Mediating Factors in Nursing Competency: A Structural Model Analysis for Nurses' Communication, Self-Leadership, Self-Efficacy, and Nursing Performance

This study examined the structural relationship among clinical nurses' communication ability, self-leadership, self-efficacy, and nursing performance. A structural model analysis was applied to identify factors influencing nursing performance and analyze the effects of self-leadership and self-efficacy as mediators. A survey was conducted among clinical nurses working in general hospitals in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon Province of the Republic of Korea. In the final analysis, data from 168 questionnaires were used. SPSS 24.0 and Amos 23.0 programs were used for frequency analysis, exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation model analysis, and mediating effect analysis through bootstrapping. The significance level was set at 5% for all analyses. First, the model's fitness figures met the criteria for the appropriate judgment presented in previous studies, so the model between nurses' communication ability, self-leadership, self-efficacy, and nursing performance was suitable for predicting a causal relationship. Second, the relationship between nurses' communication ability and self-leadership had a statistically significant effect. Also, the relationship between communication ability and self-efficacy had a statistically significant effect. Third, nurses' communication ability affected nursing performance through self-efficacy.

Three-factor structure of the eHealth Literacy Scale and its relationship with nurses' health-promoting behaviours and performance quality

AIMS

To examine the factorial validity of the eHealth Literacy Scale among hospital nurses and to investigate the associations of its components with health-promoting behaviours and nursing performance quality.

DESIGN

This cross-sectional study used survey data of 484 Korean hospital nurses, which were collected between March-May 2016.

METHODS

The three-factor structure was tested using confirmatory factor analyses. Multiple linear regression was conducted to test associations of the three components' scores with health-promoting behaviours and self-rated nursing performance quality.

RESULTS

The eHealth Literacy Scale supported a three-factor structure: awareness of internet health resources (awareness), having skills needed to access resources (skills), and the ability to evaluate the quality of internet health resources (evaluation). All the three components were significantly associated with higher quality of nursing performance and better interpersonal relations. Stress management, spiritual growth, and health responsibility were linked with evaluation or skills but physical activity and nutrition were not.

CONCLUSION

Strategies to enhance eHealth literacy among nurses could improve nurses' health and further patient care. Training to build nurses' self-efficacy to evaluate internet health information could improve eHealth literacy and should be developed and examined.

IMPACT

To improve nurses' health and patient care, training programs to build nurses' self-efficacy to access and evaluate internet health information should be developed.

Surviving an infectious disease outbreak: How does nurse calling influence performance during the COVID-19 fight?

AIM

To assess the performance of front-line nurses, who believed they were living out their calling, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

BACKGROUND

Although as a profession nursing generally requires high levels of performance, the disruption arising from an infectious disease outbreak increases the work stress and decreases the performance of front-line nurses. How this situation can be improved has yet to be thoroughly examined.

METHOD

We used a snowball sampling technique to recruit 339 nurses who were originally from outside Hubei but volunteered to join medical teams going to Hubei to tackle COVID-19.

RESULTS

Drawing on the theory of work as a calling, we found that living a calling had a positive effect on front-line nurses' performance through the clinical and relational care they provided. Perceived supervisor support strengthened these mediated relationships.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that despite the constraints associated with pandemics, front-line nurses who are living a calling are able to provide better clinical and relational care to infected patients, which in turn improves their performance.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

The findings of this study suggest that hospitals can introduce career educational interventions to enhance nurses' ability to discern and live out their calling to improve their performance.

Nurse-nurse collaboration and performance among nurses in intensive care units

BACKGROUND

An essential element for offering high-quality care in the intensive care units (ICUs) is the intraprofessional collaboration among nurses, which facilitates the exchange of knowledge and information and hence improves performance. More research is needed to understand the relationship between the nurse-nurse collaboration and job performance in the ICUs due to the multidimensionality of both concepts, the complexity of the ICU environment, and the lack of studies.

AIM

To examine the relationship between nurse-nurse collaboration and self-perceived nurse performance among Jordanian nurses in ICUs.

DESIGN

Descriptive, correlational cross-sectional design was used.

METHODS

Data were collected through an online survey including the demographic questionnaire, the nurse-nurse collaboration scale, and six-dimensions scale for nursing performance.

RESULTS

In total, 155 critical care nurses participated (response rate = 46.97%). Self-perceived job performance was significantly associated with gender (t = -3.189, P = .002), age (r = -0.301, P < .01), workplace (F = 28.20, P = .001), the type of ICU (F = 17.70, P = .001), and the number of assigned patients (r = 0.407, P < .01). Among all nurse-nurse collaboration subscales, only the conflict management subscale was an independent significant predictor of self-perceived nursing performance (t = 3.06, B = 3.066, P = .003).

CONCLUSIONS

Effective conflict management is associated with better nurse performance, which could ultimately improve patient care in ICUs.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Conflict resolution is an important dimension of optimal nurse-nurse collaboration and has an important effect on nursing performance. Nurses and nurse managers in ICUs need to attend workshops and training programs in conflict management.

