An academic and regional nurse research collaborative: Implications for nursing research.

INTRODUCTION: A diverse group of nurses and research Network Coordinators formed a collaboration to advance nursing research within Johns Hopkins Clinical Research Network, a partnership of academic and community hospitals in the mid-Atlantic region. The purpose of the Nurse Research Collaborative (NRC) is to provide mentoring, mutual growth, and assist the health care organizations to fulfill nursing research requirements. BACKGROUND: We created a multiinstitutional nursing research organization with diversity of member participants and health care facilities. The NRC structure allowed nonacademic facilities to engage in a variety of nursing research projects. This allows for increases in study sample sizes of diverse populations to support and expand nursing research. The NRC is modeled after a physician clinical research network with an aligned mission, vision, goals, and strategic priorities across member organizations. MAIN IDEAS: To strengthen multiinstitutional nursing research capability, the NRC developed an infrastructure of leadership, regular meetings, and formal educational presentations. The NRC completed three research studies, facilitating the Institutional Review Board application process, reviewing documents and contracts, providing individual institutional support, and coordinating site leader functions. CONCLUSION: A research collaboration of nurses, across multiple hospitals provides efficiencies and expertise not otherwise available in every organization.

Examining the Effects of Music-Based Interventions on Pain and Anxiety in Hospitalized Children: An Integrative Review.

PROBLEM: Children often experience pain and anxiety during a hospital stay. Effective pain and anxiety management plays a crucial role in healing. However, recent literature has highlighted multiple barriers to managing pain and anxiety in children, such as parent and provider fears of the adverse effects of pain and anxiety medications. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: A database search was conducted for articles published between 2009 and 2019 to evaluate the impact of nurse-led, music-based interventions as an adjunct method of pain and anxiety management in hospitalized children. Articles were included if study subjects were ages 0-21 years old, the study used live or recorded music as an intervention, and occurred in an inpatient setting. SAMPLE: A total of seven randomized control trials and one quasi-experimental study were included for analysis. RESULTS: There is consistent and significant evidence that music can reduce anxiety in hospitalized children before and during procedures. Results with respect to pain and vital signs, often viewed as the physiologic analogs to pain, were mixed. CONCLUSIONS: Music-based interventions are safe for hospitalized children. Several studies highlighted the importance of patient preference in selecting music for children. A heavy reliance on pre-recorded audio, delivered via headphones illustrates the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of music-based interventions. IMPLICATIONS: Nurse-led, music-based interventions have been shown to be an affordable, safe, effective, and feasible alternative for managing anxiety in hospitalized children. Music should be considered as an adjunct therapy to traditional anxiety treatment. Further research is needed to determine the effects of music on pain.

Nursing Attitudes Toward Patients With Substance Use Disorders: A Quantitative Analysis of the Impact of an Educational Workshop.

BACKGROUND: Negative healthcare provider attitudes toward patients with substance use disorder (SUD) may adversely impact the quality of care and treatment outcomes. PURPOSE: In this article, we aim to characterize the effects of an 8-hour educational workshop on attitudes toward patients with SUD among nurses from an urban inpatient psychiatric hospital. METHODS: The Drug and Drug Problems Perceptions Questionnaire, a 22-item scale consisting of six subscales, was used to assess nurse attitudes to patients with SUD at pretest (n = 38), posttest (n = 36), and 30-day follow-up (n = 20). Generalized estimating equation models adjusted for gender and years of work experience were used to measure changes in Drug and Drug Problems Perceptions Questionnaire scores. RESULTS: Positive attitudes significantly increased at posttest (ß = -12.09, 95%CI [-16.83, -7.34]; p < .001) and were sustained at 30-day follow-up (ß = 1.71, 95% CI [-3.11, 6.53]; p = .49). Subscales of motivation (ß = -0.26, 95% CI [-0.87, 0.35]; p = .41) and task-specific self-esteem (ß = -0.56, 95% CI [-1.44, 0.32]; p = .21) did not significantly change at posttest. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show workshop effectiveness in improving nurse attitudes toward patients with SUD. Future research may test similar interventions at a larger scale and with other health professionals.

Understanding Barriers and Facilitators to Nonpharmacological Pain Management on Adult Inpatient Units.

