Transcultural adaptation of the filial responsibility interview schedule for Brazil

AIRES M., WEISSHEIMER A.‐M., ROSSET I., DE OLIVEIRA F. A., DE MORAIS E. P. & PASKULIN L. M. G. (2012) Transcultural adaptation of the filial responsibility interview schedule for Brazil. International Nursing Review 59 , 266–273 Background: In developed countries, filial responsibility in relation to caring for elderly parents has been systematically studied. In Brazil and other developing countries, however, it is a relatively new topic and has not yet been included in the research agenda on ageing. Objective: To describe the process of cross‐cultural adaptation of the qualitative phase of the filial responsibility interview schedule into Brazilian Portuguese. Methods: An expert committee of six team members participated in the study. In addition, individual interviews were held with 11 caregivers of older persons to evaluate the quality of the final Portuguese version of the schedule. The process included examining conceptual, item, semantic and operational equivalencies. Conceptual and item equivalencies were based on a literature review and on discussions with the expert committee. Semantic equivalence was attained through translation, back‐translation, expert committee evaluation and pre‐testing. The final version was pre‐tested in caregivers of older persons enrolled in the home care programme of a primary health care service in Southern Brazil. Results: Conceptual, item, semantic and operational equivalencies were attained. Through the interviews, responses to the open‐ended questions concerning filial responsibility in the care for elderly parents pertained to the following categories: possibility of institutionalization of elderly parents, caregiver expectations, difficulties in being a child caregiver and responsibility as a natural process. Conclusion: The Portuguese version presented good semantic equivalence and the results showed that the concepts and items are applicable to the Brazilian context.     

Strategies to develop the nursing process and nursing care plans in the health system in Bolivia

FERNÁNDEZ‐SOLA C., GRANERO‐MOLINA J., AGUILERA‐MANRIQUE G., PEREDO‐DE GONZALES M.H., CASTRO‐SÁNCHEZ A.M. & PÉREZ GALDEANO A. (2011) Strategies to develop the nursing process and nursing care plans in the health system in Bolivia. International Nursing Review 58 , 392–399 Background: Care plans provide guidelines to offer all patients the same quality assistance. Care plans constitute a base where every stage of the nursing process can be recorded, which will save time when handling documentation. Bolivian nurses are very keen to participate in this global trend in order to grasp the opportunity offered by the international cooperation programmes carried out between Spain and South America. Aims: To identify obstacles and enablers encountered when implementing the nursing process and to set clear strategies and actions so as to develop the nursing process and care plans in Santa Cruz department (Bolivia) both in hospitals and universities. Methods: The participatory action research was conducted between the Autonomous University of Gabriel René Moreno (Bolivia) and the University of Almería (Spain). The procedure for data collection included meetings with key informants, interviews, observation and workshops. Data were analysed using the constant comparison and categorized by common themes. Results: Lack of time and instruments, shortage of resources and the need for continuous training came up as obstacles, whereas enablers were the nurses' involvement, the university–hospital coordination and the support given by institutions. Actions taken were the creation of a care plan unit, the implementation of a training programme, design of instruments and meetings held with authorities and institutional representatives. Conclusions: Conducting action research schemes within international cooperation programmes signifies an excellent opportunity for the nursing system in less‐developed countries to be included in international plans with the aim of standardizing the nursing practice.     

What is the process of a comprehensive mental health nursing assessment? Results from a qualitative study

COOMBS T., CURTIS J. & CROOKES P. (2013) What is the process of a comprehensive mental health nursing assessment? Results from a qualitative study. International Nursing Review 60 , 96–102 Background: It is a truism that nursing care must be informed by assessment, otherwise how can one know what care is required or that it has been successfully delivered? Yet, little is known about the process of comprehensive mental health nursing assessment in practice. If the education of mental health nurses is to be effective, it is essential that the key content of, and the processes involved in carrying out a mental health nursing assessment in practice are able to be articulated to learners. Aim: To identify the processes of assessment that occur in mental health nursing practice based on interviews with mental health nurses working in clinical and management roles in clinical areas. Method: Interviews were undertaken with 18 nurses who worked in inpatient and community mental health settings either as clinicians or managers. The nurses ranged from new graduates to those with more than 20 years of experience. Findings and discussion: Clear processes were reported to be involved in undertaking a comprehensive mental health nursing assessment in practice, with three main themes emerging during analysis. First is the importance of engaging the patient; second is tell me what the problem is? with one subtheme reconcile inconsistencies; and finally, the ongoing nature of the assessment process. Conclusion: Common processes emerged when the nurses described their individual approaches to undertaking comprehensive mental health assessment. The results have important policy implications for the educational preparation of mental health nurses, their ongoing supervision and further research into contemporary mental health nursing practice.     

