A cross-national study to objectively evaluate the quality of diverse simulation approaches for undergraduate nursing students.

The aim of this paper is to report the results of a cross-national study that evaluated a range of simulation sessions using an observation schedule developed from evidence-based quality indicators. Observational data were collected from 17 simulation sessions conducted for undergraduate nursing students at three universities in Australia and the United Kingdom. The observation schedule contained 27 questions that rated simulation quality. Data were collected by direct observation and from video recordings of the simulation sessions. Results indicated that the highest quality scores were for provision of learning objectives prior to the simulation session (90%) and debriefing (72%). Student preparatiosn and orientation (67%) and perceived realism and fidelity (67%) were scored lower than other components of the simulation sessions. This observational study proved to be an effective strategy to identify areas of strength and those needing further development to improve simulation sessions.

Weight Management Advice for Clients with Overweight or Obesity: Allied Health Professional Survey.

The prevalence of obesity is increasing. The potential for allied health professionals to intervene through the provision of lifestyle advice is unknown. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of health professionals in the provision of dietary and physical activity advice for clients with overweight or obesity. Dietitians, exercise physiologists, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists (n = 296) working in New South Wales were surveyed using paper-based and online methods. The majority of health professionals (71%) believed that providing weight management advice was within their scope of practice; 81% provided physical activity advice but only 57% provided dietary advice. Other than dietitians, few had received training in client weight management during their professional qualification (14%) or continuing education (16%). Providing dietary advice was associated with: believing it was within their scope of practice (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.9-7.9, p < 0.01), training during their entry-level qualification (OR 7.2, 3.2-16.4, p < 0.01) and having departmental guidelines (OR 4.7, 2.1-10.9, p < 0.01). Most health professionals are willing to provide lifestyle advice to clients with overweight or obesity but few have received required training. Developing guidelines and training for in client weight management may potentially impact on rising obesity levels.

Weight management including dietary and physical activity advice provided by Australian physiotherapists: a pilot cross-sectional survey.

Physiotherapists may have an impact on obesity prevention and treatment by providing nutrition and physical activity advice to overweight or obese clients; yet little is known about physiotherapists' beliefs and practices related to client weight management. The aim of this pilot study was to determine the practices, beliefs, attitudes and knowledge of physiotherapists regarding the provision of weight management advice to overweight or obese clients. Physiotherapists (n = 65) working in multiple practice settings completed a self-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression determined factors associated with the provision of dietary and physical activity advice for weight management. The majority of physiotherapists (n = 53 [81.5%]) believed providing weight management advice was within their scope of practice, yet only a minority had received training during their professional entry level education (n = 13 [20%]) or through professional development (n = 7 [11%]). Most physiotherapists (n = 55 [84.6%]) provided physical activity advice for weight management, but a minority (n = 27 [41.5%]) provided dietary advice. Having received training in weight management during their professional entry level education was associated with providing dietary advice (Odds ratio 8.8, 95% confidence interval 2.0-38.9, p = 0.004). Training in weight management may increase the likelihood of physiotherapists providing dietary advice, improving physiotherapists' management of obesity.

Student evaluation of simulation in undergraduate nursing programs in Australia using quality indicators.

Student evaluation of the implementation of evidence-based quality indicators for simulation experiences in undergraduate nursing programs in 2012 was explored in this study. The evaluation instrument used five specific measures derived from quality indicators. Students evaluated 10 simulation learning experiences in the first and second years of undergraduate nursing programs at two universities in Australia. Overall, students (n = 85) reported that simulation contributed to their achievement of objectives, but they did not always feel supported in these sessions. Student preparation and orientation was scored lower than other components of the simulation experience. Students reported very good scores for perceived realism and fidelity of simulation sessions, particularly the silicone mask and high-fidelity sessions, which implies that learning from simulation is transferable into the clinical practice setting. However, patient charts and other clinical documents were not always considered to be realistic. Debriefing was scored very highly overall and for both approaches used for debriefing. The student-evaluation instrument was an effective means of measuring student-related quality indicators across a range of simulation sessions. It identified areas for the improved delivery of simulation sessions.

A structured approach to documenting a search strategy for publication: a 12 step guideline for authors.

AIM: This paper describes a structured approach for documenting a search strategy, prior to the scholarly critique and review of the retrieved literature. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: There has been a shift in publication expectations when it comes to the presentation of a literature review, from the more traditional narrative review to a more systematic approach, following a specific framework. METHODS: This paper presents a 12 step framework for documenting the search strategy prior to undertaking a critique and synthesis of the retrieved literature. The authors provide a worked example about potential sources of cross contamination including hospital bath basins and soap and water bathing. DISCUSSION: An overview of the 12 step framework is presented. This includes step-by-step instructions on how to conduct and write a search strategy for a literature review. A number of resources available for creating reviews and critiquing reviews are referenced, but these are not exclusive. CONCLUSION: Reviews can be an important and valuable contribution when undertaken well, providing the reader with evidence of a clear structure. This paper provides a 12 step framework that will be of benefit to students, educationalists, and researchers required to embark on a review.

Organizational risk management and nurses' perceptions of workplace risk associated with sharps including needlestick injuries in nurses in New South Wales, Australia.

This study aimed to determine nurse reported organizational risk management and nurses' perceptions of workplace risk associated with sharps-related injuries. A cross-sectional survey was carried out on a sample of nurses from the New South Wales Nurses' Association, Australia in 2007 (n =7423), and there were 1301 eligible participants. Overall, 73% participants reported that organizational policies were followed in the event of a "sharps including needlestick" injury. Participants reported working in sharps safety oriented organizations, routine hepatitis B vaccination, sharps disposal containers at point-of-use locations and availability of safety engineered devices in their organizations. Sharps including needlestick injury data were not routinely provided to staff, many nurses reported recapping and just one-third had recently attended sharps injury prevention training. Nurses' perceptions of risk associated with sharps including needlestick injury were variable. Health-care organizations are responsible for provision of safe workplaces and work practices, policies, workplace culture and prevention strategies, and appropriate responses when nurses are injured. These results have been used to propose recommendations to improve some of these risk management strategies.