Creating a Healthier Workplace Environment in an Era of Rising Workforce Pressures.

Challenges in the nurse work environment, particularly those resulting from nurse shortages and the retirement wave, can affect the health and well-being of all Americans, not just nurses themselves or the health care organizations where they work. Many of the solutions to significantly expand the number of nurses in America will take many years to realize. However, there are some important changes that health care organizations can put into effect relatively quickly to enhance the work environment for nurses, which can improve care quality and safety, patient satisfaction, and the well-being of nurses. The biennial Survey of Registered Nurses by AMN Healthcare, which polled nearly 20 000 RNs, found that nurses are eager for many workplace changes that would create a healthier workplace while enhancing their professional and personal lives. These institutional changes also create opportunities for improving the health of the organizations themselves. Analysis of survey data found that improving professional development, flexibility and work-life balance, safety and team engagement, and organizational response to workplace violence can create a healthier workplace for nurses. These are known solutions that have yet to be fully engaged.

Stress Mitigation Strategies for Trauma Nurses: A Case Study.

Trauma nurses encounter multiple intense stressors on a regular basis. These nurses not only treat the injured patient following a traumatic event but then interact with family members who are also impacted by the event. Repeated experiences with significant trauma can have cumulative effects and negatively impact these nurses and the entire trauma team. Professional nursing associations make recommendations promoting wellness, and health care organizations implement wellness programs that foster and support mind, body, and spirit health. Individuals cope with and respond to stress in different ways, dependent on their unique backgrounds, beliefs, and support systems. Because of these differences, it is important for organizations to offer various ways for nurses and team members to process their reactions and use effective strategies to effectively manage stress. The organization highlighted in this case study offers several stress mitigation programs and techniques designed to support the overall health of trauma nurses and restore their emotional well-being, so that they are best able to care for their injured patients.

Perianesthesia Nurses' Survey of Their Knowledge and Practice With Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

PURPOSE: Anesthesia, sedation, and analgesia can negatively impact adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Despite known risks, current evidence, and practice guidelines, insufficient evidence exists that standardization and clinical application of OSA screening tools, problem identification, and perioperative nursing intervention and management strategies are consistently implemented for OSA patients across perianesthesia settings. The purpose of this study was to conduct a knowledge and practice assessment of perianesthesia nurses who care for adult patients with diagnosed or undiagnosed OSA. DESIGN: An anonymous descriptive study was used to survey perianesthesia nurses who care for adult patients with OSA who present for elective surgical procedures. METHODS: A total of 1,222 participants completed an expert-developed 27-question online survey. FINDINGS: The findings indicate the need for more education and research across all perianesthesia settings. CONCLUSIONS: Next steps also include policy development and an interprofessional collaborative infrastructure nurses need to translate evidence-based screening and management strategies into their clinical practice.

Balancing interests of hospitals and nurse researchers: lessons learned.

While nurse researchers and administrators in health care organizations need to collaborate to understand the variables that affect nursing practice environments and patient care outcomes, there are inherent risks associated with these collaborations that require careful consideration. A team of academic and hospital researchers found that in studying the off-peak (nights and weekends) nursing environment using institutional ethnography, which involved interviews of nurses and administrators, the subject of the research was frequently the hospitals where these individuals worked. Although the individuals who participated in the research consented to be interviewed about their work, it was less clear how and to what extent the anonymity of their organizations could be maintained. The risks and benefits encountered suggest the need for a decision-making process to be undertaken by collaborative research teams. This decision process and analysis can help ensure a fruitful research relationship that protects sensitive concerns of hospital entities while advancing our understanding of nursing practice environments and patient care outcomes. Important strategies include having all leaders and research team members discuss the agendas of all entities and individuals involved, including clearly delineating the roles, responsibilities, and contributions of all parties. In addition, any constraints or expectations of first right of review of publications needs to be negotiated from the outset. Collaborators need to review their agreements throughout the research process to avoid pitfalls that could adversely impact the relationships as well as the dissemination of knowledge gained.

Development of an evidence-based practice and research collaborative among urban hospitals.

This article describes the development of an evidence-based practice and research collaborative among urban hospitals. The collaborative began as a mechanism to support the incorporation of evidence-based practice and research in the acute care practice setting. This article discusses the development of the collaborative, as well as the challenges, success, and future goals from both the academic and practice perspectives.