Is knowledge liberating? The role of knowledge behaviors and competition on the workplace happiness of healthcare professionals

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the joint impact of competitive culture and knowledge behaviors (sharing, hoarding and hiding) on workplace happiness among healthcare professionals. It addresses a literature gap that critiques the development of happiness programs in healthcare that overlook organizational, social and economic dynamics. The study is based on the Social Exchange Theory, the Conservation of Resources Theory and the principles of Positive Psychology.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The study analyzes a linear relationship between variables using a structural equation model and a partial least squares approach. The data are sourced from a survey of 253 healthcare professionals from Portuguese healthcare organizations.

FINDINGS

The data obtained from the model illustrate a positive correlation between competitive culture and knowledge hoarding as well as knowledge hiding. Interestingly, a competitive culture also fosters workplace happiness among healthcare professionals. The complex relationship between knowledge behaviors becomes evident since both knowledge hoarding and sharing positively affected these professionals' workplace happiness. However, no direct impact was found between knowledge hiding and workplace happiness, suggesting that it negatively mediates other variables.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

This research addresses a previously identified threefold gap. First, it delves into the pressing need to comprehend behaviors that enhance healthcare professionals' workplace satisfaction. Second, it advances studies by empirically examining the varied impacts of knowledge hiding, hoarding and sharing. Finally, it sheds light on the repercussions of knowledge behaviors within an under-explored context - healthcare organizations.

Health and social care managers' perceptions of factors affecting the competence of managers in knowledge management: A qualitative study

AIM

To describe health and social care managers' perceptions of the factors affecting the competence of managers in knowledge management.

DESIGN

A qualitative descriptive study.

METHODS

A semi-structured interview was conducted with 15 managers from three public health and social care organizations in Finland. Data were collected in the spring of 2022 and analysed using inductive content analysis.

RESULTS

Health and social care managers perceived that the competence of managers working in knowledge management is affected by managers' behavioural and attitudinal characteristics, their interactive network competence in knowledge management, the dimensions of their competence in knowledge management, the knowledge management infrastructure with which they work and the organizational learning culture within which they work.

CONCLUSIONS

The competence of health and social managers in knowledge management is influenced by various factors, including their personal characteristics, management competence and the infrastructure and culture of the organization for which they work. However, their competence is constrained by an absence of clear processes, structures and resources in knowledge management as well as a lack of systematic support and training for managers working in knowledge management.

IMPACT

The study provides valuable information for improving the competence of managers working in knowledge management in health and social care organizations. The competence of managers working in knowledge management is instrumental for successful implementation and sustaining of knowledge management practices and thus, such competence has a positive impact on the overall performance of an organization.

IMPLICATIONS

Clarifying the roles and responsibilities of health and social care managers, as well as establishing organizational structures, is essential for effective knowledge management in organizations.

REPORTING METHOD

Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist has been used in the reporting.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution.

Implementing coaching programmes for healthcare professionals-A review of the barriers and facilitators

BACKGROUND

The European Union faces severe and worsening personnel shortages in healthcare. Coaching has emerged as a human-centred strategy to enhance sustainable employment and retention. While the number of efficacy studies on coaching continues to grow, knowledge about the barriers and facilitators to implementing coaching interventions among healthcare professionals (HCPs) remains scarce.

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review aimed to describe common barriers and facilitators to the implementation of coaching interventions for HCPs.

METHODS

In April 2023, five databases were searched for eligible articles. Barriers and facilitators were systematically identified and mapped onto the constructs of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Directed content analysis yielded thematic areas and a reporting frequency.

RESULTS

A total of thirty (n = 30) studies were included in this review, representing twenty-five (n = 25) distinct coaching programmes. Implementation determinants were clustered under two CFIR domains: the Inner Setting (8 facilitators, 5 barriers) and Implementation Process (6 facilitators, 1 barrier). Barriers included (i) limited organisational capacity, (ii) lack of psychological safety, (iii) competing work demands, and (iv) insufficient leadership buy-in, while facilitators were the (i) allocation of protected time for participants and coaches, (ii) promotion through opinion leaders, (iii) embeddedness in existing Continuous Professional Development programmes, and (iv) programme co-creation.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study provide practical insights to guide the future implementation of coaching interventions at an organisational level. In particular, the identified barriers and facilitators suggest, for optimal efficacy and sustainment, coaching interventions must be implemented within a safe, supportive organisational climate.

Facilitating and Inhibiting Factors of Clinical Knowledge Sharing among Medical Specialists in University Hospitals

Background

Clinical knowledge sharing (CKS) is one of the key points of knowledge management in the field of health and significantly increases the quality of care and patient safety. It also provides the achievement of an efficient system in hospitals and educational and treatment centers involved in clinical processes in order to make the best clinical decisions. The purpose of this research is to identify the factors that facilitate and inhibit CKS among medical specialists in the educational-treatment hospitals in Iran.

Methods

This was an applied qualitative study with the conventional content analysis method conducted in 2022. The data collection tool was a semi-structured interview. The participants were 13 medical specialists and sub-specialists working in educational-treatment hospitals of the country, who were selected by purposeful and snowball sampling. The method of data analysis was based on Graneheim and Lundman's five-step method, which was followed by codes, sub-categories, main categories, and classifications.

Results

After conducting the interviews and assessing their content, finally, 193 codes were extracted, which were identified in two general classification of facilitating and inhibiting factors with 92 and 101 concepts, respectively. Facilitating factors in the three main categories of "education in the context of culture, society and university", "planning and implementation management", and "behavioral-motivational factors" and inhibiting factors in the four main categories of "infrastructural, policy-making and cultural challenges", "technological and scientific infrastructural challenges", "personality-behavioral challenges", and "financial and non-financial motivations" were classified.

Conclusions

The participants of the research pointed out the effective role of CKS in keeping them up-to-date in the use of diagnostic, therapeutic, and even drug prescribing methods. According to their belief, knowledge sharing (KS) in the clinical setting will reduce diagnostic errors and cause the primordial prevention of diseases as well as increase the knowledge and awareness of the society members.

Nursing Leaders as Visionaries and Enablers of Action

OBJECTIVES

The engagement of nursing leaders is critical for the future of the cancer nursing profession, quality cancer care, and the overall health care system. The field of cancer care is facing enormous challenges, requiring strong nursing leadership. Cancer nursing leadership is needed to overcome the challenges caused by workforce shortages, restricted resources, historic and ongoing under-recognition of nursing, unsafe working conditions, and unequal access to education. The aim of this article is to contribute to the discussion about how cancer nursing leaders can act as visionaries and support transformation of cancer nursing for the future.

