Key stakeholders' expectations of educational outcomes from Australian critical care nursing courses: A Delphi study.

BACKGROUND: Educational preparation for critical care nursing in Australia varies considerably in terms of the level of qualification resulting in a lack of clarity for key stakeholders about student outcomes. OBJECTIVES: The study aim was to identify and reach consensus regarding the desired learning outcomes from Australian post-registration critical care education programs as demonstrated through the graduate's knowledge, skills and attitudes. DESIGN: A Delphi technique was used to establish consensus between educators, managers, clinicians and students regarding learning outcomes expected of graduates with a Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Master level qualification in critical care nursing. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 164 critical care nurses (66 clinicians, 48 educators, 32 managers and 18 students) participated and 99 questionnaires were returned in the first round (response rate 60%). Fifty-seven questionnaires were returned for Round 2 (response rate 58%). METHODS: Learning outcomes were obtained from the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses Competency Standards for Specialist Critical Care Nurses. Some statements included more than one characteristic, and these were split to create learning outcomes with one characteristic per item. A survey of Australian higher education providers of critical care education provided additional learning outcomes, for a total of 73 learning outcomes for the first Delphi round. RESULTS: Findings suggest that patient comfort, safety, professional responsibility and ethical conduct are deemed most important for all three levels of educational preparation. There was a lack of emphasis on clinical practice issues for all levels. Participants placed higher emphasis on learning outcomes related to complex decision-making, leadership, supervision, policy development and research for Graduate Diploma and Master level programs. CONCLUSION: The findings have implications for curriculum development and the profession with regards to the level of educational preparation required of critical care nurses and suggest that further work is required before clear recommendations can be made for desired educational outcomes from critical care nursing programs in Australia.     

Future directions for the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse in Australia

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian men. A cancer diagnosis causes physical, social and psychological morbidity. The role of the specialist nurse in chronic illness care is well recognized both nationally and internationally; however, the role of the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse is not as developed or formalized in Australian health care delivery. Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) aims to bridge this gap and has developed a model to pilot a number of Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurses in various locations throughout both metropolitan and regional Australia. This paper reports on the findings of a project commissioned by PCFA to define a model for a national Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing service. The service model was developed following an extensive consultation process at a national level. A framework for practice and professional development for the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse has been developed which utilizes both the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council Registered Nurse Competency Frameworks and the National Cancer Nursing Education Project Professional Development Framework. The pilot program will involve PCFA working in partnership with host health regions by providing funding for the recruitment of the nurses on a 3‐year trial basis. The nurses will be employed directly by the host health regions and will be professionally supported by PCFA. The program will also be formally evaluated.     

美国临床护理专家角色和标准

从以下几个方面论述了美国临床护理专家角色的发展:为什么需要发展临床护理专家,临床护理专家角色的内容,如何教育培养临床护理专家,哪些领域需要临床护理专家及如何在临床发挥其作用。另外,还介绍了美国临床护理专家的考核、认证和评估方法。临床护理专家角色和标准的发展与护士职业的基本内容保持一致,与行为规范和执业准则一致,利用统一标准考试来考核护士对高级专科护理原则的理解和运用。     

Registered nurses' self-perceived level of competence following completion of a specialist graduate certificate.

Utilising the Competency Standards for Specialist Critical Care Nurses (CSSCCN) as a framework, this study sought to examine the perceived level of competence (PLC) of the graduates of a Graduate Certificate in Intensive Care Nursing (GCICN) and the level at which the GCICN influenced the graduates' PLC. A rating scale of 1-5 and an open-ended questionnaire were utilised. The graduates' mean PLC in the competency 'engaging in research' was rated as the lowest and 'recognising own abilities and professional competence' as the highest. Graduates of 1991-1994 rated their PLC on all the competencies lower in comparison to graduates of 1995-1997. Graduates' PLC on enabling and clinical problem solving domains were rated better than the reflective and leadership domains. A significant correlation was demonstrated between the graduates' PLC and their perceptions as to the course's influence on their PLC.     

Critical care education: experience with a community-based consortium approach

A continuous cycle of new orientees, cost-containment issues related to orientation, and conflicting job priorities prove to be challenging adversaries for critical care educators. The San Diego Chapter of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) has met some of these educational challenges by providing a community-wide, consortium-based Critical Care Nursing Internship Program (CCIP) for novice critical care nurses. Over the last 15 years this CCIP has been instrumental in providing comprehensive education for more than 2,200 novice critical care nurses in San Diego County. This article discusses the background, rewards, and current challenges of the program. It also addresses a comparison between consortium-based education and the National AACN Essentials of Critical Care Orientation (ECCO) Program.     

