Deborah Garbee

Factors influencing intent to stay in academia for nursing faculty in the southern United States of America.

The current nursing faculty shortage makes understanding intent to stay in academia a step toward slowing the exodus of faculty. The purpose of this study was to discover a parsimonious set of predictor variables from the variables of job satisfaction, mentoring, organizational commitment, and leadership behaviors for intent to stay in nursing education. A random cluster sample consisted of 39 schools of nursing in states within the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). There were 316 responses from 782 potential participants for a response rate of 40.4%. Stepwise multiple regression results indicated that organizational commitment explained 19.7% of the variance in intent to stay one year and 21.2% of the variance in intent to stay five years. Further, mentored faculty scored significantly higher on organizational commitment. Intent to stay three years was not significantly correlated to any predictor variables suggesting it is a time to intervene to influence decisions to stay.

Using Simulation in Interprofessional Education

Simulation-based training (SBT) is a powerful educational tool permitting the acquisition of surgical knowledge, skills, and attitudes at both the individual- and team-based level in a safe, nonthreatening learning environment at no risk to a patient. Interprofessional education (IPE), in which participants from 2 or more health or social care professions learn interactively, can help improve patient care through the promotion of efficient coordination, dissemination of advances in care across specialties and professions, and optimization of individual- and team-based function. Nonetheless, conducting SBT IPE sessions poses several tactical and strategic challenges that must be effectively overcome to reap IPEs benefits.

Opportunistic Fungal Infections in Critical Care Units

Fungal infections are rare compared with bacterial infections, but they are on the increase in critical care units. Diagnosis can be difficult, resulting in increased mortality. Immunocompromised patients are at higher risk for fungal infections, including organ transplant, oncology, and HIV/AIDS patients. Fatigue and fever are common symptoms that require critical care nurses to remain vigilant in assessment to identify at-risk patients and promote use of timely cultures and appropriate treatments for fungal infections. Critical care nurses can contribute to decreasing risk for fungal infections by controlling glucose levels, decreasing the use of invasive lines, and preventing unnecessary antibiotic use.

Student perceptions about interprofessional education after an elective course

Abstract A growing body of evidence indicates interprofessional collaborative practice improves patient care. With this in mind, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center formally committed to expanding interprofessional education (IPE) initiatives. Thirty-eight self-selected students enrolled in an IPE elective course during the fall of 2012. Students completed the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) pre- and post-course and also completed a post-course survey. Results indicated a significant change in the roles and responsibilities scale of the RIPLS. Analysis of the data from the post-course survey demonstrated students were able to identify key terms of an IPE definition, as related to their learning experience. In addition, themes of communication, learning/increased knowledge, and collaboration/contribution of other health care professionals were noted across all questions in the post-course survey. Based on the results of this study, an elective course is a promising educational opportunity to increase awareness and knowledge of IPE within academic medical centers.

Phacoemulsification procedures performed with topical anesthesia.

Phacoemulsification procedures with topical anesthesia, performed with small corneal incisions and 4% lidocaine hydrochloride methylparaben-free eye drops, have very high patient satisfaction rates because patients do not experience intraoperative pain, do not require sutures or eye patches, and have immediate improvements in their vision. Phacoemulsification procedures with topical anesthesia are cost-effective for surgery departments because patients have shorter hospitalizations and require fewer chargeable items. The perioperative nursing role is essential to the success of phacoemulsification procedures with topical anesthesia.

Creating a Positive Surgical Experience for Patients

Perioperative nurses strive to provide a positive surgical environment and, thus, a positive surgical experience for all patients. Blending traditional medicine with complementary therapies is one way to accomplish this task. This article presents a brief review of literature about traditional and complementary interventions used successfully in health care settings, along with a case study illustrating how one facility integrated these therapies into surgical patient care. The facilitys goal was to increase patient satisfaction and create a positive surgical experience.

