Clinical Skills Performed By Iranian Emergency Nurses: Perceived Competency Levels and Attitudes Toward Expanding Professional Roles

Efficacy of a virtual nursing simulation-based education to provide psychological support for patients affected by infectious disease disasters: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Virtual simulation-based education for healthcare professionals has emerged as a strategy for dealing with infectious disease disasters, particularly when training at clinical sites is restricted due to the risk of infection and a lack of personal protective equipment. This research evaluated a virtual simulation-based education program intended to increase nurses' perceived competence in providing psychological support to patients affected by infectious disease disasters.

METHODS

The efficacy of the program was evaluated via a randomized controlled trial. We recruited 104 nurses for participation in the study and allocated them randomly and evenly to an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group was given a web address through which they could access the program, whereas the control group was provided with a web address that directed them to text-based education materials. Data were then collected through an online survey of competence in addressing disaster mental health, after which the data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences(version 23.0).

RESULTS

The analysis showed that the experimental group's disaster mental health competence (F = 5.149, p =.026), problem solving process (t = 3.024, p =.003), self-leadership (t = 2.063, p =.042), learning self-efficacy (t = 3.450, p =.001), and transfer motivation (t = 2.095, p =.039) significantly statistically differed from those of the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

A virtual nursing simulation-based education program for psychological support can overcome limitations of time and space. The program would also be an effective learning resource during infectious disease outbreaks.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

This Korean clinical trial was retrospectively registered (21/11/2023) in the Clinical Research Information Service ( https://cris.nih.go.kr ) with trial registration number KCT0008965.

Design and psychometric properties of the acute care quality in trauma emergency units scale

BACKGROUND

Systematic trauma care scale could be designed and used by nurses to completely and adequately fulfill a complex care to improve trauma care quality. The purpose of this study was to design and evaluate the psychometric property of the Nursing Care Quality in Trauma Emergency Units and trauma care promotion.

METHODS

This methodological study was conducted in 2022. The process of designing and psychometric assessment of the scale was performed in two steps such as Generating an Item Pool and Validity and Reliability evaluation (Item reduction). The construct validity was determined using the experimental intervention; for determining the reliability of the scale and internal consistency, we measured the inter-rater reliability (IRR). Data were analyzed using the SPSS software, version 22.

RESULTS

Based on our findings, the CVI and CVR of the scale were 1 and 0.83-1, respectively. A significant difference between the pre- and post-intervention scores in group 1 supports the inference that the construct has been appropriately represented, and the instrument has construct validity (p < 0.001). We found that there was a significant difference in the scores of Patient assessment, Planning and Implementations, and Evaluation of the care plan. The inter-rater reliability method allows the optimal reliability assessment of observational instruments, which was used in this study, and the results confirmed excellent reliability of the instrument.

CONCLUSIONS

The validity and reliability of the Nursing Care Quality in Trauma Emergency Units Scale were confirmed. The instrument could successfully assess the process of nursing care in the trauma emergency ward. The use of this checklist is recommended as a valid observational tool for other researchers.

STUDY TYPE

Therapeutic/care management.

Self-Rated Emergency Core Nursing Competencies Among Emergency Nurses in Qassim, Saudi Arabia

Introduction Emergency situations require advanced and specialized knowledge and skills to handle urgent situations. However, there is a scarcity of literature on emergency nurses' competencies. We assessed the competencies of nurses working in the emergency departments of hospitals in the Qassim region. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 213 nursing staff at the emergency departments of all government hospitals in the Qassim region. A standardized tool was adopted for data collection which encompassed sociodemographic and self-reported competencies in nine emergency nursing domains, reflecting the core competencies using a 5-point Likert scale. Data was collected through an online survey. SPSS version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, USA) was used for data analysis. Linear regression analysis was carried out to explore the factors associated with competencies.  Results A total of 213 nurses were included in the study with a mean age of 32.9±4.6 years. More than two-thirds of the nurses were female (69.5) and more than half were Saudi nationals. The mean experience of the participants was (6.3±3.7) years. The nurses at the emergency department had satisfactory knowledge about most of the core emergency nursing competencies with some areas such as genitourinary, gynecological assessment, and documentation being deficient. Increasing age, being non-Saudi, married and nurse supervisor were associated with higher competencies. Conclusions Nurses generally had satisfactory knowledge of most of the core competencies of nurses in the emergency department in the Qassim region. However, there were deficiencies in core competencies in some domains. There is a need to provide on-the-job training and coaching for emergency nurses to improve their competencies and the quality of emergency care in the hospitals.

