Professional values development during a baccalaureate nursing degree completion program

Faculty recognized a need to further study professional values development in registered nurses during a baccalaureate degree completion program. Study participants were surveyed at the beginning and conclusion of their program using the Nurses Professional Values Scale – Revised (NPVS-R) with several additional open-ended questions. The results supported that associate degree–prepared nurses returning to school possess a level of professional values similar to nurses with a baccalaureate degree.     

Beyond the hashtag – An exploration of tweeting and replies at the European Society of Surgical Oncology 39th clinical conference (ESSO39)

IntroductionPrevious studies of conference tweeting have focused on tweets that used the conference hashtag. The aim of this study was to document responses beyond a specific conference hashtag.MethodsObservational study exploring replies to tweets for the 39th meeting of ESSO (ESSO39), Rotterdam, 9–11 October 2019. An extract of #ESSO39 tweets was obtained using NodeXL. Replies to these tweets were identified by viewing the tweets via Twitter.com.ResultsThere were 210 tweets posted using the #ESSO39 hashtag by 64 tweeters. However, extending the analysis to include responses that did not use the hashtag, tweets using the hashtag only represent 54% of all tweets posted or quoted at the conference, and only 49% of the tweeters posting content or quoted in tweets. Based on this study of ESSO39 therefore roughly half of tweets and contributors to conference tweeting were not captured by focusing simply on the conference hashtag (#ESSO39). Mentioning another tweeter(s) in a tweet or response was associated with more retweets, as was including the hashtag in replies.ConclusionsTwitter activity at medical conferences extends beyond the conference hashtag. Almost half of the tweeting was beyond the hashtag. To increase visibility of tweets, conference delegates should include the conference hashtag and mention other tweeters in their tweets and responses. Searching for tweets is an active process requiring users to click into replies. Twitter and third-party social media tools should improve identification and display of responses, showing the branching structure of replies and quoting tweets in real time.     

Experiences of radiographers working alone in remote locations: A Far North Queensland non-participant observational study

IntroductionRadiographers employed in remote locations such as Far North Queensland (FNQ) can face unique sets of challenges as they often perform radiographic and sonographic diagnostic imaging without onsite radiologists' services. Additionally, the majority of patients presenting to these sites are Indigenous for whom English may be their third language. This non-participant observational study observed two FNQ radiographers' interactions with patients and interprofessional staff, and the radiographers' ability to fit into the Indigenous community during routine radiographic and sonographic examinations which to date have received little attention.MethodsNon-participant observations and semi-structured interviews with radiographers were held at two FNQ hospitals. Consecutive radiographer–patient interactions were observed and recorded on checklists. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed for thematic analysis.ResultsAcross both remote sites, 24 patients were observed as they underwent diagnostic imaging examinations, with the majority being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders (n = 17/24 (70.8%). In total, eleven general radiography and sixteen ultrasound examinations were observed. Semi-structured interviews highlighted complex issues such as the need for radiographer communication in local dialect, ongoing interprofessional collaborations, overcoming the lack of radiologists' onsite support by providing radiographic reports directly to referring doctors and midwives, and isolation with regard to professional development opportunities.ConclusionsRadiographers working in remote hospitals need to be culturally competent, navigate local indigenous languages and possess excellent interprofessional skills as well as thorough knowledge of imaging pathology to convey findings to referring doctors and allied health professionals. These findings have implications for the entry to practice curriculum.Implications for practiceThis study provides evidence that culturally competent radiographers are capable of undertaking reporting roles to facilitate patient management in the absence of timely radiologists' reports at remote sites.     

Consequences of physical distancing emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic: An Australian perspective

The sobering reality of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has brought people together at home at a time when we want them apart in the community. This will bring both benefits and challenges. It will affect people differently based upon their age, health status, resilience, family support structures, and socio-economic background. This article will assess the impact in high income countries like Australia, where the initial wave of infection placed the elderly at the greatest risk of death whilst the protective measures of physical distancing, self-isolation, increased awareness of hygiene practices, and school closures with distance learning has had considerable impact on children and families acutely and may have ramifications for years to come.     

