Publications

Abstract

Registered nurse turnover is an important indicator of the nurse job market. Despite its wide use as a measure for health-care system analysis, there is a lack of consistency in the definition of turnover. Some definitions include any nurse leaving an organization; others may include involuntary and voluntary leaving. These inconsistent definitions also result in various turnover rates. The RN Work Project is a 10-year panel study of new nurses. Data were collected from the new nurses, rather than from a specific organization. About 17.5% of new nurses leave their first job within 1 year of starting their jobs. Consistent and accurate measurement of turnover is an important step in addressing organizational work environments and policies about the nursing workforce.

Abstract

Background: Sexual assault is a major public health problem disproportionately affecting women on college and university campuses. As sexual assault is often unreported, survivorsmay not have the access to resources and services that are helpful in healing. Campus-based women's centers provide a comfortable place and resource to address women's issues on campus. Individuals who work in these centers have open communication channels with students and a role in the administrative structure that may provide a unique understanding of survivors, the student environment, and the institutional context regarding sexual assault. Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions of campus-based women's center staff on college and university campuses, specifically regarding campus-based responses to sexual assault. Methods: Participants responded electronically to six open-ended survey questions. Data were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis approach to identify key themes present within the data. Results: Key concepts identified included respect, trust, confidentiality, trained professionals, and comprehensive and consistent response. Conclusions:The findings provide an early description of the perceptions of staff in campus-based women's centers related to prevention, reporting, and response to sexual violence on campuses and can be used to inform campus policies and practices as well as forensic and college-based nursing practice.

Abstract

Purpose: Recognizing and accepting when someone is within the palliative care trajectory is often a challenge, particularly for nursing students. In sharing this story of a nurse's experience of caring for her mother, it is hoped that the reader will gain insight into ways to enhance comfort and improve the quality of life of family members, friends, and patients. Through the lens of this lived experience, the challenges associated with honoring the wishes of a loved one during the palliative care trajectory through the end of life are shared. Practice Implications: Exploring a person's perceptions about their quality of life is an important component of a nursing assessment. Nurses need to be prepared to maximize opportunities with patients and provide resources and information about options on their quality of life issues. Understanding and respecting another's choice develops with awareness and utilization of evidence-based knowledge in planning interventions. This article provides information on evidence-based resources and standards of practice in the context of a lived experience. Conclusion: Experiencing the death of loved ones is always difficult. Accepting their wish to not seek medical treatment and the provision of end-of-life care is a challenge. Nurses who become comfortable and knowledgeable about the palliative care trajectory and the end of life experience will be able to provide a higher level of support and thus improve the quality of life for those they encounter.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Twin studies suggest that heritability of moderate-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is 53% to 79%, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify genetic variants associated with the risk for BPD. METHODS: The discovery GWAS was completed on 1726 very low birth weight infants (gestational age = 250-296/7 weeks) who had a minimum of 3 days of intermittent positive pressure ventilation and were in the hospital at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age. At 36 weeks' postmenstrual age, moderate-severe BPD cases (n = 899) were defined as requiring continuous supplemental oxygen, whereas controls (n = 827) inhaled room air. An additional 795 comparable infants (371 cases, 424 controls) were a replication population. Genomic DNA from case and control newborn screening bloodspots was used for the GWAS. The replication study interrogated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified in the discovery GWAS and those within the HumanExome beadchip. RESULTS: Genotyping using genomic DNA was successful. We did not identify SNPs associated with BPD at the genome-wide significance level (5 3 1028) and no SNP identified in previous studies reached statistical significance (Bonferroni-corrected P value threshold .0018). Pathway analyses were not informative. CONCLUSIONS: We did not identify genomic loci or pathways that account for the previously described heritability for BPD. Potential explanations include causal mutations that are genetic variants and were not assayed or are mapped to many distributed loci, inadequate sample size, race ethnicity of our study population, or case-control differences investigated are not attributable to underlying common genetic variation. Pediatrics 2013;132:290-297