DATA SOURCES

Author experience, journal articles and organizational position papers were used.

CONCLUSION

To improve the state of cancer nursing and the working conditions of the cancer nursing workforce, nursing leadership practices need to be embraced on all governance levels in clinical practice and academia. When effective and high-quality nursing leadership is enacted, positive outcomes for people affected by cancer, nursing, and health care systems can be achieved. Cancer nursing leadership needs to be supported through nursing scholarship, influencing national and global policies and strategies and by active involvement in national and international health care management.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Nursing leadership and governance is critical to strengthening the cancer nursing workforce. Strong nursing leadership is required to realize the vision for transforming the health care systems and cancer care. Therefore, collaboration among multidisciplinary leadership, health care organizations, academic institutions, professional organizations, and policy-making structures is warranted.

A Novel Framework for Extracting Knowledge Management from Business Intelligence Log Files in Hospitals

This paper proposes a framework to extract knowledge-management elements from business systems in healthcare organizations. According to results of in-depth interviews with experts in the field, a framework is defined, and software was developed to generate log files. Following the application of the Bag of Words (BoW) method on log files of 455 days for feature extraction, the k-means algorithm was used to cluster the feature vectors. The framework was tested with queries for confirmation. The developed framework successfully clustered the generated reports at operational, tactical, and strategic levels to extract knowledge-management elements. This study provides evidence for the knowledge-management pyramid by finding that the generated reports are reviewed mostly at the operational level, then tactical, and then the least at the strategic level. Our framework has the potential to be used not only in the health sector, but also in banking, insurance, and other businesses using business intelligence, especially in accordance with the organization’s goals at operational, tactical, and strategic levels of the knowledge-management pyramid.

Linking online and offline intergenerational knowledge transfer to younger employees’ innovative work behaviors: evidence from Chinese hospitals

Purpose

Little is known about when younger employees’ intergenerational knowledge transfer (IGKT) – behaviors of acquiring knowledge from older employees – improves their innovative work behaviors (IWB), especially in hospitals. Taking into consideration the moderating roles of individual absorptive capacity (AC) and organization size, this study aims to develop a theoretical model to account for the associations of both online and offline IGKT with younger employees’ IWB.

Design/methodology/approach

The model was tested with a survey of 202 Chinese younger doctors (40 years old and below). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data.

Findings

The results showed that both online IGKT and offline IGKT have significant positive relationships with younger doctors’ IWB. Individual AC can strengthen the relationship between offline IGKT and IWB, and organization size can weaken the relationship. However, both individual AC and organization size do not significantly moderate the relationship between online IGKT and IWB.

Originality/value

The findings extend the understanding and application of individual-level knowledge-based view and media synchronicity theory by exploring the relationship of knowledge acquisition from older doctors through both online and offline communication channels with younger doctors’ IWB.

Motives and strategies of CEOs for stimulating sharing and application of knowledge in the care and support for people with intellectual disabilities

Purpose

Within intellectual disability care organizations (IDCOs), it is vital that professionals share and apply knowledge to improve the quality of care for their service users. Given that chief executive officers (CEOs) play a pivotal role in enabling these processes, this paper aims to investigate both the underlying motives and strategies behind CEOs’ organizational knowledge leadership and their contribution to improving these knowledge processes.

Design/methodology/approach

In this exploratory qualitative study, 11 CEOs from IDCOs in the Netherlands who are actively involved in knowledge management within their organizations were interviewed. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted.

Findings

CEOs’ motives for stimulating knowledge processes among professionals in IDCOs arise from the internal (e.g. the CEOs themselves) and external (e.g. policy) contexts. This study also identified four strategies adopted by CEOs to stimulate sharing and application of knowledge: providing organizational conditions for effective knowledge processes; focused attention on talent development; acknowledgment and deployment of knowledge holders; and knowledge-driven participation in collaborative partnerships. These strategies are used in combination and have been shown to reinforce one another.

Practical implications

An overview of strategies for stimulating knowledge processes is now available.

Originality/value

The results display the leadership of CEOs in knowledge strategies. Insights into their perceptions and values are provided while elaborating on their motives to take this role.

A taxonomy of knowledge risks for healthcare organizations

Purpose

Knowledge is a critical factor for health-care organizations’ sustainability in today’s hyperconnected and technology reliant environment, which presents additional challenges and responsibilities for managing knowledge and its risks in medical practices. This paper aims at developing a taxonomy of knowledge risks (KR) within a health-care context, with relevant descriptions and discussion of their possible impact on health-care organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

As KRs have not been discussed yet within a health-care context, the authors reviewed relevant literature on KRs and challenges to knowledge practices in general contexts and in other industries. In addition, the authors reviewed literature on knowledge management (KM) in health care. The authors synthesized their findings and combined it with authors’ insights based on their experience in the health-care and KM fields to develop the taxonomy of KR, with contextual explanations and expounded on their potential effects on health-care organizations.

Findings

The authors propose and explain 25 types of KRs in health-care organizations and organized them into three categories: human, operational and technology.

Practical implications

Proper identification of clinical and administrative KRs plays a critical role in their effective management and remediation, thus improving the quality of care, promoting efficiency savings and ensuring health-care organizations’ sustainability. This paper will raise the awareness of KR among health-care professionals and offer researchers solid ground for more rigorous research in the field of KR and their management, within the health-care context in specific.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to comprehensively discuss issues of KRs within a health-care context.

The neglected contexts and outcomes of evidence-based management: a systematic scoping review in hospital settings

PURPOSE

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted the necessity of practicing Evidence-based Management (EBMgt) as an approach to decision-making in hospital settings. The literature, however, provides limited insight into the process of EBMgt and its contextual nuances. Such insight is critical for better leveraging EBMgt in practice. Therefore, the authors' aim was to integrate the literature on the process of EBMgt in hospital settings, identify the gaps in knowledge and delineate areas for future research.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The authors conducted a systematic scoping review using an innovative methodology that involved two systematic searches. First using EBMgt terminology and second using terminology associated with the EBMgt concept, which the authors derived from the first search.

