Showing items 1 - 20 of 25

A new scale for disaster nursing core competencies : Development and psychometric testing

- Al Thobaity, Abdulellah, Williams, Brett, Plummer, Virginia

  • Authors: Al Thobaity, Abdulellah , Williams, Brett , Plummer, Virginia
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Australasian Emergency Nursing Journal Vol. 19, no. 1 (2016), p. 11-19
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  • Description: Background: All nurses must have core competencies in preparing for, responding to and recovering from a disaster. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as in many other countries, disaster nursing core competencies are not fully understood and lack reliable, validated tools. Thus, it is imperative to develop a scale for exploring disaster nursing core competencies, roles and barriers in the KSA. Objectives: This study's objective is to develop a valid, reliable scale that identifies and explores core competencies of disaster nursing, nurses' roles in disaster management and barriers to developing disaster nursing in the KSA. Methods: This study developed a new scale testing its validity and reliability. A principal component analysis (PCA) was used to develop and test psychometric properties of the new scale. The PCA used a purposive sample of nurses from emergency departments in two hospitals in the KSA. Participants rated 93 paper-based, self-report questionnaire items from 1 to 10 on a Likert scale. PCA using Varimax rotation was conducted to explore factors emerging from responses. Findings: The study's participants were 132 nurses (66% response rate). PCA of the 93 questionnaire items revealed 49 redundant items (which were deleted) and 3 factors with eigenvalues of >1. The remaining 44 items accounted for 77.3% of the total variance. The overall Cronbach's alpha was 0.96 for all factors: 0.98 for Factor 1, 0.92 for Factor 2 and 0.86 for Factor 3. Conclusions: This study provided a validated, reliable scale for exploring nurses' core competencies, nurses' roles and barriers to developing disaster nursing in the KSA. The new scale has many implications, such as for improving education, planning and curricula. © 2015.

A systematic review of prevalence and risk factors of postpartum depression in Chinese immigrant women

- Chen, Jiarui, Cross, Wendy, Plummer, Virginia, Lam, Louisa, Tang, Siyuan

  • Authors: Chen, Jiarui , Cross, Wendy , Plummer, Virginia , Lam, Louisa , Tang, Siyuan
  • Date: 2019
  • Type: Text , Journal article , Review
  • Relation: Women and Birth Vol. 32, no. 6 (Dec 2019), p. 487-492
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  • Description: Background: As the number of immigrants grows, the health of Chinese immigrant women, especially their perinatal health, has gradually attracted public attention. Our review has two main purposes. First, estimate the prevalence of postpartum depressive symptoms in Chinese immigrant women, and then determine risk factors for postpartum depressive symptoms among these women. Methods: The following databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO and PubMed were used in literature search from their commencements until November 21st 2017. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal instruments were used to evaluate the quality of the article. Four studies met the inclusion criteria, contributed to our review and meta-analysis. Result: The prevalence of postpartum depression is high in Chinese immigrant women. Risk factors for postpartum depression in Chinese immigrant women were defined as lack of social support, unstable economic status, and acculturation. Conclusion: There have been few studies on postpartum depression among Chinese immigrant women. Existing studies have shown a high prevalence of postpartum depression in Chinese immigrant women. Moreover, there is an urgent need for studies on postpartum depression among Chinese immigrant women informing better understanding, programs of care and improving the perinatal health status of Chinese immigrant women. (C) 2018 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An evaluation of a positive psychological intervention to reduce burnout among nurses

- Luo, Yuan-Hui, Li, Hui, Plummer, Virginia, Cross, Wendy, Lam, Louisa, Guo, Yu-Fang, Yin, Yi-Zhen, Zhang, Jing-Ping

  • Authors: Luo, Yuan-Hui , Li, Hui , Plummer, Virginia , Cross, Wendy , Lam, Louisa , Guo, Yu-Fang , Yin, Yi-Zhen , Zhang, Jing-Ping
  • Date: 2019
  • Type: Text , Journal article , Article
  • Relation: Archives of Psychiatric Nursing Vol. 33, no. 6 (Dec 2019), p. 186-191
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  • Description: This quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate the positive psychological intervention of recording three good things on alleviating nurses' burnout. Eighty-seven nurses with burnout were recruited. Nurses in the study group recorded three good things using communication tool WeChat for six months, no records were made in the control group. After intervention, the score of exhaustion decreased considerably for nurses in the study group. Nurses recording three good things on average twice a week returned the lowest score of exhaustion. This intervention combined with appropriate surveillance and encouragement is recommended to reduce nurses' burnout and create a positive work environment.

