Caregiving self-efficacy and pain assessment by family caregivers of people living with dementia.

Like other older adults, people living with dementia (PLWD) experience pain, and the task of pain assessment often falls to family caregivers. In this study, we surveyed family caregivers of PLWD to determine the frequency with which they use different elements of pain assessment. We also determined correlations of family caregivers' characteristics (caregiving self-efficacy, relationship duration and type, mood, education level, and health literacy) with their use of the elements of pain assessment. Participants reported frequent use of many pain assessment elements. Statistically significant correlations were found between caregiving self-efficacy for obtaining respite and asking others about noticed behavior change (rho=.0.41, p=.007); and for responding to disruptive patient behaviors for multiple pain assessment elements including observing pain behaviors (rho=0.49, p<.001), asking others about noticed behavior change (rho=0.54, p<.001) and rechecking (rho=0.56, p<.001). Continued efforts are needed to describe pain assessments by family caregivers of PLWD.

Detecting Problematic Opioid Use in the Electronic Health Record: Automation of the Addiction Behaviors Checklist in a Chronic Pain Population.

Importance: Individuals whose chronic pain is managed with opioids are at high risk of developing an opioid use disorder. Large data sets, such as electronic health records, are required for conducting studies that assist with identification and management of problematic opioid use. Objective: Determine whether regular expressions, a highly interpretable natural language processing technique, could automate a validated clinical tool (Addiction Behaviors Checklist1) to expedite the identification of problematic opioid use in the electronic health record. Design: This cross-sectional study reports on a retrospective cohort with data analyzed from 2021 through 2023. The approach was evaluated against a blinded, manually reviewed holdout test set of 100 patients. Setting: The study used data from Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Synthetic Derivative, a de-identified version of the electronic health record for research purposes. Participants: This cohort comprised 8,063 individuals with chronic pain. Chronic pain was defined by International Classification of Disease codes occurring on at least two different days.18 We collected demographic, billing code, and free-text notes from patients' electronic health records. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the evaluation of the automated method in identifying patients demonstrating problematic opioid use and its comparison to opioid use disorder diagnostic codes. We evaluated the methods with F1 scores and areas under the curve - indicators of sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value. Results: The cohort comprised 8,063 individuals with chronic pain (mean [SD] age at earliest chronic pain diagnosis, 56.2 [16.3] years; 5081 [63.0%] females; 2982 [37.0%] male patients; 76 [1.0%] Asian, 1336 [16.6%] Black, 56 [1.0%] other, 30 [0.4%] unknown race patients, and 6499 [80.6%] White; 135 [1.7%] Hispanic/Latino, 7898 [98.0%] Non-Hispanic/Latino, and 30 [0.4%] unknown ethnicity patients). The automated approach identified individuals with problematic opioid use that were missed by diagnostic codes and outperformed diagnostic codes in F1 scores (0.74 vs. 0.08) and areas under the curve (0.82 vs 0.52). Conclusions and Relevance: This automated data extraction technique can facilitate earlier identification of people at-risk for, and suffering from, problematic opioid use, and create new opportunities for studying long-term sequelae of opioid pain management.

People Living With Dementia: Dementia Characteristics and Family Caregiver Pain Assessment.

People living with dementia (PLWD) experience pain like other older adults, but with changes due to dementia, they rely more on family caregivers for pain assessment. Many different elements contribute to a pain assessment. Changes in characteristics of PLWD may be associated with changes in the use of these different pain assessment elements. The current study reports associations between PLWD's agitation, cognitive function, and dementia severity and the frequency with which family caregivers use pain assessment elements. In a sample of family caregivers (N = 48), statistically significant associations were found between worsening cognitive function and greater use of rechecking for pain after intervention (rho = 0.36, p = 0.013), and between lower cognitive scores on a subscale of dementia severity and asking others if they have noticed a behavior change in the PLWD (rho = 0.30, p = 0.044). Limited statistically significant associations suggest that, overall, family caregivers of PLWD do not use pain assessment elements more frequently with changes in characteristics of PLWD. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 49(7), 17-23.].

Polygenic Contributions to Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions in a Large Electronic Health Record Sample.

Chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs) are believed to share common etiological mechanisms involving central sensitization. Genetic and environmental factors putatively combine to influence susceptibility to central sensitization and COPCs. This study employed a genome-wide polygenic risk score approach to evaluate genetic influences on 8 common COPCs. COPCs were identified by International Classification of Disease codes in Vanderbilt's deidentified clinical biorepository (BioVU), with each COPC condition empirically weighted for the level of central sensitization based on prior work. A centralized pain score (CPS) was calculated for 55,340 individuals by summing the weighted number of COPCs. Overall, 12,502 individuals (22.6%) were diagnosed with at least 1 COPC, with females exhibiting nearly twice the mean CPS as males. To assess the genetic influence on centralized pain in COPCs, 6 pain polygenic risk scores (PRSs) were developed using UK Biobank data to predict 6 pain criteria (no pain, neck/shoulder, abdomen, hip, knee, low back pain). These PRSs were then deployed in the BioVU cohort to test for association with CPS. In regression models adjusted for age, sex, and BMI, all pain PRSs except hip pain were significantly associated with CPS. Our findings support a shared polygenic influence across COPCs potentially involving central sensitization mechanisms. PERSPECTIVE: This study used a polygenic risk score approach to investigate genetic influences on chronic overlapping pain conditions. Significant findings in this study provide evidence supporting previous hypotheses that a shared polygenic influence involving central sensitization may underly chronic overlapping pain conditions and can guide future biomarker and risk assessment research.

Identifying problematic opioid use in electronic health record data: Are we looking in the right place?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the value of data obtained outside of regular healthcare visits (clinical communications) to detect problematic opioid use in electronic health records (EHRs). DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Chronic pain patient records in a large academic medical center. INTERVENTIONS: We compared evidence for problematic opioid use in (1) clinic notes, (2) clinical communications, and (3) full EHR data. We analyzed keyword counts and calculated concordance and Cohen's κ between data sources. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Evidence of problematic opioid use in EHR defined as none, some, or high. RESULTS: Twenty-six percent of records were discordant in determination of problematic opioid use between clinical communications and clinic notes. Of these, 54 percent detected more evidence in clinical communications, and 46 percent in clinic notes. Compared to full EHR review, clinic notes exhibited higher concordance (78 percent; κ = 0.619) than clinical communications (60 percent; κ = 0.290). CONCLUSION: Clinical communications are a valuable addition to opioid EHR research.

Chronic Opioid Use After Surgery: An Exploratory Study Examining Rural Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Strategies to Mitigate Chronic Opioid Use and Their View of Their Role in the Opioid Crisis.

Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) provide most of the anesthesia care in the rural United States. Rural regions of the US also have the highest opioid prescribing rates and opioid-related hospital admissions and deaths. Although CRNAs are the primary anesthesia providers in these regions, little research examines the strategies CRNAs may use to mitigate the development of chronic opioid use after surgery. The purpose of this study was to assess the views of rural CRNAs regarding their role in mitigating chronic opioid use after surgery and to determine what, if any, preventative strategies they may use. A survey was developed and distributed to CRNAs practicing in rural areas of the US with the highest opioid prescribing rates. Of the 160 CRNAs who responded, 73% agreed that they could influence whether their patient developed chronic opioid use after surgery. Those who agreed were more likely to be involved in policy development to decrease opioid use. The survey also found that CRNAs with a doctoral degree, compared with those with master's level preparation, were more likely to report that they could influence whether their patient developed chronic opioid use after surgery.

Essential genomic knowledge in graduate nursing practice.

BACKGROUND: Genetics-informed nursing is essential to personalized health care. Advanced practice nurses will increasingly encounter genomic information in clinical care and are expected to have competency. PURPOSE: To examine genomic competency of advanced practice nursing students and faculty in a graduate nursing school. METHODS: A convenience sample of graduate nursing faculty and students were electronically sent a survey assessing genomic knowledge. In total, 13.98% of faculty (33/236) and 9.87% of students (82/831) completed a demographic questionnaire, perceived genomic competency items, and Genomic Nursing Concept Inventory (GNCI). The GNCI is a 31-question multiple choice questionnaire assessing 18 genomic concepts in four categories (Human Genome Basics, Mutations, Inheritance Patterns, and Genomic Health care). Percentage of correct items was calculated for faculty and students, as were correlations between demographics, perceived genomic competency, and GNCI scores. RESULTS: Students' GNCI overall scores were higher than faculty, 54.8% (interquartile range [IQR] 38-72%) vs 48.4% (IQR 32-68%). Both groups demonstrated the lowest scores in Genomic Basics (students 41.7% [IQR 25-67%] and faculty 33.3% [IQR 16-50%]). Students' and faculty's perceived genomic competency correlated with GNCI scores ( r = 0.49, p < .001 and r = 0.70, p < .001, respectively). Age ( r = -0.40, p < .001), entering nursing school after 2010 ( r = 0.47, p < .001), and previous genomics course ( r = 0.52, p < .001) were significantly correlated with GNCI total score for students, but not faculty. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that faculty and students in a graduate nursing school perceive and demonstrate low genomic knowledge, particularly in basic genomics. Further exploration into innovative methods to provide basic genomic education is needed. IMPLICATIONS: To provide access and equity for personalized genomic-based health care, we must prepare genomics-informed nurses.

