Declan Patton

Individual-level outcomes from a national clinical leadership development programme

Abstract A national clinical leadership development programme was instituted for Irish nurses and midwives in 2010. Incorporating a development framework and leadership pathway and a range of bespoke interventions for leadership development, including workshops, action-learning sets, mentoring and coaching, the programme was introduced at seven pilot sites in the second half of 2011. The programme pilot was evaluated with reference to structure, process and outcomes elements, including individual-level programme outcomes. Evaluation data were generated through focus groups and group interviews, individual interviews and written submissions. The data provided evidence of nurses’ and midwives’ clinical leadership development through self and observer-reported behaviours and dispositions including accounts of how the programme participants developed and displayed particular clinical leadership competencies. A key strength of the new programme was that it involved interventions that focussed on specific leadership competencies to be developed within the practice context.

Models of initial training and pathways to registration: a selective review of policy in professional regulation.

AIM To provide a synthesis of literature on international policy concerning professional regulation in nursing and midwifery, with reference to routes of entry into training and pathways to licensure. BACKGROUND Internationally, there is evidence of multiple points of entry into initial training, multiple divisions of the professional register and multiple pathways to licensure. EVALUATION Policy documents and commentary articles concerned with models of initial training and pathways to licensure were reviewed. Item selection, quality appraisal and data extraction were undertaken and documentary analysis was performed on all retrieved texts. KEY ISSUES Case studies of five Western countries indicate no single uniform system of routes of entry into initial training and no overall consensus regarding the optimal model of initial training. CONCLUSIONS Multiple regulatory systems, with multiple routes of entry into initial training and multiple pathways to licensure pose challenges, in terms of achieving commonly-agreed understandings of practice competence. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT The variety of models of initial training present nursing managers with challenges in the recruitment and deployment of personnel trained in many different jurisdictions. Nursing managers need to consider the potential for considerable variation in competency repertoires among nurses trained in generic and specialist initial training models.

Service impact of a national clinical leadership development programme: findings from a qualitative study

AIM The study reported here was part of a larger study, which evaluated a national clinical leadership development programme with reference to resources, participant experiences, participant outcomes and service impact. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the programmes service impact. BACKGROUND Clinical leadership development develops competencies that are expressed in context. The outcomes of clinical leadership development occur at individual, departmental and organisational levels. METHODS The methods used to evaluate the service impact were focus groups, group interviews and individual interviews. Seventy participants provided data in 18 separate qualitative data collection events. RESULTS The data contained numerous accounts of service development activities, initiated by programme participants, which improved service and/or improved the culture of the work setting. CONCLUSION Clinical leadership development programmes that incorporate a deliberate service impact element can result in identifiable positive service outcomes. The nuanced relationship between leader development and service development warrants further investigation. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT This study demonstrates that clinical leadership development can impact on service in distinct and identifiable ways. Clinical leadership development programmes should focus on the setting in which the leadership competencies will be demonstrated.

Strategic direction or operational confusion: level of service user involvement in Irish acute admission unit care.

Accessible summary • Although not as historically dominant as it once was, acute admission units remain a place of care for people experiencing an acute mental illness and who cannot be cared for in a community setting. • In line with global developments, Irish mental healthcare policy has focused on greater levels of collaboration between service providers and users. • In admission unit care enhanced levels of service user involvement happens though nurses involving them in care planning and through interacting with them on a regular basis. Abstract Mental health care in Ireland has been in the midst of a modernization of services since the mid 1980s. Embellished in this change agenda has been the need for better care and services with a particular emphasis on greater levels of user involvement. Acute admission units provide a setting for mental health care to be delivered to people who are unable to be cared for in a community setting. Through discussion of findings from semi-structured telephone interviews with 18 acute admission unit staff nurses, the aim of this paper is to explore the level of involvement service users have in acute unit care in Ireland. Reporting on one qualitative component of a larger mixed method study, findings will show that acute admission unit staff nurses generally involve service users in their care by facilitating their involvement in the nursing process, interacting with them regularly and using different communication approaches. However, participants identified barriers to service user involvement, such as growing administrative duties. It can tentatively be claimed that, within an Irish context, acute admission unit service users are involved in their care and are communicated with in an open and transparent way.Mental health care in Ireland has been in the midst of a modernization of services since the mid 1980s. Embellished in this change agenda has been the need for better care and services with a particular emphasis on greater levels of user involvement. Acute admission units provide a setting for mental health care to be delivered to people who are unable to be cared for in a community setting. Through discussion of findings from semi-structured telephone interviews with 18 acute admission unit staff nurses, the aim of this paper is to explore the level of involvement service users have in acute unit care in Ireland. Reporting on one qualitative component of a larger mixed method study, findings will show that acute admission unit staff nurses generally involve service users in their care by facilitating their involvement in the nursing process, interacting with them regularly and using different communication approaches. However, participants identified barriers to service user involvement, such as growing administrative duties. It can tentatively be claimed that, within an Irish context, acute admission unit service users are involved in their care and are communicated with in an open and transparent way.

