Increasing exercise capacity and physical activity in the COPD patient.

Higher levels of exercise capacity and physical activity are desired outcomes in the comprehensive management of the COPD patient. In addition, improvements in exercise capacity and physical activity are instrumental to optimising other important therapeutic goals, such as improved health status, reduced healthcare utilisation and increased survival. Four general approaches towards increasing exercise capacity and physical activity in individuals with COPD will be discussed in this review: 1) pharmacological intervention, especially the administration of long-acting bronchodilators; 2) pulmonary rehabilitation, including exercise training and collaborative self-management; 3) behavioural interventions; and 4) web-based interventions. These are by no means the only approaches, nor are they mutually exclusive: indeed, combining them, as necessary, to meet the needs of the individual respiratory patient may promote optimal outcomes, although further research is necessary in this area.

Test-Retest Reliability of the Verran Professional Governance Scale©.

Background and Purpose: Stability testing, conducted using a test-retest protocol, measures an instrument's reliability by evaluating the consistency of participant responses to survey questions with repeated testing within a short interval. No studies have measured the stability of the Verran Professional Governance Scale© (VPGS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of the VPGS. Methods: Volunteers from a parent study using the VPGS were sent a link to a retest version of the survey 14 days after taking the initial survey with a reminder email sent 5 days after the first request. Item-level and subscale comparisons were made between participants' initial and retest responses using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) applying a two-way random-effects model. Results: VPGS subscales had ICC scores of 0.71 for decision-making, 0.73 for collateral relationships, and 0.86 for professional obligation. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the VPGS demonstrates test-retest reliability. Future research should evaluate the instrument's responsiveness.

Racial and ethnic disparities in postpartum weight retention: A narrative review mapping the literature to the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Framework.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: A Review of the Literature Using the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Research Framework to Create a Roadmap of the Studies Investigating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Excess Weight Retained After Pregnancy. WHY WAS THIS STUDY DONE?: Three out of four people who give birth retain excess weight at 1-year post-pregnancy. This is concerning, as weight that is retained following pregnancy is associated with increased risk for the development of disease. People from racial and ethnic minority groups experience weight retention more frequently post-pregnancy. Black and Hispanic/Latina/o/x birthing people are more likely to begin pregnancy overweight or obese. They are also more likely to retain excess weight following pregnancy. Investigating these risks in people from racially/ethnically diverse backgrounds may be an important way to address disparities in excess weight retained post-pregnancy. WHAT DID THE RESEARCHERS DO?: This review of the literature used a tool called the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Research Framework to map the literature to date on racial and ethnic disparities in excess weight retained post-pregnancy. WHAT DID THE RESEARCHERS FIND?: We used the NIMHD Research Framework as a visual guide of the existing research about excess weight retained following pregnancy. Results illustrate the levels and domains at which research has been investigated. These results reveal that efforts have been focused at the individual level, with most attention given to diet and activity. Mapping the literature to the NIMHD Research Framework sheds light on gaps in the research. WHAT DO THE FINDINGS MEAN?: Mapping the literature has revealed a need for investigations that make connections between the levels and domains of the Framework, so that we may understand underlying factors that contribute to health disparities.

Testing of a novel questionnaire of Household Exposure to Wood Smoke.

Household air pollution from wood smoke (WS), contributes to adverse health effects in both low- and high-income countries. However, measurement of WS exposure has been limited to expensive in-home monitoring and lengthy face-to-face interviews. This paper reports on the development and testing of a novel, self-report nine-item measure of WS exposure, called the Household Exposure to Wood Smoke (HEWS). A sample of 149 individuals using household wood stoves for heating from western states in the U.S., completed the HEWS during the winter months (November to March) of 2013 through 2016 with 30 subjects having in-home particle monitoring. Hard copy or online surveys were completed. Cronbach's alpha (α), intraclass correlations (ICC), exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and tests of associations were done to evaluate reliability and validity of the HEWS. Based on initial analysis, only 9 of the 12 items were retained and entered in the EFA. The EFA did not support a unitary scale as the 9 items demonstrated a 3-factor solution (WS exposure duration, proximity, and intensity) with Cronbach's α of 0.79, 0.91, and 0.62, respectively. ICC was 0.86 of the combined items with single items ranging from 0.46 to 0.95. WS intensity was associated with symptoms and levoglucosan levels, while WS duration was associated with stove and flume maintenance. The three-dimensional HEWS demonstrated internal consistency and test-retest reliability, structural validity, and initial criterion and construct validity.