FINDINGS

The authors identified 218 relevant articles, which using content analysis, they mapped onto the grounded model of the EBMgt process; a novel model of the EBMgt process developed by Sahakian and colleagues. The authors found that the English language literature provides limited insight into the role of managers' perceptions and motives in EBMgt, the practice of EBMgt in Global South countries, and the outcomes of EBMgt. Overall, this study's findings indicated that aspects of the decision-maker, context and outcomes have been neglected in EBMgt.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

The authors contributed to the EBMgt literature by identifying these gaps and proposing future research areas and to the systematic review literature by developing a novel scoping review method.

Knowledge Management-Based Nursing Care Educational Training: A Key Strategy to Improve Healthcare Associated Infection Prevention Behavior

Introduction

Knowledge management-based nursing care has a positive effect in preventing healthcare associated infections (HAIs). Therefore, nursing professionals can utilize key strategies of knowledge management to support clinical decision making, reorganize nursing actions, and maximize patient outcomes.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of knowledge management-based nursing care educational training on HAI prevention behavior at the High Care Unit (HCU) of Saiful Anwar Hospital Malang.

Methods

A quasiexperimental design with a pretest, educational training intervention, and posttest were conducted on 15 nurses in the HCU of Saiful Anwar Hospital Malang, which lasted for 16 days. Furthermore, observation of nursing care documentation, nurses’ handwashing compliance, and presence of infection-causing bacteria in the HCU staff and environment (hands rub handle, medical record, and patient's bed) was carried out pre (day 1–7) and post training (day 10–16). Subsequently, educational training related to knowledge management-based nursing care was conducted for 2 days (day 8–9) by the Doktor Mengabdi Team of Universitas Brawijaya.

Results

The knowledge level and completeness of the nursing care documentation in the HCU room significantly increased after the training (p < .05). Also, compliance to the six steps five moments of nurses’ handwashing increased after the training (p > .05). Infection-causing bacteria were found in the HCU environment and staff before and after the training involving Pseudomonas stutzeri, Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Enterobacter cloacae, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pasteurella pneumotropica, and Acinetobacter lwoffii. Therefore, increased knowledge of HCU nurses and complete documentation (r = .890; p = .054), increased knowledge of HCU nurses and handwashing compliance (r = .770; p = .086), and handwashing compliance and bacterial presence (r = .816; p = .084) all had a positive correlation.

Conclusion

Knowledge management-based nursing care educational training increased infection prevention behavior in the HCU of Saiful Anwar Hospital Malang.

Impact of workforce flexibility on quality of care: moderating effects of workload and severity of illness

Purpose

As a way of alleviating nursing workforce shortages, health care managers are employing two types of workforce flexibility: supplemental staffing and floating among units. In this paper, the authors investigate the moderating effects of two critical situational variables – namely, job-level workload and severity of illness (SOI) in a given unit – on the relationship between workforce flexibility and quality of care as assessed by the nurses at the unit-level.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors empirically test the relationship between a unit's floating of nurses and the use of supplemental workforce on the quality of patient care and the moderating role of patient SOI and job-level workload on this relationship using 357 hospital-unit observations.

Findings

The authors find that situational variables play a critical role in flexible staffing strategies and they should be accounted for carefully to obtain the best quality of care outcomes. The authors find that the well-known negative effect of supplemental staffing on quality of care is not universal and appears to be moderated by the situational factors studied in this paper.

Practical implications

For best outcomes, staffing manager who oversee multiple units should use supplemental staff on units that have lower job-level workload and on units that have high severity of illness. The authors also find that managers of units with patients who are less-severely ill should encourage nurses to float out and return to their home unit. This strategy will improve quality of patient care in the home unit.

Originality/value

While some research analyzes the direct link between flexibility and quality performance, how this relationship is affected by varying situational factors within a unit has not been studied so far.

The need for management education of healthcare management employees

Given the wide professional discussion on the dominating professional focus of healthcare managers at the expense of management knowledge, the main goal of this paper is to verify the extent, to which management education of healthcare workers affects the level of their management skills.

METHODOLOGY

The Descriptive statistics methods have been used to answer research questions regarding the differences in the perception of the managerial skills and their disposition importance between managers with a completed management education and without it. Emphasis was placed on people management skills and communication skills. The research sample consisted of 253 healthcare managers.

RESULTS

Managers with a completed specialized management study are characterized by higher values of entrepreneurial competences and communication skills. They also have exceptional skills in the area of initiator of change. Another significant difference is the higher adaptation of roles and low critique of their subordinates. They are oriented at workers and relationships with them.

CONCLUSION

Our results show that management education of healthcare managers significantly contributes to the implementation of newer approaches to people management and the use of the necessary management skills, which are a source of higher efficiency in the context of the present world of work and its challenges.

Psychosocial antecedents of knowledge sharing in healthcare research centers: a mixed-methods approach

PURPOSE

Literature addressing psychosocial factors' relation with knowledge sharing in healthcare organizations is still scarce, being of extreme shortage in specific environments, such as healthcare research centers. This paper investigates the impact of psychosocial factors as antecedents of knowledge sharing between healthcare research peers in such environments.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

By expanding on the theory of reasoned action (TRA), the authors follow a mixed-methods design to study the relation between perceptions of psychosocial factors and knowledge sharing in healthcare researchers. A quantitative approach uses a structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the links in an original model. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) identifies alternative configurations that lead knowledge sharing intention and its absence as well as the knowledge sharing behavior and its absence considering additional sample characteristics.

FINDINGS

Findings show evidence of the proposed psychosocial antecedents' effect on knowledge sharing. Additional configurations of causal conditions that lead to the presence or absence of the intention and knowledge sharing behavior are discussed, with emphasis on both psychosocial antecedent configuration and sample characteristics.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

This study identifies the influence of both psychosocial and team characteristic aspects leading to knowledge sharing behavior between healthcare researchers. The importance of a rich social network lying on trust is vital for a sharing environment inside research environments. Given the complex nature of behavioral intentionality, additional findings allow an articulation between individual characteristics, substantiating the proposition of complex configurations between antecedents that hints for team configuration strategies and managerial practices in healthcare research teams.

