Project to Publication-A Writing Mentorship Program.

PURPOSE/AIMS: Evidence is required to inform effective interventions promoting publication among clinical nurses. This study examined the effect of a mentored writing program on clinical nurse perceptions of writerly self-efficacy and publication. DESIGN: A mixed-methods, pretest-posttest study design with an education intervention was implemented. The Revised for Nursing Practice - Postsecondary Writerly Self-efficacy Scale (RNP-PSWSES) measured perception of writerly self-efficacy before and after intervention. Manuscripts submitted for publication were counted. METHODS: The purposive, convenience sample included registered nurses with completed research, evidence-based practice, or quality improvement projects. Subjects participated in a 3-month structured mentored writing program and completed the RNP-PSWSES survey before and after program completion. A Wilcoxon signed rank test was performed to determine the significance of difference between the pretest and posttest, and the number of published manuscripts was reported. RESULTS: The RNP-PSWSES items identified pretest-posttest Cronbach's α (.728, .818). Posttest RNP-PSWSES scores were statistically significantly higher than pretest scores (z = -1.96, P = .050) with a large effect size of r = 0.69. Two manuscripts were accepted for publication, and 1 manuscript was withdrawn after the third request for revisions. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, mentored writing workshops improve nurses' perceptions of writing ability and increase publications. Generalization of findings is limited by small sample size. Clinical nurse specialists are critical to champion writing and publication.

Richard Hader Visionary Leader Award 2021 Visionary Leader Runner-up Carol Grove.

The following manuscript is one of the runner-up entries submitted to Nursing Management for the Visionary Leader Award in recognition of Carol Grove, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, the associate CNO at Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown, Md.

Using Data from a 360° Leadership Assessment to Enhance Nurse Manager Transformational Leadership Skills.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare self-perception of leadership practices among nurse managers (NMs), day shift nurses, and night shift nurses (NSNs). BACKGROUND: Nurse managers have complex roles in healthcare, with clinical, administrative, and 24-hour accountability for unit activities. Transformational leadership inspires performance beyond expectations, while transcending self-interest for the good of the organization. METHODS: A comparative, secondary data analysis study of the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) 2018. RESULTS: Day shift nurses' and NSNs' mean scores had lower perceptions of leadership practices than NMs' self-assessment. Day shift nurses, NSNs, and NMs identified the highest mean scores in "enable others to act" (8.57, 8.62, and 8.82, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The LPI assessment, the defined observer groups, and unique data visualization informed development of a comprehensive follow-up plan supporting individual and group leadership development. Research examining differences in perceptions of LPI practices across observer groups, particularly direct report staff nurses, is warranted.

Preventing Falls Among Behavioral Health Patients.

BACKGROUND: Inpatient falls are among the most common hospital incidents reported. Fall-related injuries have significant implications for patients, staff, and organizations. Adult behavioral health inpatients are responsible for higher rates of injurious falls and challenge traditional fall prevention methods. An inpatient behavioral health unit in an acute care hospital identified an increased rate of injury from falls per 1,000 patient-days in three months; three falls resulted in major injury. PURPOSE: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) report is to describe the redesign of a fall prevention program for adult behavioral health inpatients using evidence-based practice (EBP) and QI methods. METHODS: Root cause analyses (RCAs) were conducted on all three fall-related major injuries. Concurrently, a literature review identified EBP recommendations for fall prevention on behavioral health units. A fall prevention action program was developed consisting of four elements: RN education to improve Morse Fall Scale scoring, individualized fall prevention patient plans, revised staff workflow, and improved fall prevention communication. RESULTS: There were no fall-related injuries for six months and no fall-related major injuries for 12 months following implementation of the fall prevention program. Overall, this reduction in fall-related major injuries was sustained over a 21-month period. CONCLUSION: An interprofessional team approach using EBP and RCA is effective in redesigning and implementing a fall prevention program for the adult inpatient behavioral health population.

The effect of high-fidelity patient simulation on the critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills of new graduate nurses.

This study was conducted to determine whether the addition of high-fidelity patient simulation to new nurse orientation enhanced critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills. A pretest-posttest design was used to assess critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills in two groups of graduate nurses. Compared with the control group, the high-fidelity patient simulation group did not show significant improvement in mean critical thinking or clinical decision-making scores. When mean scores were analyzed, both groups showed an increase in critical thinking scores from pretest to posttest, with the high-fidelity patient simulation group showing greater gains in overall scores. However, neither group showed a statistically significant increase in mean test scores. The effect of high-fidelity patient simulation on critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills remains unclear.

Improving hand hygiene adherence among nursing staff.

This quasi-experimental study explored initial and sustained effects of educational and behavioral interventions on hand hygiene adherence and the relationships between hand hygiene adherence and health care-associated infections. Education paired with positive reinforcement behavioral interventions significantly improved hand hygiene adherence after the first month (χ² = 4.27; P = .039); however, the improvement was not sustained over 6 months. There were no significant differences in infection rates between the treatment and control groups.

Clinical nurse specialists driving research and practice through Research Roundtables.

Providing patient care based on the best evidence is a priority for healthcare institutions across the country to improve practice and patient outcomes. Creating a culture of evidence-based practice (EBP) within an organization can be a challenging task. Literature has identified numerous barriers to EBP including negative attitudes and perceptions among nurses and lack of organizational support, time, resources, and confidence with these skills. Creating programs that help nurses appreciate the value and importance of nursing research for practice can be an effective approach in changing the culture. Research Roundtable is a collaborative partnership between a healthcare system and a baccalaureate nursing program to promote EBP and research skills in nurses and nursing students. Initial goals of the program focused on increasing the nurses' knowledge base of the research process and applying research to actual clinical problems. Over the course of 3 years, Roundtable evolved from development and implementation of research projects to concentrating on the identification of clinical problems that could be analyzed and solved through the use of EBP processes. The program has resulted in the completion of research studies, implementation of practice changes based on evidence uncovered in group work, and the approval of research projects in data collection phases. The positive impacts of Roundtable have been identified at the level of the staff nurse and the organization as a whole. This article describes the role of the clinical nurse specialist in the development and implementation of the Research Roundtable.

Improving medication calculation skills of practicing nurses and senior nursing students: a pilot study.

Medication administration is an essential nursing competency as calculation difficulties can lead to serious medication errors. Nurses involved in staff education need to be aware of methods to assess for computation difficulty and develop strategies for nurses to improve their computation abilities. The purposes of this quasi-experimental pilot study were to assess the medication calculation skills of nurses and nursing students and to determine the effectiveness of teaching strategies aimed at improving these skills.