Abstract

Background: Increasing participation of registered nurses (RNs) in quality improvement (QI) is a promising strategy to close the health care quality chasm. For RNs to participate effectively in hospital QI, they must have adequate QI knowledge and skills. Methods: This descriptive study assessed employersponsored QI education and RNs' preparedness across a wide range of QI steps and processes. RNs from 15 U.S. states who were employed in hospitals and were initially licensed to practice in 2007 to 2008 were surveyed. Results: Fewer than one third of respondents reported being very prepared across all measured QI topics. More than half reported receiving zero hours of training in these same topics in the last year. Lack of educational offerings on the topic was the top reason respondents gave for not obtaining QI training. Conclusion: The QI education offered by employers to RNs could be substantially improved. Nurse educators play a critical role in making these improvements.

Abstract

Background: Intravaginal practices including vaginal washing have been associated with HIV-1 acquisition. This association may be mediated by mucosal disruption, changes in vaginal flora or genital tract inflammatory responses. Reducing vaginal washing could lower women's risk of HIV-1 acquisition. Methods: 23 HIV-1 seronegative women who reported current vaginal washing were recruited from a prospective cohort study of high-risk women in Mombasa, Kenya. A theoretical framework including information-motivation -behavioural skills and harm reduction was implemented to encourage participants to reduce or eliminate vaginal washing. At baseline and after 1 month, we evaluated vaginal epithelial lesions by colposcopy, vaginal microbiota by Nugent 's criteria and vaginal cytokine milieu using ELISA on cervicovaginal lavage specimens. Results: The most commonly reported vaginal washing substance was soap with water (N=14, 60.9%). The median frequency of vaginal washing was 7 (IQR 7-14) times per week. After 1 month, all participants reported cessation of vaginal washing (p=0.01). The probability of detecting cervicovaginal epithelial lesions was lower (OR 0.48; 95% CI 0.20 to 1.16; p=0.10) and the likelihood of detecting Lactobacillus by culture was higher (OR 3.71, 95% CI 0.73 to 18.76, p=0.11) compared with baseline, although these results were not statistically significant. There was no change in the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis. Most cytokine levels were reduced, but these changes were not statistically significant. Conclusions: A theory-based intervention appeared to have a positive effect in reducing vaginal washing over 1 month. Larger studies with longer follow-up are important to further characterise the effects of vaginal washing cessation on biological markers.

Abstract

The number of individuals with dementia is expected to increase dramatically over the next 20 years. Given the complicated clinical, sociobehavioral, and caregiving skills that are needed to comprehensively assess and manage individuals with dementia, the gold standard of care requires involvement of interprofessional teams. This systematic review examined 4,023 abstracts, finding 18 articles from 16 studies where an interprofessional dissemination program was performed. Most studies found some improvement in clinician knowledge or confidence, or patient outcomes, though methods and patient and clinician populations were disparate. Although a significant evidence base for assessing and managing individuals with dementia has been developed, few studies have examined how to disseminate this research, and even fewer in an interprofessional manner. These findings suggest that greater emphasis needs to be placed on disseminating existing evidence-based care and ensuring that programs are interprofessional in nature so that excellent, patient-centered care is provided.

Abstract

Background: As health services research (HSR) expands across the globe, researchers will adopt health services and health worker evaluation instruments developed in one country for use in another. This paper explores the cross-cultural methodological challenges involved in translating HSR in the language and context of different health systems. Objectives: To describe the pre-data collection systematic translation process used in a twelve country, eleven language nursing workforce survey. Design and settings: We illustrate the potential advantages of Content Validity Indexing (CVI) techniques to validate a nursing workforce survey developed for RN4CAST, a twelve country (Belgium, England, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland), eleven language (with modifications for regional dialects, including Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, and Swedish), comparative nursing workforce study in Europe. Participants: Expert review panels comprised of practicing nurses from twelve European countries who evaluated cross-cultural relevance, including translation, of a nursing workforce survey instrument developed by experts in the field. Methods: The method described in this paper used Content Validity Indexing (CVI) techniques with chance correction and provides researchers with a systematic approach for standardizing language translation processes while simultaneously evaluating the cross-cultural applicability of a survey instrument in the new context. Results: The cross-cultural evaluation process produced CVI scores for the instrument ranging from .61 to .95. The process successfully identified potentially problematic survey items and errors with translation. Conclusions: The translation approach described here may help researchers reduce threats to data validity and improve instrument reliability in multinational health services research studies involving comparisons across health systems and language translation.

