Quality of Neonatal Care: A Health Facility Assessment in Balochistan Province, Pakistan.

Introduction Balochistan is the largest of Pakistan's four provinces, yet it is also the poorest and most impoverished, particularly in terms of neonatal healthcare. In order to build and tailor strategies to improve neonatal outcomes, it is necessary to identify barriers and facilitators for interventions. Therefore, we conducted this study to provide an overview of neonatal healthcare quality and assess the structural capacity for the improvement and further development of neonatal healthcare facilities in Balochistan. Methods A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted in Balochistan, a province of Pakistan. The survey was designed to assess the level of staffing and facilities in the neonatal health care units. Data were gathered through trained staff either by in-person visits to the facility or via telephone. Results A total of 177 facilities were assessed in 25 districts of Balochistan. A majority (88.7%) of the facilities were from the public sector. Birth and neonatal care services were provided at only 63 (36%) of the assessed facilities and only three had newborn intensive care units (NICUs) with a 1:5 staff: patient ratio. Unfortunately, all NICUs lacked the basic advanced facilities. None of the hospitals had an infection control policy or staff nor any training program for doctors. Conclusion In conclusion, healthcare facilities to manage neonatal patients requiring hospital care are extremely limited in Balochistan and the ones that are available have very limited resources. To improve the healthcare system in Balochistan, all stakeholders should be involved in the planning, decision-making, and implementation of healthcare programs at all levels to ensure sustainability and efficiency.

Experiencia en la implementación de sistemas de gestión de calidad para la atención odontológica en un centro docente asistencial universitario / Experience in the implementation of quality management systems for dental care in a university teaching center

RESUMEN: Objetivo: Describir el desarrollo e implementación para el establecimiento, cumplimiento y acreditación como centro de atención abierta, para la atención odontológica de un centro docente asistencial. Metodología: Para alcanzar mayores niveles de calidad sanitaria y lograr satisfacción de pacientes, profesionales, estudiantes, personal auxiliar y administrativo, definimos 8 niveles de acción: orientar trabajo a resultados; realizar actividades centradas en el paciente; desarrollar el liderazgo y coherencia en los objetivos; gestionar por medio de procesos; involucrar a toda la comunidad; incorporar a la gestión el aprendizaje, la innovación y la mejora constante; potenciar alianzas internas y externas y garantizar la responsabilidad social. Resultados: El comité de calidad rediseñó protocolos, realizó mejoras computacionales y administrativas, realizó diálogos con la comunidad, incrementando de 80% a 100% el cumplimiento de los estándares obligatorios (n= 11) y de 70 % a 96 % los globales. Conclusiones: Alcanzar las competencias de planificación, gestión sanitaria y elevar los niveles de calidad en la atención de pacientes de un centro de salud que incluye una Facultad de Odontología, es un desafío continuo en el tiempo que involucra toda la comunidad, requiere especialistas del área, incrementa los costos de operación y conduce a su acreditación como centro de atención abierta.

ABSTRACT: Objective: To describe the development and implementation for the establishment, fulfillment and accreditation as an open-care center, for dental care in a University Teaching Center. Methodology: In order to reach higher levels of health care quality and additionally achieve the satisfaction of patients, professionals, students, auxiliary and administrative staff, the quality committee developed 8 levels of action: 1, orienting the work to results; 2, performing patient-centered activities; 3, developing leadership and coherence in the objectives; 4, managing through processes; 5, involving the entire community; 6, incorporating learning, innovation and constant improvement into management; 7, strengthening internal and external alliances and 8, ensuring social responsibility. Results: After 4 years of work by the quality and review committees, with the redesign of protocols, computer and administrative improvements, evaluation of progress and dialogue with the community, compliance with mandatory quality standards (n=11) was increased from 80% to 100% and compliance with the global standard was increased from 70% to 96% (mandatory + non-mandatory standards). Conclusions: The strategy to achieve planning and management competences in the health system and to raise quality levels of patient care in a health center that includes a dental school is a continuous challenge over time that involves the entire community, requires specialists in the area, increases operating costs and leads to accreditation as an Open.Care Center.