Assessing postgraduate outcomes of research-intensive nursing science PhD programs: Methods and metrics.

BACKGROUND: Across disciplines and within higher educational systems, assessing postgraduate outcomes is essential for evaluating doctoral programs, including research-intensive nursing science doctoral programs. However, there are limited reports regarding methods and metrics related to postgraduate longitudinal evaluation of research-focused nursing doctoral programs. PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to summarize studies in the area of postgraduate outcome assessment and provide recommendations regarding outcome methods and metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of research-focused nursing doctoral programs. METHODS: PubMed/Medline, CINHAL Complete, and Google Scholar databases were searched using key words including PhD program, doctoral program, longitudinal evaluation, evaluation, program evaluation, PhD alumni survey, education outcomes and PhD program outcomes. We excluded non-English and full-text articles that were not available for review. DISCUSSION: Based on a review of the literature, there are few reports on methods and questionnaires for postgraduate outcome assessment. There is a critical need to develop standardized core metrics/questions, longitudinal assessments, and a shared data repository. The latter will allow for comparisons across nursing doctoral programs. CONCLUSION: Robust standardized longitudinal assessment of nursing doctoral programs is a necessary step for comparison across programs and re-envisioning the nursing doctoral education of the future.

Two data-driven approaches to identifying the spectrum of problematic opioid use: A pilot study within a chronic pain cohort.

BACKGROUND: Although electronic health records (EHR) have significant potential for the study of opioid use disorders (OUD), detecting OUD in clinical data is challenging. Models using EHR data to predict OUD often rely on case/control classifications focused on extreme opioid use. There is a need to expand this work to characterize the spectrum of problematic opioid use. METHODS: Using a large academic medical center database, we developed 2 data-driven methods of OUD detection: (1) a Comorbidity Score developed from a Phenome-Wide Association Study of phenotypes associated with OUD and (2) a Text-based Score using natural language processing to identify OUD-related concepts in clinical notes. We evaluated the performance of both scores against a manual review with correlation coefficients, Wilcoxon rank sum tests, and area-under the receiver operating characteristic curves. Records with the highest Comorbidity and Text-based scores were re-evaluated by manual review to explore discrepancies. RESULTS: Both the Comorbidity and Text-based OUD risk scores were significantly elevated in the patients judged as High Evidence for OUD in the manual review compared to those with No Evidence (p = 1.3E-5 and 1.3E-6, respectively). The risk scores were positively correlated with each other (rho = 0.52, p < 0.001). AUCs for the Comorbidity and Text-based scores were high (0.79 and 0.76, respectively). Follow-up manual review of discrepant findings revealed strengths of data-driven methods over manual review, and opportunities for improvement in risk assessment. CONCLUSION: Risk scores comprising comorbidities and text offer differing but synergistic insights into characterizing problematic opioid use. This pilot project establishes a foundation for more robust work in the future.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Practice.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic prompted profound shifts in the delivery of critical healthcare services. A mixed-methods study was conducted to explore the impact of the pandemic on Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) practice. The quantitative component involved a survey of CRNAs during the initial period of the pandemic to determine changes in practice and any relationship to removal of state and federal barriers. Approximately 16% of 2,202 responding CRNAs reported practice expansion beyond their normal responsibilities, primarily outside the operating room and involving tracheal intubation, ventilator management, arterial line placement, and central line placement. CRNAs were more likely to experience an expansion of practice in states affected by removal of regulatory barriers. However, respondents also reported missed opportunities to use the full expertise of CRNAs because of state and institutional restrictions. Findings from the qualitative component of this study are reported in a separate article.

Organizational facilitators and barriers to optimal APRN practice: An integrative review.