Interprofessional staff are in a position to champion nonpharmacological pain management interventions, which can be effective when used in conjunction with analgesic medications. The purposes of this study were to understand the barriers and facilitators to using nonpharmacological pain management interventions as perceived by interprofessional staff, as well as to describe current knowledge, attitudes, and practices of interprofessional staff. An interpretive, descriptive study design at a large, urban, academic teaching hospital in the United States was used. This study provides a starting point for further understanding the potential implementation of nonpharmacological pain management interventions at the bedside. Recommendations include further evaluation of the current use of nonpharmacological pain management interventions as well as promoting education about available resources.

Beyond Terminology Confusion: Creating a Culture of Nursing Inquiry.

Inquiry is the foundation of nursing practice. Inquiry projects impact safety, quality measures, and patient/staff outcomes. As the profession with closest proximity to the patient, nurses must not only participate in but also spearhead inquiry work. This article addresses the knowledge gap that continues to exist among clinical nurses regarding the three forms of nursing inquiry and provides recommendations for nursing professional development practitioners to support clinical nurses' understanding and participation in these endeavors.

Increasing Nursing Research Program Visibility: A Systematic Review and Implementation of the Evidence.

In healthcare, timely communication of critical information is imperative among workforce members. Nurse leaders struggle with how to reach clinical staff effectively when informing them of program updates, practice changes, or available resources. This article provides a review of the marketing and communication literature sharing best practices for improving visibility and program uptake for infrastructure supporting the conduct of inquiry projects among hospital employees using an evidence-based practice approach.

Engagement in Research: A Clinical Nurse Profile and Motivating Factors.

The purposes for this interpretive descriptive study were to gain an understanding of what motivates clinical nurses to be interested and/or engaged in research, describe the motivators for these clinical nurses, and identify common characteristics of these clinical nurses. Results revealed four themes and a clinical nurse profile. Based on findings, educators should encourage clinical nurses who are motivated to participate in nursing research to ignite intrinsic passion, professional growth, and nursing credibility and improve patient outcomes.

Exploring the Best Practices of Nursing Research Councils in Magnet® Organizations: Findings From a Qualitative Research Study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this descriptive qualitative study was to identify best practices of nursing research councils (NRCs) at Magnet®-designated hospitals. BACKGROUND: Nursing research (NR) is essential, adding to the body of nursing knowledge. Applying NR to the bedside improves care, enhances patient safety, and is an imperative for nursing leaders. METHODS: We interviewed NR designees at 26 Magnet-recognized hospitals about the structure and function of their NRCs and used structural coding to identify best practices. RESULTS: Most organizations link NR and evidence-based practice. Council membership includes leadership and clinical nurses. Councils conduct scientific reviews for nursing studies, supporting nurse principal investigators. Tracking and reporting of NR vary widely and are challenging. Councils provide education, sponsor research days, and collaborate interprofessionally, including with academic partners. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study demonstrate the need to create formal processes to track and report NR and to develop outcome-focused NR education.

An Integrative Review of Engaging Clinical Nurses in Nursing Research.

PURPOSE: To review the literature for best practices for engaging clinical nurses in nursing research. DESIGN: Review of the research and nonresearch papers published between 2005 and 2015 that answered the evidence-based practice (EBP) question: what are the best practices for engaging clinical nursing staff in nursing research? METHODS: PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Joanna Briggs Institute, and Cochrane were searched using a combination of controlled vocabulary and key words. Nineteen papers that answered the EBP question were selected for review. RESULTS: It can be difficult to involve clinical nurses in research. There are multiple factors to consider when nursing leadership looks to engage clinical nurses in nursing research. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse leaders can take many approaches to engage clinical nurses in research. Each organization must perform its own assessment to identify areas of opportunity. Nursing leadership can take these areas of opportunity to structure a multifaceted approach to support clinical staff in the conduct and dissemination of nursing research. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The evidence from this review offers EBP recommendations as well as reports on the gaps in the literature related to best practices for engaging clinical nurses in nursing research.

Using appreciative inquiry during care transitions: an exploratory study.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a transitional care coaching intervention offered to chronically ill medical patients during the transition from hospital to home. This 2-arm randomized pilot study uses a coaching framework based on appreciative inquiry theory. This article reviews the appreciative inquiry literature and identifies the characteristics of patients who participated in appreciative inquiry coaching. Lessons learned are summarized, and suggestions for future research are offered.