Examining interprofessional learning perceptions among students in a simulation-based operating room team training experience

ABSTRACT High-fidelity simulation (HFS) operating room (OR) inter-professional team training improves healthcare students’ team-based attitudes and behaviours. Such improvements can diminish tribalism among the professions in the OR by overcoming entrenched perceptions of team members. We investigated whether simulation-based interprofessional student OR team training impacts students differently based on their professional background. From 2010 to 2013, HFS OR interprofessional student team training sessions were conducted involving senior medical students, senior undergraduate nursing students, and nurse anaesthesia students. The training involved a two-scenario format, each followed by a structured debriefing focusing on team-based competencies. Before and after each session, students completed a 15-item teamwork competencies self-efficacy survey as well as, from 2012–2013, the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). At the end of each session, they also completed a 6-item rating scale assessing overall team function during the session. Mean scores were calculated for each student professional group, post/pre mean differences were determined, and student t-test and ANOVA analyses were employed to compare within and between-group differences, respectively. Response rates were over 80% for each scale used. Medical students and undergraduate nursing students had significant improvements in team-based attitudes post- to pre-session. Medical students and nurse anaesthesia students had significant improvements in RIPLS scores. Statistically significant improvements from post- to pre-session were seen overall for both team-based attitudes (effect size = 0.83) and RIPLS (effect size = 0.37). The difference between the team-based scores between professions was significant; RIPLS differences were not. No significant difference existed between professions related to overall teamwork scores. HFS OR team training of healthcare students has beneficial but variable benefits for each professional group.

Predictors of Success in BSN Students

The role of the registered nurse is crucial to meeting the healthcare needs of the people of the United States (U.S.). The need for nurses continues to increase due to population growth, improved access to care, large numbers of registered nurse retirements, and the aging U.S. population. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2015) reported that more than 2.7 million nurses were employed and it is estimated that there will be an increase to over 3.4 million nurses by 2020. “The models used incorporate workforce dynamics to forecast future nursing shortage of 300,000 to 1 million RN jobs in 2020” (Juraschek, Zhang, Ranganathan, & Lin, 2012, p. 241). The challenge is for schools of nursing to increase enrollment and graduate students ready to practice safe and competent nursing as quickly and efficiently as possible. Improving on-time progression can be accomplished via strategies that utilize teaching resources appropriately, support students in a positive learning environment, enhance study habits, and facilitate early engagement with peers and faculty. On-time progression eliminates the need to repeat courses, reduces costs to the student and institution, and increases diversity of graduating nursing students and capacity to admit more students. Nurse researchers have studied nursing programs to identify predictors of success in on-time progression beginning with admission criteria (Hinderer, DiBartolo, & Walsh, 2014; Newton & Moore, 2009; Underwood, Williams, Lee, & Brunnert, 2013; Uyehara, Magnussen, Itano, & Zhang, 2007). Studies focusing on successful progression have identified variables that were similiar as well as differences which may be attributed to the unique population identified. Schools of nursing certainly learn from each other, but schools also need to identify specific factors influencing their students’ on-time progression. This study was conducted at a large nursing school embedded within a health sciences center in the southern U.S. that graduates approximately 200 baccalaureate prepared nursing students a year. Approximately 40 % of the students do not graduate on time further contributing to the nursing shortage. A priority for this school of nursing is to better understand factors contributing to on-time progression in order to implement and maintain strategies that support students’ success.

Advanced Literature Searches.

The last issue [2016; 30(2)] of Clinical Nurse Specialist (The International Journal for Advanced Nursing Practice) provided guidance on basic literature search strategies and databases. Advantages to using professional databases rather than conducting a Google search were presented. The purpose of this article is to complement and expand the basic skills of conducting a literature search in an effort to assist the clinical nurse specialist (CNS) in initiating more advanced searches for what research has been done, what research is in progress, standards of practice, and how to find measures for research or evidence-based practice change. Thus, the focus is on more advanced searches specifically for systematic reviews (SRs), grey literature, clinical trials, clinical guidelines, and research instruments or tools. This article will also describe examples of online tools that can assist in managing references obtained in an advanced search.

Improving Literature Searches.

Research is a core competency for all clinical nurse specialists (CNSs). While engaged in clinical practice, questions arise related to best practices, patient outcomes, and effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. Identifying a clinical problem or a clinical outcome that needs improvement is the impetus for conducting a literature search. The initial step to answer a clinical question is conducting a literature review that supports the need for research and/or an evidence-based practice change. The abilities to find and critique the quality of research to improve patient outcomes are skills that take time to develop. At first, the literature search can seem to be a daunting task. In this article, the process will be discussed in manageable steps to guide the CNS through a literature search. Another consideration for CNSs is examining the literature to discover what research has already been completed and to identify the knowledge gaps in the literature that support the need for future research. This article will also discuss how the CNS conducts a literature search to find relevant articles that help understand what nursing researchers have reported in relation to a specific clinical problem or a clinical outcome.