BACKGROUND: The organizational environment can foster or impede full deployment of advance practice registered nurses (APRNs), affecting the quality of care and patient outcomes. Given the critical role APRNs play in health care, it is important to understand organizational factors that promote or hinder APRN practice to maximize the potential of this workforce in health care systems. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to synthesize evidence about APRN practice environments, identify organizational facilitators and barriers, and make recommendations for better APRN utilization. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in CINAHL, PubMed, and PsychInfo, yielding 366 studies. No time or geographic limitations were applied. Study quality was appraised using the National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies and The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Studies. RESULTS: Thirty studies conducted in the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands met inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies involved nurse practitioners. Facilitators to optimal practice environment were autonomy/independent practice and positive physician/APRN relations. Barriers included policy restrictions on practice, poor physician relations, poor administrator relations, and others' lack of understanding of the APRN role. Barriers correlate with job dissatisfaction and increased intent to leave job. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The review highlights the importance of physician and administration relations, organizational-level policies, and colleagues' understanding of the APRN role in promoting effective practice environments. Organizations should align policy reform efforts with factors that foster positive APRN practice environments to efficiently and effectively utilize this increasingly vital workforce. Future research is warranted.

Leftover opioids following adult surgical procedures: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: US opioid prescribing and use escalated over the last two decades, with parallel increases in opioid misuse, opioid-related deaths, and concerns about diversion. Postoperatively prescribed opioids contribute to these problems. Policy makers have addressed this issue by limiting postoperative opioid prescribing. However, until recently, little data existed to guide prescribers on opioid needs postoperatively. This meta-analysis quantitatively integrated the growing literature regarding extent of opioids leftover after surgery and identified factors associated with leftover opioid proportions. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies quantifying postoperative opioid consumption in North American adults, and evaluated effect size moderators using robust variance estimation meta-regression. Medline, EMBASE, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched for relevant articles published January 1, 2000 to November 10, 2018. The Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS) tool assessed risk of study bias. The proportion effect size quantified the primary outcome: proportion of prescribed postoperative opioids leftover at the time of follow-up. Primary meta-regression analyses tested surgical type, amount of opioids prescribed, and study publication year as possible moderators. Secondary meta-regression models included surgical invasiveness, age, race, gender, postoperative day of data collection, and preoperative opioid use. RESULTS: We screened 911 citations and included 44 studies (13,068 patients). The mean weighted effect size for proportion of postoperative opioid prescriptions leftover was 61% (95% CI, 56-67%). Meta-regression models revealed type of surgical procedure and level of invasiveness had a statistically significant effect on proportion of opioids leftover. Proportion of opioids leftover was greater for "other soft tissue" surgeries than abdominal/pelvic surgeries, but did not differ significantly between orthopedic and abdominal/pelvic surgeries. Minimally invasive compared to open surgeries resulted in a greater proportion of opioids leftover. Limitations include predominance of studies from academic settings, inconsistent reporting of confounders, and a possible publication bias toward studies reporting smaller leftover opioid proportions. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS: A significant proportion of opioids are leftover postoperatively. Surgery type and level of invasiveness affect postoperative opioid consumption. Integration of such factors into prescribing guidelines may help minimize opioid overprescribing while adequately meeting analgesic needs.

Advanced practice registered nurses' work environment perceptions in hospitals: A cross-sectional survey.

AIM: To examine work environment differences between hospital certified nurse practitioners (CNPs) and certified registered nurse anaesthetists (CRNAs). BACKGROUND: Nurse work environments impact patient and nurse outcomes. How differing advanced practice nurse (APRN) roles influence work environments is unknown. METHODS: Multi-level cross-sectional survey design. APRNs (n = 490) completed the APRN Organizational Climate Questionnaire and Psychological Ownership Questionnaire. Nurse executives (N = 24) reported on Scope of Practice and Institutional Voice. Descriptive, t test, chi-square and linear and mixed-effects regression statistical analyses were employed. RESULTS: CNPs reported better organisational climate and job ownership than CRNAs. The largest effects involved relationships with physicians, control over practice and independent practice. Among CNPs, a significant positive relationship was observed between relations with physicians and work engagement. In CRNAs, a similar positive relationship between physician relations and work engagement was only observed for those working in higher scope of practice settings, not for those working in more restrictive settings. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences exist in the perceived work environments between CNPs and CRNAs that may be related to differences in job design and historical relations with physician colleagues. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Efforts to improve APRN work environments in hospital settings should consider differing CRNA and CNP perspectives.

The Relationship Between Practice Environment and Psychological Ownership in Advanced Practice Nurses.

