Bernice Skytt

The roles of the first-line nurse manager : Perceptions from four perspectives

AIM To study the perception of the first-line nurse managers (FLNMs), registered nurses (RNs), assistant nurses (ANs) and head of departments (HDs) on the FLNMs current and desired roles. BACKGROUND In the process of decentralization, the role of FLNM has changed from having overall responsibility for patients to having responsibility for the management of the ward. METHOD Interviews with five FLNMs, five RNs, five ANs, and one HD were used. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the transcribed text. RESULTS When describing the current roles, the FLNMs, RNs and ANs focused on the coordination of activities that contributed to a well-functioning service and care of patients as well as on the recruitment of, support to and development of the personnel. The HD focused on the FLNMs responsibilities towards the personnel, especially regarding empowerment and staff well-being. When describing desired roles, the FLNMs, RNs and ANs emphasized service on the ward while the HD underlined the development of services and co-operation with other nurse managers. CONCLUSION The perception of the current and desired roles of the FLNM varied among the groups. The FLNMs, RNs and ANs reported a similar understanding which in turn differed from that of the HD who described fewer roles and focused on other areas.

Attitudes toward patients with multidrug-resistant bacteria : scale development and psychometric evaluation

There is a need for validated assessment tools for measuring attitudes towards patients with multid-rug-resistant bacteria. Such an assessment tool was developed and psychometrically evaluated in the present study. A literature review and discussions with experts and key informants were used to develop the questionnaire. To ensure item adequacy and interpretability, face validity and pre-tests were performed. Item validity, content validity and internal consistency reliability were evaluated in a non-random sample of 329 hemodialysis nurses. The psychometric properties were satisfactory, indicating good item validity. The content validity revealed three appropriate factors with good internal consistency reliability. The haemodialysis nurses′ knowledge about multidrug-resistant bacteria was not sufficient, and their intentional behaviour was unsatisfactory with respect to infection control precautions. The multidrug-resistant bacteria Attitude Questionnaire would be a valuable tool, in nursing practice and nursing education, in promoting quality improvements in patient safety with regard to healthcare associated infections.

Patients' experiences of mediastinitis after coronary artery bypass graft procedure

Few studies have focussed on patients’ experiences of and suffering due to mediastinitis following Coronary Artery by-pass Graft (CABG). Mediastinitis creates a complex and invasive experience for the patient with prolonged hospitalisation, and would be expected to be a significant stressor. The aim of the present study was to capture patients’ experiences of the medical and nursing care they received for mediastinitis following CABG. Content analysis revealed three themes with regard to how the patients coped with the stress and threats of mediastinitis and its treatment and how they thought it would influence their future life. A first theme centred on physical and psychological discomfort and impact on autonomy. The staffs medical knowledge and the quality of nursing care as well as the patients’ understanding of the situation influenced their experience. A second theme was how patients dealt with perceived danger and stress. Coping strategies such as problem solving, information seeking, dissociation, distraction, minimisation and expression of emotion were used to handle the situations. The third theme comprised the patients’ belief that the mediastinitis would not affect the outcome of the CABG procedure, even though their confidence in this was influenced by uncertainty about the rehabilitation process.