Practices of caring for nursing students: A clinical learning environment

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to explore, describe and illuminate nursing students’ best encounters of caring in the clinical learning environment. Caring for nursing students was emphasized and recommendations provided to enhance caring for nursing students within their clinical learning environment.MethodsQualitative data was collected by the researcher using semi-structured individual interviews and an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) methodology. Ten second year nursing students undertaking the bridging course leading to registration as general nurses in terms of Regulation 683 of the South African Nursing Council (SANC) were purposively sampled from 3 private hospitals within the Western Cape. Data was analysed using Giorgi’s method.ResultsThe main theme included the best and ‘least best’ caring practices embedded in the centrality of the heart. The subthemes comprised of the nursing students’ experiences of caring literacy and caring illiteracy. The second theme included the creation of best caring practices within a conducive clinical learning environment. Within this theme, the subthemes comprised of the caring attributes required in reflecting best caring practices, as well the creation of a clinical learning environment to optimise caring.ConclusionsThe significance and necessity of caring for the nursing student were clearly illustrated and confirmed by participants. Caring was equated to the heart as the core to the nursing students’ being. Recommendations for nursing education, management, practice and research were therefore specifically formulated to enhance caring towards nursing students.     

A review of the use and clinical effectiveness of touch as a nursing intervention

The objective of this literature review is to explore the use and effectiveness of touch as a distinct aspect of nurse patient communication. Nurses’ use of touch, the impact of touch and the experiences of touch are explored. Touching is a regarded as a special type of non-verbal communication. It is an intimate action that implies an invasion of the individuals’ personal and private space. The practice of nursing involves a high level of human contact encompassing many activities such as bathing a patient, that require a physical aspect in their operation. Touch has been muted as a valuable channel of non-verbal communication in nursing and students are advised of its potential theoretical benefits to clients. Touch has been linked to the phenomenon of caring [Clifford, C., 1995. Caring: fitting the concept to nursing practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing (4), 37–41; Chang, S.O., 2001. The conceptual structure of physical touch in caring. Journal of Advanced Nursing 33(6), 820–827; Bassett, C., 2002. Nurses’ perceptions of care and caring. International Journal of Nursing Practice 8, 8–15] and is suggested to enhance the nurse patient relationship [Arnold, E., Underman Boggs, K., 1999. Interpersonal Relationships. Professional Communication Skills for Nurses. third ed. W.B. Saunders Company, London]. However, the evidence base for this practice is less convincing. The objective of this review is to explore the evidence base that underpins the use of touch in nursing practice and use this knowledge to inform practice. The main objective of the review is to examine the use and clinical effectiveness of touch as a nursing intervention. Little empirical evidence exists that supports the use of touch as a nursing intervention per se, and ambiguity exists with regard to its perception by both patients and nurses. Widespread adoption of touch as a caring intervention is discouraged in the absence of research evidence and clear guidelines for practice.     

