Health Care Professionals' Knowledge Regarding Patient Safety.

This study looks to describe health care professionals' knowledge regarding patient safety. A quantitative study using questionnaires was conducted in three multi-disciplinary hospitals in Western Lithuania. Data were collected in 2014 from physicians, nurses, and nurse assistants. The overall results indicated quite a low level of safety knowledge, especially in regard to knowledge concerning general patient safety. The health care professionals' background factors such as their profession, education, the information about patient safety they were given during their vocational and continuing education, as well as their experience in their primary speciality seemed to be associated with several patient safety knowledge areas. Despite a wide variation in background factors, the knowledge level of respondents was generally found to be low. This requires that further research into health care professionals' safety knowledge related to specific issues such as medication, infection, falls, and pressure sore prevention should be undertaken in Lithuania.

Health care professionals' skills regarding patient safety.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The importance of patient safety is growing worldwide, and every day, health care professionals face various challenges in how to provide safe care for their patients. Patient safety skills are one of the main tools to ensure safe practice. This study looks to describe health care professionals' skills regarding patient safety. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected using the skill scale of the Patient Safety Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge (PS-ASK) instrument from different health care professionals (n=1082: physicians, head nurses, nurses and nurse assistants) working in hospitals for adult patients in three regional multi-profile hospitals in the western part of Lithuania. RESULTS: Overall, the results of this study show that based on their own evaluations, health care professionals were competent regarding their safety skills. In particular, they were competent in the sub-scale areas of error analysis (mean=3.09) and in avoiding threats to patient safety (mean=3.31), but only somewhat competent in using decision support technology (mean=2.00). Demographic and other work related background factors were only slightly associated with these patient safety skills areas. Especially, it was noted that nurse assistants may need more support from managers and colleagues in developing their patient safety skills competence. CONCLUSIONS: This study has served to investigate the general skills of health care professionals in regard to patient safety. It provides new knowledge about the topic in the context of the Baltic countries and can thus be used in the future development of health care services.

Nurses' willingness to take care of people living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)--does a teaching intervention make a difference?

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study is to describe the impact of an education intervention programme on nurses' willingness to care for HIV-positive people in Lithuania. METHODS: The study utilizes a randomized controlled trial design (RCT). The total sample comprises 185 nurses working in medical, surgical and gynaecological units, and primary health care centres from the same hospital areas in three Lithuanian hospitals. The data were analyzed using SPSS 12.0 and descriptive statistics. FINDINGS: Our educational intervention did not have an impact on the nurses' willingness to take care of people living with HIV (PLHIV), as their level of willingness was high already before the education intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Further research on this issue is needed to try to understand the forces acting on our nursing staff in order to ensure appropriate care for PLHIV.

The impact of an education intervention to change nurses' HIV-related knowledge and attitudes in Lithuania: a randomized controlled trial.

The purpose of this study was to describe the effect of an intervention program on nurses' HIV-related knowledge and attitudes in Lithuania. The program focused on HIV epidemiology, transmission, coinfections, treatment and care, risk contacts, and moral and ethical dilemmas. It was designed to increase nurses' knowledge and positive attitudes concerning HIV. The study used a randomized controlled trial design with two experimental groups ([EG]; EG1, n = 63, EG2, n= 63) and one control group (n= 59) in three Lithuanian hospitals. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed by Held (1993). The questionnaire included questions about participant demographic characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes toward those living with HIV. The education intervention, which combined a 2-day workshop and written materials, had a positive effect on the knowledge levels of nurses. However, written materials alone failed to improve nurses' knowledge or change their attitudes.

Impact of intervention programs on nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to take care of patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: a descriptive review.

OBJECTIVE: This paper reviews the current literature on intervention programs designed to improve nurses' knowledge and attitudes to human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and their willingness to take care of patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It also explores the impact of these intervention programs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The MEDLINE and Pubmed, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, EbscoHost, ERIC databases were searched for relevant English-language citations between 1997 and 2007 using the following search terms: human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, nurse, intervention, teaching, education, knowledge, attitude, and willingness. Relevant articles were retrieved, reviewed, and assessed. A total of 16 articles were considered appropriate and selected for content analysis. RESULTS: We identified articles that reported on intervention programs to improve nurses' knowledge and attitudes and their willingness to take care of patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Eight of the intervention studies included lectures among their methods of educational intervention. The nurse sample sizes (n) ranged from 12 to 552. Many of the studies involved one experimental/intervention group and one control group. The intervention programs varied in terms of their methodological rigor. Almost all reported one or more statistically significant effects. CONCLUSIONS: The review highlights the need for well-designed, methodologically sound research on outcomes of nursing education. Future studies should examine not only the short-term effectiveness of intervention programs in terms of changing attitudes and increasing willingness to care, but also their impact in the longer term.

Nurses' knowledge and attitudes to HIV/AIDS--an international comparison between Finland, Estonia and Lithuania.

