. FINDINGS: Overall, the number of publications and citations and the h-index of faculty increased at higher academic ranks. The median number of publications for tenure track faculty was 13 for assistant professors, 33 for associate professors, and 81 for full professors. Citation medians ranged from 80.5 for assistant professors, to 378 for associate professors, to 1,401 for full professors. The median h-index was 4 for assistant professors, 10 for associate professors, and 20 for full professors. Significant differences were found across academic ranks and between tenure and nontenure track faculty. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide the first documentation of scholarly productivity of nursing faculty, as measured by number of publications and citations and by h-index, across schools of nursing in the United States. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These findings can be used as benchmarks by appointment, promotion, and tenure committees and by faculty for self-assessment.

An analysis of nursing citations and disciplinary characteristics in 79 articles that represent excellence in nursing publication.

Development of the knowledge base for a profession depends on research and scholarship that builds on the insights and work of scholars within the discipline and is disseminated through the literature. The purpose of this study was to examine a unique collection of 79 articles selected by editors as representative of their nursing journals. Articles were assessed for congruence with long-standing values and conceptual definitions of nursing, and the extent to which they built on prior literature published in nursing. Articles were scored based on whether they reflected four characteristics of nursing as a discipline (holism, social context, goal of health, and consistency with common definitions of nursing); an abstract score on the extent to which the title, abstract, or keywords indicated a general focus on nursing; and a distinction score based on whether the article distinguished nurses or nursing from other providers. Fifty of the articles received an article score of 4, indicating all four disciplinary characteristics were present in the article's content. While the majority of the articles were congruent with fundamental nursing values and perspectives, only 28% of the sources cited were from nursing sources. The lack of citations to nursing literature, coupled with an assessment that reveals gaps in substantive content that builds on nursing knowledge, raises questions about the future of nursing perspectives in the literature.

Citations of articles in predatory nursing journals.

BACKGROUND: Nursing journals from predatory publication outlets may look authentic and seem to be a credible source of information. However, further inspection may reveal otherwise. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze publication and dissemination patterns of articles published in known predatory nursing journals. METHOD: Using Scopus, reference lists were searched for citations from seven identified predatory nursing journals. Bibliographic information and subsequent citation information were then collected and analyzed. FINDINGS: A total of 814 citations of articles published in predatory nursing journals were identified. Further analysis indicated that these articles were cited in 141 nonpredatory nursing journals of various types. DISCUSSION: Predatory nursing journals continue to persist, yet fewer may now be in existence. Education and information may help authors and reviewers identify predatory journals, thereby discouraging submissions to these publications and hesitancy among authors to cite articles published in them.

Quality of Author Guidelines in Nursing Journals.

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to (a) describe the information provided in author guidelines in nursing journals, (b) assess the completeness of this information, and (c) identify the extent and types of reporting guidelines used in nursing journals. DESIGN: Content analysis of author guidelines for 245 nursing journals included in the Directory of Nursing Journals maintained at the International Academy of Nursing Editors website. METHODS: Using Research Electronic Data Capture, data on 19 criteria for completeness were extracted from published author guidelines. Additional details about journal requirements, such as allowed length of manuscripts and format for the abstract, were also recorded. Reliability was established by simultaneous review of 25 journals (10%) by the research assistant and a senior member of the research team. FINDINGS: Author guidelines were easily accessible at journal websites or through links to download the information. A majority (73.5%) had completeness scores of 75% or higher; six journals had guidelines that were 100% complete. Half of the journals used the American Psychological Association reference style, and 26.3% used the American Medical Association style. Less than one fourth had stated requirements to use reporting guidelines such as Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). CONCLUSIONS: Author guidelines for nursing journals are generally complete and informative. Although specific reporting guidelines such as CONSORT and PRISMA improve the accuracy and completeness of manuscripts on various types of studies, most nursing journals do not indicate use of these for manuscript preparation. Editors who want to improve their author guidelines should use the 19 criteria for completeness as a gauge for updating and revision. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nurses rely on the published literature to inform their practice and ensure that it is based on evidence. Guidelines for publishing in the scholarly literature assist clinicians and scholars to ensure that published articles are complete, current, concise, and accurate.

A bibliometric analysis of 81 articles that represent excellence in nursing publication.

AIM: To analyze publication patterns of 81 articles included in a "virtual journal." BACKGROUND: From May-July 2017, editors submitted articles from their journals representing distinction in nursing research, education, or practice. Brief responses explained their rationale for article selection. This sample embodied a unique exemplar of excellence in nursing publication and warranted further bibliometric analysis, which was undertaken from February to May 2018. DESIGN/METHOD: Using Scopus, each article (N = 81) was searched to obtain bibliographic information and subsequent second and third generation citations. Three concepts guided the analysis: (a) persistence, rate of subsequent citations over time; (b) reach, geographic distribution of subsequent citations; and (c) dissemination, specialty of follow-on citations represented as nursing or another discipline. Patterns amongst the second and third generation of citations were also examined. RESULTS: Of the 81 articles, 43 (53%) were cited at least once, resulting in 721 second generation citations. There was long-term persistence (N = 2094) over the third and fourth generation citations. There was a wide geographic reach, representing 41 states in the United States and 44 countries. Dissemination was broad with citations in the medical literature eclipsing nursing in the third generation. The highest cited articles were all research reports. Patterns of silos and ripple effect were identified. No pattern could be identified for the 31 articles with zero subsequent citations. CONCLUSION: This study revealed the impact of articles perceived as exemplar representations of 80 different nursing journals. Nursing research is being widely read and cited, both in and outside the profession.