COPD: Providing the right treatment for the right patient at the right time.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a common disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality that is both preventable and treatable. However, a major challenge in recognizing, preventing, and treating COPD is understanding its complexity. While COPD has historically been characterized as a disease defined by airflow limitation, we now understand it as a multi-component disease with many clinical phenotypes, systemic manifestations, and associated co-morbidities. Evidence is rapidly emerging in our understanding of the many factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of COPD and the identification of "early" or "pre-COPD" which should provide exciting opportunities for early treatment and disease modification. In addition to breakthroughs in our understanding of the origins of COPD, we are optimizing treatment strategies and delivery of care that are showing impressive benefits in patient-centered outcomes and healthcare utilization. This special issue of Respiratory Medicine, "COPD: Providing the Right Treatment for the Right Patient at the Right Time" is a summary of the proceedings of a conference held in Stresa, Italy in April 2022 that brought together international experts to discuss emerging evidence in COPD and Pulmonary Rehabilitation in honor of a distinguished friend and colleague, Claudio Ferdinando Donor (1948-2021). Claudio was a true pioneer in the field of pulmonary rehabilitation and the comprehensive care of individuals with COPD. He held numerous leadership roles in in the field, provide editorial stewardship of several respiratory journals, authored numerous papers, statement and guidelines in COPD and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and provided mentorship to many in our field. Claudio's most impressive talent was his ability to organize spectacular conferences and symposia that highlighted cutting edge science and clinical medicine. It is in this spirit that this conference was conceived and planned. These proceedings are divided into 4 sections which highlight crucial areas in the field of COPD: (1) New concepts in COPD pathogenesis; (2) Enhancing outcomes in COPD; (3) Non-pharmacologic management of COPD; and (4) Optimizing delivery of care for COPD. These presentations summarize the newest evidence in the field and capture lively discussion on the exciting future of treating this prevalent and impactful disease. We thank each of the authors for their participation and applaud their efforts toward pushing the envelope in our understanding of COPD and optimizing care for these patients. We believe that this edition is a most fitting tribute to a dear colleague and friend and will prove useful to students, clinicians, and researchers as they continually strive to provide the right treatment for the right patient at the right time. It has been our pleasure and a distinct honor to serve as editors and oversee such wonderful scholarly work.

Cleaning the Flue in Wood-Burning Stoves Is a Key Factor in Reducing Household Air Pollution.

In experimental settings, replacing old wood stoves with new wood stoves results in reduced personal exposure to household air pollution. We tested this assumption by measuring PM2.5 and levoglucosan concentrations inside homes and correlated them with wood stove age. Methods: Thirty homes in the Albuquerque, NM area were monitored over a seven-day period using in-home particulate monitors placed in a common living area during the winter months. Real-time aerosol monitoring was performed, and filter samples were analyzed gravimetrically to calculate PM2.5 concentrations and chemically to determine concentrations of levoglucosan. A linear regression model with backward stepwise elimination was performed to determine the factors that would predict household air pollution measures. Results: In this sample, 73.3% of the households used wood as their primary source of heating, and 60% burned daily or almost daily. The mean burn time over the test week was 50 ± 38 h, and only one household burned wood 24/day (168 h). The average PM2.5 concentration (standard deviation) for the 30 homes during the seven-day period was 34.6 µg/m3 (41.3 µg/m3), and median (min, max) values were 15.5 µg/m3 (7.3 µg/m3, 193 µg/m3). Average PM2.5 concentrations in 30 homes ranged from 0−15 µg/m3 to >100 µg/m3. Maximum PM2.5 concentrations ranged from 100−200 µg/m3 to >3000 µg/m3. The levoglucosan levels showed a linear correlation with the total PM2.5 collected by the filters (R2 = 0.92). However, neither mean nor peak PM2.5 nor levoglucosan levels were correlated with the age (10.85 ± 8.54 years) of the wood stove (R2 ≤ 0.07, p > 0.23). The final adjusted linear regression model showed that average PM2.5 was associated with reports of cleaning the flue with a beta estimate of 35.56 (3.47−67.65) and R2 = 0.16 (p = 0.04). Discussion: Cleaning the flue and not the wood stove age was associated with household air pollution indices. Education on wood stove maintenance and safe burning practices may be more important in reducing household air pollution than the purchase of new stoves.