The experience of home nurses with an electronic nursing health record

DE VLIEGHER K., PAQUAY L., VERNIEUWE S. & VAN GANSBEKE H. (2010) The experience of home nurses with an electronic nursing health record. International Nursing Review Background: Electronic records are currently being introduced in both the hospital and the home care setting. However, there are few studies focusing on the evaluation of an electronic nursing record (ENR) from applicability to technicality and soft‐ and hardware, and from the perspective of home nurses. Aim: The study aims to evaluate home nurses' experiences with an ENR. Methods: A qualitative, explorative study was used by means of 13 in‐depth interviews with home nurses, head nurses and Administrators, and four focus groups with a total of 24 home nurses. All participants were employees of the Wit‐Gele Kruis, an organization for home nursing in Flanders, Belgium. Findings: This study revealed three levels that feature the implementation and integration of an ENR in home nursing: the preparation, the technicality of the ENR and the ‘user’ as an individual. Despite technical difficulties, the home nurses are willing to give the ENR a chance, because they believe in its value. But, at the same time, they are trying to find a balance between this belief and their capacity to learn to work with an IT device. This involves the need to integrate the ENR in their daily work, to meet their responsibility towards the patient and their belief that his care comes first, the impact of technical difficulties on their workload and the integration of the ENR in their personal lives. Conclusion: This study provided insights in the necessity for a multilevel approach when implementing an ENR in home nursing.     

Diversity and demographic heterogeneity of Australian nursing students: a closer look

SALAMONSON Y., RAMJAN L., LOMBARDO L., LANSER L.H., FERNANDEZ R. & GRIFFITHS R. (2011) Diversity and demographic heterogeneity of Australian nursing students: a closer look. International Nursing Review 59 , 59–65 Background: In the last decade, there has been a rapid growth of international students undertaking nursing studies in Australian universities. At the same time, nursing courses continue to attract local students from a diversity of backgrounds. Aim: The aim of this study is to examine first year nursing students by enrolment classification and country of birth: i) international; ii) local, overseas‐born; and iii) local, Australian‐born student, and demographic differences of academic performance at the 12‐month follow‐up. Methods: A prospective, correlational design was used to identify nursing student characteristics as predictors of academic performance in a large university in the western region of Sydney. Results: Of the 806 students enrolled in the course, 540 (67%) completed the survey and consented to data linkage. Fifty‐six per cent of the 540 participants were born overseas, of which 38% were local and 18% were international students. Local, overseas‐born students originated from 55 different countries, in contrast to international students who were representative of only 16 different countries. International students were younger, spent less time in paid work and were more likely to have a close friend in the same course. Although age was positively related to academic performance, local, overseas‐born and international enrolment classifications, and hours in paid work during semester were negatively associated to academic performance. Conclusion: This study has taken a closer look at an important issue that requires further examination, given that international and local, overseas‐born students were two distinctive groups. Although both groups underperformed academically compared with Australian‐born students, the differences in characteristics between local, overseas‐born students and international students suggest that these two student groups are likely to experience different challenges during their nursing studies in Australia.     

科内质控小组在护理管理中的作用

目的探索科内护理质控小组在护理管理中的作用。方法根据科室工作薄弱环节,本着"护理质量,人人有责"的原则,将科室成员划分为5个护理质控小组,即:基础护理小组、健康教育小组、护理文书管理小组、电脑收费管理小组、院感管理小组。适当指导,合理督查,公正评价,并予以精神及物质奖励。结果护士长能集中精力进行宏观管理,提高了团队精神,培养了护理人才。结论护理质控小组是临床护理管理的基层组织和执行者,能有效提高临床护理质量。     

The impacts of faculty caring on nursing students’ intent to graduate: A systematic literature review

ObjectivesTo examine the current studies about the impacts of faculty caring on nursing students’ intent to graduate and provide recommendations. The nursing profession continues to face nursing shortages. One of the solutions recognized to alleviate the shortage is increasing the number of students graduating from nursing schools. It lacks a literature review synthesizing the current research about the impacts of faculty caring on nursing students’ intent to graduate and indicate areas for future research.MethodsThis is a systematic literature review. The search of the literature was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Databases searched included MEDLINE via PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ProQuest Search. Search terms included ‘attrition,’ ‘dropouts,’ ‘graduation rate,’ ‘faculty,’ ‘instructor,’ ‘professor,’ ‘nursing,’ and ‘caring.’ResultsTen articles met the inclusion criteria. The articles were conducted in the Associate Degree of Nursing and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs. Nursing faculties played a significant role in students’ intent to graduate by building students’ confidence, creating a compassionate learning environment, and promoting students’ competence. Faculties’ caring behaviors, including respecting students, showing empathy, and using caring communication skills, were essential characteristics to affect students’ learning environments.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that students’ perceptions of faculty caring can affect their perceptions of the learning environment and sense of belonging, and therefore, impact their intent to graduate. Students’ perceptions of their instructors’ caring behaviors are instrumental in motivating them to continue learning. The capacity of faculty caring plays a significant role in students’ success.     

