Facilitators of and Barriers to the Therapeutic Nurse-Patient Relationship: Perceptions From Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses.

BACKGROUND: The therapeutic relationship serves as a cornerstone in psychiatric mental health nursing practice, providing a basis for implementing various interventions. AIMS: This study aimed to explore the perspectives of psychiatric mental health nurses regarding factors that facilitate and impede the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship. METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted among psychiatric mental health nurses employed at two community psychiatric hospitals in the northeast area of the United States. A list of facilitators and barriers was developed based on an extensive literature review and subsequently validated by three experts in the field of psychiatric mental health nursing. Participants rated these factors on a 10-point scale. RESULTS: The study included 74 registered nurses from two psychiatric hospitals, yielding a 24% response rate. The highest-ranked facilitator was awareness that the relationship enables collaborative goal setting with patients. The most significant barrier was insufficient time due to administrative tasks. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of understanding facilitators and barriers in the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship. Replicating the study nationally on a larger scale among psychiatric mental health nurses is recommended.

The Level of Political Astuteness in Nursing Leaders: A Baseline Assessment.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the baseline knowledge of nursing leaders regarding political advocacy and healthcare policy. BACKGROUND: Although there has been considerable attention to the need for nurses' involvement in health policy, there has not been a prior assessment of the political astuteness of nursing leaders. METHODS: Researchers analyzed self-reported data from 101 nursing leaders collected via electronic survey from American Organization for Nursing Leadership members. Descriptive, correlational analysis of data assessing political astuteness and background information was completed. RESULTS: Half of the nurse leader participants demonstrated slight political astuteness. Nurse executives, including those in chief nursing officer, chief nurse executive, and vice president positions, had higher levels of political astuteness than those in nurse director and manager positions. CONCLUSION: Nursing leaders have beginning levels of political astuteness. Formal education is recommended to increase the knowledge base of nurse leaders in the areas of understanding the political and legislative process and the skills needed to advocate regarding healthcare policy, thus increasing their level of political astuteness.

Eating Disorders: Identification and Management in General Medical and Psychiatric Settings.

OBJECTIVE: Eating disorders (EDs) are serious, complex illnesses with both behavioral and physical health features. EDs have high rates of medical and psychiatric morbidity, and a 6% mortality rate, the highest of any mental illness. Early detection of EDs offers the best opportunity for recovery; yet, estimates are that as few as one in 10 individuals with an ED receive treatment. The purpose of this article is to provide an ED identification and management overview for inpatient nurse clinicians in general psychiatric and medical settings, helping to facilitate timely recognition and care. METHOD: An overview of ED diagnostic criteria and two evidence-based ED tools are introduced for consideration. RESULTS: Opportunities to identify and help manage an ED are numerous. Most individuals with an ED make several health care visits in either medical or psychiatric settings without ever being screened for an ED. General ED screening and assessment tool familiarization can facilitate a treatment trajectory for these patients, improve overall quality of life, and may potentially result in a life-saving intervention for this often-deadly cluster of medical and psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSION: Screening and assessment in general clinical settings, identifying patients with undiagnosed EDs, beginning basic treatment plans, and referrals for appropriate follow-up care, have the potential to reduce ED recidivism and related health care costs. Simultaneously, and most important, long-term outcomes for patients with EDs may improve.

Individual and Work-Related Characteristics Associated with COVID-19 Vaccination Status among Ohio Nurses.

Uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine by nurses lags behind that of other health care professionals with minimal empirical evidence to understand this phenomenon. In this secondary analysis, we examined nurses' individual and work-related characteristics and their association with COVID-19 vaccination status. Alumni of three Ohio nursing colleges and members of a professional organization were invited to complete questionnaires from June through August 2021. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between nurse characteristics and vaccination status. Among 844 respondents, 754 (80.30%) had received at least one dose of the vaccine. Older age, having a bachelor's degree or higher, and working in critical care were associated with vaccination. Providing direct care for COVID-19 patients in the last 7 days and a higher perception of one's work being affected by COVID-19 were significantly associated with being vaccinated, whereas prior COVID-19 infection was inversely associated with vaccination status. Our findings suggest that COVID-19 vaccine uptake among nurses is influenced by a host of factors related to virus knowledge, beliefs, and risk perceptions. Awareness of these factors can aid the development of interventions to increase nurses' acceptance of vaccines.

Corrigendum to The Professional Quality of Life and Work Engagement of Nurse Leaders [Nurse Leader 19 (2021) 95-100].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.mnl.2020.08.001.].

Incorporating climate change into Doctor of Nursing Practice curricula.