At the crossroads of violence and aggression in the emergency department : Perspectives of Australian emergency nurses

- Morphet, Julia, Griffiths, Debra, Plummer, Virginia, Innes, Kelli, Fairhall, Robyn, Beattie, Jill

  • Authors: Morphet, Julia , Griffiths, Debra , Plummer, Virginia , Innes, Kelli , Fairhall, Robyn , Beattie, Jill
  • Date: 2014
  • Type: Text , Journal article , Review
  • Relation: Australian Health Review Vol. 38, no. 2 (2014), p. 194-201
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  • Description: Objective Violence is widespread in Australian emergency departments (ED) and most prevalent at triage. The aim of the present study was to identify the causes and common acts of violence in the ED perceived by three distinct groups of nurses. Methods The Delphi technique is a method for consensus-building. In the present study a three-phase Delphi technique was used to identify and compare what nurse unit managers, triage and non-triage nurses believe is the prevalence and nature of violence and aggression in the ED. Results Long waiting times, drugs and alcohol all contributed to ED violence. Triage nurses also indicated that ED staff, including security staff and the triage nurses themselves, can contribute to violence. Improved communication at triage and support from management to follow up episodes of violence were suggested as strategies to reduce violence in the ED Conclusion There is no single solution for the management of ED violence. Needs and strategies vary because people in the waiting room have differing needs to those inside the ED. Participants agreed that the introduction and enforcement of a zero tolerance policy, including support from managers to follow up reports of violence, would reduce violence and improve safety for staff. Education of the public regarding ED processes, and the ED staff in relation to patient needs, may contribute to reducing ED violence. What is known about the topic? Violence is prevalent in Australian healthcare, and particularly in emergency departments (ED). Several organisations and government bodies have made recommendations aimed at reducing the prevalence of violence in healthcare but, to date, these have not been implemented consistently, and violence continues. What does this paper add? This study examined ED violence from the perspective of triage nurses, nurse unit managers and non-triage nurses, and revealed that violence is experienced differently by emergency nurses, depending on their area of work. Triage nurses have identified that they themselves contribute to violence in the ED by their style of communication. Nurse unit managers and non-triage nurses perceive that violence is the result of drugs and alcohol, as well as long waiting times. What are the implications for practitioners? Strategies to reduce violence must address the needs of patients and staff both within the ED and in the waiting room. Such strategies should be multifaceted and include education of ED consumers and staff, as well as support from management to respond to reports of violence. © AHHA 2014.

Attitudes of healthcare providers towards family involvement and presence in adult critical care units in Saudi Arabia : A quantitative study