Wood smoke exposure affects lung aging, quality of life, and all-cause mortality in New Mexican smokers.

BACKGROUND: The role of wood smoke (WS) exposure in the etiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer (LC), and mortality remains elusive in adults from countries with low ambient levels of combustion-emitted particulate matter. This study aims to delineate the impact of WS exposure on lung health and mortality in adults age 40 and older who ever smoked. METHODS: We assessed health impact of self-reported "ever WS exposure for over a year" in the Lovelace Smokers Cohort using both objective measures (i.e., lung function decline, LC incidence, and deaths) and two health related quality-of-life questionnaires (i.e., lung disease-specific St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire [SGRQ] and the generic 36-item short-form health survey). RESULTS: Compared to subjects without WS exposure, subjects with WS exposure had a more rapid decline of FEV1 (- 4.3 ml/s, P = 0.025) and FEV1/FVC ratio (- 0.093%, P = 0.015), but not of FVC (- 2.4 ml, P = 0.30). Age modified the impacts of WS exposure on lung function decline. WS exposure impaired all health domains with the increase in SGRQ scores exceeding the minimal clinically important difference. WS exposure increased hazard for incidence of LC and death of all-cause, cardiopulmonary diseases, and cancers by > 50% and shortened the lifespan by 3.5 year. We found no evidence for differential misclassification or confounding from socioeconomic status for the health effects of WS exposure. CONCLUSIONS: We identified epidemiological evidence supporting WS exposure as an independent etiological factor for the development of COPD through accelerating lung function decline in an obstructive pattern. Time-to-event analyses of LC incidence and cancer-specific mortality provide human evidence supporting the carcinogenicity of WS exposure.

The Verran Professional Governance Scale: Confirmatory and Exploratory Analysis.

This article describes psychometric testing and refinement of the Verran Professional Governance Scale (VPGS), which measures behaviors associated with professional governance. Phase 1 reduced the items on the scale based on floor and ceiling effects and redundancy of items. Phase 2 examined structural construct validity using exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The final 22-item instrument demonstrates satisfactory internal consistencies and fit indices and significant positive correlation between the VPGS, job satisfaction, and control over nursing practice.

Racial and Ethnic Minorities Have a Lower Prevalence of Airflow Obstruction than Non-Hispanic Whites.

Racial and ethnic disparities in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are not well-studied. Our objective was to examine differences in limited COPD-related outcomes between three minority groups-African Americans (AAs), Hispanics, and American Indians (AIs) versus non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs), as the referent group, in separate cohorts. Separate cross-sectional evaluations were performed of three US-based cohorts of subjects at risk for COPD: COPDGene Study with 6,884 NHW and 3,416 AA smokers; Lovelace Smokers' Cohort with 1,598 NHW and 378 Hispanic smokers; and Mining Dust Exposure in the United States Cohort with 2,115 NHW, 2,682 Hispanic, and 2,467 AI miners. Prebronchodilator spirometry tests were performed at baseline visits using standard criteria. The primary outcome was the prevalence of airflow obstruction. Secondary outcomes were self-reported physician diagnosis of COPD, chronic bronchitis, and modified Medical Research Council dyspnea score. All minority groups had a lower prevalence of airflow obstruction than NHWs (adjusted ORs varied from 0.29 in AIs to 0.85 in AAs; p < 0.01 for all analyses). AAs had a lower prevalence of chronic bronchitis than NHWs. In our study, all minority groups had a lower prevalence of airflow obstruction but a greater level of self-reported dyspnea than NHWs, and covariates did not explain this association. A better understanding of racial and ethnic differences in smoking-related and occupational airflow obstruction may improve prevention and therapeutic strategies.