A national Position Statement on adult end-of-life care in critical care

Patient death in critical care is not uncommon. Rather, the provision of end-of-life care is a core feature of critical care nursing, yet not all nurses feel adequately prepared for their role in the provision of end-of-life care. For this reason, the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses (ACCCN) supported the development of a Position Statement to provide nurses with clear practice recommendations to guide the provision of end-of-life care, which reflect the most relevant evidence and information associated with end-of-life care for adult patients in Australian critical care settings. A systematic literature search was conducted between June and July, 2020 in CINAHL Complete, Medline, and EMBASE databases to locate research evidence related to key elements of end-of-life care in critical care. Preference was given to the most recent Australian or Australasian research evidence, where available. Once the practice recommendations were drafted in accordance with the research evidence, a clinical expert review panel was established. The panel comprised clinically active ACCCN members with at least 12 months of clinical experience. The clinical expert review panel participated in an eDelphi process to provide face validity for practice recommendations and a subsequent online meeting to suggest additional refinements and ensure the final practice recommendations were meaningful and practical for critical care nursing practice in Australia. ACCCN Board members also provided independent review of the Position Statement. This Position Statement is intended to provide practical guidance to critical care nurses in the provision of adult end-of-life care in Australian critical care settings.     

Nurses' knowledge of palliative care in the Australian Capital Territory

Australia has a growing number of specialist palliative care services. As they expanded in the Australian Capital Territory, a working party was established to discuss issues associated with palliative care. One activity authorized by this committee was a survey of nurses' knowledge of palliative care. The Palliative Care Quiz for Nurses (Ross et al, 1996) was adapted with permission for this survey: 455 registered and enrolled nurses were surveyed; 247 (54%) participants returned completed questionnaires. The overall mean score for the Palliative Care Quiz was 12.4 of a possible 20; the mean scores were 13.2 for registered nurses and 10.6 for enrolled nurses. Nurses with some oncology or palliative care experience scored significantly higher than others. Nurses with more work experience as measured by working years also attained significantly higher scores. Analysis and examination of correct items suggest that nurses have acquired basic knowledge through experience. However, as other studies have suggested, there is also a lack of knowledge of complex symptoms found in palliative care patients.     

Panoramic ECG display versus conventional ECG: ischaemia detection by critical care nurses

Aim: To compare accuracy and certainty of diagnosis of cardiac ischaemia using the Panoramic ECG display tool plus conventional 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) versus 12-lead ECG alone by UK critical care nurses who were members of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses (BACCN). Background: Critically ill patients are prone to myocardial ischaemia. Symptoms may be masked by sedation or analgesia, and ECG changes may be the only sign. Critical care nurses have an essential role in detecting ECG changes promptly. Despite this, critical care nurses may lack expertise in interpreting ECGs and myocardial ischaemia often goes undetected by critical care staff. Method: British Association of Critical Care Nurses (BACCN) members were invited to complete an online survey to evaluate the analysis of two sets of eight ECGs displayed alone and with the new display device. Results: Data from 82 participants showed diagnostic accuracy improved from 67·1% reading ECG traces alone, to 96·0% reading ECG plus Panoramic ECG display tool (P < 0·01, significance level α = 0·05). Participants' diagnostic certainty score rose from 41·7% reading ECG alone to 66·8% reading ECG plus Panoramic ECG display tool (P < 0·01, α = 0·05). Conclusion: The Panoramic ECG display tool improves both accuracy and certainty of detecting ST segment changes among critical care nurses, when compared to conventional 12-lead ECG alone. This benefit was greatest with early ischaemic changes. Critical care nurses who are least confident in reading conventional ECGs benefit the most from the new display. Relevance to clinical practice: Critical care nurses have an essential role in the monitoring of critically ill patients. However, nurses do not always have the expertise to detect subtle ischaemic ECG changes promptly. Introduction of the Panoramic ECG display tool into clinical practice could lead to patients receiving treatment for myocardial ischaemia sooner with the potential for reduction in morbidity and mortality.     