Perception of privacy issues and awareness in health-care knowledge management systems: empirical study in Indian health-care context

Purpose

Focusing on the Indian context, with the increase in the amount of data and its analysis in health-care knowledge management (KM), the privacy concerns rise which results in loss of trust of an individual in e-health-care systems. Privacy issues in health care, specific to India, are caused by prevalent complacency, culture, politics, budget limitations, large population and infrastructures. Because of these factors, data security requires a backseat that allows easy access to confidential information. Furthermore, the prevalent culture affects health-care disclosure in India. In many cultures, disclosing sensitive personal health-care data is considered ill mannered. This leads to discrepancies in the recorded health-care data and a decrease in the level of treatment meted out. The results and statistics of treatments given do not match the records because of inaccurate data reporting. With the significant rise in the analysis and use of technology in health-care KM systems, it is important to understand the perception of KM in terms of its use and awareness about data sharing in the KM system. The purpose of the paper is to measure the perception of privacy issues in the context of Indian healthcare management systems.

Design/methodology/approach

To measure the perception of the use of the KM system, a set of 20 questions was circulated with a sample size of 337 which includes health-care researchers, doctors, practitioners and patients. The questions focused upon the use, share the sensitive health data in the KM platform. All the demographic information such as age, sex, religion, occupation is recorded. The privacy of the individual is maintained while circulating the questionnaire. The usage of health KM system and its privacy is measured through means and t-test.

Findings

The results of the t-test were found positive. This research study finds that the privacy factor is important among the Indians to share the information with the KM repository. It is also found that medical practitioners or data custodians are not much serious about sensitive data is being stored for analysis. From the statistical perception of usage of KM and its privacy, new architecture and privacy guidelines were suggested which can be considered in future research.

Research limitations/implications

From the literature review, the questionnaire has developed which can help policymakers and hospital administrators collect information about KM processes in health-care organizations, and this can result in higher performance of health organizations. The privacy factor can also be included in typical health KM architecture ensure that while knowledge acquisition process, privacy of individual or organization can be maintained.

Social implications

KM enhances the value of corporations and business industries through knowledge production, distribution and provides reliable access to the knowledge resources. KM in health care can comprise a confluence of formal methodologies and techniques to facilitate the creation, identification, acquisition, development, preservation, dissemination and finally the utilization of the various facets of a health-care enterprise’s knowledge assets. According to IBM Global executive report in the year 2012, the entire health-care system has changed from diseases-centric to patient-centric. India is emerging in terms of revenue and employment in the health-care field. The advances of information and communication technology help the health-care sector streamline for data structure and access and health analytics.

Originality/value

In India, the KM is frequently used in health-care industries majorly by health-care practitioners and professionals. As health-care data and knowledge are considered to be sensitive, the privacy of an individual while using the data cannot be compromised. The proposed empirical work will provide a solution in determining the main barriers of implementing privacy policies that need to be solved first and to ensure effective implementation of KM in the health care of India.

Verbalization, Categorization, and Evaluation of Fundamental Surgical Skills: An Expert Consensus in Open Head and Neck Surgery

Objective

This study aimed to verbalize fundamental surgical skills required for open head and neck surgery (OHNS), to organize them by categorization, and to establish a consensus among surgeons regarding the importance and difficulty of each skill.

Summary Background Data

Improvement of fundamental surgical skills is the core of surgical education; however, surgical skills are not yet organized, and consensus in any surgical field remains uncertain.

Methods

Fundamental surgical skills during OHNS were collected from surgical textbooks, real surgeries, and expert interviews. The items were analyzed to calculate the frequency of words and were categorized by 2 expert surgeons. After consensus on the importance and difficulty of each item was established by 15 expert surgeons using a Delphi survey, principal component (PC) analysis was performed to integrate importance and difficulty into a single parameter.

Results

Sixty skills were verbalized and categorized into 7 categories: "skin flap elevation (n = 6)," "vessel management (n = 9)," "nerve preservation (n = 8)," "instrument handling (n = 11)," "counter traction (n = 7)," "tissue exposure (n = 9)," and "flow and planning (n = 10)." In the Delphi survey, expert consensus was established after 2 voting rounds (Cronbach's α ≥ 0.80). The "counter traction" and "flow and planning" categories had high PC scores, which indicate priority in surgical education.

Conclusion

Fundamental OHNS skills were verbalized, categorized, and evaluated via expert consensus. Assessment of surgeons' skills by the structured items hereby developed will help standardize the quality of OHNS and improve patient outcomes.

Concept analysis of the Four-Season-Symphony of Intellectuality-Spirituality-Ethics-Esthetics (FSS: I SEA) in nursing research

BACKGROUND

The Four-Season-Symphony of intellectuality, spirituality, ethics, and esthetics (FSS: I SEA) in nursing research is a new concept that has not been addressed in previous nursing theories and studies.

AIM

This study was conducted to clarify the concept of the FSS: I SEA in nursing research.

DESIGN

Wilson's method of concept analysis was used.

DATA SOURCE

Empirical and conceptual literature.

REVIEW METHOD

This study has been conducted based on Wilson's 11-step approach by searching keywords with Symphony, Rationality, Intellectuality, Spirituality, Ethics, Esthetics, and Nursing research in databases including Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Sid, Oxford Dictionary, Dehkhoda Dictionary, and nursing theory textbook.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Richness and elegance of the symphony in nursing research cannot be achieved by a single-tool benchmark; rather, a more integrated assessment can be achieved with the use of a tool combining different intellectuality, spirituality, ethics, and esthetics tools. This symphony contains a philosophical and deep understanding of the meanings of researcher, research problem, research process, and symphonic product. Through identifying the facilitators and barriers of this concept, nursing researchers, professors, and practitioners will be able to design and implement their research activities on FSS basis to pave the way for the continued transcendence of comprehensive nursing care.

Validity and reliability of Evidence-Based Practice Leadership Scale and Evidence-Based Work Environment Scale in Turkish

PURPOSE

This study aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Evidence-Based Practice Leadership Scale (EBPLS) and Work Environment Scale (EBPWES) translated into Turkish so that they are used in nursing research.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This methodological study was conducted with nurses. Language and content validity, item analyses were used to test the validity and reliability of the scales.

FINDINGS

The confirmatory factor analysis results demonstrate that t values of each item in both scales are significant (P < .05). All model and data fit indices are higher than the acceptable level. Thus, CFA has shown that the scales with model-data fit are valid.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The characteristics of nurse leaders and the suitability of the working environment are crucial for the maintenance of evidence-based practices. EBPLS and EBPWES will be effective and reliable tools in our country and an effective tool for contributing to the maintenance and development of evidence-based practices. The analyses indicate that the Turkish versions of the EBPLS and the EBPWES are acceptable, valid, and reliable for Turkish nurses.