- Al Mutair, Abbas, Plummer, Virginia, O'Brien, Anthony, Clerehan, Rosemary

  • Authors: Al Mutair, Abbas , Plummer, Virginia , O'Brien, Anthony , Clerehan, Rosemary
  • Date: 2014
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Clinical Nursing Vol. 23, no. 5-6 (2014), p. 744-755
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  • Description: Aims and objectives: To describe healthcare providers' attitudes to family involvement during routine care and family presence during resuscitation or other invasive procedures in adult intensive care units in Saudi Arabia. Background: Previous research has shown that healthcare professionals have revealed a diversity of opinions on family involvement during routine care and family presence during resuscitation or other invasive procedures. Attitude assessment can provide an indication of staff acceptance or rejection of the practice and also help identify key potential barriers that will need to be addressed. It has also been evident that participation in the care has potential benefits for patients and families as well as healthcare providers. Design: A quantitative descriptive design. Methods: A questionnaire was used with a convenience sample of 468 healthcare providers who were recruited from eight intensive care units. Results: The analysis found that healthcare providers had positive attitudes towards family involvement during routine care, but negative attitudes towards family presence during resuscitation or other invasive procedures. Physicians expressed more opposition to the practice than did nurses and respiratory therapists. Staff indicated a need to develop written guidelines and policies, as well as educational programmes, to address this sensitive issue in clinical practice. Conclusion: Family is an important resource in patient care in the context of the critical care environment. Clinical barriers including resources, hospital policies and guidelines, staff and public education should be taken into account to facilitate family integration to the care model. Relevance to clinical practice: The findings can help to develop policies and guidelines for safe implementation of the practice. They can also encourage those who design nursing and other medical curricula to place more emphasis on the role of the family especially in critical care settings. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Care of patients in emergency department waiting rooms - an integrative review

- Innes, Kelli, Jackson, Debra, Plummer, Virginia, Elliott, Doug

  • Authors: Innes, Kelli , Jackson, Debra , Plummer, Virginia , Elliott, Doug
  • Date: 2015
  • Type: Text , Journal article , Review
  • Relation: Journal of Advanced Nursing Vol. 71, no. 12 (2015), p. 2702-2714
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  • Description: Aim: To conduct an integrative review of primary research examining patient care roles introduced into emergency department waiting rooms. Background: Internationally, emergency departments are under pressure to meet increasing patient demand with limited resources. Several initiatives have been developed that incorporate a healthcare role in waiting rooms, to assess and initiate early interventions to decrease waiting times, detect patient deterioration and improve communication. The literature reporting these roles has not been systematically evaluated. Design: Integrative review. Data sources: Published English-language peer reviewed articles in CINAHL, Scopus, Medline and Web of Knowledge between 2003-2014. Review methods: Identified literature was evaluated using an integrative review framework, incorporating methodological critique and narrative synthesis of findings. Results: Six papers were included, with three waiting room roles identified internationally - clinical initiative nurse, Physician-Nurse Supplementary Assessment Team and clinical assistants. All roles varied in terms of definitions, scope, responsibilities and skill sets of individuals in the position. There was limited evidence that the roles decreased waiting times or improved patient care, especially during busy periods. Of note, staff members performing these roles require high-level therapeutic relationship and effective interpersonal skills with patients, family and staff. The role requires support from other staff, particularly during periods of high workload, for optimal functioning and effective patient care. Conclusion: Generalisations and practice recommendations are limited due to the lack of available literature. Further research is required to evaluate the impact emergency department waiting room roles have on patient outcomes and staff perspectives. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Clinical deterioration of ward patients in the presence of antecedents : A systematic review and narrative synthesis

- Al-Moteri, Modi, Plummer, Virginia, Cooper, Simon, Symmons, Mark

  • Authors: Al-Moteri, Modi , Plummer, Virginia , Cooper, Simon , Symmons, Mark
  • Date: 2019
  • Type: Text , Journal article , Review
  • Relation: Australian Critical Care Vol. 32, no. 5 (2019), p. 411-420
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  • Description: Aim: The aim of this review was to identify and synthesise published accounts of recognising and responding to patient deterioration in the presence of deterioration antecedents. Design: The systematic review canvassed four electronic databases/ search engines for studies of adult ward patients who had altered physiological parameters before developing major adverse events. Synthesis Methods: The findings were synthesised using a narrative approach. Results: Clinical deterioration can be missed by nurses, even with adequate charting. Delays in recognising and responding to patient deterioration remains an international patient safety concern, and strategies to enhance recognition of patient deterioration have not achieved consistent improvements. The lack of significant and sustained improvement through targeted training suggests the problem may be rooted in human behaviour and local ward culture. Nurses play a pivotal role in recognising and responding to patient deterioration; however, patient records do not facilitate tracking of all nurse decisions and actions, and any undocumented care cannot be easily captured by auditing processes. Conclusion: Failure to recognise clinical deterioration was evident even with adequate charting. It is not clear if nurses do not recognise clinical deterioration because they failed to interpret the signs of deterioration or they made a conscious decision not to escalate based on their clinical judgement or they lacked attention at the time of the event. Whatever the reason, focus is warranted for nurses' decisionmaking after the recording of clinical deterioration signs and the role of human factors in delayed recognition, before maximum benefit of any strategy can be achieved.

