Creating a Culture of Success: Using the Magnet Recognition Program® as a Framework to Engage Nurses in an Australian Healthcare Facility

Psychiatric nurse's perceptions of their interactions with people who hear voices: A qualitative systematic review and thematic analysis

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: There is no qualitative systematic review of nurses' perceptions of their interactions with people hearing voices. There are some studies exploring the interventions provided by community psychiatric nurses to people hearing voices; these give a sense of what interactions may contain. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO THE EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Nurses across both community and inpatient mental healthcare settings feel uncertain about how to interact with people hearing voices, sometimes feeling like they can do little to help. Their interactions are affected by the workplace culture, education and training and concern for their own safety. Nurses rely on a therapeutic relationship for all interactions. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: This is an under investigated area of mental healthcare. None the less this qualitative systematic review highlights that nurses are unclear about how to interact with service users hearing voices with the resultant outcome that service users in great distress may only be receiving minimal benefit from their interactions with the nurses caring for them. ABSTRACT: Aims and Objectives The aim of this qualitative systematic review and thematic analysis was to identify and synthesize results from studies that explored psychiatric nurses' perceptions of their interactions with service users experiencing auditory hallucinations (hearing voices). Method Qualitative systematic review and thematic analysis. Results Five studies that met the inclusion criteria were identified. Nurses reported that they felt uncertain about what to do for service users hearing voices, struggled to have interactions with voice hearers, but greatly valued the therapeutic relationship with service users. Nurses also reported that they required more education and training on how to interact effectively with people hearing voices. Finally, various workplace challenges were identified as an important factor mediating nurse interaction with service users hearing voices. Discussion Existing evidence shows that nurses lack clarity about how they can interact effectively and in a way that helps service users who are hearing voices. Significant barriers that they must overcome in order to be more certain of their role in caring for people hearing voices are difficult to engage service users and workplace challenges that were not conducive to helpful interactions and conversations. Implications for Practice Nurses caring for people hearing voices require more and better education and training with a view to them becoming more confident and competent when interacting with this service user group. Furthermore, healthy workplace cultures and maintaining a safe environment are necessary for effective caring interactions with people hearing voices.

Measuring Transformational Leadership in Establishing Nursing Care Excellence

Transformational leadership (TL) is known to be essential to achieving Magnet^® recognition, an internationally prestigious status for nursing care excellence. Since its inception in the 1980s, empirical studies have identified benefits of implementing the Magnet^® Model involving improved patient care and nursing workforce outcomes. However, little is known about the leadership styles of nurse managers (NMs) working in a regional Australian context, which may hinder achieving Magnet^® status. To close the knowledge gap, a self-administered survey was conducted to measure leadership styles of NMs at a large health organization comprising hospitals with a wide range of service profiles in regional Australia using a validated tool-the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-6S). One-way of variance (ANOVA) was used to identify statistical significance between respondents' demographic characteristics (e.g., age, education, gender) and their MLQ-6S scores. Respondents (n = 78) reported their leadership styles as more transformational, compared to transactional or passive/avoidant leadership styles. The findings indicated that NMs' higher education (p = 0.02) and older age (p = 0.03) were associated with TL styles, whereas passive/avoidant leadership was generally reported by female (p = 0.04) and younger (p = 0.06) respondents. This study has identified differences in reported leadership styles among NMs, providing a unique organizational insight into developing strategies to improve NMs' TL, which could help to facilitate the implementation of the Magnet^® framework. Healthcare organizations in similar settings could benefit from replicating this study to identify a dominant leadership style and customize strategies to improve TL.

The nexus of nursing leadership and a culture of safer patient care

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To explore the connection between +6 nursing leadership and enhanced patient safety.

BACKGROUND

Critical reports from the Institute of Medicine in 1999 and Francis QC report of 2013 indicate that healthcare organisations, inclusive of nursing leadership, were remiss or inconsistent in fostering a culture of safety. The factors required to foster organisational safety culture include supportive leadership, effective communication, an orientation programme and ongoing training, appropriate staffing, open communication regarding errors, compliance to policy and procedure, and environmental safety and security. As nurses have the highest patient interaction, and leadership is discernible at all levels of nursing, nurse leaders are the nexus to influencing organisational culture towards safer practices.

DESIGN

The position of this article was to explore the need to form a nexus between safety culture and leadership for the provision of safe care.

CONCLUSIONS

Safety is crucial in health care for patient safety and patient outcomes. A culture of safety has been exposed as a major influence on patient safety practices, heavily influenced by leadership behaviours. The relationship between leadership and safety plays a pivotal role in creating positive safety outcomes for patient care. A safe culture is one nurtured by effective leadership.

RELEVANCE TO PRACTICE

Patient safety is the responsibility of all healthcare workers, from the highest executive to the bedside nurse, thus effective leadership throughout all levels is essential in engaging staff to provide high quality care for the best possible patient outcomes.