Replacing Soybean Meal with Sesame Meal in the Diets of Lactating Awassi Ewes Suckling Single Lambs: Nutrient Digestibility, Milk Production, and Lamb Growth

Simple Summary

Alternative feeds are agricultural or industrial by-products (rich in nutrient content) that can be used to replace part of the conventional ingredients in animal rations. These by-products are typically much lower in cost than conventional feeds and reduce the dependence on conventional feeds, which would increase the benefits and profitability of raising livestock. Another objective of this kind of experiments is to utilize agro-industrial by-products, such as sesame meal, which, in turn, would reduce their waste disposal and the associated pollution issues. Sesame meal can replace soybean meal at levels of 0%, 7.5%, and 15%. Milk production increased in SM-containing diets more than the control. Lamb growth improved in sesame meal-containing diets.

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to assess the influence of sesame meal (SM) feeding on nutrient digestibility, N balance, milk production and composition, ewes’ body weight change, and growth performance of lambs. In experiment 1, 18 ewe lambs were randomly distributed into three diets to evaluate the effects of soybean meal replacement with SM on nutrient intake, digestibility, and N balance. Treatments were no SM (SM0), 7.5% SM (SM7.5), or 15% SM (SM15) of the dietary dry matter (DM). Aside from intake and digestibility of ether extract (EE), which was greater in the SM-containing diets compared with SM0, intake and digestibility of the remaining nutrients was similar among dietary treatments. In experiment 2, 30 ewes suckling single lambs were randomly assigned to the same diets used in experiment 1. Intakes of DM, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber were unaffected by treatment. Milk yield was greater in SM diets than in the SM0 diet. Cost/kg of milk production decreased while feed efficiency improved in the SM-diets compared to the SM0 diet. In conclusion, results of the current studies demonstrate the possibility of replacing soybean meal with sesame meal in diets of lactating Awassi ewes.

The relationship between professional communication competences and nursing performance of critical care nurses in South Korea

BACKGROUND

Ineffective communication of critical care nurses can lead to higher levels of burnout and negatively affect quality of patient care and patient outcomes such as higher mortality.

AIM

The purpose of this study is to describe the relationship between professional communication competences and nursing performance of critical care nurses in South Korea.

METHOD

This cross-sectional study collected data on 197 intensive care unit staff nurses in 3 tertiary academic medical centres in South Korea from July to November 2014.

RESULTS

In the hierarchical regression analysis, the professional communication competences were the only significant predictors of nursing performance after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. In addition, the greater professional communication competences of nurses were associated with being older and having a higher education level, more years of overall clinical and intensive care unit experience, and a higher monthly salary.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that communication skills-related training should be included in the practical education to improve nursing performance for the quality of intensive care. Further research is needed to identify the comprehensive factors on professional communication competences of nurses in intensive care units.

How does innovative technology impact nursing in infectious diseases and infection control? A scoping review

AIM

Considering the increasing number of emerging infectious diseases, innovative approaches are strongly in demand. Additionally, research in this field has expanded exponentially. Thus, faced with this diverse information, we aim to clarify key concepts and knowledge gaps of technology in nursing and the field of infectious diseases.

DESIGN

This scoping review followed the methodology of scoping review guidance from Arksey and O'Malley.

METHODS

Six databases were searched systematically (PubMed, Web of Science, IEEE Explore, EBSCOhost, Cochrane Library and Summon). After the removal of duplicates, 532 citations were retrieved and 77 were included in the analysis.

RESULTS

We identified five major trends in technology for nursing and infectious diseases: artificial intelligence, the Internet of things, information and communications technology, simulation technology and e-learning. Our findings indicate that the most promising trend is the IoT because of the many positive effects validated in most of the reviewed studies.

Relationships between Violence Experience, Resilience, and the Nursing Performance of Emergency Room Nurses in South Korea

In urgent situations where tensions and conflicts are amplified, emergency room nurses are vulnerable to violence and are exposed to dangerous situations because they are confronted by patients or caregivers. This study sought to examine the relationship between violence experience, resilience, and nursing performance among emergency room nurses in South Korea. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. The study participants included 130 nurses working in the emergency room of a general hospital. Measures included the general characteristics list, the violence experience tool, the resilience tool, and the nursing performance tool. Data were collected from February to March 2021. In this study, among the forms of violence experienced by emergency room nurses, verbal violence was most prevalent. The violence experiences showed significant differences according to age, clinical experience, work experience in the emergency room, position, and job satisfaction. Resilience displayed significant differences according to marital status, clinical experience, position, average monthly salary, and job satisfaction. Nursing performance showed significant differences based on gender, age, marital status, clinical experience, work experience in the emergency room, position, average monthly salary, and job satisfaction. There was a positive correlation between resilience and nursing performance. This study suggests that emergency room nurses in Korea experienced more verbal violence than other types of violence. The violence experiences, resilience, and nursing performance showed significant differences according to the general and job-related characteristics of the study participants. Concrete strategies and interventions to reduce the frequency of experiences of verbal violence among emergency room nurses, increase their resilience, and improve the nursing performance of emergency room nurses are needed.