Barriers in advanced practice nurses' work environment impede effective use in acute care settings, reduce job satisfaction, and increase intent to leave. Fostering psychological ownership for work through improved work design has increased satisfaction, motivation, and productivity, and lowered turnover in other fields, and may have similar effects for advanced practice nurses. This multilevel cross-sectional survey study examined the relationship between advanced practice nurse work environment and psychological ownership using data from a survey of advanced practice nurses and nurse executives in Florida hospitals. Barriers in scope of practice and exclusion from hospital governance were common. Advanced practice nurses reported good relations with physicians and moderate organizational climate but poor relations with administrators and limited control over work. Organizational climate had a strong positive relationship with psychological ownership. Fostering advanced practice nurse psychological ownership could improve job satisfaction and decrease turnover leading to increased effectiveness in acute care settings.

Benefits of Less Restrictive Regulation of Advance Practice Registered Nurses in Florida.

BACKGROUND: Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) provide access to cost-effective, high quality care. APRNs are underutilized in states that restrict their practice. Removing restrictions could expand access to quality health care, cost-effectively relieve the physician shortage, and contribute economically. PURPOSE: This study forecasts the health system and economic impacts of reducing practice restrictions for Florida APRNs. METHODS: The analysis utilized a number of data sources and IMPLAN software and estimated changes in APRN supply given less restrictive practice laws, and consequential health system and economic benefits. FINDINGS: Between 2013 and 2025 APRN full time equivalents could increase an additional 11% with less restrictive practice regulations. This could eliminate or reduce the shortage of different types of physicians. Health care cost-savings could be $50 to $493 per resident. There would be a number of general economic benefits. DISCUSSION: A number of health system and economic benefits would ensue from less restrictive APRN regulation.

Workforce Initiative for Current Predictors of CRNA Employment in the State of Florida.

The challenging Florida anesthesia workforce has 3 different types of anesthesia providers competing in the same market and a growing population ranked number 2 in the United States. This study attempted to forecast changes in supply and demand of nurse anesthetists in Florida between 2014 and 2018 by surveying hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers; 17% (87/511) responded. Current anesthesia workforce and projected needs in 1, 2, and 5 years were included in the survey. Projected numbers of nurse anesthetist graduates from 2014 to 2018 were obtained from nurse anesthesia programs and schools in Florida. Respondents projected 73 new full-time openings through 2018, representing an 18% growth rate. Florida nurse anesthesia schools projected graduating 1,394 new Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) through 2018. This study estimated that 85% of new graduates will find full-time positions. A 22% growth in full-time positions would be required to absorb all new graduates expected to enter the Florida workforce. A projected surplus of 15% (114 positions) is in line with recent projected simulated models. The predicted CRNA surplus depends on current staffing models. Nonetheless, 633 new full-time positions would represent an increase in the proportion of fulltime CRNAs in the Florida workforce.

State variation in opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions between independent and nonindependent advanced practice registered nurse prescribing states.

BACKGROUND: Many people lack access to primary care services in the United States. One possible solution is to increase utilization of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). A common patient safety concern about independent prescribing by APRNs is that prescribers will increase prescriptions for medications with abuse/dependence potential, such as opioids or benzodiazepines. PURPOSE: The purpose was to investigate the relationship in opioid- and benzodiazepine-prescribing rates between independent vs. nonindependent APRN prescribing states. METHODS: Tertiary analysis of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study reporting state variation in prescribing rates of opioids and benzodiazepines using 2012 Intercontinental Marketing Services Health retail prescription data representing 259,000,000 prescriptions. Analyses were performed using different definitions for independent states: (a) states allowing at least one APRN type independent prescribing and (b) states allowing all APRN types independent prescribing. ANOVA tests were used to test for differences in mean number of opioid- and benzodiazepine-prescribing rates per 100 residents. Analysis of Covariance tests were employed controlling for state characteristics previously determined to affect controlled substance-prescribing rates (e.g., Medicare rates, race, socioeconomic status, number of physicians/capita). RESULTS/DISCUSSION: There were significantly higher opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions in states with nonindependent APRN prescribing laws than those in states with independent APRN prescribing laws and no significant differences in long-acting opioids or high-dose opioids. This study found no evidence to support the argument that independent prescribing increases prescriptions with abuse potential. CONCLUSION: Independent prescriptive authority, only one piece of APRN practice, has been one of the most controversial issues but one with great potential to help ease access to U.S. health care problems. Empirical evidence demonstrating the safety of this practice can help promote this potential.