Engagement in types of activities and frequency of alcohol use in a national sample of United States adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: Adolescents with fewer sources of environmental reinforcement may be at risk for alcohol use. Behavioral economic theories posit that engagement in some activities may facilitate alcohol use, whereas other activities may be incompatible with use and reduce likelihood of alcohol use. It is unclear which types of activities may facilitate or may be incompatible with alcohol use in adolescence. Using a national sample of adolescents, the current study examined differences in engagement with types of activities that may be incompatible with alcohol use, compared among adolescents who endorsed alcohol use, and adolescents who did not. METHOD: Data from the 2019 Monitoring the Future (MTF) study (N = 4626) were analyzed. Potentially incompatible and facilitating activities, and alcohol-involved activities were identified from pre-existing survey measures. Confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance, and structural equation modeling were used to examine patterns in activity engagement among those who endorsed alcohol use and those who did not. RESULTS: Participants who did not endorse alcohol use reported higher engagement in activities that may be incompatible with alcohol use, including enjoyment from school and going to the mall (p < .001). Participants who endorsed alcohol use reported higher engagement in activities that may facilitate alcohol use (p < .001), such as spending time with friends and attending parties. Facilitating activities (ß = 0.15, p < .001) and alcohol-involved activities (ß = 0.70, p < .001) were positively associated with alcohol use frequency. Observed effect sizes were small in magnitude for all findings. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the premise of behavioral economic theory, suggesting some activities may serve as protective factors against alcohol use frequency while other activities may facilitate alcohol use among adolescents. National surveys may consider adding specific measure of activity engagement to identify activities that may be incompatible with alcohol use among adolescents.

Individual and Organizational Factors Associated With Nurse Manager Success.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to synthesize previous findings and provide practical guidance for maximizing nurse manager and nurse performance. BACKGROUND: Two recent studies have linked nurse manager job design factors and individual differences to a variety of valued outcomes, but practical implications remain unclear. METHODS: A large US sample of nurse managers was divided on the basis of nurse and patient outcomes. Various characteristics are compared across the highest and lowest performers. RESULTS: Wider nurse manager span of control is associated with negative outcomes; the availability of support positions does not fully alleviate the consequences of wide spans. Nurse managers with fewer subordinates can effectively manage multiple units. Nurse manager experience is critical for success and cannot be fully replaced by leadership training programs. CONCLUSIONS: Staffing and job design decisions have critical downstream implications. The present research provides guidance for effective staffing and job design.

Relationships among nurse managers' job design, work environment, and nurse and patient outcomes.

The importance of nurse managers' practice environments in affecting outcomes for direct care nurses and patients has been well-researched. Nonetheless, much remains to be learned about the determinants of the nurse manager practice environment. In this study, 541 US nurse managers' survey responses were matched to unit-level aggregate data of their subordinates' responses on the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators. A model relating job design and experience to the nurse manager's practice environment and direct care nurse (i.e., job satisfaction, intent to stay, and joy and meaning in work) and patient outcomes (i.e., nurse-reported quality of care and missed nursing care) was evaluated through multilevel path analysis. Nurse manager span of control, support staff, and experience influence nurse managers' perceptions of their practice environment and nurse and patient outcomes. Although support staff can offset some negative effects of wide spans of control, it does not fully compensate for wide spans. Thus, nurse manager job design factors and experience relate to nurse manager practice environments and valued downstream outcomes. The present research emphasizes the importance of a positive nurse manager practice environment and provides guidance for nurse manager hiring and job design decisions.

The Impact of Generation on Nurse Manager Job Satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of generational membership on nurse managers' (NMs') perception of their practice environment and job satisfaction using the Nurse Manager Practice Environment Scale (NMPES). BACKGROUND: Boomers, Generation Xers, and millennials make up the NM workforce. Each has specific perceptions and expectations for their practice environment and job satisfaction. Little is known about these differences. METHODS: A secondary analysis of NM survey data was conducted using descriptive statistics and multiple regression to identify the impact of generation on NMs' perception of their practice environment and satisfaction. RESULTS: Generational membership did not significantly impact NMPES or job satisfaction scores, but the practice environment was a strong predictor of these outcomes. CONCLUSION: Generational membership did not impact NMs' satisfaction for this sample, but the practice environment did. Further research is needed to examine additional factors that influence NM satisfaction and retention.

The influence of nurse manager competency on practice environment, missed nursing care, and patient care quality: A cross-sectional study of nurse managers in U.S. hospitals.