Comparing the effects of demonstration, video display, and virtual social networks on nursing students' learning of hemodialysis clinical skills: An interventional and comparative study

BACKGROUND

Applying new methods of clinical education seems to provide nursing students with educational opportunities. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of training through demonstration, video display, and virtual social space on the learning of clinical skills among nursing students.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this semi-experimental research with posttest that was performed in 2019, thirty nursing students of the seventh semester were randomly assigned to three groups of demonstration, video display, and the social virtual space education with ten people in each group. The research was conducted in the hemodialysis ward of university hospitals. Each group was trained and evaluated during 10 days with 5-h sessions continuously. Participants' skills were evaluated using eight self-made, valid and reliable checklists, and the three groups were compared. For data analysis such as the means and standard deviations and inferential statistics, Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis likelihood-ratio, and Chi-squared test in SPSS version 16 were used.

RESULTS

The results indicated that practical skill levels in the group of virtual social network were significantly higher than the two groups of video display (P = 0.045) and demonstration (P = 0.03). In addition, the group of virtual space had significantly higher scores than those of the other two groups only in two skills of "prime" and "disconnecting the patients from the machine" (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Proper use of networks and social virtual space for clinical training, along with conventional methods of learning, provides good learning opportunities and is affordable in terms of time, cost, and process.

The effect of bio ethical principles education on ethical attitude of prehospital paramedic personnel

BACKGROUND

Ethical attitude of paramedic personnel is one of the most important factors in their effective and useful performance. Therefore, according to the importance of this issue and immense effect of religious culture on the formation of ethics, this study aimed to effect bio-ethical principles teaching on moral attitude of paramedic emergency personnel in Iran.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The present study was an experimental study carried out in 2020 on 60 of paramedic emergency personnel. Samples were available, randomly selected and assigned to two groups of control and intervention. The intervention was performed for a 2-h workshop of bioethical principles in 4 day based on Quran verses. Moral attitude of both groups was studied before and after each intervention. Data were analyzed using Kolmogorov-Simonov, Chi-square, t-test, one-way, and paired t-test with SPSS version 16 (P ≤ 0/05).

RESULTS

Ethical attitude means for both groups of control and intervention demonstrated that ethical attitude has meaningfully increased after the workshop. Demographic variables such as age, gender, and work experience of participants in workshops were not different between these two groups (P < 0/05). The study of these two groups showed that there is no relationship among work experience, gender, marital status, age, and ethical attitude.

CONCLUSION

Prehospital emergency is quite different from the other occupations in health-care system and the ethical issues of this field are more important. Therefore, teaching in workplace and through ethical principles based on religious teachings will have a profound effect on improving biological ethics of paramedic prehospital staffs.

Professional Identity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Nurses in China

BACKGROUND

Emergency and intensive care unit nurses are the main workforce fighting against COVID-19. Their professional identity may affect whether they can actively participate and be competent in care tasks during the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the level of and changes in professional identity of Chinese emergency and intensive care unit nurses as the COVID-19 pandemic builds.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey composed of the Professional Identity Scale for Nurses plus 2 open-ended questions was administered to Chinese emergency and intensive care unit nurses through an online questionnaire.

RESULTS

Emergency and intensive care unit nurses had a medium level of professional identity. Participants' total and item mean scores in 5 professional identity dimensions were higher than the professional identity norm established by Liu (P < .001). The greatest mean item score difference was in the dimension of professional identity evaluation (3.57 vs 2.88, P < .001). When asked about their feelings witnessing the COVID-19 situation and their feelings about participating in frontline work, 68.9% and 83.9%, respectively, reported positive changes in their professional identity.

CONCLUSIONS

The professional identity of emergency and intensive care unit nurses greatly improved during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. This finding may be attributed to more public attention and recognition of nurses' value, nurses' professional fulfillment, and nurses' feelings of being supported, motivated, respected, and valued.

Electrocardiogram interpretation competency among emergency nurses and emergency medical service (EMS) personnel: A cross-sectional and comparative descriptive study

AIMS

The aim of this research study was to compare electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation competency among emergency nurses and EMS personnel.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional comparative descriptive study design was used.

