Sexual Health Education: Knowledge Level of Oncology Nurses and Barriers to Discussing Concerns With Patients.

BACKGROUND: Cancer treatment has a significant impact on a patient's sexual health and function. However, numerous communication barriers deter healthcare professionals from initiating a sexual health conversation with patients. OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the effects of a nurse-focused sexual health education workshop on change in knowledge of sexual concerns, barriers to discussing sexuality, and frequency of bringing up sexual concerns. METHODS: A train-the-trainer approach was used to educate oncology nurse managers, who then trained oncology nurses (N = 65) at 10 education workshops. Each workshop provided four hours of content on sexual health and incorporated role-play and lecture. FINDINGS: Mean knowledge scores were improved, and barriers to discussing sexuality at the three- and six-month follow-ups were reduced. Frequency in discussing sexual concerns increased at three months and was sustained at six months.

Sitter Reduction Through Mobile Video Monitoring: A Nurse-Driven Sitter Protocol and Administrative Oversight.

This article describes the implementation of a mobile video monitoring program, combined with a nursing-driven sitter protocol and administrative oversight, resulting in a significant return on investment over a 2-year period. Program implementation, structures, and processes are described. Financial and quality outcomes are summarized and compared to national benchmarks.

Excellence and evidence in staffing: a data-driven model for excellence in staffing (2nd edition).

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, 2010) and the Institute of Medicine's (IOM, 2011) Future of Nursing report have prompted changes in the U.S. health care system. This has also stimulated a new direction of thinking for the profession of nursing. New payment and priority structures, where value is placed ahead of volume in care, will start to define our health system in new and unknown ways for years. One thing we all know for sure: we cannot afford the same inefficient models and systems of care of yesterday any longer. The Data-Driven Model for Excellence in Staffing was created as the organizing framework to lead the development of best practices for nurse staffing across the continuum through research and innovation. Regardless of the setting, nurses must integrate multiple concepts with the value of professional nursing to create new care and staffing models. Traditional models demonstrate that nurses are a commodity. If the profession is to make any significant changes in nurse staffing, it is through the articulation of the value of our professional practice within the overall health care environment. This position paper is organized around the concepts from the Data-Driven Model for Excellence in Staffing. The main concepts are: Core Concept 1: Users and Patients of Health Care, Core Concept 2: Providers of Health Care, Core Concept 3: Environment of Care, Core Concept 4: Delivery of Care, Core Concept 5: Quality, Safety, and Outcomes of Care. This position paper provides a comprehensive view of those concepts and components, why those concepts and components are important in this new era of nurse staffing, and a 3-year challenge that will push the nursing profession forward in all settings across the care continuum. There are decades of research supporting various changes to nurse staffing. Yet little has been done to move that research into practice and operations. While the primary goal of this position paper is to generate research and innovative thinking about nurse staffing across all health care settings, a second goal is to stimulate additional publications. This includes a goal of at least 20 articles in Nursing Economic$ on best practices in staffing and care models from across the continuum over the next 3 years.

Nursing work environment and nurse caring: relationship among motivational factors.

AIM: This paper is a report of a study of the relationships among compassion satisfaction, nurse job satisfaction, stress, burnout and compassion fatigue to nurse caring. BACKGROUND: Nurse caring is the most influential dimension of patient advocation and is predictive of patient satisfaction. Qualitative studies have indicated that nurse caring is a key motivational factor impacting recruitment and retention. METHODS: A correlational study of nurses (N = 126) was conducted in 2008 at a single, academic medical center. The six variables of interest were operationalized using four valid and reliable research instruments: (1) the Mueller McCloskey Satisfaction Scale, (2) the Professional Quality of Life Scale, (3) the Stress in General Scale and (4) the Caring Behaviors Inventory. RESULTS: Pearson Product-moment correlations showed statistically significant relationships between nurse caring and compassion satisfaction (r = 0.51, P < 0.001), nurse job satisfaction subscales (r = 0.16-0.28, P < 0.05), stress (r = -0.21, P < 0.05), and burnout (r = -0.22, P < 0.01). A statistically significant relationship was found between the nurse caring subscale of knowledge and skill and compassion fatigue (r = -0.22, P < 0.01). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis demonstrated that compassion satisfaction (R(2) = 0.287, beta = 0.536, P = 0.000) and nurse satisfaction with social interaction opportunities related to work (beta = 0.223, P = 0.032) explained variability in nurse caring. CONCLUSION: Fostering compassion satisfaction and social interaction opportunities among nurses may improve nurse caring, potentially sustaining long-term improvements in patient.