Collaboration between nurses and physicians in an Indonesian Emergency Department

- Suryanto, Plummer, Virginia, Copnell, Beverley

  • Authors: Suryanto , Plummer, Virginia , Copnell, Beverley
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Australasian Emergency Nursing Journal Vol. 19, no. 2 (2016), p. 82-89
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  • Description: Background: Positive collaboration between nurses and physicians is essential in emergency practice because it has a significant relationship with the quality, safety, accountability, and responsibility of care. The aim of this study was to examine nurses' and physicians' attitudes towards collaboration in the Emergency Department in the Indonesian context. Methods: The study was a comparative study using a modified Jefferson Scale of Attitude towards Physician-Nurse Collaboration. Data were collected from 47 nurses and 24 physicians of one of 25 general hospitals in Malang, Indonesia, by anonymous survey. Results: Emergency nurses had significantly more positive attitudes towards collaboration than emergency physicians (P < 0.001). Emergency nurses had significantly higher scores in three of four domains of the instrument, "physician dominance", "nurse autonomy", and "caring as opposed to curing". The effects of gender, age, and education on nurses' and physicians' attitude towards collaboration were not statistically significant. However, experience in the Emergency Department of the general hospital was significantly related to participants' attitudes towards collaboration (P = 0.023). Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that attitudes towards collaboration among the two professions should be enhanced. Inter-professional education and promotion of teamwork may be solutions to improve the relationship, not only between nurses and physicians, but also other healthcare providers. © 2016 College of Emergency Nursing Australasia.

Creating 'pressure awareness' in health services

- Shannon, Meagan, Plummer, Virginia

Enhancing alcohol and other drug (AOD) screening by emergency nurses

- Kelly, David, Chan, Raymond, Plummer, Virginia

Eye tracking to investigate cue processing in medical decision making : A scoping review

- Al-Moteri, Modi, Symmons, Mark, Plummer, Virginia, Cooper, Simon J.

  • Authors: Al-Moteri, Modi , Symmons, Mark , Plummer, Virginia , Cooper, Simon J.
  • Date: 2017
  • Type: Text , Journal article , Review
  • Relation: Computers in Human Behavior Vol. 66, no. (2017), p. 52-66
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  • Description: Eye-tracking techniques have been adopted as a research tool for a wide range of applications in healthcare studies. Recently, healthcare researchers have started to show interest in using eye-tracking techniques to study medical decision-making. Mapping the literature pertaining to eye tracking using a systematic approach is valuable at this point to bring together all the studies to date on how medical decision-makers make decisions, and the results may contribute to clinical training. This review follows Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework to improve our understanding of visual cue processing in medical decision-making. A diverse range of studies was identified, and the results are presented descriptively to develop a more coherent understanding of different aspects of cue processing and errors in medical decision-making. The review shows the need for more extensive investigations of cue processing and medical decision-making. Crown Copyright (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Facilitators and barriers to evidence-based practice : Perceptions of nurse educators, clinical coaches and nurse specialists from a descriptive study

