Thomas Ross

Turkish version of the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration: a preliminary study.

Abstract Background: The Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Physician–Nurse Collaboration is an established instrument to measure the perceived work relationship between physicians and nurses.The survey addresses areas of autonomy and decisionmaking, interprofessional education and relations, psychosocial care, teamwork, and shared responsibility. The aim of this prelimiary study was to adapt the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Physician–Nurse Collaboration for use in Turkey and test its psychometric properties and utility in clinical and research practice. Methods: The process of cross-cultural adaptation and validation followed the guidelines provided in the existing literature. First, three bilingual health professionals independently translated the original questionnaire into Turkish and a consensus version was generated. Then, three other translators, blind to the original questionnaire, performed a back translation into English to confirm the accuracy of the translation. This version was then compared with the original English questionnaire. Discrepancies were discussed and solved by a panel of two nurses and two physicians. The field-testing for face validity was done in a group of ten monolingual physicians and nurses. Reliability was assessed with test–retest reliability and construct validity was confirmed with factor analysis. Results: The mean time of questionnaire administration was 3 minutes and 45 seconds. The test–retest reliability was 0.75, and Cronbach’s coefficient alpha was 0.71 for the entire sample. The findings of the factor analysis indicated that the Turkish version of Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Physician–Nurse Collaboration was comprised of the following four factors: ‘physician–nurse relationships’, ‘shared education’, ‘nursing role in patient care’, and ‘accountability and responsibility of nurses’ Conclusion: The overall findings of this study indicate that the Turkish version of the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Physician–Nurse Collaboration is a psychometrically sound tool with satisfactory measurement characteristics including construct validity and internal consistency reliability.This instrument may be useful in assessing the effectiveness of educational programs designed to enhance collaboration between physicians and nurses, whether these programs are aimed at residents and graduate nursing students or practicing physicians and nurses.

A second look at 100 000 lives campaign.

The Institute for Healthcare Improvements (IHIs) 100 000 Lives Campaign provided a valuable service by focusing attention on quality improvement in health care. The recent release of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) statistics on 2006 hospital admissions provides an opportunity to reexamine the achievements of the 100 000 Lives Campaign. The AHRQ estimates of hospital deaths report a decrease of 23623 between 2004 and 2006, which casts considerable doubt on the IHI claim of 122300 lives saved. The article addresses the disparity in estimates of preventable deaths, recent trends in hospital mortality, ways of reconciling the AHRQ estimates with the IHI claim, and the lessons that should be learned from the campaign.

A statistical process control case study.

Statistical process control (SPC) charts can be applied to a wide number of health care applications, yet widespread use has not occurred. The greatest obstacle preventing wider use is the lack of quality management training that health care workers receive. The technical nature of the SPC guarantees that without explicit instruction this technique will not come into widespread use. Reviews of health care quality management texts inform the reader that SPC charts should be used to improve delivery processes and outcomes often without discussing how they are created. Conversely, medical research frequently reports the improved outcomes achieved after analyzing SPC charts. This article is targeted between these 2 positions: it reviews the SPC technique and presents a tool and data so readers can construct SPC charts. After tackling the case, it is hoped that the readers will collect their own data and apply the same technique to improve processes in their own organization.

Maximizing Internship Value by Comparing Student Satisfaction and Program Competencies

Internships are opportunities to apply academic learning to practical experiences and integral components of many academic programs. Internships provide many advantages to students by introducing them to the world of work and skills needed for them to succeed in their future careers. Limited research documents the importance of student voices in identifying internships that reinforce learning. A question to consider is: “What are students saying about their internship experience?” This study compared student survey results against course competencies in a health services management program. Students rated their soft skills, communication, teamwork, and professionalism higher than hard skills of data management, analysis, and problem solving. Findings indicate more curricular emphasis should be placed on written communication, data analysis, and problem solving to ensure students have a tool box of skills to offer employers.