Climate change is a global crisis with major impacts on planetary health and quality of life. Nurses are well positioned to recognize the major health consequences of climate change on health. Therefore, highlighting nurses' active engagement in mitigating climate change impact and resilience efforts is essential. However, there is little evidence of climate change content in nursing curricula. Climate change/planetary health content could be integrated into existing Doctor of Nursing Practice programs so that graduates, as influential leaders, are equipped to meet the challenges ahead. The domains, competencies and sub-competencies outlined in the Essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education (American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), 2021) are proposed as a curricular scaffold to integrate climate change content in DNP curricula. Climate change content matched to the AACN domains and competencies could be included in many existing DNP courses. Climate change would become a consistent concept throughout all DNP curricular programs rather than a specified course addressing climate change. The curricular structure presented would provide a foundation for enhancing DNP students' knowledge, attitudes and skills related to climate change. These students and future graduates would be well prepared to introduce changes in practices and policies at the local, national, and global levels.

Moral Injury, Nurse Well-being, and Resilience Among Nurses Practicing During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine relationships between moral injury (MI), well-being, and resilience among staff nurses and nurse leaders practicing during the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. BACKGROUND: Attention to MI among health professionals, including nurses, increased in 2021, particularly related to the pandemic. Few studies examined MI, well-being, and resilience; even fewer provided implications for leadership/management. METHODS: The sample included 676 RNs practicing in Ohio. The electronic survey included assessments of MI, well-being, and resilience distributed via the Ohio Nurses Association and the schools of nursing alumni Listservs. RESULTS: There was a significant association between MI and negative well-being and negative association between MI and resilience. Differences were observed between staff nurses and leaders. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study relating MI, resilience, and well-bring among nurses and nurse leaders during the pandemic. There is a need for additional research to further our understanding about nurses' health and well-being during the pandemic and beyond.

Perceptions of US nurses and nurse leaders on authentic nurse leadership, healthy work environment, intent to leave and nurse well-being during a second pandemic year: A cross sectional study.

AIM: The main aim of this study was to determine the perceptions of clinical nurses and nurse leaders about authentic nurse leadership, work environment, pandemic impact, well-being and intent to leave their position and profession during the second year of the pandemic. BACKGROUND: This research team studied the variables pre-pandemic and in year one of the pandemic. As the pandemic continued, subsequent reports of workforce instability, deteriorating work environment and vulnerable well-being called for an understanding of the current state to inform needed actions by leadership. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational analysis using national survey data from 1795 US clinical nurses and nurse leaders in the fall of 2021. RESULTS: Pandemic impact was high, authentic nurse leadership was present, healthy work environment was not present and nurse well-being was at-risk and negatively correlated to both healthy work environment and authentic nurse leadership. Within our sample, 61.8% of nurses had no intention to leave their positions, and 82.5% had no intention to leave the profession. Compared with clinical nurses, nurse managers had significantly higher scores on all instruments. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study support leadership as positively related to a healthy work environment. Authentic nurse leadership, a healthy work environment and nurse well-being are all critical components of efforts to stabilize the nursing workforce as we recover and rebuild post-pandemic. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: This is a call to action for leadership that will serve the goals of retaining nurses, rebuilding work environments and improving well-being.

Narrative Nursing: Empowering Nurse Leaders.

Narrative Nursing is a form of storytelling that is used as an intervention with nurses to empower them to share their profound experiences in the nurse-patient relationship. Nurses participating in the Narrative Nursing workshops each share an individual encounter that was meaningful in their own nursing career. The shared experience serves to acclaim the power of nurses as leaders at the point of care and nurse leaders mentoring others. Four stories of nurse leadership are included in this article, 2 from clinical nurses providing care at the bedside and 2 from nurses in leadership roles. Participants in Narrative Nursing describe the workshops as inspirational, affirming, and empowering of the essence of professional nursing. Leadership lessons learned from the Narrative Nursing experiences thus far are included as are plans for future work to inspire all nurses at all levels of leadership. The future work includes embedding the intervention within relationship-based leadership theories.

Nurses' Intent to Leave their Position and the Profession During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the relationships between perceptions of the pandemic impact on clinical nurses' and nurse leaders' intent to leave their current position and the profession and the differences in pandemic impact and intent to leave variables based on background factors. BACKGROUND: There is much discussion and concern about the COVID-19 pandemic impact on nurses' health and the nursing workforce. METHODS: More than 5000 nurses from a national sample participated in a cross-sectional, descriptive study. Participants rated their perceptions of the pandemic impact on their practice and their intent to leave their position and profession. RESULTS: Pandemic impact was rated high overall and was highest in nurses with 25+ years of experience and in managers/directors. Eleven percent of the total sample indicated they intended to leave their position, and 20% were undecided. Nurses who rated pandemic impact at the highest level had higher intent to leave their position. Of the respondents, less than 2% indicated they were leaving the nursing profession, whereas 8% were undecided. CONCLUSIONS: This is the 1st quantitative report of perceived level of pandemic impact on direct care nurses and nurse managers/directors at the time of this writing. The combination of those who intend to leave and those who are uncertain about leaving their positions could cause instability in the workforce if not reversed. Organizational attention to nurse well-being, work environment and staffing is imperative.