- Malik, Gulzar, McKenna, Lisa, Plummer, Virginia

  • Authors: Malik, Gulzar , McKenna, Lisa , Plummer, Virginia
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Contemporary Nurse Vol. 52, no. 5 (2016), p. 544-554
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  • Description: Background: Implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) is a major initiative within health care settings to ensure clinical and policy decisions incorporate best available evidence. Aims: This paper reports findings from a descriptive study exploring nurse educators’, clinical coaches’ and nurse specialists’ perceptions of factors associated with using EBP. Methods: Data was collected from a senior group of nurses working in a tertiary health care network in Victoria, Australia by employing a questionnaire that was distributed to a total of 435 people, of whom 135 responded. Data Analysis:Descriptive statistics for each questionnaire item were determined using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 17). Thematic analysis was performed for the qualitative part of the questionnaire. Results Findings revealed that organisational support, sufficient resources, and access to continuing education were perceived as factors promoting acceptance of EBP. Barriers to such acceptance in health care settings were identified as lack of knowledge and skills, poor time allowance, limited support, and insufficient resources. Conclusion: The reported findings create evidence-based information for organisational strategic planning. Organisations need to develop educational programs to promote EBP and employ strategies to overcome barriers to implementation. © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Families' needs of critical care Muslim patients in Saudi Arabia : A quantitative study

- Al Mutair, Abbas, Plummer, Virginia, Clerehan, Rosemary, O'Brien, Anthony

  • Authors: Al Mutair, Abbas , Plummer, Virginia , Clerehan, Rosemary , O'Brien, Anthony
  • Date: 2014
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Nursing in Critical Care Vol. 19, no. 4 (2014), p. 185-195
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  • Description: Aim: To identify the needs of families of adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients in Saudi Arabia as perceived by family members and health care providers. Background: Family members of critically ill patients are likely to have specific needs that should be addressed by the critical care team and which, if unmet, may produce stress for patients' families and health care providers. The literature has yet to identify the needs of Muslim families in relation to religious beliefs and cultural values in critical care settings in Saudi Arabia. Design: A cross-sectional survey design. Method: A total of 176 family members and 497 intensive health care providers were recruited from eight adult mixed medical-surgical ICUs between November 2011 and February 2012 utilizing a four-point Likert type scale self-administered questionnaire. Results: The findings revealed that family members and health care providers ranked assurance, information and cultural and spiritual needs as the most important, and support and proximity as least important. There were significant differences in the mean values found between family members and health care providers. A significant finding not identified in other studies was 'The need to have the health care providers handle the body of the dead Muslim with extreme caution and respect' which, under the dimension of cultural and spiritual needs, was perceived by family members to be the most important and by the health care providers as the fifth most important need. Conclusion: The recognition of family needs in the critical care unit informed the development of interventions to meet family needs and improve the care quality. © 2013 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Family needs and involvement in the intensive care unit : A literature review

- Al Mutair, Abbas, Plummer, Virginia, O'Brien, Anthony, Clerehan, Rosemary

  • Authors: Al Mutair, Abbas , Plummer, Virginia , O'Brien, Anthony , Clerehan, Rosemary
  • Date: 2013
  • Type: Text , Journal article , Review
  • Relation: Journal of Clinical Nursing Vol. 22, no. 13-14 (2013), p. 1805-1817
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  • Description: Aims and objectives: To understand the needs of critically ill patient families', seeking to meet those needs and explore the process and patterns of involving family members during routine care and resuscitation and other invasive procedures. Methods: A structured literature review using Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Pubmed, Proquest, Google scholar, Meditext database and a hand search of critical care journals via identified search terms for relevant articles published between 2000 and 2010. Results: Thirty studies were included in the review either undertaken in the Intensive Care Unit or conducted with critical care staff using different methods of inquiry. The studies were related to family needs; family involvement in routine care; and family involvement during resuscitation and other invasive procedures. The studies revealed that family members ranked both the need for assurance and the need for information as the most important. They also perceived their important needs as being unmet, and identified the nurses as the best staff to meet these needs, followed by the doctors. The studies demonstrate that both family members and healthcare providers have positive attitudes towards family involvement in routine care. However, family members and healthcare providers had significantly different views of family involvement during resuscitation and other invasive procedures. Conclusion: Meeting Intensive Care Unit family needs can be achieved by supporting and involving families in the care of the critically ill family member. More emphasis should be placed on identifying the family needs in relation to the influence of cultural values and religion held by the family members and the organisational climate and culture of the working area in the Intensive Care Unit. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Family presence during resuscitation : A descriptive study of nurses' attitudes from two Saudi hospitals