Cohesion among nurses: a comparison of bedside vs. charge nurses' perceptions in Australian hospitals

AIM: This study examines the extent to which hospital nurses view their working environment in a positive sense, working as a cohesive group. BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that nursing in Australia is now considered a profession, it has been claimed that nurses are an oppressed group who use horizontal violence, bullying and aggression in their interactions with one and other. METHODS: After ethical approval, a random sample of 666 nurses working directly with patients and all 333 critical care nurses employed in three large tertiary Australian hospitals were invited to participate in the study in the late 1990s. A mailed survey examined the perceptions of interaction nurses had with each other. The hypothesis, that level of employment (either Level I bedside nurses or Level II/III clinical leaders) and area of work (either critical care or noncritical care) would influence perceptions of cohesion, as measured by the cohesion amongst nurses scale (CANS) was tested. RESULTS: In total 555 (56%) surveys were returned. Of these, 413 were returned by Level I and 142 by Level II/III nurses. Of this sample, 189 were critical care and 355 noncritical care nurses. There was no difference between Level I and II/III nurses in mean CANS scores. It is interesting to note that the item rated most positively was "nurses on the units worked well together", however, the item rated least positive was "staff can be really bitchy towards each other" for both Level I and II/III nurses. There was no difference in CANS scores between critical care and noncritical care nurses. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses working in Australian hospitals perceived themselves to be moderately cohesive but, as would be expected in other work settings, some negative perceptions existed.     

The development of competency standards for specialist critical care nurses

In defining the contemporary role of the specialist nurse it is necessary to challenge the concept of nursing as merely a combination of skills and knowledge. Nursing must be demonstrated and defined in the context of client care and include the broader notions of professional development and competence. This qualitative study sought to identify the competency standards for nurse specialists in critical care and to articulate the differences between entry-to-practice standards and the advanced practice of specialist nurses. Over 800 hours of specialist critical care nursing practice were observed and grouped into 'domains' or major themes of specialist practice using a constant comparison qualitative technique. These domains were further refined to describe attributes of the registered nurses which resulted in effective and/or superior performance (competency standards) and to provide examples of performance (performance criteria) which met the defined standard. Constant comparison of the emerging domains, competency standards and performance criteria to observations of specialist critical care practice, ensured the results provided a true reflection of the specialist nursing role. Data analysis resulted in 20 competency standards grouped into six domains: professional practice, reflective practice, enabling, clinical problem solving, teamwork, and leadership. Each of these domains is comprised of between two and seven competency standards. Each standard is further divided into component parts or 'elements' and the elements are illustrated with performance criteria. The competency standards are currently being used in several Australian critical care educational programmes and are the foundation for an emerging critical care credentialling process. They have been viewed with interest by a variety of non-critical care specialty groups and may form a common precursor from which further specialist nursing practice assessment will evolve.     

Competency measurements: testing convergent validity for two measures

Title. Competency measurements: testing convergent validity for two measures Aim. This paper is a report of a study to investigate whether the Australian National Competency Standards for Registered Nurses demonstrate correlations with the Finnish Nurse Competency Scale. Background. Competency assessment has become popular as a key regulatory requirement and performance indicator. The term competency, however, does not have a globally accepted definition and this has the potential to create controversy, ambiguity and confusion. Variations in meaning and definitions adopted in workplaces and educational settings will affect the interpretation of research findings and have implications for the nursing profession. Method. A non‐experimental cross‐sectional survey design was used with a convenience sample of 116 new graduate nurses in 2005. The second version of the Australian National Competency Standards and the Nurse Competency Scale was used to elicit responses to self‐assessed competency in the transitional year (first year as a Registered Nurse). Findings. Correlational analysis of self‐assessed levels of competence revealed a relationship between the Australian National Competency Standards (ANCI) and the Nurse Competency Scale (NCS). The correlational relation between ANCI domains and NCS factors suggests that these scales are indeed used to measure related dimensions. A statistically significant relationship (r = 0·75) was found between the two competency measures. Conclusion. Although the finding of convergent validity is insufficient to establish construct validity for competency as used in both measures in this study, it is an important step towards this goal. Future studies on relationships between competencies must take into account the validity and reliability of the tools.     

Implementing Essentials of Critical Care Orientation: one hospital's experience with an online critical care course

Critical care is a specialty area that requires a significant investment of time and money for clinical and classroom learning. One solution for learning that is flexible and cost-effective is the American Association of Critical Care Nurses' Essentials of Critical Care Orientation (ECCO). ECCO lays the theoretical groundwork for nurses to practice safely in critical care. Utilization of ECCO in one community hospital has been a 3-year process, which is continually refined by the critical care education team. Advantages to using ECCO include that it is self-paced, maintained by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and allows learners to flex their time and location for learning. Obstacles encountered include difficulties associated with computer learning, lack of hard copy notes, lack of face-to-face time interaction between orientees and education staff, increased work load for one education staff member, and keeping learners on track with their time and orientation. This article describes one hospital's experience with implementation of ECCO as the classroom portion of orientation to several critical care units.     

