Linking Nurses with Evidence-Based Information via Social Media Tools: An Analysis of the Literature

Many health professional believe that social media tools can play a pivotal role in sharing and facilitating the use of evidence-based information with patients and other healthcare providers. By understanding how social media tools function, healthcare professionals can capitalize on these interactive platforms to improve the health of others. However, limited information exists to guide nurse educators in preparing healthcare professionals to engage patients or share evidence-based information among peers. The purpose of this literature review was to determine the extent to which professional development programs using social media for sharing evidence-based information have reported their research and/or experience in the published literature.

Relationship Between Organizational Culture and Organizational Effectiveness - A Study of Nurses in Taiwan

Organizational culture refers to the beliefs and values that have existed in an organization for a long time, and to the beliefs of the staff and the foreseen value of their work that will influence their attitudes and behavior. It is therefore essential to understand the relationship between organizational cultures and organizational effectiveness.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was undertaken that focused on hospital nurses in Taiwan. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire; 900 questionnaires were distributed and 473 valid questionnaires were returned.

RESULTS

Organizational cultures were significantly (positively) correlated with organizational effectiveness (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

When the interaction between the leadership and employees is good, the latter will make a greater contribution to team communication and will also be encouraged to accomplish the mission and objectives assigned by the organization, thereby enhancing organizational effectiveness.

[Delivering bad news in a Swiss internal medicine ward: a medical and nurse partnership]

Delivering bad news to a patient has a major impact for patients, their relatives and caregivers. The way this information is delivered can affect the way the patient sees his disease and potentially how he adheres to its treatment. To improve this communication with the patient the service of internal medicine at the Swiss university hospital of Lausanne set up a process including the coordination between all involved caregivers, and to break the bad news in a setting including a medical and nurse partnership. It also underscores that the resident in charge of the patient remains the coordinator of delivering new information. Moreover, the service provides communication tools to the caregivers to improve the communication skills.

Registrants need simple advice to help them navigate revalidation

NURSES AND midwives need guidance about revalidation to be made more straightforward if the planned new system is to work smoothly.

Cost-effectiveness of nurse-based case management versus usual care for elderly patients with myocardial infarction: results from the KORINNA study

OBJECTIVES

We assessed the cost-effectiveness of a case management intervention by trained nurses in elderly (≥65 years) patients with myocardial infarction from a societal perspective.

METHODS

The intervention and observation period spanned 1 year and 329 participants were enrolled. The intervention consisted of at least one home visit and quarterly telephone calls. Data on resource use and quality of life were collected quarterly. The primary measurements of effect were quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), based on the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L) health utilities from the German time trade-off. The secondary measurements were EQ-5D-3L utility values and patients' self-rated health states according to the visual analogue scale (VAS) among survivors. To estimate mean differences, a linear regression model was used for QALYs and a gamma model for costs. Health states among the survivors were analysed using linear mixed models. To assess the impact of different health state valuation methods, VAS-adjusted life years were constructed.

RESULTS

The mean difference in QALYs was small and not significant (-0.0163; CI -0.0681-0.0354, p value: 0.536, n = 297). Among survivors, EQ-5D-3L utilities showed significant improvements within 6 months in the intervention group (0.051; CI 0.0028-0.0989; p value: 0.0379, n = 280) but returned towards baseline levels by month 12. The mean improvement in self-rated health (VAS) within 1 year was significantly larger in the intervention group (+9.2, CI 4.665-13.766, p value: <0.0001, n = 266). The overall cost difference was -<euro>17.61 (CI - <euro>2,601-<euro>2,615; p value: 0.9856, n = 297). The difference in VAS-adjusted life years was 0.0378 (CI -0.0040-0.0796, p value: 0.0759, n = 297).

CONCLUSIONS

This study could not provide evidence to conclude that the case management intervention was an effective and cost-effective alternative to usual care within a time horizon of 1 year.

[The Association de recherche en soins infirmiers: a story of combination of circumstances, a strong axis and encounters]

Research in Nursing has grown significantly in France. The usefulness and necessity of scientific research, to provide quality care, and its role in the professionalization are now accepted. The Nursing Research Association (Arsi) is a key player contributing for over thirty years to the development and recognition of research as a means to develop and acquire knowledge, and to base care on Scientifics data. Established in 1983 Arsi is a combination of circumstances of history, a major focus, objectives and encounters with people who identified the interest of research in nursing and supported the associations initiatives. Its characteristic is to have been able to balance cares 'need, research, and to put itself in a prospective dimension. Today, the association is recognized nationally and internationally for the quality of its work and its contribution to the development of research and nursing sciences. This recognition is the result of a continous and demanding work of many volunteers committed to support the objectives of the association.

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Spare a thought for managers stuck in the middle of this crisis

With the NHS - and nursing in particular - under a great deal of strain at the moment, it is easy for healthcare staff to feel stressed, pressured and overwhelmed at times.

Hospitals must stop being 'ripped off' by staff agencies - NHS chief

Hospitals should cap their spending on agency staff, including nurses, says the chief executive of NHS England.

[Nurse action research on the cancer announcement system. Experience feedback from the accompanying sociologist]

This paper reports the action research conducted by a group of nurses working in various hospitals belonging to the Onconord-llede- France (Val d'Oise) network and involved in the setting-up of the paramedical cancer announcement system following the 2005 Cancer plan from the point of view of the sociologist who accompanied them. This analysis of the modalities and difficulties of implementation of the new system allowed these nurses to develop their own self-assessment practice survey. They defined the best conaitions for setting up the announcement visit and also achieved a better understanding of their position. This research also opened up lines of reflection on the new organizational configurations and the consequences on professional autonomy.

Best of both worlds at a hospital hospice

An innovative nurse-led hospice has opened in an acute hospital in Lincolnshire. Staffed by the hospital's nurses, and supported by community palliative care specialists and GPs, the hospice is a model of integrated care. Patients benefit from the hospice ethos and easy access to the hospital.

[A partnership for the benefit of patients in geriatrics]

In geriatrics, with the longer life expectancy and the growing number of neurodegenerative diseases, the need for care is increasing and working together is fundamental. The nurse/healthcare assistant partnership is the guarantor of improving patients' quality of care.

[The nurse-healthcare assistant partnership in a mobile pain and palliative care team]

The mission of the mobile pain and palliative care team is to improve the quality of care and comfort of patients. At Longjumeau general hospital the nurse-healthcare assistant partnership within this team enables the patient to benefit from the caregivers' two-way perspective, while allowing the professionals to share knowledge and to be stronger in the face of suffering.