Kimberly Glassman

Abstract

Frontline workers are at great risk of significant mental health challenges as a result of responding to large-scale disasters. We conducted a mixed-methods study to identify the challenges experienced and the resources nurses drew upon during this first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 in New York City (NYC). The qualitative data presented here are on 591 nurse participants in the qualitative arm of the study. Responses to qualitative questions were reviewed by one of the investigators to identify emerging themes. Two qualitative researchers used both deductive (guided by the Resilience Theory) and inductive approaches to analysis. Challenges identi fied by nurses included concerns about well-being and health risk; mental health symptoms such as depres sion, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping; fears about the ability to care for patients with severe life-threatening symptoms; and home-work challenges such as risk to family and friends; and lack of availability of institutional resources, particularly, personal protec tive equipment (PPE). Facilitators of resilience were institutional resources and support available; social support from coworkers, friends, and family; and positive professional identity. Recommendations for promoting resilience in future disaster/pandemic responses included clarification of disaster-related professional responsibilities, integration of disaster preparedness into professional education, and engage ment of nurses/frontline workers in preparation plan ning for disasters.

Abstract

Healthcare organizations must be intentional and purposeful in creating diversity programs. A nursing leader mentorship program for racial and ethnic minority nurse managers was introduced at a large academic medical center to meet this need. The program design was based on the successful Leadership Institute for Black Nurses, first conducted at a university school of nursing. The participants in the 4-month program were 16 nurse managers from 2 city hospitals and their mentors.

Abstract

Purpose: This paper recounts the history and experiences of one academic medical center that sought to improve the care of elderly patients by adopting and adapting the Geriatric Resource Nurse (GRN) model recommended by the Nurses Improving the Care of Healthsystem Elderly (NICHE) program. A formal evaluation examined the perceptions, opinions and attitudes of non-GRN nursing peers, Nurse Managers (NMs) and members of the Inter-Professional Advisory Board (IAB) regarding GRN practices and the institution's NICHE program. Design: A qualitative research design with purposive sampling was utilized. Methods: Semi-structured interviews and focus groups conducted in the fall/winter 2017 were analyzed using standard content analysis methods of isolating and grouping contextual themes without a predefined framework. Findings: The institution's GRN training program, a hybrid of the national NICHE program and organization-developed components, has strong support among NMs, members of the IAB and other RNs. However, there exist many misconceptions, erroneous information and misunderstandings about the program and the roles and expectations of GRNs that have hindered the likelihood of producing desired outcomes. Conclusions: Training GRNs was insufficient in disseminating and implementing evidenced-based geriatric practices in this hospital. Future work in this area would benefit from integrating concepts and methods from dissemination and implementation science when developing, launching, and sustaining NICHE programs. Clinical relevance: Integrating principles and models of dissemination and implementation science can increase consistent use of evidence based practices and the likelihood of improved geriatric patient outcomes in NICHE hospitals.

Abstract

The national Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) program and the geriatric resource nurse (GRN) model promote training a geriatric nursing workforce to serve in hospitals and elsewhere. Literature exists on the NICHE program but this is the first to study the opinions, attitudes, and perceptions of GRNs in practice. Our organization’s hybrid GRN model, first adopted in 1999, combines materials from national NICHE program with homegrown resources and has GRNs practicing in a wide range of clinical specialties. This descriptive study, using survey design and administrative data, examined GRNs trained prior to 2017 to assess their (i) demographic, employment, and other characteristics; (ii) satisfaction with components of training program; (iii) ability to apply new knowledge and skills in practice; (iv) perceived support from leadership; and (v) perceived barriers encountered. Program outcomes, such as completion rates and workplace satisfaction, as well as areas for improvement and recommendation for future research, are also discussed.

Abstract

Successful nurse leaders produce the best outcomes. Identifying potential nurse leaders in existing nursing management teams becomes a critical task for the future growth and development of the organization. Learning agility (LA) is a concept that has been used to predict potential for leadership in several fields, but has not been explored in a nursing population. This pilot study and organization case example provide a baseline for how LA can be used in nursing to identify areas for development, performance improvement, and predict success in a leadership role. LA can be used as a vehicle for talent management or as a conceptual grounding for leadership development programs.

Abstract

This article describes our experience participating in a multisite collaborative study involving frontline nurses and operational failures (OFs). We encountered a range of challenges conducting the study as proposed by the study's coordinating center (CC), which hindered our ability to meet our goals and objectives. We identified 3 general areas in which our expectations and actual experience diverged: 1) research resources, design, and methods; 2) CC communications and deliverables; and 3) influencing organizational change. Nurse executives considering collaborative research or assessing methods to engage clinical nurses in organizational improvements will benefit from our experience.