The prevalence and incidence of diabetic foot ulcers among five countries in the Arab world: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE There is a rising incidence of diabetes worldwide; however there seems to be a higher incidence and prevalence rates in the Arab world when compared with the global average. 1 Out of the top 10 countries with the highest prevalence rates, six are Arab countries and almost 20.5 million people in that part of the world live with diabetes. Despite this, published scientific research from the 22 Arab countries is limited and seems to be of lower quality when compared with the rest of the developed world. 2 Therefore, our aim was to explore the contribution of the different Arab countries in the world literature, to identify the diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) prevalence and incidence rates and to quality appraise these studies. METHOD A systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, was undertaken to identify the incidence and prevalence of DFUs in the Arab world. The following databases were searched: PubMed, Embase CINAHL, Web of Science (Scopus), Global Health and EBSCO Results: A total of nine papers were identified. The mean prevalence of DFU in Saudi Arabia was 11.85% (4.7-19%), in Egypt was 4.2% (1-7.4%), in Jordan was 4.65% (4-5.3%), in Bahrain was 5.9% and in Iraq was 2.7%. A single study identified DFU incidence in Saudi Arabia as 1.8% between 2009-2010. CONCLUSION The mean prevalence rates of DFU were highest in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and lowest in Iraq. Saudi Arabia had the only reported incidence study, thus findings could not be compared to other countries of the Arab world. There were no studies identified during our search reporting prevalence rates of DFU in 17 of the 22 Arab countries. It is clear that further research is required to determine the incidence and prevalance of DFUs in the Arab world and that progress is needed in order to improve the quality of research conducted in those countries.

Subepidermal moisture (SEM) and bioimpedance: a literature review of a novel method for early detection of pressure-induced tissue damage (pressure ulcers)

Current detection of pressure ulcers relies on visual and tactile changes at the skin surface, but physiological changes below the skin precede surface changes and have a significant impact on tissue health. Inflammatory and apoptotic/necrotic changes in the epidermal and dermal layers of the skin, such as changes in interstitial fluid (also known as subepidermal moisture (SEM)), may precede surface changes by 3–10 days. Those same epidermal and subepidermal changes result in changes in the electrical properties (bioimpedance) of the tissue, thereby presenting an objective, non‐invasive method for assessing tissue damage. Clinical studies of bioimpedance for the detection of pressure ulcers have demonstrated that changes in bioimpedance correlate with increasing severity of pressure ulcer stages. Studies have also demonstrated that at anatomical locations with pressure ulcers, bioimpedance varies with distance from the centre of the pressure ulcers. The SEM Scanner, a handheld medical device, offers an objective and reliable method for the assessment of local bioimpedance, and therefore, assessment of tissue damage before signs become visible to the unaided eye. This literature review summarises pressure ulcer pathophysiology, principles of bioimpedance and clinical research using bioimpedance technology to assess pressure ulcers.