METHODS

This study recruited 170 participants (105 emergency nurses and 65 EMS personnel) in northwest of Iran. Data were collected during 2018 using ECG, an interpretation competency questionnaire and analysed using SPSS V.24 through independent t test, linear regression, Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficient. A statistical significance of p < .05 was assumed.

RESULTS

The study results showed a mean score of 6.65 ± 2.16 out of 10 for emergency nurses' and 4.87 ± 1.81 for EMS personnel ECG interpretation competency (p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Hospital emergency nurses were more qualified to interpret the ECG than the pre-hospital emergency medical personnel (p = .792 and β (SE)) = 0.22 (0.84). Active involvement in ECG interpretation and standard continued education are needed to develop and improve the emergency nurses and EMS personnel ECG interpretation competency.

A survey of clinical competence of new nurses working in emergency department in Iran: A descriptive, cross-sectional study

Aims

This article reports on a study investigating the self‐assessed clinical competence of new nurses working in emergency departments.

Design

A quantitative approach using descriptive cross‐sectional survey design was employed.

Methods

The clinical competency of the participants was assessed using the Competency Inventory for Registered Nurse questionnaire, which contains the seven dimensions of clinical care, leadership, interpersonal relations, legal/ethical, professional development, teaching/coaching and critical thinking/research aptitude. Data from 115 new nurses employed in emergency departments of nine selected university hospitals in the northwest of Iran were collected by the Competency Inventory for Registered Nurse (CIRN) from December 2018–May 2019 and analysed.

Results

The mean clinical competency for the total scale was 155.7 (SD 32.9), indicating a moderate competency. The most highly self‐rated competency was legal/ethical practice, and the least rated was critical thinking–research aptitude.

Self-assessed competencies of nurses at an emergency department in Ghana

Introduction

The nature and scope of emergency nursing exposes nurses to a wide array of patient populations with rapidly changing and unexpected clinical conditions, sophisticated logistics and procedures. Hence, emergency centre (EC) nurses ought to be ready to face diverse clinical challenges and deliver care to patients in a timely cost-effective manner and with the needed competence. The current study aimed at examining the self-assessed competencies of nurses, and comparing ratings among certified emergency nurses (ENs) and general nurses (GNs) working at an EC of a tertiary hospital in Ghana.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional quantitative study was carried out among 109 conveniently sampled nurses. Participants evaluated their perceived competencies on a validated instrument under five domains, namely: diagnostic function (DF), administering and monitoring therapeutic interventions (AMTI), effective management of rapidly changing situations (EMRCS), organisational and work load competency (OWLC), and the helping role (HR). Descriptive and inferential data analyses were by SPSS version 25.

Results

Participants generally had good competencies in the performance of emergency nursing procedures. Highest scores were obtained in OWLC (median score of 83.3%) while EMRCS recorded the least scores (median score of 57.9%). With the exception of the DF domain (p = 0.166), ENs perceived themselves as significantly more competent than their counterpart GNs in 4 (OWLC, HR, AMTI, EMRCS) out of the five studied domains (p < 0.05).

Discussion

Specialist training enhances nurses' perceived competences in emergency nursing procedures. This reiterates the need for regular theory and practice-based education for GNs on intermediate and advanced procedures as they prepare to enrol in specialist programmes. As nurses take on expanded professional roles in this emerging nursing specialty in low- and middle-income countries, it is important the needed capacity is developed to adequately address the needs of patients and families that require services in ECs.

Determination of nursing procedures and competencies in emergency departments: A cross-sectional study

The aim of this study was to determine the nursing procedures carried out by emergency department nurses. This descriptive study was carried out between April and September 2015 in the emergency departments of two state hospitals and one university hospital in Turkey. The study population comprised 139 emergency nurses working for at least 1 year in the emergency department of one of the three hospitals. Data were gathered by using the Emergency Nursing Procedures Questionnaire, which is composed of three sections to reveal nursing procedures performed in emergency departments. The procedures most frequently performed by the participants were administration of pain medication and assessment of patient responses (3.97 ± .18). Assessment of the patient's nutritional status (1.79 ± 1.16) was among the least frequently performed nursing procedures. Emergency nurses carried out nursing care procedures less frequently and took part most frequently in procedures related to medical diagnosis and treatment. According to results of this study, these procedures and competencies will highlight what knowledge and skills emergency nurses need. They will also guide in the creation of in-service training programs and illuminate competencies that need improvement.