The establishment of an integrated skills training centre for undergraduate nursing education

LEE L.Y.K., LEE J.K.L., WONG K.F., TSANG A.Y.K. & LI M.K. (2010) The establishment of an integrated skills training centre for undergraduate nursing education. International Nursing Review 57 , 359–364 Aim: This paper details the experience of establishing an integrated skills training centre for use in undergraduate nursing education in The Open University of Hong Kong. Background: Skills training is an essential element in undergraduate nursing education. Owing to the increasing complexity of the health‐care system and patient health needs, undergraduate nursing students should be well prepared for integrated skills competency, critical thinking and rapid decision‐making. To achieve this goal, the use of simulation as a skills training tool is being recommended. Conclusion: The Clinical Nursing Education Centre is established. It adopts simulation as a teaching and learning tool. It has four specific education units, namely: (1) clinical simulation education unit, (2) virtual reality education unit, (3) nursing skills education unit, and (4) Chinese medicinal education unit. These units are specifically designed for the teaching and learning of nursing skills related to general, mental and Chinese medicinal nursing from elementary to advanced level. Experiences pertaining to the conceptualization, exploration and actualization phases of the establishment are presented. Details of the structure and specific functions of the centre are also illustrated. Finally, there is discussion on the challenges encountered during the establishment process and how they were overcome.     

Chinese nurses' experience in the Wenchuan earthquake relief

YANG Y.‐N., XIAO L.D., CHENG H.‐Y., ZHU J.‐C. & ARBON P. (2010) Chinese nurses' experience in the Wenchuan earthquake relief. International Nursing Review 57 , 217–223 Aim: The purpose of this qualitative study is to provide an understanding of how Chinese nurses acted in response to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Background: The literature has reported that Chinese nurses played a key role in the Wenchuan earthquake. Although these nurses' intentions were well meaning, and they made enormous efforts to save lives, they considered that disaster relief practice was beyond the scope of normal daily nursing practice and found the challenges they confronted overwhelming. China is a country prone to both natural and man‐made disasters that demand a good deal of preparedness for those involved in disaster nursing. However, few studies have been conducted to investigate the knowledge, skill, experience and attitudes required for nurses responding to disasters. Methods: Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics was used as a framework to underpin and interpret the qualitative accounts of the practice of the ten registered nurses in this study. Findings: Three themes were identified from semi‐structured interviews with the participants. These are described as (1) feeling under‐prepared; (2) perceived challenges and coping strategies; and (3) the rediscovery of the helping and caring role. By analysing these nurses' experiences in the Wenchuan earthquake relief operation, this study has identified the numerous roles and attributes required of nurses in response to disasters. Conclusion: Without education and training in disaster nursing, nurses may not be prepared to function in disaster relief, especially in a manner that is productive, efficient, collaborative and less stressful. Findings suggest that a systematic, educational approach to develop the skills required in disaster nursing is essential.     

Nursing activities score (NAS): A proposal for practical application in intensive care units

For over 30 years in an attempt to demonstrate the cost-benefit ratio of the intensive care unit (ICU) a variety of tools have been developed to measure not only the severity of illness of the patient but also to capture the true cost of nursing workload. In this context, the nursing activities score (NAS) was developed as a result of modifications to the therapeutic interventions scoring system-28 (TISS-28). The NAS is a tool to measure nursing workload ICU and it has been shown to be twice as effective in measuring how nurses spend their time caring for critically ill patients than the TISS-28. This paper discuss the introduction of the NAS into everyday use in an intensive care unit in Brazil and highlights the challenges of standardisation of operational definitions, training requirements and accurate completion of the documentation when using such a tool. The rationale and steps undertaken to achieve this are outlined and the benefits of such a process are highlighted.     