Sustainable Orientation of Management Capability and Innovative Performance: The Mediating Effect of Knowledge Management

The literature suggests that innovation allows organizations to reach a desirable level of sustainability. There is evidence to support the role of knowledge management (KM) as well as management capability (MC) in producing a sustainable approach at organizations. Furthermore, organizations commonly achieve sustainable practices through corporate social responsibility (CSR). In particular, the health sector is increasingly implementing CSR strategies, although with a narrow understanding of the factors to success. Hence, trends lead to asymmetric growth between organizations. This study aims to examine the mediating role of KM in the relationship between MC and innovative performance (IP) in 331 Health Provider Institutions (HPIs). The research reflective model was assessed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). According to the results, MC has a positive effect on IP, MC has a positive effect on KM, and KM has a positive effect on IP. Likewise, KM significantly mediates the relationship between MC and IP. Our findings support the importance of KM in addressing MCs in HPIs as it enables innovative practices to address CSR goals to achieve a sustainable impact. Moreover, this study contributes by expanding KM to contexts that are not usually studied, such as health in a South American country.

Factors influencing the success of knowledge management process in health care organisations: a literature review

INTRODUCTION

Knowledge is a strategic resource in health care organisations and knowledge management (KM) is applied as an effective solution to overcome challenges, such as rising health care cost and increasing demands for improving quality of care. The aim of this review was to identify factors influencing the success of KM process in health care organisations of developed and developing countries.

METHODS

This review was conducted in 2018. The sources used for searching relevant papers were PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Knowledge, EMBASE and Google Scholar, and the time frame was between 1980 and 2017. The search terms were KM, health care services administration, health care organisation, hospital and clinic which were combined by using AND/OR Boolean operators.

RESULTS

In this review, 13 papers were included. The main success factors influencing KM implementation in health care organisations were organisational culture, information technology, organisational structure, and performance evaluation and measurement. In developed countries, organisational culture was the most frequent factor, while in developing countries, organisational culture and information technology were the most frequent ones.

CONCLUSION

It seems that in developed and developing countries, organisational factors are the most frequent factors influencing successful KM in health care organisations.

Managing knowledge for health care quality: An investigation of rational antibiotic use among Thai dentists

OBJECTIVES

Because of the irrational use of antibiotics, antimicrobial resistance is now a global concern that requires developing effective strategies against. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge gap that causes the irrational use of antibiotics among Thai dentists.

METHODS

Thai dentists were asked to complete an online questionnaire regarding their knowledge, perception, and attitude towards rationale antibiotic use. The survey was conducted during November to December 2018.

RESULTS

Online questionnaires were completed by 588 dentists. Most respondents had a positive perception and were aware of the rational use of antibiotics. However, the use of antibiotics without proper indication and the lack of pharmacological knowledge were found. A mobile application was considered the most preferable approach to manage knowledge for rational drug use.

CONCLUSION

Irrational drug use among Thai dentists can be caused by lack of knowledge, attitude, and the perception of each dentist. Policy makers should promote self-learning through knowledge management strategies that can complement the pharmacology courses taught in dental school.

An assessment of management competencies for primary health care managers in Timor-Leste

BACKGROUND

This study aims to assess the levels of management competencies of primary health care (PHC) managers in Timor-Leste. Timor-Leste is a young country. It has made important improvements in reconstructing its health system since its independence in 2002. However, most managers still learn through their failures, and few studies have described the perceptions of managers in Timor-Leste.

METHODS

This study used quantitative methods, using a cross-sectional survey involving a structured self-administered questionnaire. The Cochran formula was used in calculating the sample size. The sample included 183 PHC managers in Timor-Leste. Stratified random sampling was adopted to conduct the survey. The researcher used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to confirm the validity and reliability of the tools and create new dimensions. The data were analyzed using the frequency and percentage.

RESULTS

This study was initially designed to include seven dimensions, but after confirming it using the CFA, it was reduced to six dimensions. The result of CFA was used. This study found that PHC managers in Timor-Leste had rated themselves "not competent" in knowing the organization, professionalism in the workplace, problem solving on financial management, and effective leadership and only "competent" in managing human resources and communicating effectively.

CONCLUSION

This study determined that policy makers and stakeholders must give more attention to knowing the organization, professionalism in the workplace, problem solving on financial management, and effective leadership. Managers need to be competent and have various skills to perform managerial functions effectively and efficiently.

Knowledge Management and the Sustainable Development of Social Work

The growing shortage of skilled social workers, accompanied by an ageing population and the increasing number of fragile, elderly individuals that require social services, poses a serious challenge for our society. The magnitude of this problem is seen in the various predictions hypothesizing that, globally, there is likely to be a shortfall of millions of social workers for the successful provision of social services. To make matters worse, there are not enough social work students to fill that void, whereas the existing employee turnover is another serious concern for the social work field. Policy makers in many countries do not yet understand the pattern of growing needs and have no tool to forecast the future increase in educational requirements for creating a pool of adequately skilled social workers. In addition to this, understanding the patterns of workforce entrance and exit for social workers and the dynamics of transition becomes important for national policy and decision makers. In our paper, we build on current research about knowledge management in social work settings to demonstrate that knowledge management can have a positive impact in helping to fulfil the important role of social work in any ageing society. With our research, we contribute to the underdeveloped literature about knowledge management in the public sector and especially in social work settings and to the knowledge-based view of the organization. We present a multiple decrement model of social workers’ entrance and transition from social work student and social worker trainee to fully productive social worker, to their exit, whether by changed profession, retirement or death. We argue that the availability of social workers in a national economy depends on the development and operationalization of appropriate policies, where knowledge management can be influential. Our model allows measuring the quality of the national policy system related to the social work profession, something which has not been achieved yet, and shows how knowledge management solutions can positively influence the whole field of social work. We apply an objective measuring tool, grounded in an already developed actuarial–mathematical method. Our case relies on the collection and analysis of relevant data found in publicly available statistical reports for Slovenia. Existing data enables us to provide assumptions on how to better forecast the transition of social workers.