Developing a competency profile for newly graduated registered nurses in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Newly graduated registered nurses experience various challenges when entering the clinical practice environment. Typical challenges include lack of specific knowledge, skills and attitude competencies which is aggravated further by factors such as transition problems, workloads, lack of confidence and independence which potentially causes poor quality care. The aim of the study was to develop a competency profile for newly graudated registered nures, based on the perceptions of both nurse educators and final-year nursing students regarding the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to deliver quality patient care in South Africa. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive design was used. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 42 participants consisting of 23 nurse educators and 19 final-year nursing students at three nursing education institutions. The interviews were guided by an interview guide that examined three predetermined themes: knowledge, skills and attitudes as competencies to deliver quality patient care. Data were processed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The predetermined theme knowledge, was broken down into themes: theoretical knowledge, holistic care, cultural diversity and code of conduct, with its relating sub-themes. The predetermined theme skills delivered the following themes: interpersonal, management, administrative, practical and personal skills with its sub-themes. Attitudes unpacked into the following themes: being positive, caring, humble, friendly, empathetic, life-long learning, going the extra mile, compassionate, having passion, approachable, sensitive, helpful, and non-judgemental. CONCLUSIONS: Rich, in-depth knowledge, skills and attitudes were identified to develop a competency profile that may assist newly graduated registered nurses when entering the clinical practice environment to deliver quality patient care.

Analysis of Patient Safety Incident reporting system as an indicator of quality nursing in critical care units in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Patient Safety Incidents occur frequently in critical care units, contribute to patient harm, compromise quality of patient care and increase healthcare costs. It is essential that Patient Safety Incidents in critical care units are continually measured to plan for quality improvement interventions. AIM: To analyse Patient Safety Incident reporting system, including the evidence of types, frequencies, and patient outcomes of reported incidents in critical care units. SETTING: The study was conducted in the critical care units of ten hospitals of eThekwini district, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. METHODS: A quantitative approach using a descriptive cross sectional survey was adopted to collect data from the registered nurses working in critical care units of randomly selected hospitals. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 270 registered nurses of which 224 (83%) returned completed questionnaires. A descriptive statistical analysis was initially conducted, then the Pearson Chi-square test was performed between the participating hospitals. FINDINGS: One thousand and seventeen (n = 1017) incidents in ten hospitals were self-reported. Of these incidents, 18% (n = 70) were insignificant, 35% (n = 90) minor, 25% (n = 75) moderate, 12% (n = 32) major and 10% (n = 26) catastrophic. Patient Safety Incidents were classified into six categories: (a) Hospital-related incidents (42% [n = 416]); (b) Patient care-related incidents (30% [n = 310]); (c) (Death 12% [n = 124]); (d) Medication-related incidents, (7% [n = 75]); (e) Blood product-related incidents (5% [n = 51]) and (f) Procedure-related incidents (4% [n = 41]). CONCLUSION: This study's findings indicating 1017 Patient Safety Incidents of predominantly serious nature, (47% considering moderate, major and catastrophic) are a cause for concern.

The Shortage of Expert Nephrology Nurses in Hemodialysis: A Literature Review.

The expert nephrology nurse is an integral part of quality care and essential for continuity of care in the renal community. A review of literature focused on the expert nephrology nurse, the need for these experts in the hemodialysis setting, and how the shortage of expert nephrology nurses may impact patient outcomes. The purpose was to synthesize the current literature to provide an understanding of the shortage of expert nephrology nurses. The review of 140 articles dated from 1984 through 2016 resulted in 65 that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results of this literature review of shortage of expert nephrology nurses prompts concern for the renal community and its patients.

Translation and cultural adaptation of the Communication Assessment Tool (CAT), developing a Danish and Norwegian version.

OBJECTIVE: To translate and cultural adapt the 14-item Communication Assessment Tool (CAT) into Norwegian and Danish, making them as similar as possible. DESIGN: This was a translation and validation study including individual interviews for content and face validity and a patient survey for internal consistency and floor-ceiling effect. SETTING: Outpatient clinic at the Department of Internal Medicine, Lillebaelt Hospital, Denmark and a Norwegian general practice. PARTICIPANTS: Ten patients were included for individual interviews and 440 participants completed the survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Translation and validation of the CAT. RESULTS: Despite minor differences in the use of words in the translated versions of CAT, the final versions were very similar. Based on the content and face validation and after agreement with the developers, it was decided to include a 'non-applicable' answering option, not a part of the original version. The use of 'non-applicable' for each item ranged from 0% to 30% in Norway and from 0% to 6.1% in Denmark. The overall CAT score, i.e. items rated excellent, were 55.5% in Norway and 50.3% in Denmark. For each item, the CAT score ranged between 31.3% and 69.8% in Norway and 33.7% and 57.4% in Denmark. CONCLUSION: The translated and validated CAT can be used to measure patients' perspectives on clinicians' communication skills in Denmark and Norway.

Part-time in general practice-a remedy to a time-based problem?

BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers of GPs are reducing the hours they work in clinical practice. The reasons for and implications of this are not well-understood. OBJECTIVE: To investigate how the demands of general practice, especially new time pressures, impact GPs' professional and personal lives and work hour choices. METHOD: Using a grounded theory approach, we conducted 26 in-depth interviews with GPs working in Australia. RESULTS: Time-bound consultation windows, the complexity of patients presenting to general practice and consequent administrative and emotional burdens placed upon GPs combined to increase time pressures and an intensifying clinical load. Many GPs also strove to sequester time for family and reported burnout and poor health along with abiding concerns for quality of care. CONCLUSION: This study suggests a need for new policies on how clinical consultations are timed and remunerated in keeping with a changed GP demography, new demands and a more complex patient care profile.

Proficiency of First-Year Podiatric Medical Residents in the Use of Electronic Medical Records.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to survey podiatric residency directors to evaluate the proficiency of first-year podiatric medical residents in the use of electronic medical records and its potential impact on medical care. Methods: An online survey consisting of Likert-scale, multiple-choice, and open-ended questions was sent via email to 216 podiatric residency directors. Questions were directed toward the level of proficiency in electronic medical records expected at the beginning of residency training and the impact on patient care of residents' inexperience with electronic medical records. Results: A total of 54 of the 216 podiatric medical residency directors completed the survey. Results indicated that 70.3 percent of respondent directors expected a moderate level of proficiency in the use of electronic medical records; however, 35.2 percent indicated that less than 50 percent of the new residents had experience with electronic medical records prior to starting residency training. Only 51.5 percent of respondent directors felt that the new residents were successful or highly successful in using their hospital's electronic medical record upon arrival, but that figure increased to 98.2 percent upon completion of the first year of residency. Of importance, 29.7 percent of respondent directors reported that inexperience in electronic medical record use resulted in a more-than-average to high impact on patient care, with open-ended responses including concerns about potential HIPAA violations, data breaches, or lost data. Conclusion: Residency directors deem it important that incoming first-year residents have a basic understanding of electronic medical records and related health informatics concepts; however, in-depth knowledge is not expected because of the high number of software programs available. Nonetheless, nearly one-third of respondents reported that inexperience in electronic medical record use does have a significant impact on patient care.

Nursing work environment in Saudi Arabia.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to assess the work environment as perceived by nurses in a large tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia. BACKGROUND: The quality of patient care services has been associated with the quality of work environment of nurses. It is therefore important to assess the work environment in order to acquire baseline data and enable the institution to benchmark their status from established quality standards. METHOD: This study used a descriptive survey with 1007 staff nurses across service units of a 1000-bed government-operated hospital. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Healthy Work Environment Assessment Questionnaire was used for data collection. Scores were aggregated and interpreted. RESULT: Effective decision making, authentic leadership, appropriate staffing, true collaboration, skilled communication and meaningful recognition were rated as good (mean range 3.53-3.76). CONCLUSION: Healthy work environments mutually benefit patients, nurses, nurse managers, health care providers, the health team, administration, the institution and the community at large. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Valuable baseline data on the status of the work environment in this setting were generated. This should allow administrators and staff to work together in improving weaknesses and strengthening further whatever gains that are attained to ensure consistent provision of safe and quality patient care.

Conflicting priorities: emergency nurses perceived disconnect between patient satisfaction and the delivery of quality patient care.

INTRODUCTION: As hospitals compete for patients and their healthcare dollars, the emergency nurse is being asked to provide excellent nursing care to "customers" rather than patients. This has changed the approach in delivering quality care and has created favorable conditions for conflict as the nurse tries to achieve specific patient satisfaction goals. METHODS: A sample of 9 emergency nurses from 2 hospitals in northern New Jersey participated in focus groups designed to learn about the types of conflict commonly encountered, and to identify the attitudes and understanding of the emergency nurses experiencing conflict and how interpersonal conflict is dealt with. RESULTS: Thematic content analysis identified an overarching theme of conflicting priorities that represented a perceived disconnect between the priority of the ED leadership to achieve high patient satisfaction scores and nurses' priority to provide quality care. Three interacting sub-themes were identified: (1) staffing levels, (2) leaders don't understand, and (3) unrealistic expectations. The study also found that avoidance was the approach to manage conflict. DISCUSSION: The core conflict of conflicting priorities was based on the emergency nurses' perception that while patient satisfaction is important, it is not necessarily an indicator of quality of care. Interacting sub-themes reflect the way in which conflict priorities were influenced by patient satisfaction and the nurses' ability to provide quality care. Avoidant conflict management style was used to resolve conflicting priorities because nurses perceive that there is not enough time to address conflict even though it could impact on work stress and patient care.