Saúde mental, transtorno por uso de substâncias e transtorno por uso de opioides: atualizações e estratégias de tratamento / Mental health, substance use disorder, and opioid uses disorder: updates and strategies for treatment / Salud mental, trastorno por uso de sustancias y trastorno por uso de opioides: actualizaciones y estrategias de tratamiento

OBJETIVO: descrever as principais estratégias para abordar lacunas na identificação, tratamento e treinamento sobre saúde mental, transtorno do uso de substâncias (TUS) e transtorno do uso de opioides (TUO). MÉTODO: trata-se de uma revisão narrativa, a partir de artigos recentes e de publicações de instituições que abordam a temática da saúde mental e da dependência química reconhecidas internacionalmente. RESULTADOS: a prevalência de uso concomitante de substâncias e transtornos psiquiátricos/de saúde mental tem sido elevada e continua crescente, compondo problemas complexos que implicam em desafios de tratamento multifacetados, incluindo condições médicas, deficiências, falta de moradia, abandono de medicamentos e altas taxas de recaída. O tratamento de TUS's e TUO's são questões individualmente complexas. A combinação dos dois transtornos requer uma abordagem de diagnóstico e tratamento dedicada e multifacetada. CONCLUSÃO: como a prevalência de TUO's, TUS's e COD's continua a aumentar, enfermeiros e profissionais de saúde devem estar preparados para diagnosticar, tratar e/ou encaminhar os usuários para garantir o cuidado adequado e a recuperação a longo prazo dos indivíduos acometidos.

OBJECTIVE: to describe the main strategies to deal with gaps in the identification, treatment and training regarding substance use disorder (SUD), and opioid uses disorder (OUD). METHOD: this is a narrative review, based on recent articles and publications on mental health and substance use recognized internationally. RESULTS: a prevalence of co-occurring substance use and mental health/psychiatric disorders continue to rise and are considered complex problems, with multifaceted treatment challenges including medical conditions, disabilities, homelessness, medication noncompliance, and high relapse rates. The treatment for SUD and OUD are complex. The co-occurrence of these two disorders require a multifaceted approach for the diagnosis and treatment. CONCLUSION: the prevalence of SUD, OUD and their co-occurrence continue to rise and nurses and other health professionals should be prepared to diagnose, treat and/or refer users to assure their adequate care and long term recovery.

OBJETIVO: describir las principales estrategias para abordar las brechas en la identificación, tratamiento y capacitación en salud mental, trastorno por uso de sustancias (TUS) y trastorno por uso de opioides (TUO). MÉTODO: se trata de una revisión narrativa, basada en artículos y publicaciones recientes de instituciones reconocidas internacionalmente que abordan el tema de la salud mental y la dependencia química. RESULTADOS: la prevalencia del uso concomitante de sustancias y trastornos psiquiátricos/de salud mental ha sido alta y continúa creciente, lo que agrava problemas complejos que implican desafíos de tratamiento multifacéticos, que incluyen afecciones médicas, discapacidades, falta de vivienda, abandono del uso de medicaciones y elevadas tasas de recaída. El tratamiento de los TUS y TUO son problemas individualmente complejo. Una combinación de los dos requiere un enfoque de diagnóstico y tratamiento dedicado y multifacético. CONCLUSIÓN: como la prevalencia de TUO, TUS y COD sigue aumentando, las enfermeras y los profesionales de la salud deben estar preparados para diagnosticar, tratar y / o encaminar para garantizar la atención adecuada y la recuperación a largo plazo de las personas afectadas.

Giving while grieving: Racism-related stress and psychological resilience in Black/African American registered nurses.

BACKGROUND: Studies have found race-related stress psychologically and physiologically harms members of stigmatized racial groups. However, the stressor is racism, not race. PURPOSE: This study examined the relationship between racism-related stress and psychological resilience in Black/African American nurses. METHOD: This study used a cross-sectional, quantitative, correlational design with two instruments, an investigator-developed demographic questionnaire and a convenience sample. FINDINGS: Participants perceived they have low psychological resilience in stressful situations. With racism-related stress, in particular, participants perceived they are affected by both lived and vicarious racism - ruminating over past occurrences, and expecting/worrying that racism will happen to them or other Black/African American people. There was a significant positive correlation between participants' perceived psychological resilience, their ability to assess the nature of the racism-related stressor and their ability to mitigate its harmful effects by identifying and utilizing their coping resources. There was a negative correlation between racism-related stress and psychological resilience. DISCUSSION: There is a need for continued research on racism-related stress among Black/African American nurses. Further, healthcare organizations, advisably through their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, must develop systemic approaches to meeting the unique needs of the Black/African American workforce.