Burnout of the US midwifery workforce and the role of practice environment.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of burnout among the midwifery workforce and the association between fixed personal and practice characteristics and modifiable organizational factors, specifically practice environment, to burnout among midwives in the United States. DATA SOURCE: Primary data collection was conducted via an online survey of the complete national roster of certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives over 3 weeks in April 2017. STUDY DESIGN: The study was a cross-sectional observational survey consisting of 95 items about personal and practice characteristics, respondents' practice environments, and professional burnout. DATA COLLECTION METHODS: The inclusion criterion was actively practicing midwifery in the United States. Data were analyzed with bivariate analyses to determine the association between personal and practice characteristics and burnout. A hierarchal multilinear regression evaluated the interrelationship between personal and practice characteristics, practice environment, and burnout. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Of the almost one third (30.9%) of certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives who responded to the survey, 40.6% met criteria for burnout. Weak negative correlations existed between burnout and indicators of career longevity: age (r(2256) = -0.09, p < 0.01), years as a midwife (r(2267) = -0.07, p = 0.01), and years with employer (r(2271) = -0.05, p = 0.02). There were significant relationships between burnout score and patient workload indicators: patients per day in outpatient setting (F(5,2292) = 13.995, p < 0.01), birth volume (F(3,1864) = 8.35, p < 0.01), and patient acuity (F(2,2295) = 20.21, p < 0.01). When the practice environment was entered into the model with personal and practice characteristics, the explained variance increased from 6.4% to 26.5% (F(20,1478) = 27.98, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that a key driver of burnout among US midwives was the practice environment, specifically practice leadership and participation and support for the midwifery model of care. Structural and personal characteristics contributed less to burnout score than the practice environment, implying that prevention of burnout may be achieved through organizational support and does not require structural changes to the provision of perinatal health.

Stress and Coping Among Family Caregivers of Patients With a Destination Therapy Left Ventricular Assist Device: A Multicenter Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Family caregivers of patients with a destination therapy left ventricular assist device play a central and formalized role in postimplant care. We aimed to characterize longitudinal stress, predictors and correlates of stress, and coping processes among left ventricular assist device caregivers. METHODS: We performed a sequential, exploratory, mixed-methods study from 6 diverse left ventricular assist device programs. The primary outcome for the quantitative analysis was the Perceived Stress Scale-10 at 6 months (0-40). Based on the quantitative findings and guided by the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, semistructured interviews explored causes of stress and coping processes. Integration was performed during the qualitative and interpretation phase. RESULTS: A total of 96 caregivers met inclusion criteria for quantitative analysis. Mean (SD) Perceived Stress Scale score was 14.3 (5.5) preimplant and 11.8 (6.9) at 6 months. Preimplant, only decreased preparedness for caregiving was associated with higher Perceived Stress Scale score at 6 months. At 6 months, increased caregiver depressive symptoms, decreased caregiver preparedness for caregiving, and lower patient quality of life were associated with higher Perceived Stress Scale score. Qualitative analysis of 25 caregivers revealed the causes of stress coalesced around 3 themes: (1) lack of preparedness to be a caregiver, (2) uniqueness of stress for the caregiver and patient situation, and (3) caregiving responsibilities physically and emotionally impacting caregivers. To cope with stress, most caregivers employed emotion-focused coping. CONCLUSIONS: In family caregivers of patients with a left ventricular assist device, higher perceived stress was associated with lower caregiver preparedness, higher caregiver depressive symptoms, and lower patient quality of life. Emotion-focused coping strategies were common for caregivers. Future work should better prepare caregivers for this role and support them through the caregiving experience. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02344576.

Patient-centered Outcomes Research in Interstitial Lung Disease: An Official American Thoracic Society Research Statement.

Background: In the past two decades, many advances have been made to our understanding of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and the way we approach its treatment. Despite this, many questions remain unanswered, particularly those related to how the disease and its therapies impact outcomes that are most important to patients. There is currently a lack of guidance on how to best define and incorporate these patient-centered outcomes in ILD research. Objectives: To summarize the current state of patient-centered outcomes research in ILD, identify gaps in knowledge and research, and highlight opportunities and methods for future patient-centered research agendas in ILD. Methods: An international interdisciplinary group of experts was assembled. The group identified top patient-centered outcomes in ILD, reviewed available literature for each outcome, highlighted important discoveries and knowledge gaps, and formulated research recommendations. Results: The committee identified seven themes around patient-centered outcomes as the focus of the statement. After a review of the literature and expert committee discussion, we developed 28 research recommendations. Conclusions: Patient-centered outcomes are key to ascertaining whether and how ILD and interventions used to treat it affect the way patients feel and function in their daily lives. Ample opportunities exist to conduct additional work dedicated to elevating and incorporating patient-centered outcomes in ILD research.