- Al Mutair, Abbas, Plummer, Virginia, Copnell, Beverley

  • Authors: Al Mutair, Abbas , Plummer, Virginia , Copnell, Beverley
  • Date: 2012
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Nursing in Critical Care Vol. 17, no. 2 (2012), p. 90-98
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  • Description: Background: The presence of family in the patient care area during resuscitation events is a matter of current debate among health care professionals in many communities. Family presence is highly recommended by many health organizations worldwide for several reasons including patient and family rights. There are no policies or guidelines in Saudi Arabia to guide health professionals in their practice regarding the option of family being present during resuscitations. The purpose of this study was to identify the attitudes of nurses towards family presence during resuscitation in the Muslim community of Saudi Arabia. Design: This is a descriptive survey using data from a convenience sample of 132 nurses using a self-administered questionnaire. The study took place in two major trauma centres in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. Results: The analysis of the data revealed that nurses (n = 132) had negative attitudes towards family presence during resuscitation. A high percentage (77·2%) agreed that witnessing resuscitation is a traumatic experience for the family members. Almost all participants (92·3%) disagreed with the statement that the practice of allowing family members to be present during the resuscitation of a loved one would benefit the patient and 78% disagreed with the statement that it would benefit families. The majority of the participants (65%) revealed that the presence of family would negatively affect the performance of the resuscitation team. However, almost half of the sample (43·8%) would prefer a written policy allowing the option of family presence during resuscitation in Saudi Arabia. Conclusion: The findings of the study strongly suggest the need for the development of written policies offering families the option to remain with patients during resuscitation in Saudi Arabia. The study further recommends the development of education programs for staff and public for the safe implementation of the practice. © 2012 The Authors. Nursing in Critical Care © 2012 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.

ICU nurses feel unprepared to care for patients with mental illness : A survey of nurses' attitudes, knowledge, and skills

- Weare, Reuben, Green, Cameron, Olasoji, Michael, Plummer, Virginia

  • Authors: Weare, Reuben , Green, Cameron , Olasoji, Michael , Plummer, Virginia
  • Date: 2019
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Intensive and Critical Care Nursing Vol. 53, no. (2019), p. 37-42
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  • Description: Objectives: To examine the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of a cohort of Australian nurses towards caring for patients with mental illness in the intensive care unit. Research design: A questionnaire was developed and distributed via internal email to all nurses working in the study intensive care unit. Responses were anonymous. Setting: A metropolitan intensive care unit located in Melbourne, Australia. Main outcome measures: Intenisve care nurses completed a 76-question self-administered questionnaire. Results: Forty intensive care nurses completed the survey, a response rate of 35.7% (n = 40/112). Respondents were predominantly female (82.5%) and held a post-graduate qualification (62.5%). ICU nurses felt that they needed further training and education to care for patients with mental illness in the intensive care unit. While respondents were empathetic to this patient group, negative stereotypes and stigma were reported by some participants. The pressures of the environment were perceived barriers to delivering optimal person-centred care for patients with mental illness. Conclusion: This sample of nurses felt they require education and support in order to care for patients with mental illness in the intenisve care unit. Further education may also help to reduce negative perceptions of this patient group.

Inattentional blindness and pattern-matching failure : The case of failure to recognize clinical cues

- Al-Moteri, Modi, Symmons, Mark, Cooper, Simon J., Plummer, Virginia

  • Authors: Al-Moteri, Modi , Symmons, Mark , Cooper, Simon J. , Plummer, Virginia
  • Date: 2018
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Applied Ergonomics Vol. 73, no. (2018), p. 174-182
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  • Description: Eye-tracking methodology was used to investigate lapses in the appropriate treatment of ward patients due to not noticing critical cues of deterioration. Forty nursing participants with different levels of experience participated in an interactive screen-based simulation of hypovolemic shock. The results show that 65% of the participants exhibited at least one episode of non-fixation on clinically relevant, fully visible cues that were in plain sight. Thirty-five percent of participants dwelt for sufficient time (>200 ms) on important cues for perception to take place, but no action followed, indicating they had pattern-matching failure. When participants fail to notice what, they should notice in patient status until it is too late, this can have serious consequences. Much work needs to be done, since these human perceptual limitations can affect patient safety in general wards.

