Probiotic supplements and stress-related occupational health outcomes: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged and constant stress from work often leads to numerous adverse health effects. In recent years, interest in probiotics, living microorganisms that can benefit their host when consumed in adequate amounts, to aid health and well-being has increased. This scoping review is to systematically evaluate the current state of science on the effects of probiotic supplements on health, stress, and stress-related symptoms among working adults in occupational settings. METHODS: We performed a systematic scoping review following the Arksey and O'Malley Framework. Studies that examined the effects of probiotics on workers' health and stress-related indicators/outcomes in occupational settings were included. A comprehensive search was performed from November 2021 to January 2022 using MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Scopus, and Embase. RESULTS: A total of 14 papers met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Probiotics consisted primarily of Lactobacillus and/or Bifidobacterium strains in various forms and doses. Three out of eight studies reported statistical differences in inflammatory markers or stress hormone levels between probiotic and placebo groups. Three of six reported reduced respiratory tract infection incidents in the probiotic groups and three out of four studies reported no differences in anxiety and depression between groups. Lastly, three studies found that absenteeism and presentism were lower in probiotic groups compared with placebo groups. CONCLUSION: The potential benefits of probiotics exist; however, the measurements of outcomes, the types of probiotics used, and the characteristics of the intervention varied across studies. Further research is needed focusing on probiotics' direct and indirect mechanisms of action on the stress response and the standardization of strains and dosing.

Disaster Preparedness: Keeping Nursing Staff and Students at the Ready.

Humanity is facing an increasing threat to life and property due to an increase in disasters. Disasters occur with little warning and can last for hours or months. Current literature reveals that most nurses are not prepared for a disaster in their community. Continual readiness requires the engagement of staff and nursing students in disaster plan development, review, and implementation. Development of educational training programs that are ongoing, easily accessible, engaging, and realistic is best for skills and competency acquisition. Technology, such as virtual simulation, shows great potential to prepare health care professionals and should be incorporated into disaster preparedness plans.

Next Generation of Nurses: Considerations for Successful Recruitment.

As healthcare faces the great resignation, it is important that nurse leaders understand the impact of generational variations in the recruitment of nursing staff. This article discusses the specific characteristics of millennials and Generation Z nurses and offers suggestions for tailoring recruitment strategies for these 2 generational groups.

The Impact of the Doctorate of Nursing Practice Nurse in a Hospital Setting.

This article describes the initiatives of doctorate of nursing practice (DNP)-prepared nurses in a large healthcare system supporting the DNP competencies as outlined by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The goal of this group was to demonstrate the impact of DNP education on the roles for nurse administrators, advanced practice nurses, and educators in a large health system. Exemplars profile nurse administrators, clinical nurse specialists, and a nurse educator.

Examining the Roles and Competencies of Nurse Leaders, Educators, and Clinicians With a Doctor of Nursing Practice at an Academic Medical Center.

BACKGROUND: As the nursing profession has gained experience with Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduates, it is important to examine the integration, operationalization, and contributions of the DNP-prepared nurse within healthcare systems. Administrators and leaders must have a clear vision of how DNP graduates will contribute within and outside of their organizations. OBJECTIVES: This article describes the outcomes of a workgroup comprised of DNP-prepared staff at a large academic medical center. The overarching goal of this group was to examine current practices of our DNP-prepared staff and make recommendations regarding roles and practice to the senior nursing leadership. METHODS: A crosswalk comparing the current job descriptions of our DNP-prepared nurse leaders, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse educators with the core competencies of The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice as outlined by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing was completed. RESULTS: Strategies and tactics to enrich current practice and build leadership capacity were identified. CONCLUSIONS: DNP-prepared nurses must continue to document their contributions to the healthcare setting. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: DNP-prepared nurses in the health-care setting must work collaboratively with their senior nursing leaders to seek opportunities to increase their visibility within their organizations, and increase their scholarly output.