Allison P Squires

Abstract

Background: “Capacity building” is an international development strategy which receives billions of dollars of investment annually and is utilized by major development agencies globally. However, there is a lack of consensus around what “capacity building” or even “capacity” itself, means. Nurses are the frequent target of capacity building programming in sub-Saharan Africa as they provide the majority of healthcare in that region. Objectives: This study explored how “capacity” was conceptualized and operationalized by capacity building practitioners working in sub-Saharan Africa to develop its nursing workforce, and to assess Hilderband and Grindle's (1996) “Dimensions of Capacity” model was for fit with “capacity's” definition in the field. Design: An integrative review of the literature using systematic search criteria. Data sources searched included: PubMed, the Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature Plus, the Excerpt Medica Database, and Web of Science. Review methods: This review utilized conventional content analysis to assess how capacity building practitioners working in sub-Saharan Africa utilize the term “capacity” in the nursing context. Content analysis was conducted separately for how capacity building practitioners described “capacity” versus how their programs operationalized it. Identified themes were then assessed for fit with Hilderband and Grindle's (1996) “Dimensions of Capacity” model. Results: Analysis showed primary themes for conceptualization of capacity building of nurses by practitioners included: human resources for health, particularly pre- and post- nursing licensure training, and human (nursing) resource retention. Other themes included: management, health expenditure, and physical resources. There are several commonly used metrics for human resources for health, and a few for health expenditures, but none for management or physical resources. Overlapping themes of operationalization include: number of healthcare workers, post-licensure training, and physical resources. The Hilderband and Grindle (1996) model was a strong fit with how capacity is defined by practitioners working on nursing workforce issues in sub-Saharan Africa. If overall significant differences between conceptualization and operationalization emerged, as the reader I want to know what these differences were. Conclusions: This review indicates there is significant informal consensus on the definition of “capacity” and that the Hilderbrand and Grindle (1996) framework is a good representation of that consensus. This framework could be utilized by capacity building practitioners and researchers as those groups plan, execute, and evaluate nursing capacity building programming.

Abstract

Medication literacy is the ability of individuals to access and understand medication information and then use that information to act and take their medication in a safe and appropriate way. The purpose of this study was to explore medication literacy in a group of Somali older adults and their families using qualitative secondary analysis. We conducted an analytic expansion of an existing qualitative study that explored the home healthcare perceptions of Somali older adults and their families. Qualitative data collected from 14 Somali families about home healthcare were reviewed and analyzed for material related to medication literacy. Data analysis revealed a number of important findings related to medication literacy and resulted in the discovery of four themes: Medication literacy is needed among Somali older adults and their families, Using home healthcare (HHC) to improve medication literacy, Better communication is essential to improving medication literacy, and Medication literacy is an intersecting family and social issue. The results of this study indicate that HHC has a role to play in improving the health and medication literacy of these families. They also highlight the need to further explore what techniques, tools, and/or supports HHC professionals need to care for non-English speaking populations. Future research needs to address how to meet the needs of diverse and vulnerable patients like Somali older adults, and how best to prepare HHC providers to do this.

Abstract

Background: Migraine is one of the top 10 most disabling conditions among adults worldwide. Most migraine research is quantitative and indicates concerns about medication adherence, stigma, and more. Qualitative studies might reveal an improved understanding of migraine patients’ perspectives regarding migraine treatment. Objective: The aim of this study was to synthesize the qualitative research on migraine patients’ perspectives regarding migraine treatment to (a) identify common patterns across various types of migraine treatment studies and (b) inform future research. Methods: A systematic search for qualitative studies in the HA (HA) literature was conducted in Medline (PubMed), PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database, and The Cochrane Library. Search terms (subject headings and keywords) were HA, HA disorders, migraine, qualitative studies, and qualitative research. Qualitative studies were systematically identified by using published qualitative search filters recommended by The InterTASC Information Specialists’ Sub-Group (ISSG). The search was limited to English only, peer reviewed publications, and studies published between 1996 and 2016. For screening, additional inclusion criteria were (1) adult migraine patients; (2) must mention treatment in the title or study design of the abstract. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. The Critical Appraisal Skills Program tool was applied to appraise study quality. Thematic analysis produced the codes and themes. Two authors read articles separately and individually created codes. Code lists were synthesized and themes emerged iteratively from the process. Results: Study sample sizes ranged from 10 to 33 participants, with our findings representing 161 participants. Data were collected either using interviews or focus groups. The more common methodologies were grounded theory and phenomenology. Few (3) studies described the number of headache (HA) days for inclusion in the study. Eight out of 10 used International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD) criteria. Our synthesis produced five major themes. The first theme was “Migraine patients’ difficulties with health care utilization,” and it included issues surrounding the cost of migraine treatment (seeing providers and prescription medications). The second theme was “Migraine patients’ perceived relationships with their providers,” which included the role and relationship with the provider, as well as trust in the provider and the providers’ knowledge in managing HAs. The third theme was “Thoughts about the various migraine treatments.” It was based on patients’ comments indicating an aversion to prescription medications, the use of non-pharmacological interventions for treatment, behavioral modification as a form of treatment, and the need for additional treatment options. The fourth and fifth themes were “Understanding diagnosis/triggers” and “Societal implications,” respectively. The latter theme included feelings of not being taken seriously and issues surrounding quality of life. Discussion: The metasynthesis revealed several key commonalities regarding patients’ perspectives on migraine treatment and identified new areas for research using a qualitative approach. Researchers conducting qualitative research with patients experiencing migraines might consider using and reporting more of the inclusion and exclusion criteria commonly used in migraine research, for example, reporting whether the ICHD criteria were used and the number of HA days for patients to be in a study. Future studies might be done to determine how the role of allied health care providers, for example, pharmacists, physical therapists, and psychologists, might be expanded to help with migraine treatment and ultimately to improve patient outcomes.