Employment opportunities for persons with different types of disability

The employment status of groups with different disabilities was analysed as were potentially important moderating factors (work ability, structural and individual factors). A secondary analysis was performed on 4359 respondents with disabilities from Statistics Sweden's Labour Market Investigation. The respondents were divided into six disability groups (communicative-hearing, communicative-speech-reading, communicative-vision, psychological disability, medical disability, physical disability). Logistic regression analyses showed that the probability of being employed was highest among respondents with hearing disabilities and respondents with psychological disabilities were least likely to be employed. Being a woman (very young or old) with only primary education and with partially or very impaired work ability, reduced employment opportunities. Higher education did not increase employment opportunities for respondents with impaired work ability. In summary, the type of disability is essential for employment opportunities, and differences between disability groups cannot be explained by differences in other variables. The moderating factors studied were found to be of equal importance in all groups.     

A qualitative study of healthcare provider awareness and informational needs regarding the nine-valent HPV vaccine

The 9-valent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, 9vHPV, was licensed in the U.S. in December, 2014. We assessed healthcare provider (HCP) awareness of the newly approved vaccine and identified questions HCPs have about the vaccine. As part of a larger study, we used semi-structured interviews to ask 22 pediatric HCPs about their awareness of 9vHPV, questions they have about the vaccine, and questions they anticipate from patients and parents. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed then analyzed using inductive content analysis. Over half were aware of the vaccine but few HCPs claimed to be familiar with it. HCPs indicated several questions with common themes pertaining to efficacy, side effects, and cost. Only half of HCPs believed patients or parents would have questions. The results suggest strategies and areas for health systems and public health organizations to target in order to resolve unmet educational needs among HCPs regarding 9vHPV.     

Effectiveness of simplified 15-min refresher BLS training program: A randomized controlled trial

ObjectivesTo evaluate the long-term effectiveness of 15-min refresher basic life support (BLS) training following 45-min chest compression-only BLS training.MethodsAfter the 45-min chest compression-only BLS training, the participants were randomly assigned to either the refresher BLS training group, which received a 15-min refresher training 6 months after the initial training (refresher training group), or to the control group, which did not receive refresher training. Participants’ resuscitation skills were evaluated by a 2-min case-based scenario test 1 year after the initial training. The primary outcome measure was the number of appropriate chest compressions during a 2-min test period.Results140 participants were enrolled and 112 of them completed this study. The number of appropriate chest compressions performed during the 2-min test period was significantly greater in the refresher training group (68.9 ± 72.3) than in the control group (36.3 ± 50.8, p = 0.009). Time without chest compressions was significantly shorter in the refresher training group (16.1 ± 2.1 s versus 26.9 ± 3.7 s, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in time to chest compression (29.6 ± 16.7 s versus 34.4 ± 17.8 s, p = 0.172) and AED use between the groups.ConclusionsA short-time refresher BLS training program 6 months after the initial training can help trainees retain chest compression skills for up to 1 year. Repeated BLS training, even if very short, would be adopted to keep acquired CPR quality optimal (UMIN-CTR UMIN 000004101).     

Associations between sleep duration trajectories from adolescence to early adulthood and working memory,schooling and income: a prospective birth cohort study from Brazil

ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the relationship between sleep duration trajectories from adolescence to early adulthood and working memory, schooling and income at 22 years in the Pelotas 1993 Birth Cohort.MethodsSleep duration was self-reported at ages 11, 18 and 22. Sleep trajectories were identified using finite mixture models. Schooling was recorded as the number of completed years of education. Working memory was evaluated using The Digit Span test and income was recorded for who reported have a job and received a payment for this in the previous month. All analyses were stratified by sex.ResultsWe used crude and adjusted (for demographic, health and behavior characteristics measured at perinatal and 11-years) linear or quantile regression analyses. A total of 2915 individuals were included. Three trajectories for males were used: “increase and maintenance” (3.4%), “fast reduction and maintenance” (45.0%) and “constant reduction” (51.6%). For females, we used the trajectories: “increase and decrease” (2.4%), “fast reduction and maintenance” (25.6%) and “constant reduction” (72.0%). Males from “increase and maintenance” and females from “increase and decrease” trajectories scored, on average, 1.6 and 1.8 points lower, respectively, in working memory test. They presented a median of 1.4 and 2.6 fewer schooling years, respectively, compared to individuals from the “fast reduction and maintenance” trajectory. Regarding income, no significant association was observed.ConclusionSleep duration during adolescence could affect cognitive and educational outcomes in early adulthood. Individuals who presented the expected sleep trajectory (decrease of sleep duration across adolescence) presented better outcomes.