Abstract

HIV testing in emergency departments (EDs) remains underutilized. The authors evaluated a computer tool to facilitate rapid HIV testing in an urban ED. Randomly assigned nonacute adult ED patients were randomly assigned to a computer tool (CARE) and rapid HIV testing before a standard visit (n = 258) or to a standard visit (n = 259) with chart access. The authors assessed intervention acceptability and compared noted HIV risks. Participants were 56% nonWhite and 58% male; median age was 37 years. In the CARE arm, nearly all (251/258) of the patients completed the session and received HIV results; four declined to consent to the test. HIV risks were reported by 54% of users; one participant was confirmed HIV-positive, and two were confirmed false-positive (seroprevalence 0.4%, 95% CI [0.01, 2.2]). Half (55%) of the patients preferred computerized rather than face-to-face counseling for future HIV testing. In the standard arm, one HIV test and two referrals for testing occurred. Computer-facilitated HIV testing appears acceptable to ED patients. Future research should assess cost-effectiveness compared with staff-delivered approaches.

Abstract

According to rigorous guidelines of instrument development, a 17-item chronic carriers of hepatitis B virus-related stigma scale (HBV-SS) in college students, including 4 domains (labeling, stereotype, separating, discrimination), was developed with data from 717 college students in China. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of HBV-SS was .85. Four common factors were extracted in accordance with the conceptual model. Students with HBsAg positive/ever-positive (vs. negative), with HBsAg ever-positive (vs. never positive/did not know), and students who had any family member, friend, or acquaintance as a chronic carrier of HBV (vs. had not/did not know) had significantly lower scores. Research has shown that the scale is reliable, valid, and sensitive and is recommended for application of HBV-SS to assist public health practice.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between typically measured prenatal screening biomarkers and early-preterm birth in euploid pregnancies. Study Design: The study included 345 early-preterm cases (<30 weeks of gestation) and 1725 control subjects who were drawn from a population-based sample of California pregnancies who had both first- and second-trimester screening results. Logistic regression analyses were used to compare patterns of biomarkers in cases and control subjects and to develop predictive models. Replicability of the biomarker early-preterm relationships that was revealed by the models was evaluated by examination of the frequency and associated adjusted relative risks (RRs) for early-preterm birth and for preterm birth in general (<37 weeks of gestation) in pregnancies with identified abnormal markers compared with pregnancies without these markers in a subsequent independent California cohort of screened pregnancies (n = 76,588). Results: The final model for early-preterm birth included first-trimester pregnancy-associated plasma protein A in the ≤5th percentile, second-trimester alpha-fetoprotein in the ≥95th percentile, and second-trimester inhibin in the ≥95th percentile (odds ratios, 2.3-3.6). In general, pregnancies in the subsequent cohort with a biomarker pattern that were found to be associated with early-preterm delivery in the first sample were at an increased risk for early-preterm birth and preterm birth in general (<37 weeks of gestation; adjusted RR, 1.6-27.4). Pregnancies with ≥2 biomarker abnormalities were at particularly increased risk (adjusted RR, 3.6-27.4). Conclusion: When considered across cohorts and in combination, abnormalities in routinely collected biomarkers reveal predictable risks for early-preterm birth.

