Nursing Work Environment Staffing Councils: An Alternative to Mandatory Regulated Staffing Ratios.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the self-reported perceptions of the healthy work environment (HWE) of nurses who are members of Nursing Workplace Environment and Staffing Councils (NWESCs). BACKGROUND: In a statewide initiative, NWESCs were established at hospitals throughout the state of New Jersey as an alternative to nurse staffing ratio laws and to provide clinical nurses a voice in determining resources needed for patient care and support an HWE. METHODS: This quantitative descriptive study presents the results of the Healthy Workplace Environment Assessment Tool (HWEAT) and open-ended questions about NWESCs among a sample of 352 nurses. RESULTS: Three years after NWESC implementation, all HWEAT standard mean scores increased and were rated higher than the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses benchmark. There were statistically significant differences in clinical nurses' perceptions of an HWE compared with nurse leaders. Respondents also shared their NWESC's best practices and challenges. Responses to questions identified NWESC best practices and challenges. CONCLUSION: This study offers insight into the improvement in nurses' perceptions of the HWE after the introduction of a statewide NWESCs. Structures such as the NWESCs may provide an alternative to mandated staffing ratios.

A multicenter study of animal-assisted activity and anxiety among older adults hospitalized in acute care settings.

BACKGROUND: For older adults (≥65 years old), hospitalization can be a stressful and anxiety- provoking event. Due to physiological changes in this population that make pharmacological therapy to manage anxiety challenging, use of alternative therapies, such as animal-assisted activities (AAA), could prove beneficial. AIM: The purpose of this study was to determine if an AAA visit from a registered human-animal team during hospitalization would reduce perceived anxiety for older adults. DESIGN: A multicenter, interventional, comparative, pre-post design was used. METHODS: Eligible participants completed a demographic questionnaire and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory 6-item short form (STAI-6) survey prior to the AAA visit. AAA visits included interaction between the human-animal team and the participant at the bedside. At the conclusion of the visit, participants again completed the STAI-6. Demographic variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics and comparative analyses were performed using non-parametric tests to examine differences in pre-post STAI-6 scores. RESULTS: Participants (n = 141) had a median age of 75 years. The pre-visit median anxiety score was 14 (interquartile range [IQR] 10, 17), corresponding to mild baseline anxiety. The post-visit median anxiety score decreased significantly to 10 (IQR 7, 13) (p < 0.001). Weak associations were observed for gender (p = 0.025, r = 0.0189), and dog ownership (p = 0.026, r = 0.188). CONCLUSIONS: AAA significantly decreased anxiety in older adults with mild anxiety during inpatient hospitalization. This non-pharmacological intervention can be considered as an alternative intervention for anxiety in this population.

What Do Nurses Need to Practice Effectively in the Hospital Environment? An Integrative Review With Implications for Nurse Leaders.

BACKGROUND: When staffing legislation was introduced, New Jersey nurse leaders recognized from the research and their years of clinical leadership experience that the work environment is a multidimensional concept and that staffing is not the only variable related to nurse and patient outcomes. Thus, an understanding of what nurses need in their hospital environment to practice nursing effectively was sought. AIMS: The aim of this study was to examine the evidence regarding clinical nurses' perception of what they need to practice nursing effectively in the acute care hospital environment. METHODS: The following population, intervention, comparison, outcome question was used to search the literature databases PubMed, CINAHL, Johanna Briggs, and the Sigma Theta Tau Henderson Library: In the hospital environment what do nurses perceive as needed to practice nursing effectively? Specific search criteria and the Johns Hopkins nursing guidelines and tools were used to identify relative studies. RESULTS: The final review, which addressed what nurses in the hospital environment need to practice nursing effectively, included 25 articles: 20 were an evidence level III, and five were evidence level II. From this review, five key concepts were identified: Leadership, autonomy/decision making, respect/teamwork, resources/staffing, and organizational commitment to nursing. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: This integrative review, which explored nurses' perceptions of what is needed to provide effective quality care, identified that providing quality care is multifactorial in nature. Resources, including but not limited to staffing, and leadership were identified as important by nurses as a key factor in supporting quality care. Nurses must be provided with resources and infrastructure to do their jobs, in an environment supported by authentic transformational leadership.

The courage to speak out: A study describing nurses' attitudes to report unsafe practices in patient care.

AIM: To identify workplace factors that influence patient advocacy among registered nurses (RNs) and their willingness to report unsafe practices. BACKGROUND: A prior study by Black illustrated that 34% of respondents were aware of conditions that may have caused patient harm but had not reported the issue. The most common reasons identified for failing to report issues were fear of retaliation and a belief that nothing would prevail from the reports. METHOD: Using Black's study as a model, reporting data were collected from a sample of RNs actively practicing in acute care hospitals. RESULTS: While reasons for reporting are consistent with Black's study, data suggest that a nurse's experiences and working environment are prime factors in their willingness to report patient care issues. CONCLUSION: Although RNs may not have personally experienced workplace retaliation, fear of retaliation when reporting unsafe patient care practices still exists. Nursing leadership's ability to facilitate a culture of safety by proactively addressing unsafe practices fosters a level of comfort for patient advocacy and willingness to report issues. Education, professional associations and existing protection laws are available resources which contribute to organizational support systems. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The findings of this study are consistent with the literature in that organizations need to create a supportive workplace environment whereby, through collective input and leadership, reporting protocols are in place that empower RNs to report unsafe conditions. Direct care nurses are positioned, especially well to identify and speak up regarding conditions that may result in near misses or actual adverse events. Therefore, it is the responsibility, and duty, of nursing management to create and facilitate reporting systems that will be utilized without fear of retaliation and that will contribute to a culture of safety and patient advocacy.

The relationships among health promotion behaviors, compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction in nurses practicing in a community medical center.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the relationships among health promotion behaviors, compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction among nurses practicing in a community medical center. BACKGROUND: Compassion fatigue and burnout are significant nursing stressors. Programs are available to offset the negative consequence of compassion fatigue and burnout and enhance compassion satisfaction, yet there remains a paucity of literature examining the relationships between health promotion behaviors, compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction. METHODS: A nonexperimental design using a convenience sample of nurses completed the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II, the Professional Quality of Life Scale, and a demographic data sheet. FINDINGS: Statistically significant relationships among health promotional behaviors and compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and burnout were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction are outcomes associated with nursing practice. Support for engagement in health promotional behaviors may contribute to nurses' well-being in counteracting compassion fatigue and burnout and enhancing compassion satisfaction.