Abstract

Preventing hospital readmissions is one of the top priorities of the U.S. health care system. This systematic review examined the current evidence about hospital readmissions from home health care (HHC). Literature was searched in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science. Eligible studies were reviewed and evaluated using a validated tool. Eighteen articles were reviewed. Reported readmission rates and risk factors varied dramatically between studies. Reasons for readmissions were understudied. Findings of reviewed studies were limited by small sample sizes, single data source, and methodological flaws. Future studies should use multiple national data sources across patients’ care spectrum and advanced statistical models to identify who among HHC patients are most likely to be readmitted to hospital and for what reason.

Abstract

Qualitative research is critical for studies about regulatory issues in nursing and across all health professions. When in-depth stakeholder perspectives are needed, qualitative approaches are often the best methodological choice to ensure their viewpoints and experiences are captured when evaluating the consequences of policy implementation or when informing regulation design. Unlike traditional qualitative health care studies that involve patients or providers in single settings, regulatory studies often have complex challenges related to the available sample sizes, sampling strategies, and data collection approaches. Reporting qualitative findings in ways that are informative, useful, and dialogue provoking about regulatory issues must go beyond inserting long quotes with a single sentence explanation. Artfully capturing the participants’ stories within the regulatory matter under study is vital for understanding potential and actual consequences of regulations. This article provides an overview of common methodological challenges researchers encounter when conducting qualitative research on professional regulation issues and offers solutions to enhance the quality, rigor, and trustworthiness of the findings. The recommendations may prove useful to researchers examining regulatory issues in nursing and other health professions.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Physician well-being impacts both doctors and patients. In light of high rates of physician burnout, enhancing resilience is a priority. To inform effective interventions, educators need to understand how resilience develops during residency.METHODS: A qualitative study using grounded theory examined the lived experience of resilience in residents. A cohort of obstetrics and gynecology residents were selected as a purposive, intensity sample.. Eighteen residents in all years of training participated in semi-structured interviews. A three-phase process of open coding, analytic coding and thematic analysis generated a conceptual model for resilience among residents.RESULTS: Resilience among residents emerged as rooted in the resident's calling to the work of medicine. Drive to overcome obstacles arose from personal identity and aspiration to professional ideals. Adversity caused residents to examine and cultivate coping mechanisms. Personal connections to peers and mentors as well as to patients and the work helped buffer the stress and conflicts that present. Resilience in this context is a developmental phenomenon that grows through engagement with uncertainty and adversity.CONCLUSION: Resilience in residents is rooted in personal and professional identity, and requires engagement with adversity to develop. Connections within the medical community, finding personal fulfillment in the work, and developing self-care practices enhance resilience.

Abstract

Introduction: We conducted a pilot study to examine the work environments of Mexican nurses using an internationally comparable instrument. Methods: We used the Spanish version of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nurses Work Index for the cross-sectional pilot study. Using both online and paper-based data collection methods, we recruited Mexican nurses from five sites around the country to participate. The study took place betwen 2011 and 2013. Principal component analysis analyzed the reliability and validity of the instrument in the Mexican context. Results: The Mexican Spanish translation of the instrument produced five factors which differed from the original factor loadings. Nonetheless, the instrument proved capable of differentiating problematic from non-problematic areas of the work environments of Mexican nurses. Conclusions: The Mexican Spanish verison of the instrument can be successfully used to evaluate nurses’ work environments in Mexican hospitals.