Modeling the Pathways of Knowledge Management Towards Social and Economic Outcomes of Health Organizations

Despite the increasing emphasis placed on knowledge management (KM) by the business sector and the common belief that creating, acquiring, sharing, and the use of knowledge enable individuals, teams, and communities to achieve superior performance, within the healthcare context, there is still room from improvements from both the theoretical and empirical perspectives. The purpose of this paper is to outline the contribution of KM process to the social- and economic-related outcomes in the context of health organizations. Given the theoretical approach on the considered concepts and their relationships, a conceptual model and seven research hypotheses were proposed. The empirical data were provided by a cross-sectional investigation including 459 medical and nonmedical employees of Romanian heath organizations, selected by a mixed method sampling procedure. A partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach was selected to provide information on the relevance and significance of the first- and second-order constructs, test the hypotheses, and conduct an importance performance matrix analysis. The PLS-SEM estimation showed positive and significant relationships between KM process and quality of healthcare, and organizational-level social and economic outcomes. Moreover, the research results provided evidences for the complex complementary mediation of the quality of healthcare and social-related outcomes on the relationships between KM process and social and economic outcomes. The theoretical and managerial implications are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided at the end of the paper.

The perceived effectiveness of MERS-CoV educational programs and knowledge transfer among primary healthcare workers: a cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

Knowledge transfer of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) involves the dissemination of created/acquired information on MERS-CoV in hospitals, making this information accessible to all healthcare workers (HCWs). This study evaluated the perceived effectiveness of MERS-CoV educational programs and knowledge transfer among primary care HCWs at a hospital in Saudi Arabia that witnessed the largest outbreak of confirmed MERS-CoV cases in this country.

METHODS

A survey was distributed among primary care HCWs at five clinics in Saudi Arabia in 2016. Those with non-direct patient care responsibilities were excluded. Their knowledge was evaluated against facts published by Mayo Clinic Foundation, and its percentage mean score (PMS) ± standard deviation was calculated. HCWs' perceived effectiveness of educational programs and knowledge transfer was classified as negative or positive.

RESULTS

Sample comprised of 404 HCWs, of which 64% were females and 36% were males. Almost 26% were ≤ 30 years old, and 42% had > 10 years of work experience. Almost 46.5% were nurses, 23.0% physicians, 18.1% were pharmacists, and 12.4% were technical staff. PMS for knowledge was 71.1 ± 19.4. The prevalence of negative perceptions towards educational programs was 22.5% and of knowledge transfer was 20.8%. Older(> 40 years of age) and more experienced(> 10 years) HCWs had the highest PMS for knowledge(73.4 ± 18.9,P = 0.005 and 76.9 ± 15.7,P < 0.001 respectively). Negative perceptions of educational programs (49.4 ± 20.7; P < 0.001) and knowledge transfer (46.0 ± 19.7; P = 0.001) were associated with a lower knowledge PMS. Males were 2.4[95% confidence interval 1.4-4.2] times and 2.0[1.1-3.5] times more likely to have negative perceptions of educational programs and knowledge transfer (adjusted (adj.)P = 0.001 and adj. P = 0.023, respectively). Physicians/pharmacists were 1.8[1.03-3.11] and 2.8[1.6-5.0] times more likely to have negative perceptions of both outcomes (adj. P = 0.038 and adj. P = 0.001, respectively). Less experienced HCWs were 2.1[1.3-3.5] times and 4.9[2.6-9.2] times more likely to exhibit negative perceptions of the two outcomes (adj. P < 0.001 each).

CONCLUSIONS

A negative perception of the effectiveness of MERS-CoV knowledge transfer was associated with poorer knowledge and was more prevalent among male HCWs, physicians/pharmacists and less experienced HCWs. Hospitals should always refer to efficient knowledge sharing and educational strategies that render beneficial outcomes to patients, HCWs, and the public community.

Developing Sustainable Healthcare Systems in Developing Countries: Examining the Role of Barriers, Enablers and Drivers on Knowledge Management Adoption

Knowledge management (KM) adoption is crucial to integrating sustainable development within the healthcare sector. Different barriers, enablers, and drivers affect KM adoption. Identifying these barriers, enablers, and drivers and their role in KM adoption is the core of successful KM adoption. However, there is scarcity of studies applying quantitative models and combing barriers, enablers and drivers to check their effect on KM adoption, especially form a developing country’s perspective such as Pakistan. Therefore, this study explores the role of barriers, enablers and drivers on KM adoption in Pakistan. Healthcare professionals participated in the data collection process, and results were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings described that: (1) organizational and strategic barriers have significant negative association with KM adoption; (2) government related enablers have significant positive association with KM adoption; (3) healthcare related drivers, and performance-based drivers have significant positive association with KM adoption. This study concludes that government intervention to promote KM adoption is necessary especially in developing countries. These findings will be helpful for the healthcare professionals and policy makers to promote KM adoption in healthcare sector. Current study contributes to the healthcare literature and body of knowledge by providing the empirical evidence of checking the quantitative effect of barriers, enablers and drivers on KM adoption.

Promoting Healthcare Sustainability in Developing Countries: Analysis of Knowledge Management Drivers in Public and Private Hospitals of Pakistan

Investing in a sustainable future has no alternative; the healthcare sector in developing countries has failed to achieve sustainability objectives. Knowledge management (KM) is a concrete application of sustainability in healthcare, as organizations (hospitals) that manage their knowledge assets will gain sustainable competitive advantage. Several organizations in developed countries are moving towards the adoption of knowledge management so that they can manage their knowledge well and improve their performance. Due to the effective implementation of KM in developed countries, developing countries are also considering adopting KM in their healthcare. In this study, an attempt has been made to identify the drivers of KM adoption in public and private hospitals of Pakistan. With the help of an extensive literature review and expert opinion, the drivers were identified and a hierarchical structure was developed. Nineteen drivers were identified and screened out by experts. The experts identified the contextual relationships between the drivers during a brainstorming session. The hierarchical model of the drivers for KM in the healthcare of Pakistan was eventually developed using interpretive structural modeling (ISM). The structure has 10 levels, in which “developed competitive advantage” formed the foundation of the structure and “job creation” and “improvement in the reputation of healthcare” formed the topmost level. The “Matrices d’Impacts Croises Multiplication Appliqué a un Classement” (MICMAC) analysis classified the drivers by categorizing them according to their driving and dependence powers. One driver is identified as autonomous, six drivers as dependent, seven drivers as linkage, and five drivers as independent. The analysis of KM drivers will provide a good understanding of the interdependence and interactions between them and support the effect adoption of KM in developing countries especially in Pakistan.