Standards for nurse staffing in critical care units determined by: The British Association of Critical Care Nurses,The Critical Care Networks National Nurse Leads,Royal College of Nursing Critical Care and In‐flight Forum

Background: Since 1967 the gold standard for nurse staffing levels in intensive care and subsequently critical care units has been one nurse for each patient. However, critical care has changed substantially since that time and in recent years this standard has been challenged. Previously individual nursing organisations such as the British Association of Critical Care Nurses (BACCN) and the Royal College of Nursing have produced guidance on staffing levels for critical care units. This paper represents the first time all three UK Professional Critical Care Associations have collaborated to produce standards for nurse staffing in critical care units. These standards have evolved from previous works and are endorsed by BACCN, Critical Care Networks National Nurse Leads Group (CC3N) and the Royal College of Nursing Critical Care and In‐flight Forum. Aim: The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the much more detailed document ‘Standards for Nurse Staffing in Critical Care’, which can be found on the BACCN web site at www.baccn.org.uk . The full paper has extensively reviewed the evidence, whereas this short paper provides essential detail and the 12 standard statements. Methods: Representation was sort from each of the critical care associations. The authors extensively reviewed the literature using the terms: (1) critical care nursing, (2) nursing, (3) nurse staffing, (4) skill mix, (5) adverse events, (6) health care assistants and critical care, (7) length of stay, (8) critical care, (9) intensive care, (10) technology, (11) infection control. Outcomes: Comprehensive review of the evidence has culminated in 12 standard statements endorsed by BACCN, CC3N and the Royal College of Nursing Critical Care and In‐flight Forum. The standards act as a reference for nursing staff, managers and commissioners associated with critical care to provide and support safe patient care. Conclusion: The review of the evidence has shown that the contribution of nursing can be difficult to measure and consequently support nurse staffing ratios. However, there is a growing body of evidence which associates higher number of registered nursing staff to patient ratio relates to improved safety and better outcomes for patients. The challenge for nurses is to produce accurate and meaningful outcome measures for nursing and collect data that accurately reflect the input of nursing on patient outcomes and safety.     

手术室专科护士核心能力现状调查

目的了解手术室专科护士核心能力现状,探讨其影响因素,为护理管理者合理安排工作岗位提供依据。方法采用方便抽样方法抽取83名手术室专科护士。采用护士一般情况调查表、中国注册护士核心能力量表进行调查。结果专科护士核心能力总分（169．77±33．86）分,专科护士的核心能力维度中法律／伦理实践均分最高（3．16±0．57）,评判性思维／科研均分最低（2．76±0．62）;多元线性逐步回归结果显示职称影响专科护士核心能力（t=2．89,P=0．01）。结论专科护士核心能力处于中等水平,护士能够胜任临床工作。护理管理者应有针对性的制定干预措施,以提高护理质量,促进护理队伍的整体发展。     

The initiation and administration of drugs for advanced life support by critical care nurses in the absence of a medical practitioner.

Current legislation does not permit the administration of first line resuscitation medications by suitably qualified Division 1 registered nurses (RNs) in the absence of a medical officer. This omission by the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (Vic) and the Drugs, Poisons and The Controlled Substances Regulations 1995 (Vic) leaves many critical care nurses in a vulnerable legal position. The primary aim of this study was to gauge the view of critical care nurses with respect to lobbying for change to the current legislation. In addition, the study aimed to explore and describe the educational preparation, practice perceptions and experiences of RNs working in critical care regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the administration of first line advanced life support (ALS) medications in the absence of a medical officer. It was anticipated that data collected would demonstrate some of the dilemmas associated with the initiation and administration of ALS medications for practising critical care nurses and could be used to inform controlling bodies in order for them to gain an appreciation of the issues facing critical care nurses during resuscitation. A mailout survey was sent to all members of the Victorian Branch of the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses (ACCCN). The results showed that the majority of nurses underwent an annual ALS assessment and had current ALS accreditation. Nurses indicated that they felt educationally prepared and were confident to manage cardiopulmonary resuscitation without a medical officer; indeed, the majority had done so. The differences in practice issues for metropolitan, regional and rural nurses were highlighted. There is therefore clear evidence to suggest that legislative amendments are appropriate and necessary, given the time critical nature of cardiopulmonary arrest. There was overwhelming support for ACCCN Vic. Ltd to lobby the Victorian government for changes to the law.     