AIMS: Identify and examine drivers of nurse manager competency and high-quality practice environments. BACKGROUND: Nurse managers are a key predictor of positive professional practice environments, which are, in turn, associated with nurse, patient, and organisational outcomes. However, little work has examined the factors that contribute to nurse manager competency. METHODS: Nurse managers completed online surveys, which were matched to unit-level aggregate data of their subordinate direct care nurses' responses on the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators. This resulted in a final sample of 541 nurse managers across 47 U.S. hospitals. Multilevel path analysis was utilized to assess a model of the antecedents and consequences of nurse manager competency. RESULTS: Nurse manager competency and practice environments were predictive of missed nursing care and nurse-reported quality of care. Nurse manager experience was found to have twice the effect on competency as advanced education. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse manager competency and its downstream effects are achieved through nurse manager experience and advanced education. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse manager competency yields better practice environments and nursing care. Considering the influence of experience, careful attention should be paid to the competency development process of more novice nurse managers.

The Use of Questionable Research Practices to Survive in Academia Examined With Expert Elicitation, Prior-Data Conflicts, Bayes Factors for Replication Effects, and the Bayes Truth Serum.

The popularity and use of Bayesian methods have increased across many research domains. The current article demonstrates how some less familiar Bayesian methods can be used. Specifically, we applied expert elicitation, testing for prior-data conflicts, the Bayesian Truth Serum, and testing for replication effects via Bayes Factors in a series of four studies investigating the use of questionable research practices (QRPs). Scientifically fraudulent or unethical research practices have caused quite a stir in academia and beyond. Improving science starts with educating Ph.D. candidates: the scholars of tomorrow. In four studies concerning 765 Ph.D. candidates, we investigate whether Ph.D. candidates can differentiate between ethical and unethical or even fraudulent research practices. We probed the Ph.D.s' willingness to publish research from such practices and tested whether this is influenced by (un)ethical behavior pressure from supervisors or peers. Furthermore, 36 academic leaders (deans, vice-deans, and heads of research) were interviewed and asked to predict what Ph.D.s would answer for different vignettes. Our study shows, and replicates, that some Ph.D. candidates are willing to publish results deriving from even blatant fraudulent behavior-data fabrication. Additionally, some academic leaders underestimated this behavior, which is alarming. Academic leaders have to keep in mind that Ph.D. candidates can be under more pressure than they realize and might be susceptible to using QRPs. As an inspiring example and to encourage others to make their Bayesian work reproducible, we published data, annotated scripts, and detailed output on the Open Science Framework (OSF).

A novel item-allocation procedure for the three-form planned missing data design.

We propose a new method of constructing questionnaire forms in the three-form planned missing data design (PMDD). The random item allocation (RIA) procedure that we propose promises to dramatically simplify the process of implementing three-form PMDDs without compromising statistical performance. Our method is a stochastic approximation to the currently recommended approach of deterministically spreading a scale's items across the X-, A-, B-, and C-blocks when allocating the items in a three-form design. Direct empirical support for the performance of our method is only available for scales containing at least 12 items, so we also propose a modified approach for use with scales containing fewer than 12 items. We also discuss the limitations of our procedure and several nuances for researchers to consider when implementing three-form PMDDs using our method. ● The RIA procedure allows researchers to implement statistically sound three-form planned missing data designs without the need for expert knowledge or results from prior statistical modeling. ● The RIA procedure can be used to construct both "paper-and-pencil" questionnaires and questionnaires administered through online survey software. ● The RIA procedure is a simple framework to aid in designing three-form PMDDs; implementing the RIA method does not require any specialized software or technical expertise.

Detecting Changes in Support Needs Over Time.

Assessment of support needs has received significant attention in the disability field, however, little is known about the stability of support needs scores over time. Data from 82 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who were reassessed with the Supports Intensity Scale-Adult (SIS-A) version as well as the SIS-A Annual Review Protocol (SIS-A ARP) were analyzed. The findings suggest stability of SIS-A scores over a one- to three-year period in adults with IDD. Several sections of the SIS-A ARP showed discriminative power, particularly sections that asked if there had been changes in a subset of specific life activities assessed on the SIS-A and in medical and behavioral needs. Implications for further research and practice are discussed.

Long-Term Impact of a Cell Phone-Enhanced Parenting Intervention.

Home visiting programs support positive parenting in populations at-risk of child maltreatment, but their impact is often limited by poor retention and engagement. The current study assessed whether a cellular phone-supported version (PCI-C) of the Parent-Child Interactions (PCI) intervention improved long-term parenting practices, maternal depression, and children's aggression. Low-income mothers ( n = 371) of preschool-aged children were assigned to one of the three groups: PCI-C, PCI, and a wait-list control (WLC) group. Parenting improved in both intervention groups between baseline and 12-month follow-up compared to the WLC. Children in the PCI-C group were rated to be more cooperative and less aggressive than children in the WLC. The results offer evidence of the long-term effectiveness of PCI and the additional benefits of cellular phone supports for promoting intervention retention and improving children's behavior.