Enablers Supporting the Implementation of Knowledge Management in the Healthcare of Pakistan

Knowledge is considered to be an important resource; it is the source of competitive advantage. However, if knowledge is managed well with Knowledge Management (KM), then it becomes a source for sustainable competitive advantage for organizations. If KM is implemented in an organization, it would improve the organizational competitiveness, performance, and productivity, and facilitate the efficient use of resources. Due to intense competition in the global market, many organizations are moving towards the adoption of KM. The healthcare sectors of many developed countries have moved towards the implementation of KM because it can improve the procuring of knowledge from ongoing activities by the effective use of data repositories. Developing countries have now realized the potential and benefits of KM adoption. Pakistan is one of the developing countries that have recently shown an inclination towards the adoption of KM in its healthcare sector to improve performance of its healthcare. This study was composed of two main research phases. Firstly, the enablers of KM were reviewed from earlier studies. Secondly, interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and MICMAC (Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification) techniques were used to show the interrelationships between KM enablers and driving and dependence power of each enabler. The application of ISM and MICMAC technique shows that policy incentive, long-term strategic planning, Information Technology (IT), and alignment of KM efforts with business strategy are the main enablers of KM adoption in the healthcare of Pakistan. Focusing on the identified enablers will help in the implementation of KM. Policy incentives can work as a catalyst to promote KM adoption in the healthcare of Pakistan.

Barriers to Knowledge Management in the Health Sector of Pakistan

Knowledge management (KM) is the source for creating a sustainable competitive advantage, and it helps the organizations to retain, develop, organize and utilize their knowledge. Due to globalization, the organizations must maintain their knowledge assets to survive. Many organizations have realized the potential of KM and are applying it. Since the healthcare industry is growing significantly, it is continuously generating a wealth of knowledge. This knowledge can be recorded, communicated and used by many health care professionals with the help of KM. There is a wealth of research on KM in healthcare of developed countries, but very few studies regarding KM implementation can be found in developing countries i.e., Pakistan. Pakistan is now looking towards the implementation of KM; it is in its initial stages. The implementation of KM in the healthcare of Pakistan is affected by different barriers. In this study, the barriers will be identified and analyzed. An interrelationship between the barriers will be determined, and how the different barriers support each other (driving power), and how they influence each other (dependence power). The results of interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and MICMAC (Matrice d’Impacts croises-multipication appliqué an classment i.e., cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification) approach show that lack of support from top management, insufficient strategic planning and lack of support from organizational structure are the main barriers to KM adoption in the healthcare of Pakistan. This study provides a solution in determining the main barriers that need to be solved first, and to ensure effective implementation of KM in the healthcare of Pakistan.

Knowledge content quality, perceived usefulness, KMS use for sharing and retrieval

Purpose

Flock leadership theory explores how different collective learning capacities emerge when interacting individuals work through challenges. While research has link other leadership styles with knowledge management systems (KMS), studies examining flock leadership and KMS are largely lacking. This paper aims to investigate the nexus between flock leadership, knowledge content quality, perceived usefulness of KMS, KMS use for sharing and KMS use for retrieval.

Design/methodology/approach

Using survey data (n = 442) from health-care establishments in Jordan, the authors apply structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

The results show the following: flock leadership influences knowledge content quality; knowledge content quality influences perceived usefulness of KMS; perceived usefulness of KMS influences KMS use for sharing and retrieval; and knowledge content quality and perceived usefulness of KMS mediates the link between flock leadership and KMS use for sharing and retrieval.

Originality/value

Existing research considered KMS through a narrow lens, without consideration of the social context (collective capacities) that surrounds knowledge workers. This study responds to call for research concerning the motion that says technical and adaptive capacity are the underlying norm that configures flock behaviors. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Transformative agency and tensions in knowledge management-A qualitative interview study for nurse leaders

AIM

To describe Finnish nurse leaders' perceptions of and experiences with knowledge management.

BACKGROUND

Health science research has traditionally focused on knowledge transfer and research evidence instead of knowledge management, culture and organisational learning. Systematic reviews indicate a lack of awareness about nurse leaders' activities in knowledge management.

DESIGN

Qualitative interview study according to the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (see Supporting Information Table S1).

METHODS

Data were collected at a Finnish public, social and healthcare organisation from 33 persons in 2015 and 2017 through 35 individual interviews and seven focus groups. Data were analysed by thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Nurse leaders' daily knowledge management activities included assurance of smooth work functions and decisions about sudden changes. When managing knowledge promotion, nurse leaders focused on the near future and served information providers, coaches and developers of operating culture. Anticipatory management of knowledge requirements emphasised nurse leaders' roles as assessors and visionaries. Tensions while managing knowledge were related to the following: changes in clients' service needs, insufficient structures and tools to support the assessment and joint development of competence, time and information management, the operating culture, and nurse leader support. Participants reported only few attempts to solve tensions and therefore little to no transformative agency.

CONCLUSION

Nurse leaders prioritised daily knowledge management over management of knowledge promotion and anticipatory management of knowledge requirements. Knowledge management in nursing is a complex task requiring a command of different kinds of agency and related leadership styles. The structures, processes and tools supporting knowledge management should be developed to ensure that activities are systematic.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

A description of nurse leaders' perceptions of and experiences with knowledge management could improve recognition of nurse leaders' agencies for knowledge management, identification of related tensions and application of lessons learned from tensions. This description could also promote nurses' professional competence and supplement nurse leaders' training.

How to improve sharing and application of knowledge in care and support for people with intellectual disabilities? A systematic review

BACKGROUND

To optimise care and support for people with intellectual disabilities (ID), sharing and application of knowledge is a precondition. In healthcare in general, there is a body of knowledge on bridging the 'know-do-gap'. However, it is not known to what extent the identified barriers and facilitators to knowledge sharing and application also hold for the care and support of people with ID, due to its specific characteristics including long-term care. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to identify which organisational factors are enabling and/or disabling in stimulating the sharing and application of knowledge in the care and support of people with ID.

METHOD

A systematic review was conducted using five electronic databases of relevant articles published in English between January 2000 and December 2015. During each phase of selection and analysis a minimum of two independent reviewers assessed all articles according to PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

In total 2,256 articles were retrieved, of which 19 articles met our inclusion criteria. All organisational factors retrieved from these articles were categorised into three main clusters: (1) characteristics of the intervention (factors related to the tools and processes by which the method was implemented); (2) factors related to people (both at an individual and group level); and, (3) factors related to the organisational context (both material factors (office arrangements and ICT system, resources, time and organisation) and immaterial factors (training, staff, size of team)).