The Impact of a Neonatal Sleep Care Training Program on Nurses' Knowledge and Performance in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

BACKGROUND

Sleep is essential for organizing and maturation of the brain in premature infants; it also plays a role in maintaining the natural balance between different nervous centers. Given the role of nurses in neonatal sleep care, this study aimed at assessing the impact of a training program on the nurses' knowledge and performance in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this quasi-experimental study which structured into three stages, 35 nurses working in an NICU in Isfahan, Iran, were included. The neonatal sleep training program was in the form of a lecture with questions and answers and then placing posters and booklets in the NICU. The data were collected by a questionnaire for nurses' knowledge and performance assessment which its validity and reliability were determined through content validity and internal consistency, respectively. The nurses' knowledge was assessed via 40 multiple-choice questions before, immediately after, and 1 month after the training program, and their performance was evaluated before and 1 month after intervention using 15 multiple-choice questions. The data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics using the SPSS software version 16.

RESULTS

The results showed that the mean score of nurses' knowledge after training has significantly increased as compared to before training (33.33 (4.4) vs. 19.33 (4.1)) (P < 0.001); however, the score of performance was slightly improved although it did not reveal any significant differences (P = 0.07, 42.6 (7.6) vs. 45.1 (7.8)).

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicated that this method of training program could lead to an increase in nurses' knowledge, but it did not significantly improve their performance. It may be due to a low number of training sessions; therefore, it is recommended to implement long-term training programs in this field.

Predictors of Clinical Performance Among Emergency Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction

Poor nursing performance is considered a threat to patient safety, affecting the quality of care provided and ultimately impacting patient outcomes.

Objectives

The main aim of this study was to identify the predictors of nursing performance.

Methods

A cross-sectional predictive design was used. A convenient sampling technique was used to recruit 251 emergency nurses in three health sectors. They were assessed using the secondary traumatic stress scale and the nursing performance scale. Data were collected between June and August 2022.

Results

Nurses experienced severe levels of secondary traumatic stress (M = 57.9, SD = 14.94). The nursing performance level was below average (M = 27.48, SD = 9.36), and the mental performance subscale received the lowest rating (M = 5.82, SD = 2.69). There was a strong negative association between the secondary traumatic stress total score and the total score of nursing performance (r = -.77). Additionally, factors such as high body mass index, smoking, the presence of chronic diseases, working overtime, and high levels of secondary traumatic stress were identified as significant predictors of nursing performance.

Conclusion

It is recommended that emergency nurses be provided with treatment programs and interventions to reduce their secondary traumatic stress to improve their performance, thereby ensuring high-quality patient care.

Impact of dietary supplementation of l-Arginine, l-Glutamine, and the combination of both on nursing performance of multiparous sows

Dietary supplementation with arginine (Arg) or glutamine (Gln) has been considered as an option to improve nursing performance in reproductive sows. This study investigated whether a low-level supplementation of Arg or Gln or a blend of both could modify milk nutrients and improve piglets' growth beyond weaning. Seventy-two multiparous sows were assigned to four groups: one group fed a control diet, three treatment groups fed the control diet supplemented with either 0.35% Arg, 0.35% Gln, or both, from day 108 of gestation until weaning at day 26 of lactation. Immediately after birth, the litters were cross fostered to 13 piglets and monitored until 2 wk after weaning. Sows body condition and litter growth were assessed. Colostrum and milk samples were collected for nutrient analyses. Plasma concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) around weaning were determined in sows and two representative piglets per litter. Supplementing Gln or the combination of Arg and Gln had no effect on the parameters studied. Arg supplementation increased weaning weight, while decreasing the variation of piglet weights 2 wk after weaning. There was no correlation with plasma IGF-1 since the hormone was not altered in sows or piglets. The colostral concentration of fat tended to increase in the Arg-group, whereas protein, lactose, energy, and polyamine concentrations remained unaffected. Milk samples obtained on day 12 and 25 of lactation were not influenced by dietary treatment. The data indicate that there might be a window of opportunity, explicitly at the onset of lactation, for dietary intervention by maternal dietary Arg supplementation.

Work Perceptions by Italian Nurses: Implications for Managers at the Point of Care

The aim of this article is to report on Italian nurses' perceptions of their performance and work-related behaviors. The data for the study were derived from a questionnaire that included the items from the Individual Workplace Performance Scale, which was distributed via the internet during March 2021. The analysis of the responses found that women complained more about their work than men. Older nurses reported concerns about keeping up-to-date; they also thought that they carried out their work more efficiently than younger nurses and that they were better able to come up with creative solutions for new problems. The nurses who had been working for 6 to 10 years reported feeling more vulnerable in their positions. Further research is needed to help nurse managers manage their staff and reach their organizational goals.