Implementation and Outcomes of a Telehealth Neonatology Program in a Single Healthcare System.

Background: Intermountain Healthcare, an early adopter and champion for newborn video-assisted resuscitation (VAR), identified a reduction in facility-level transfers and an estimated savings of $1. 2 million in potentially avoided transfers in a 2018 study. This study was conducted to increase understanding of VAR at the individual, newborn level. Study Aim: To compare transfers to a newborn intensive care unit (NICU), length of stay (LOS), and days of life on oxygen between newborns managed by neonatal VAR and those receiving standard care (SC). Methods: This retrospective, nonequivalent group study includes infants born in an Intermountain hospital between 2013 and 2017, 34 weeks gestation or greater, and requiring oxygen support in the first 15 minutes of life. Data came from billing and clinical records from Intermountain's enterprise data warehouse and chart reviews. We used logistic regression to estimate neonatal VAR's impact on transfers. Negative binomial regression estimated the impact on LOS and days of life on supplemental oxygen. Results: The VAR intervention was used in 46.2 percent of post-implementation cases and is associated with (1) a 12 percentage points reduction in the transfer rate, p = 0.02, (2) a reduction in spoke hospital (SH) LOS of 8.33 h (p < 0.01) for all transfers; (3) a reduction in SH LOS of 2.21 h (p < 0.01) for newborns transferred within 24 h; (4) a reduction in SH LOS of 17.85 h (p = 0.06) among non-transferred newborns; (5) a reduction in days of life on supplemental oxygen of 1.4 days (p = 0.08) among all transferred newborns, and (6) a reduction in days of life on supplemental oxygen of 0.41 days (p = 0.04) among non-transferred newborns. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that neonatal VAR improves care quality and increases local hospitals' capabilities to keep patients close to home. There is an ongoing demand for support to rural and community hospitals for urgent newborn resuscitations, and complex, mandatory NICU transfers. Efforts may be necessary to encourage neonatal VAR since the intervention was only used in 46.2 percent of this study's potential cases. Additional work is needed to understand the short- and long-term impacts of Neonatal VAR on health outcomes.

Chronic disease self-care: A concept analysis.

The purpose of this concept analysis is to clarify and analyze the concept of self-care. Self-care is vital in the prevention, control, and management of chronic disease. It is substantially important in all aspects of health and all levels of care, and it is key to chronic disease management. Walker and Avant's (2011) method for concept analysis was used. A literature search was performed using the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Psych INFO, Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, and Google Scholar databases for relevant articles published between 2000 and 2020 using the search terms self-care, chronic illness, and chronic disease. A total of 22 articles were found for the final analysis. The three defining attributes of self-care include readiness, ability, and activity/practice. Similarly, antecedents (illness/treatment, health systems, and environment) and consequences (health status improvement and wellbeing-related, symptom management-related, cost reduction-related, and personal development-related) of self-care were derived from literature. Constructed cases were created to illustrate these aspects of self-care. Through this concept analysis, the complexity and breadth of the self-care concept are elucidated.

Inconsistency in Faculty and Student Perceptions of DNP and PhD Leader Scholarly Activity.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to quantify faculty and student perceptions of scholarly activities for doctor of nursing practice (DNP) and PhD leaders. BACKGROUND: The American Association of Colleges of Nursing describes DNP as a practice-focused degree and PhD as a research-focused degree. In 2016, the Council on Graduate Education for Administration in Nursing (now Association for Leadership Science in Nursing) published in the Journal of Nursing Administration sample practice objectives for DNP and research objectives for PhD leaders. METHODS: Using the published objectives, we surveyed faculty and students to quantify congruence with the publication and consistency within groups. The data informed intraprofessional education constructed using action research. RESULTS: There was low congruence between faculty and student responses with the article. PhD faculty had the least, and PhD students, the greatest, consistency in survey responses. CONCLUSIONS: Confusion exists within our faculty and students around differentiating PhD and DNP scholarly activities. Data supported need to clarify scholarly role boundaries through intraprofessional education.

