A comparison of the nurse work environment between perinatal and non-perinatal hospice providers

Using Agency Nurses to Fill RN Vacancies Within Specialized Hospice and Palliative Care

The use of agency nurses offers flexibility in filling registered nurse (RN) openings during times of shortage, yet little is known about their use in specialized palliative care. In an effort to fill this knowledge gap, this study determined whether significant relationships existed between full-time and part-time RN vacancies and the use of agency RNs within specialized hospices that deliver perinatal end-of-life care to women and their families in the event of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or other neonatal complications resulting in death. This study used data from the 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey and multivariate regression methods to estimate the association between RN vacancies and agency RNs use. Approximately 13% of perinatal hospices in 2007 used agency nurses. Increases in full-time RN vacancies are associated with a significant increase in the use of agency RNs, while part-time RN vacancies are associated with a significant decrease in agency RNs. These results suggest that full-time agency RNs were used as a supplemental workforce to fill vacancies until the full-time position is recruited. However, for part-time vacancies, the responsibilities of those positions shifted onto existing staff and the position was not filled.

Nurse Knowledge, Work Environment, and Turnover in Highly Specialized Pediatric End-of-Life Care

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between nurse knowledge, work environment, and registered nurse (RN) turnover in perinatal hospice and palliative care organizations.

METHODS

Using nurse intellectual capital theory, a multivariate analysis was conducted with 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey data.

RESULTS

Perinatal hospice and palliative care organizations experienced a 5% turnover rate. The professional experience of advanced practice nurses (APNs) was significantly related to turnover among RNs (β = -.032, P < .05). Compared to organizations with no APNs professional experience, clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners significantly reduced RN turnover by 3 percentage points. No other nurse knowledge or work environment variables were associated with RN turnover. Several of the control variables were also associated with RN turnover in the study; Organizations serving micropolitan (β = -.041, P < .05) and rural areas (β = -.037, P < .05) had lower RN turnover compared to urban areas. Organizations with a technology climate where nurses used electronic medical records had a higher turnover rate than those without (β = .036, P < .05).

CONCLUSION

The findings revealed that advanced professional experience in the form of APNs was associated with reductions in RN turnover. This suggests that having a clinical nurse specialist or nurse practitioner on staff may provide knowledge and experience to other RNs, creating stability within the organization.

Nursing Unit Environment Associated with Provision of Language Services in Pediatric Hospices

BACKGROUND

Provision of language services in pediatric hospice enables nurses to communicate effectively with patients who have limited English proficiency. Language barriers contribute to ethnic disparities in health care. While language service use corresponds with improved patient comprehension of illness and care options, we lack an understanding of how the nurse work environment affects the provision of these services.

METHODS

Data were obtained from the 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey and included a study sample of 1251 pediatric hospice agencies. Variable selection was guided by structural contingency theory, which posits that organizational effectiveness is dependent upon how well an organization's structure relates to its context. Using multivariate logistic regression, we analyzed the extent to which nursing unit environment predicted provision of translation services and interpreter services.

RESULTS

The majority of hospices provided translation services (74.9 %) and interpreter services (87.1 %). Four variables predicted translation services: registered nurse (RN) unit size, RN leadership, RN medical expertise, and for-profit status. RN medical expertise and having a safety climate within the hospice corresponded with provision of interpreter services.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicate that nursing unit environment predicts provision of language services. Hospices with more specialized RNs and a stronger safety climate might include staffs who are dedicated to best care provision, including language services. This study provides valuable data on the nurse work environment as a predictor of language services provision, which can better serve patients with limited English proficiency and ultimately reduce ethnic disparities in end-of-life care for children and their families.

The relationship between the nursing environment and delivering culturally sensitive perinatal hospice care

BACKGROUND

Wide variations exist among perinatal hospices, and barriers to perinatal palliative care exist at the healthcare level. Research in the area of culturally sensitive perinatal palliative care has been scarce, a gap which this study addresses.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the relationship between the nurse work environment and the delivery of culturally sensitive perinatal hospice care.

METHOD

This retrospective, correlational study used data from the National Home and Hospice Care Survey, which includes a nationally representative sample of hospice care providers. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to estimate the relationship between the delivery of culturally sensitive care and the nurse work environment.

RESULTS

Accreditation, teaching status, and baccalaureate-prepared registered nurse staff had an impact on the provision of culturally sensitive perinatal care Conclusions: The hospice and nursing unit environments, specifically in regards to education and technology, may be important contributors to the delivery of culturally sensitive care.

Work environment facilitators to the availability of complementary and alternative therapies in perinatal hospices

Increasingly, patients and clinicians are considering palliative care interventions during pregnancy for the maternal-fetal dyad, when a life-limiting diagnosis is confirmed. Nurses are at the forefront of providing hospice and palliative care that includes planning interventions for infants nearing the end of life. However, little is known about the work environment facilitators to the availability of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. Using a national database of perinatal hospice and palliative care providers, we described the types of CAM therapies available and explored the influence of the nurse work environment on the availability of CAM therapies with multivariate regression analysis. This study showed that having an education environment where clinicians are trained, along with a highly educated RN support staff, and a BSN educated staff were critical to the availability of CAM therapies. The clinical implications for hospice and palliative nurses caring for infants and their families were discussed.

The Influence of Nursing Unit Characteristics on RN Vacancies in Specialized Hospice and Palliative Care

The nursing shortage is projected to intensify in the United States. Organizations providing specialized hospice and palliative care will be particularly hard hit. The purpose of our study was to examine the influence of the nursing unit on registered nurse (RN) vacancies and test the moderating role of recruitment strategies in perinatal hospices. We estimated the association between the nursing unit and RN vacancies and tested the interaction effects of recruitment strategies (signing bonus and recruitment bonus). Our findings showed that increasing RN unit size and nursing leadership directly affected vacancies and that recruitment bonuses had stronger influence on reducing vacancies than signing bonuses. The findings offer critical insights for hospice administrators in attracting nurses among specialized hospice and palliative care providers.