Accuracy of ultrasound, thermography and subepidermal moisture in predicting pressure ulcers: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE Our aims were to: establish the clinical significance of ultrasound, thermography, photography and subepidermal moisture (SEM) measurement; determine the accuracy of ultrasound, thermography, photography and SEM measurement in detecting skin/tissue damage; determine the relative accuracy of one of these assessment methods over another; make recommendations for practice pertaining to assessment of early skin/tissue damage. METHOD The following databases, Cochrane Wounds Group Specialised Register, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Elsevier version, EBSCO CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.gov , WHO International Clinical Trials Registry (ICTR) and The EU Clinical Trials Register were searched for terms including; thermography, ultrasound, subepidermal moisture, photograph and pressure ulcer. RESULTS We identified four SEM, one thermography and five ultrasound studies for inclusion in this review. Data analysis indicated that photography was not a method which allowed for the early prediction of PU presence. SEM values increased with increasing tissue damage, with the sacrum and the heels being the most common anatomical locations for the development of erythema and stage I PUs. Thermography identified temperature changes in tissues and skin that may give an indication of early PU development; however the data were not sufficiently robust. Ultrasound detected pockets of fluid/oedema at different levels of the skin that were comparable with tissue damage. Thus, SEM and ultrasound were the best methods for allowing a more accurate assessment of early skin/tissue damage. Using the EBL Critical Appraisal Tool the overall validities of the studies varied between 33.3-55.6%, meaning that there is potential for bias within all the included studies. All of the studies were situated at level IV, V and VII of the evidence pyramid. Although the methodological quality of the studies warrants consideration, these studies showed the potential that SEM and ultrasound have in early PU detection. CONCLUSION SEM and ultrasound are promising in the detection and prediction of early tissue damage and PU presence. However, these methods should be further studied to clarify their potential for use more widely in PU prevention strategies.

A community virtual ward model to support older persons with complex health care and social care needs

Background Globally the older population is increasing rapidly. As a result there is an increase in frail older persons living within the community, with increased risks of a hospital admission and higher mortality and morbidity rates. Due to complexity of care, health care professionals face challenges in providing effective case management and avoiding unplanned admissions to hospital. A community virtual ward (CVW) model was developed to assist health care professionals to support older persons at home during periods of illness and/or functional decline. Methods A quantitative observational study was conducted to examine if a CVW model of care reduced unplanned hospital admissions and emergency department (ED) presentations in 54 patients over a 12-month period. The sign-rank test examined matched data on bed days, ED presentations, and unplanned hospital admissions pre- and post-CVW implementation. Other risk factors for admission to hospital were examined using the Mann–Whitney test pre-and post-CVW admission, including falls, living alone, and cognition. Correlations between hospital admission avoidances and unplanned hospital admissions and ED presentations were tested using Spearman’s ρ test. Results There was a reduction in ED presentations post-CVW admission (P<0.001), and median unscheduled admissions were reduced (P=0.001). Those living alone had a lower number of ED presentations (median 0.5, interquartile range 0–1) prior to admission in comparison to those living with a caregiver, with no differences observed during admission to CVW. For those who experienced a fall during CVW admission, the odds ratio (OR) of requiring long-term care doubled for each extra fall (OR =2.24, 95% CI 1.11 to 4.52, P=0.025). Reduced cognition was associated with an increased risk of ED presentations (ρ=0.292, P<0.05) but not associated with increased risks of unplanned hospital admissions (ρ=0.09, P=0.546). There were no significant correlations seen between admission avoidance and the number of unplanned hospital admissions or ED presentations. Conclusion Through an integrated approach to care, a CVW model in the care of older persons can reduce ED presentations and unplanned hospital admissions.

Patient and lay carer education for preventing pressure ulceration in at-risk populations

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To assess whether patient and lay carer education for preventing pressure ulceration affects the incidence of pressure ulceration in atrisk people, in any care setting.

The evaluation of an early graduate educational intervention

Literature points to a gap which exists in the preparedness of new nursing/midwifery graduates for clinical practice. In Ireland, a two year programme was established in 2013 for all new graduates employed by the public health system. This paper provides a report on the evaluation of the programme which aimed to gauge the impact of the programme on student experience, stakeholder opinion and on health service delivery. A mixed methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies, was utilised. Students who undertook the programme, along with non-student stakeholders, were invited to participate. The quantitative element involved an online evaluation survey which was administered to all students participating in the programme, while the qualitative element involved interviews with the participants. Students believed the programme to be relevant to their practice and positively evaluated the use of blended learning, the support of tutors and the contribution to their professional development. Non-student stakeholders also positively evaluated the programme, but the direct impact on clinical practice was not particularly evident. The evaluation offers a positive view of this initiative and broadly supports the concept of early graduate education programmes. A number of recommendations are offered for the development of future programmes.