Home-Based Palliative Care: Perspectives of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients and Their Caregivers.

BACKGROUND: Home-based palliative care (HBPC) is an important aspect of care for patients with moderate to advanced stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and their caregivers. HBPC provides symptom management, advanced care planning and goals of care conversations in the home, with the goal of maximizing quality of life and minimizing health care utilization. There is a gap in the knowledge of how the patients with COPD and their caregivers experience HBPC. The overall purpose of this study is to describe which aspects of HBPC were the most meaningful to patients with COPD, and their caregivers. METHODS: Through a descriptive design with narrative analysis methodology, we interviewed COPD patients and their caregivers to investigate their experience of HBPC received in the 30 days post hospitalization for a COPD exacerbation. A thematic analysis was conducted and the patient and caregiver interviews were analyzed in dyad using thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 10 dyads were interviewed. Patients and their caregivers perceived 3 times as many facilitators as barriers of receiving home-based palliative care in the 30 days post hospitalization for a COPD exacerbation. The outcomes of this study provide information that describes the aspects of HBPC that patients and their caregivers found most meaningful. CONCLUSION: An understanding of the most meaningful aspects of HBPC from the perspectives of the patients with COPD and their caregivers can be used to inform the development of the best model for HBPC for this patient population.

Development and Initial Psychometric Testing of the Midwifery Practice Climate Scale - Part 2.

INTRODUCTION: A supportive practice climate is demonstrated to improve patient outcomes, health care provider well-being, and workforce stability. Midwives are an integral component to improving maternal health care; however, there has been limited research into the qualities and measurement of a supportive practice climate for midwives. METHODS: The Midwifery Practice Climate Scale is a self-report instrument designed to measure midwives' perceptions of their work environments. We tested the scale's validity and reliability in multiphase, national cross-sectional survey of the full roster of certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives practicing in the United States. To test structural validity and reliability testing, 2 subsamples of 330 participants were randomly extracted from the sample of 2887 for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and internal consistency determination. Convergent validity was tested in the remaining sample of 1673 respondents. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis revealed 2 5-subscale structures consistent with the loading values and theoretical structure. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a mediocre fit of the models identified in the exploratory analysis. Consequently, items were systematically reviewed for redundancy, skew, and generalizability and 24 items were removed from the scale. The resulting structure is a 10-item scale comprising 2 subscales: Practice Leadership and Participation and Support for the Midwifery Model of Care. The revised Midwifery Practice Climate Scale was a good fit with the data demonstrating adequate construct validity (χ2 = 60.397, df = 34, P < 0.001; comparative fit index, 0.987; root mean square of approximation, 0.049) and internal consistency (α = 0.89-0.84). DISCUSSION: These findings indicate that the Midwifery Practice Climate Scale accurately and reliably measures the midwives' perceptions of their practice environment. The next steps include determining the scale's sensitivity to change and assessing the relationship with maternal health outcomes.

Development and Initial Psychometric Testing of the Midwifery Practice Climate Scale.

INTRODUCTION: Perinatal care in the United States is plagued with a high maternal mortality rate and shortages of perinatal care providers. A supportive practice climate is a theoretically based and empirically demonstrated means of improving the quality of care and stabilizing the workforce; however, there has been limited research into the qualities and measurement of a supportive practice climate for midwives. METHODS: We developed a self-report instrument, the Midwifery Practice Climate Scale, to measure midwives' perceptions of the supportiveness of their work environments. We tested content and face validity with 2 samples of content experts (n = 6 and n = 14, respectively). RESULTS: Thirty-four items were created or adapted from nursing instruments. Two items that included language about physicians were removed based upon relevance and redundancy as a result of content and face validity testing. DISCUSSION: The findings indicate that the Midwifery Practice Climate Scale is relevant to midwifery and addresses the intended concept of a supportive practice climate for midwives. Challenges of creating the scale identified were language regarding leadership and the varying relationships with physicians across diverse settings. The next stages in testing the Midwifery Practice Climate Scale will address these challenges, as well as test the reliability and construct validity.