A review of the opportunities and challenges facing the nursing associations in Iran

ESMAEILI M., DEHGHAN‐NAYERI N. & NEGARANDEH R. (2012) A review of the opportunities and challenges facing the nursing associations in Iran. International Nursing Review 59 , 168–174 Background: Nursing associations and organizations are deemed to be effective tools in promoting the profession. Professional nursing associations are an essential part of the nursing culture. Examining the challenges and opportunities confronting the associations would pave the way for the identification of their limitations and also would lead to more interactions among the members and the associations. Methods: Following an extensive review of the literature and also examining the professional nursing associations in Iran, the common challenges facing the nursing associations are identified and their shared challenges with other associations in other countries have been explored. Lack of members and insufficient support from the associations, financial problems, non‐professional activities of associations and lack of interactions among associations are among the important challenges that the nursing associations confront within Iran. The possibility for establishing specialized nursing associations for increasing teamwork activities can be pointed out as one of the available opportunities. Conclusion: Professional associations follow important priorities with regard to their objectives, which distinguishes each from the other. The clear introduction of objectives and pinpointing the convergences that might bring about clashes between them will lead to building confidence among nurses, and hopefully, increasing membership. Members' dynamic participation, and support and interactions between associations are among the measures for increasing the professional power. Researchers hope that this article could provide both nurses and professional associations with insights to support each other for the purpose of promoting professional development. Considering the insufficient research in the field, more studies are also suggested.     

Caring behaviours and stress perception among student nurses in different nursing programmes: A cross-sectional study

Caring is central to providing high-quality nursing. Little research exists concerning the relationship between caring behaviours and stress perception among student nurses. This study aimed to explore this relationship among student nurses in different nursing programmes. A sample of 792 student nurses from three nursing education programmes in one academic institution completed Chinese versions of the Caring Behaviors Scale and the Nurse Stress Checklist to assess participants' caring behaviour and psychosocial responses to work-related stress, respectively. We found a statistically significant negative correlation between caring behaviour and stress perception among participants. The three most frequently reported caring behaviours were related to ‘knowing the patient’: (a) recognising that each patient holds unique values, (b) taking a patient's chief complaints seriously, and (c) stating that the family's best interests should be respected regarding health decisions. Completion of work, time limitations, and lack of personal interactions were sources of stress. Nursing education curricula involve the fundamentals of caring and the preparation of nursing students for clinical practice. The study recommends that nursing faculty and administrators should educate students in stress management in order to foster, support, and promote caring behaviours among nursing professionals.     

某医院护理管理信息平台的构建与应用研究

以医院信息系统为依托,开发建立护理管理信息平台,包括8大模块80项护理工作表单及数据统计内容,信息平台应用前后责任制整体护理指标(病情评估、专科护理、健康教育、查对制度落实、护士掌握病情等)、护士满意度指标(护理管理、工作负荷、工作认可及与同事关系等)、工作用时(体温单绘制、处理核对医嘱、环节质控、入院评估、健康教育)比较差异均具统计学意义(P<0.05)。通过护理管理信息平台的建设,提升了护理服务品质,提高了护理管理水平。     

The impact of nurse education on the caring behaviours of nursing students

This study aimed to ascertain whether nursing students' perceptions of caring behaviours as part of nursing practice change over a three-year, pre-registration, undergraduate nursing course. Students are expected to have a predisposition to care with nurse education nurturing and developing this into professional caring behaviour. However, there is some evidence that this process inures rather than develops these behaviours. This was a quantitative, single cross section survey of two nursing student cohorts from one Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Wales, United Kingdom (UK). There were two sample groups; sample group A were 80 first year students and sample group B were 94 third year students. Students completed a questionnaire incorporating the caring behaviors inventory (CBI) [Wolf, Z.R., Colahan, M., Costello, A., Warwick, F., Ambrose, M.S., Giardino, E.R., 1994. Dimensions of nurse caring. Journal of Nursing Scholarship 26 (2), 107-111]. The key finding was a statistically significant difference in the means in caring behaviours between first years and third years with third years scoring lower than first years. This was exaggerated for those under 26 and increased further for those under 26 with no previous experience of caring. Caring is a core nursing value and a desirable attribute in nursing students, but the educational process seemed to reduce their caring behaviours.