CONCLUSION

Overall analyses of the retrieved factors suggest that they are related to each other through the preconditional role of management (i.e., practice leadership) and the key role of professionals (i.e. (in)ability to fulfill new roles).

Knowledge Management Implementation and the Tools Utilized in Healthcare for Evidence-Based Decision Making: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Healthcare is a knowledge driven process and thus knowledge management and the tools to manage knowledge in healthcare sector are gaining attention. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate knowledge management implementation and knowledge management tools used in healthcare for informed decision making.

METHODS

Three databases, two journals websites and Google Scholar were used as sources for the review. The key terms used to search relevant articles include: "Healthcare and Knowledge Management"; "Knowledge Management Tools in Healthcare" and "Community of Practices in healthcare".

RESULTS

It was found that utilization of knowledge management in healthcare is encouraging. There exist numbers of opportunities for knowledge management implementation, though there are some barriers as well. Some of the opportunities that can transform healthcare are advances in health information and communication technology, clinical decision support systems, electronic health record systems, communities of practice and advanced care planning.

CONCLUSION

Providing the right knowledge at the right time, i.e., at the point of decision making by implementing knowledge management in healthcare is paramount. To do so, it is very important to use appropriate tools for knowledge management and user-friendly system because it can significantly improve the quality and safety of care provided for patients both at hospital and home settings.

Knowledge Sharing between Enterprises of the Same Group

This exploratory study seeks to promote investigation about knowledge sharing between enterprises of the same enterprise group and is motivated by the growing importance of knowledge management (KM) to businesses. The data was collected from Community Innovation Survey (CIS) 2012 and three linear regressions were performed (one to all enterprises, one to SME and one to large enterprises). The results show that cooperation for product or process innovation and service innovation influence knowledge sharing between enterprises of the same enterprise group, contributing to learning organizations. The present paper clarifies the importance of innovation and cooperation for innovation in KM practices between enterprises of the same enterprise group. The results are only valid to SME, since large enterprises have different practices of KM.

Getting the most out of knowledge and innovation transfer agents in health care: a qualitative study

Background

Knowledge and innovation transfer (KIT) is recognised internationally as a complex, dynamic process that is difficult to embed in organisations. There is growing use of health service–academic–industry collaborations in the UK, with knowledge brokers linking producers with the users of knowledge and innovation.

Aim

Focusing on KIT ‘agent’ roles within Academic Health Science Networks in England and Partnerships in Wales, we show how individual dispositions, processes and content contribute to desired outcomes.

Methods

We studied the KIT intentions of all Academic Health Science Networks in England, and the South East Wales Academic Health Science Partnership. Using a qualitative case study design, we studied the work of 13 KIT agents purposively sampled from five networks, by collecting data from observation of meetings, documentation, KIT agent audio-diaries, and semistructured interviews with KIT agents, their line managers and those they supported (‘Links’). We also used a consensus method in a meeting of experts (nominal group technique) to discuss the measurement of outcomes of KIT agent activity.

Findings

The case study KIT agents were predominantly from a clinical background with differing levels of experience and expertise, with the shared aim of improving services and patient care. Although outside of recognised career structures, the flexibility afforded to KIT agents to define their role was an enabler of success. Other helpful factors included (1) time and resources to devote to KIT activity; (2) line manager support and a team to assist in the work; and (3) access and the means to use data for improvement projects. The organisational and political context could be challenging. KIT agents not only tackled local barriers such as siloed working, but also navigated shifting regional and national policies. Board-level support for knowledge mobilisation together with a culture of reflection (listening to front-line staff), openness to challenges and receptivity to research all enabled KIT agents to achieve desired outcomes. Nominal group findings underscored the importance of relating measures to specific intended outcomes. However, the case studies highlighted that few measures were employed by KIT agents and their managers. Using social marketing theory helped to show linkages between processes, outcomes and impact, and drew attention to how KIT agents developed insight into their clients’ needs and tailored work accordingly.

Limitations

Level of KIT agent participation varied; line managers and Links were interviewed only once; and outcomes were self-reported.

Conclusions

Social marketing theory provided a framework for analysing KIT agent activity. The preparatory work KIT agents do in listening, understanding local context and building relationships enabled them to develop ‘insight’ and adapt their ‘offer’ to clients to achieve desired outcomes.

Future work

The complexity of the role and the environment in which it is played out justifies more research on KIT agents. Suggestions include (1) longitudinal study of career pathways; (2) how roles are negotiated within teams and how competing priorities are managed; (3) how success is measured; (4) the place of improvement methodologies within KIT work; (5) the application of social marketing theory to comparative study of similar roles; and (6) patients as KIT agents.

Funding

The National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.

Gradnja strokovnih zmogljivosti zaposlenih v zdravstveni negi

Uvod: Izobraževanja prispevajo k strokovnemu znanju. Vplivajo na produktivnost in prožnost zaposlenih, izide zdravstvene oskrbe, kakovost obravnave, zadovoljstvo pacientov, svojcev in zaposlenih. Namen raziskave je bil ugotoviti mnenje udeležencev o izvedenih seminarjih in predlagati usmeritve in priporočila. Metode: Izvedena je bila kvantitativna metoda raziskovanja v letu 2014. Vprašalnik so udeleženci (n = 242) izpolnili na dan seminarja. Razdeljen je bil na štiri sklope: ocena dogodka (kraj, čas, tema, obveščenost, registracija, organizacija, gradivo), ocena strokovnih vsebin in ocena predavatelja, ocena časa izvedbe predavanj, učnih delavnic, razprav, podajanje mnenj udeležencev. Pridobljene podatke smo opisno analizirali. Izračunane so bile frekvence, odstotek, preizkus χ2 z razmerjem verjetij. Rezultati: Med seminarji obstajajo statistično pomembne razlike v kakovosti gradiv (χ2 = 34,082, p 0,018). V zvezi z vsebinami obstajajo statistično pomembne razlike v izpolnitvi pričakovanj udeležencev glede na starost v skupini od 31 do 40 let (χ2 = 9,735, p > 0,021). Diskusija in zaključek: Udeleženci so imeli visok nivo zadovoljstva z organizacijo, izborom tem in vsebinami. Izboljšave so potrebne pri pripravi gradiv, pri izboru kompetentnih predavateljev in v trajanju delavnic.