Multimedia Education Reduces Anxiety in Lung Transplant Patients.

CONTEXT: A significant contribution to the success of lung transplantation is the recipient's ability to self-manage a multidrug regimen and follow complex instructions. Effective education has always been an integral component of the process of preparing patients to care for themselves post lung transplant. Impaired cognition, anxiety, and psychological distress, however, can decrease the retention of posttransplant care information provided during education sessions. OBJECTIVE: This quality improvement project evaluated whether a multimedia education method compared to standard education method improves posttransplant care knowledge, anxiety, and satisfaction with the education experience in lung transplant patients and their caregivers. METHODS: Two education methods groups, comprised of transplant patients and their primary caregivers, were compared: (1) historic control group who received the standard education (n = 19 dyads) and (2) multimedia group who received the new multimedia education (n = 18 dyads). Knowledge of posttransplant care was evaluated in both groups before and after receiving the education. A satisfaction survey was administered at the end of the education program. RESULTS: A significantly higher percentage of patients receiving the multimedia method reported gains in posttransplant care knowledge ( P = .05), less anxiety about the transplant surgery ( P = .02), and satisfaction with the education method ( P = .02) when compared to those receiving the standard method. Caregivers and transplant team member also indicated that the multimedia method was more effective than the standard method. CONCLUSION: Multimedia methods decrease anxiety and increase satisfaction with the education experience when preparing patients for lung transplantation.

Quality of articles published in predatory nursing journals.

BACKGROUND: Predatory journals exist in nursing and lack the safeguards of traditional publishing practices. PURPOSE: To examine the quality of articles published in predatory nursing journals. METHOD: Randomly selected articles (n = 358) were reviewed for structural content and eight quality indicators. FINDINGS: Two-thirds (67.4%) of the articles were published between 2014 and 2016, demonstrating the acceleration of publications in predatory nursing journals. The majority (75.9%) of the articles were research reports. Most followed the IMRAD presentation of a research report but contained errors, or the study was not pertinent to the nursing discipline. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing research published in predatory journals may appear legitimate by conforming to an expected structure. However, a lack of quality is apparent, representing inadequate peer review and editorial processes. Poor quality research erodes the scholarly nursing literature.

Grade Incentive to Boost Course Evaluation Response Rates.

Abstract In most schools of nursing, students rate their satisfaction with courses and teachers at the end of the semester. Low response rates on these evaluations make it difficult to interpret the results. Students were incentivized to complete their course evaluations by adding 1-2 points to one test score in the course in exchange for 85 % or higher participation by the total cohort. Ongoing monitoring and communication to students by faculty during the process was critical to motivating students to complete course evaluations. When the incentive was employed, student participation ranged from a low of 90 % to a high of 100 % response rate. The added points did not change any of the students' grades. Incentivizing students to complete course evaluations is an effective strategy to boost response rates without changing final course grades.

Writing Together to Get AHEAD: an interprofessional boot camp to support scholarly writing in the health professions.

BACKGROUND: Writing for publication is an integral skill for both sharing research findings and career advancement, yet many faculty lack expertise, support, and time to author scholarly publications. Health professions educators identified writing as an area in which a new educators' academy could offer support. CASE PRESENTATION: To address this need, a writing task force was formed consisting of a librarian, a School of Medicine faculty member, and a School of Nursing faculty member. The task force launched two initiatives to motivate and support faculty writing and publication over two academic years. In the first year, a structured interprofessional "boot camp" consisting of a sequenced, modularized approach to manuscript completion was offered. In the second year, community building, in-person writing sessions, and incentives were added to the structured tasks. In year one, twenty participants enlisted in the boot camp, nine of whom completed a manuscript for submission by the end of the program. Qualitative feedback indicated potential improvements, which were put in place in the second program. In year two, twenty-eight participants enrolled, and eleven submitted thirteen manuscripts for publication by the end of the program. CONCLUSIONS: Structured tasks, frequent deadlines, and professional editorial assistance were highly valued by participants. Time remains a barrier for faculty seeking to complete manuscripts. As experts in many facets of the publication process, librarians are well positioned to partner with others to facilitate faculty and staff development in writing.

Mentoring and Development Resources Available to New Doctorally Prepared Faculty in Nursing.

AIM: This study examined faculty mentoring practices and strategies currently in place in nursing programs. BACKGROUND: Mentoring is a critical component of organizations and can be especially important in times of organizational change. Schools of nursing are experiencing rapid organizational shifts with increases in retirement and the proliferation of Doctor of Nursing Practice-prepared faculty. METHOD: Deans and department chairs of baccalaureate and higher degree programs across the United States participated in a web-based survey. RESULTS: Results from the survey suggested that the vast majority of nursing programs had practices and strategies aimed at mentoring faculty that were based on the traditional mentor-protégé approach. Few programs differentiated their mentoring practices depending on the type of doctoral education or anticipated roles of the faculty member. CONCLUSION: Our research highlights the fact that nursing programs still employ traditional methods of faculty mentoring. Recommendations for nursing programs are discussed.