Admiral nursing competency project: practice development and action research

Aims and background. Admiral Nurses are specialist dementia care nurses working in the community with carers of those who have a dementia. The aim of the competency project (2000–2003) was threefold. Firstly to work collaboratively with these specialist nurses to facilitate the development a competency framework that reflects the needs of the Admiral Nursing Service. Secondly, to provide a way to structure evidence demonstrating evolving competency. Thirdly, to specifically enable the nurses to demonstrate evidence of achieving the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council's Higher Level Practice standard. Design and methods. The two complementary approaches of emancipatory action research and systematic practice development were adopted. Methods were taken from action research and systematic practice development approaches with an emphasis on promoting and enabling enlightenment, critical reflection, ownership and creating the best conditions for long‐term commitment to the competency framework. Results. The main outcome from this project was the development of a specialist nursing competency framework. The Admiral Nurses’ Competency Framework is made up of a set of eight core competencies with three levels of competency statements, loosely structured around the Higher Level Practice standard, and guidance documentation to illustrate how work‐based evidence can be generated to demonstrate competence. There were also process‐derived outcomes associated with combining systematic practice development with emancipatory action research that had an impact on the culture. The main outcomes here were that practitioners engaged in and experienced learning about how to research their own practice and the consequences of doing this. They also learnt about specialist nursing practice more widely than Admiral Nursing. Finally, there was some increase in awareness about the culture within their teams and organizations. The final competency framework reflects the needs of the service, is owned by the majority of practitioners and project commissioners and this has had a positive impact on implementation. Conclusion. In this paper, we report on combining systematic practice development with action research to achieve immediate project aims. In addition we show how a project of this nature can contribute to developing skills in practitioners necessary for cultural changes in practice and contributes to wider issues of modernization within nursing and health care. Relevance to clinical practice. This competency framework will enable Admiral Nurses to demonstrate their level of specialist practice, as individuals and collectively as a service and it also promotes the principles of nurses as life long learners. This may have relevance to other groups of specialist nurses. The project has widespread relevance for two reasons. Firstly, it shows that nurses can be involved in designing and testing a competency framework as collaborators. Secondly, that to achieve this within the spirit of approaches, such as systematic practice development and action research, can be testing for all collaborators even were there is a shared or espoused aim.     

Australian College of Critical Care Nurses and Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control position statement on facilitating next-of-kin presence for patients dying from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the intensive care unit

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is challenging healthcare systems worldwide, none more so than critical and intensive care settings. Significant attention has been paid to the capacity of Australian intensive care unit (ICUs) to respond to a COVID-19 surge, particularly in relation to beds, ventilators, staffing, personal protective equipment, and unparalleled increase in deaths in ICUs associated with COVID-19 seen internationally. While death is not uncommon in critical care, the international experience demonstrates that restrictions to family presence at the end of life result in significant distress for families and clinicians. As a result, the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses and the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control supported the development of a position statement to provide critical care nurses with specific guidance and recommendations for practice for this emerging priority area. Where possible, position statements are founded on high-quality evidence. However, the short time period since the first recognition of a cluster of pneumonia-like cases in China in January, 2020, meant that an integrative approach was required to expedite timely development of this position statement in preparation for a COVID-19 surge in Australia. This position statement is intended to provide practical guidance to critical care nurses in facilitating next-of-kin presence for patients dying from COVID-19 in the ICU.     

Critical care nursing practice regarding patient anxiety assessment and management.

Anxiety is common in critically ill patients and can adversely affect recovery if not properly assessed and treated. The objectives of this study were to: (1) identify the clinical indicators that critical care nurses consider to be the defining attributes of anxiety in critically ill patients; and (2) delineate the interventions that critical care nurses use to alleviate anxiety in their patients. A total of 2500 nurses who worked in adult critical care areas were randomly selected from the membership of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Nurses selected were mailed a survey designed to determine what they considered to be the important attributes of anxiety in their patients and what interventions they commonly used to manage anxiety. The 593 nurses (31.6% response rate) who responded identified 70 individual anxiety indicators and 61 anxiety management strategies that were categorized into four and three major categories, respectively. The four major anxiety assessment categories were: (1) physical/physiological; (2) behavioral; (3) psychological/cognitive; and (4) social. The three major anxiety management strategies were: (1) care techniques; (2) improving knowledge and communication; and (3) support. Critical care nurses reported numerous and distinctive anxiety indicators and management strategies. Further research is needed to examine exactly how appropriate and effective these assessment indicators and management strategies are.