The Perioperative Nursing Data Set in Korean: Translation, Validation, and Testing

Postoperative wound assessment documentation and acute care nurses' perception of factors impacting wound documentation: A mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

Wound care documentation is an essential component of best practice wound management in order to enhance inter-disciplinary communication and patient care. However, evidence suggests that wound care documentation is often carried out poorly and sporadically.

OBJECTIVES

Determine postoperative wound assessment documentation by acute care nurses and explore their perception of factors constraining adequate nursing documentation.

METHODS

A two-phase sequential exploratory mixed methods design was used. Phase one: A retrospective clinical chart audit of nurses' documentation was undertaken. A random selection of 200 medical records were reviewed over 3 months at a provincial hospital in Vietnam. Phase two: semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 surgical nurses to explore their perceptions of factors influencing appropriate documentation. Inductive qualitative content analysis was applied for qualitative data. This manuscript adheres to COREQ guidelines for reporting the qualitative phase.

FINDINGS

Phase one: 200 records were audited. Less than 10% of preoperative factors (such as co-morbidities, smoking and nutrition status) related to the risk of delayed wound healing were documented. During the first 5 days postoperation, there was no documentation about incision location, wound dimension, wound bed (in wounds healing by secondary intention) or odour. In less than 10% colour and type of exudate were recorded. Phase two: Emerging key categories were: unimportance of nursing documentation, difficulty to change existing practice, and personal factors.

CONCLUSION

This study indicated that surgical wound assessment documentation was insufficient and inconsistent among nurses. Nurses viewed the wound assessment documentation as unimportant. Therefore, extensive exploration of strategies is required to enhance the quality of wound assessment documentation.

Danish Perioperative Nurses' Documentation: A Complex, Multifaceted Practice Connected With Unit Culture and Nursing Leadership

Researchers have described the documentation practices of perioperative nurses as flawed and characterized by subjectivity and poor quality, which is often related to both the documentation tool and the nurses' level of commitment. Studies suggest that documentation of nursing care in the OR places special demands on electronic health records (EHRs). The purpose of this study was to explore how the use of an EHR tailored to perioperative practice affects Danish perioperative nurses' documentation practices. This study was a follow-up to a baseline study from 2014. For three months in the winter of 2015 to 2016, six participants tested an EHR containing a Danish edition of a selected section of the Perioperative Nursing Data Set. This study relied on realistic evaluation and participant observations to generate data. We found that nursing leadership was essential for improving perioperative nurses' documentation practices and that a tailored EHR may improve documentation practices.

The documentation practice of perioperative nurses: a literature review

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE

To explore and present the existing knowledge of the documentation practices of perioperative nurses in the operating room.

BACKGROUND

Studies demonstrate that the documentation of nursing care provided is important for the continuity of patient care as well as patient safety. Nurses find that documenting their perioperative services is important to the surgical pathway; however, a number of studies indicate that the documentation practices of perioperative nurses are characterised by subjectivity, randomness and poor quality.

DESIGN

A literature review with a systematic search of scientific material.

METHOD

The content of the studies included was analysed using content analysis as suggested by Krippendorff. The materials were acquired by searching electronic databases. The search was performed for the period 1995-2015 and resulted in 12 studies.

RESULTS

Three general themes were found to be important for perioperative nurses' documentation practices: (1) the documentation tool must be adapted to the clinical practice; (2) nurses document to improve patient safety and protect themselves legally; and (3) traditions and conditions for documentation.

CONCLUSION

Nurses considered documenting their perioperative practices very important. It was of vital importance that the tool used be adapted to the actual clinical practice and to relevant regulations regarding form and content. Nurses' subjective perceptions of and opinions on the effect of documentation influenced their documentation practices, which were widely governed by habits and traditions. Nurses document to safeguard patients against errors but also to protect their own legal status. Nurses also use documentation as proof of their nursing and as 'a window' to gain recognition for their professional practice.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Our review demonstrates that a focus on the documentation traditions of perioperative nurses combined with training, structure and improved technical tools may facilitate the documentation and thereby improve patient safety.

The dimensions of nursing surveillance: a concept analysis

AIM

This paper is a report of an analysis of the concept of nursing surveillance.

BACKGROUND

Nursing surveillance, a primary function of acute care nurses, is critical to patient safety and outcomes. Although it has been associated with patient outcomes and organizational context of care, little knowledge has been generated about the conceptual and operational process of surveillance.

DATA SOURCES

A search using the CINAHL, Medline and PubMed databases was used to compile an international data set of 18 papers and 4 book chapters published from 1985 to 2009.

REVIEW METHODS

Rodger's evolutionary concept analysis techniques were used to analyse surveillance in a systems framework. This method focused the search to nursing surveillance (as opposed to other medical uses of the term) and used a theoretical framework to guide the analysis.

RESULTS

The examination of the literature clarifies the multifaceted nature of nursing surveillance in the acute care setting. Surveillance involves purposeful and ongoing acquisition, interpretation and synthesis of patient data for clinical decision-making. Behavioural activities and multiple cognitive processes are used in surveillance in order for the nurse to make decisions for patient safety and health maintenance. A systems approach to the analysis also demonstrates how organizational characteristics and contextual factors influence the process in the acute care environment.

CONCLUSION

This conceptual analysis describes the nature of the surveillance process and clarifies the concept for effective communication and future use in health services research.