Perceived knowledge, skills, attitude and contextual factors affecting evidence-based practice among nurse educators, clinical coaches and nurse specialists

- Malik, Gulzar, McKenna, Lisa, Plummer, Virginia

  • Authors: Malik, Gulzar , McKenna, Lisa , Plummer, Virginia
  • Date: 2015
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: International Journal of Nursing Practice Vol. 21, no. S2 (2015), p. 46-57
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  • Description: Evidence-based practice (EBP) in the clinical setting is recognized as an approach that leads to improved patient outcomes. Nurse educators (NEs), clinical coaches (CCs) and nurse specialists are in key positions to promote and facilitate EBP within clinical settings and have opportunities to advance practice. Therefore, it is important to understand their perceptions of factors promoting EBP and perceived barriers in facilitating EBP in clinical settings, before developing educational programmes. This paper reports findings from a study that aimed to explore NEs' , CCs' and nurse specialists' knowledge, skills and attitudes associated with EBP. This study used a questionnaire containing quantitative and a small number of qualitative questions to capture data collected from NEs, CCs and nurse specialists working at a tertiary health-care facility in Victoria, Australia. The questionnaire was distributed to a total of 435 people, of whom 135 responded (31%). Findings revealed that the three senior nurse groups relied heavily on personal experience, organizational policies and protocols as formal sources of knowledge. Furthermore, they had positive attitudes towards EBP. However, participants demonstrated lack of knowledge and skills in appraising and utilizing evidence into practice. They indicated a desire to seek educational opportunities to upskill themselves in the process of EBP.

Perceptions of knowledge of disaster management among military and civilian nurses in Saudi Arabia

- Al Thobaity, Abdulellah, Plummer, Virginia, Innes, Kelli, Copnell, Beverley

  • Authors: Al Thobaity, Abdulellah , Plummer, Virginia , Innes, Kelli , Copnell, Beverley
  • Date: 2015
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Australasian Emergency Nursing Journal Vol. 18, no. 3 (2015), p. 156-164
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  • Description: Summary Background It is generally accepted that nurses have insufficient knowledge about disaster preparedness due to a lack of acceptance of core competencies and the absence of disaster preparedness in nursing curricula.1 This study explored nurses’ knowledge and sources of knowledge, and skills as they relate to disaster management in Saudi Arabia, where more than 4660 people have died, 32,000 people have been affected, and US$4.65 billion in damage has been caused by disaster since 1980.2 Methods A quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive research design. Results Nurses in Saudi Arabia have moderate knowledge concerning disaster preparedness. However, nurses in military hospitals possess more knowledge than those who work in government hospitals. The majority of nurses gained their knowledge and skills from disaster drills. Conclusions Nurses need more education in all areas of disaster management, most importantly in their roles during response to disasters. Nurses perceive themselves as not well-prepared but they are willing to improve their skills in disaster preparedness if educational opportunities are provided.

Perceptions of NP Roles in Australia: Nurse Practitioners, managers, and policy Advisors

- Lowe, Grainne, Plummer, Virginia, Boyd, Leanne

  • Authors: Lowe, Grainne , Plummer, Virginia , Boyd, Leanne
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: The Journal for Nurse Practitioners Vol. 12, no. 7 (2016), p. e303-e310
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  • Description: The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of nurse practitioner (NP) roles from NP, nurse manager, and nurse policy adviser perspectives in Australia. A questionnaire formed phase 1 of a mixed methods study with 171 responses (36% response rate). Results show that, although there was a generally positive regard for NPs, there is evidence of a difference in perception between the stakeholder groups. The finding that nurse policy participants had a lower overall perception rating score is significant given this is the group that drives policy at the state and territory levels.