This paper presents baseline data on nurses' knowledge of and attitudes to HIV/AIDS in three countries: Finland, Estonia and Lithuania. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is steadily increasing in Finland, Estonia and Lithuania. At the same time, labour mobility and also nursing mobility between these countries increases. Previous international studies have shown that lack of knowledge and negative attitudes continue to exist. A total of 681 registered nurses from one Finnish (n = 322), one Estonian (n = 191) and one Lithuanian (n = 168) hospital were surveyed in spring 2006. The questionnaire was originally developed by Held in 1993 and modified for this study. The questionnaire has three scales: demographic and other background variable, nurses' knowledge related to HIV/AIDS, and nurses' attitudes towards people with HIV/AIDS and towards the disease itself. Across the whole sample respondents showed average levels of HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes towards people with HIV/AIDS. Years of work experience correlated negatively with the knowledge and attitude levels. A significant correlation was found between the level of knowledge and attitudes. Significant differences were found between countries, Finnish nurses showing the highest knowledge levels and most positive attitudes towards patients with HIV/AIDS. Factors positively influencing levels of knowledge and attitudes were education, previous experience of providing care to HIV/AIDS patient or knowing someone with the infection, and willingness to provide care to HIV/AIDS patients. Supplementary education is needed to strengthen nurses' knowledge. It is important to recognize that there might be differences in knowledge and attitudes between neighbour countries. This needs to be taken into account when planning education for degrees and for further nursing education.

Nursing and midwife students' willingness to provide care to patients with HIV/AIDS--a comparative study in Finland, Estonia and Lithuania.

This article presents results on nursing and midwife students' willingness to care for patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). An international cross-sectional survey design was used and the data were collected from educational institutions in Finland (N=169), Estonia (N=132) and Lithuania (N=170) between autumn 2005 and spring 2006. Participants (N=471) were nursing and midwife students training to be RN, public health nurses or midwives. A modified version of a scale developed by Duppert et al. (1994) was applied to measure willingness to care for patients with HIV/AIDS. The study found a general willingness on the part of students to provide care for patients with HIV/AIDS. However, nursing and midwife students willingness varied between countries and was also related to specific nursing interventions. Factors associated with students willingness also varied within each country, depending on nurses' age, nursing experience (Finland), positive attitudes to treating patients with HIV/AIDS in general (Finland, Estonia), and previous experience in taking care of a patient with HIV/AIDS (Lithuania). It is important to develop strategies for nursing vulnerable patient populations and international nursing curricula to identify prejudicial thinking and intolerance towards patients with HIV/AIDS.

Nurses' and nursing students' perceptions of sexual risk behavior: a study in Finland, Estonia, and Lithuania.

The continuing escalation of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic has changed our perceptions of sexual health. This article reports on a study of nurses' and nursing students' perceptions of sexual risk behaviour in Finland, Estonia and Lithuania and of how these perceptions are associated with background variables. Questionnaire data were collected in year 2006 with a modified version of Chng and Moore's Safer Sex Scale (1993), which consists of 12 background questions and 10 items exploring nurses' and nursing students' perceptions of sexual risk behaviour. Responses were obtained from 1152 nurses and nursing students. Their perceptions of sexual risk behaviour appeared to be quite cautious. The results revealed statistically significant country differences, with Finnish and Estonian respondents showing more cautious perceptions of sexual risk behavior than Lithuanian respondents. Some background variables were found to be associated with perceptions of sexual risk behavior. Nurses' perceptions differed from those of nursing students: the latter were less cautious in their perceptions. The most important background factor was previous experience of nursing an HIV/AIDS patient: nurses and students who had such experience reported more cautious perceptions than those who did not. In addition, age was found to correlate with perceptions of sexual risk behavior. Nurses and nursing students need to be more aware of their own perceptions of sexual risk behavior and the impact of those perceptions on their clinical practice. Interventions need to be developed in order to promote safer sex practices. Health care personnel should have the opportunity in their training to work with HIV/AIDS patients.

Willingness to care for patients with HIV/AIDS.

This study aims to describe and compare nurses' willingness to provide care for patients with HIV/AIDS and factors associated with this in three countries. An international cross-sectional survey was conducted among nurses working in medical, surgical and gynaecology units in Finland (n =427), Estonia (n =221) and Lithuania ( n =185) in early 2006. The response rates were 75% (n = 322) in Finland, 54% (n =119) in Estonia and 86% (n = 160) in Lithuania. A modified version of a scale developed in 1994 by Dubbert et al. was applied. Our findings showed a general willingness of the nurse participants to provide care for patients with HIV/AIDS. However, this willingness varied both among and within countries and was also related to specific nursing interventions. The results underline the importance of providing education on ethical issues related to HIV/AIDS care in Europe and tailoring the content of this education to meet nurses' national educational needs.