Abstract

Dietary variety is positively correlated with energy intake in most studies. However, the associations between dietary variety and measures of body adiposity are inconsistent in the literature, which limits the development of clear national nutrition recommendations regarding dietary variety. In the present systematic review, we critically evaluate the associations between dietary variety and measures of body adiposity among healthy adults within the existing literature. We conducted a systematic search of the MEDLINE and Web of Science databases in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement to examine these associations. We identified twenty-six studies in total that investigated the associations between dietary variety and body adiposity measures. Total variety was non-significantly associated with body adiposity in most studies, while variety in recommended foods was either inversely associated (six out of ten studies) or non-significantly associated (three out of ten studies) with body adiposity. Conversely, variety in non-recommended foods (i.e. sources of added sugars and solid fats) increased the likelihood of excess adiposity in most studies (six out of nine studies). Definitions and measurement of dietary variety were inconsistent across studies and contributed to some of the discrepancies noted in the literature. In conclusion, among the studies that met the inclusion criteria for the present review, dietary variety was inconsistently associated with body adiposity in diverse populations. Using consistent and specific definitions of dietary variety may help provide further insight into the associations between dietary variety and excess adiposity before definitive public health messages are ma

Abstract

Objective: To examine the associations of four distinct nursing care organizational models with patient safety outcomes. Design: Cross-sectional correlational study. Using a standardized protocol, patients' records were screened retrospectively to detect occurrences of patient safety-related events. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the associations of those events with four nursing care organizational models. Setting: Twenty-two medical units in 11 hospitals in Quebec, Canada, were clustered into 4 nursing care organizational models: 2 professional models and 2 functional models. Participants: Two thousand six hundred and ninety-nine were patients hospitalized for at least 48 h on the selected units. Main Outcome Measure: Composite of six safety-related events widely-considered sensitive to nursing care: medication administration errors, falls, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, unjustified restraints and pressure ulcers. Events were ultimately sorted into two categories: events 'without major' consequences for patients and events 'with' consequences. Results: After controlling for patient characteristics, patient risk of experiencing one or more events (of any severity) and of experiencing an event with consequences was significantly lower, by factors of 25-52%, in both professional models than in the functional models. Event rates for both functional models were statistically indistinguishable from each other. Conclusions: Data suggest that nursing care organizational models characterized by contrasting staffing, work environment and innovation characteristics may be associated with differential risk for hospitalized patients. The two professional models, which draw mainly on registered nurses (RNs) to deliver nursing services and reflect stronger support for nurses' professional practice, were associated with lower risks than are the two functional models.

Abstract

Introduction Limited research has examined primary care providers' communication with patients about maintaining cognitive functioning. Our study's objective was to compare the perceptions of consumers and primary care providers related to beliefs and communication practices about lifestyle behaviors beneficial for overall health and for maintaining cognitive functioning. Methods In 2009, we submitted 10 questions to Porter Novelli's HealthStyles survey and 6 questions to their DocStyles survey. We compared consumers' (n = 4,728) and providers' (n = 1,250) beliefs, practices, and information sources related to maintaining health and cognitive functioning. We made comparisons using nonparametric statistics. Results Approximately 76% of consumers considered their health to be good or very good; 73.4% were concerned or very concerned about the possibility that their memory may worsen with age. Women were significantly more concerned than men, and white consumers were more concerned than black and Hispanic consumers. Consumers reported they believed that intellectual stimulation (86.6%), physical activity (82.6%), and healthful diet (82.5%) prevented or delayed cognitive impairment. Providers reported advising patients to reduce cognitive impairment riskthrough physical activity (85.9%), intellectual stimulation (80.3%), and social involvement (67.4%). Few consumers (7.8%) reported receiving this information from providers but reported learning about strategies to maintain memory, primarily from television (50.1%), magazines (44.1%), and newspapers(33.7%). Conclusion Providers reported advising patients about how to reduce risks of cognitive impairment. Consumers reported receiving this information from other sources. Findings suggest a need to examine and assess mediamessages and to better understand patient-provider communication about cognitive functioning.