Hyperacute stroke and the specialist nursing impact: exploring the cause and context of feelings of secondary traumatic stress - a qualitative inquiry

BACKGROUND

Secondary traumatic stress (STS) has been defined as the stress resulting from helping or wanting to help a traumatised or suffering person. The hyperacute nature of stroke specialist nurses' work places them at risk of developing STS.

AIMS

To explore the factors that are influential in stroke specialist nurses' experience of STS development within hyperacute practice.

METHODS

This study is qualitative with a narrative design. Data were collected from a purposive sample of stroke specialist nurses (20 female and 2 male) working in hyperacute services during the years 2016 and 2017. Data were analysed using Polkinghorne's approach.

RESULTS

This research identified four themes: exposure to acute suffering and death- young presentations; moral distress; interactions with relatives and problematic healthcare systems.

CONCLUSION

The findings from this study suggest that stroke specialist nurses are exposed to multiple triggers which are commensurate with the potential for STS development. The findings contribute a new understanding of the emotional burden of hyperacute specialist stroke nursing that has implications for patient safety and satisfaction, services provision and staff well-being.

Specialist nursing case management support for carers of people with dementia: A qualitative study comparing experiences of carers with and without Admiral Nursing

Carers of people with dementia can experience reduced health and well-being, but little is known about how best to support them. There is some evidence to suggest that case management may improve outcomes for carers but less evidence about the features of case management services that can effectively support carers of people with dementia. Admiral Nursing operates a case management approach staffed by specialist nurses and is the only service of its kind in the United Kingdom dedicated to helping people with dementia and their carers. This paper reports qualitative findings from a mixed methods study of Admiral Nursing. For the qualitative strand of the project, data were collected in focus groups and in-depth interviews with carers of people with dementia (n = 35) and analysed thematically using the framework approach. The aim of this analysis was to understand differences between the experiences of the carers in our sample with and without Admiral Nursing, applying Freeman's model of continuity of care (Freeman et al., Continuity of care, 2000). Participants who had received Admiral Nursing were recruited from two geographical locations and carers without experience of this service were recruited from two different areas. We found that carers in our sample felt 'supported' in circumstances where they received an ongoing service from an Admiral Nurse or other professional with expertise in dementia who was able to develop a meaningful relationship with them over time. We conclude that ongoing support, expertise in dementia and a meaningful relationship are key features of relationship continuity common in carers' reports of feeling supported. Specialist nurses are well placed to provide this continuity.

Examining the impact of Diabetes Inpatient Specialist Nursing in acute trusts in London

AIMS

To examine if the introduction of Diabetes Inpatient Specialist Nurses impacted on length of stay and rates of readmission.

DESIGN

Knowledge discovery through data mining as part of a larger realist evaluation of the role.

METHODS

Data from January 2017 to January 2019 was extracted and examined. A subset of performance data from July 2017-November 2018 was analysed. This consisted of 7320 records for Hospital Episode Statistics and 272 incident reports (Datix). The data were analysed via Generalised Linear Model regression routines in R. Analysis of readmission rates utilized binary logistic regression, while for the Length of Stay a count regression method was employed.

RESULTS

Four trusts were found to have complete and rich data sets. All Trusts that returned complete data were found to have varying decreased length of stay and reduced readmission rates. In two trusts there were significant decreases in patient readmissions and length of stay after the introduction of the Diabetes Inpatient Specialist Nurses. A marked decrease (approximately half) in patient length of stay was found in one London trust after the introduction of the post. Issues with data quality were noted.

CONCLUSION

Reduced patient length of stay and rate of readmission were found since introduction of Diabetes Specialist Nurses. Patient safety data was incomplete and varied significantly between trusts.

IMPACT

The project sought to understand the impact of employing Diabetes Inpatient Specialist Nurses in hospitals in London. Overall, the specialist nurses helped reduce length of stay and the rate of readmissions. The research will have an impact on the workforce in diabetes and also people with diabetes who need hospital care.

Admiral Nursing-A Model of Specialist Dementia Care in Acute Hospitals

Introduction

The rising prevalence of dementia has led to increased numbers of people with dementia being admitted to acute hospitals. This demand is set to continue due to an increasingly older population who are likely to have higher levels of dependency, dementia, and comorbidity. If admitted to the hospital, people with dementia are at higher risk of poor outcomes during and following a hospital admission. Yet, there remains a significant lack of specialist support within acute hospitals to support people with dementia, their families and hospital staff.

Methods

Admiral Nurses are specialists that work with families affected by dementia and provide consultancy and support to health and social care colleagues to improve the delivery of evidenced based dementia care. Historically, Admiral Nurses have predominantly been based in community settings. In response to the increasing fragmentation of services across the dementia trajectory, the Admiral Nurse model is evolving and adapting to meet the complex needs of families impacted upon by dementia inclusive of acute hospital care.

Results

The Admiral Nurse acute hospital model provides specialist interventions which improve staff confidence and competence and enables positive change by improving skills and knowledge in the provision of person-centred dementia care. The role has the capacity to address some of the barriers to delivering person centred dementia care in the acute hospital and contribute to improvements across the hospital both as a result of direct interventions or influencing the practice of others.

Conclusion

Improving services for people with dementia and their families requires a whole system approach to enable care coordination and service integration, this must include acute hospital care. The increasing numbers of people with dementia in hospitals, and the detrimental effects of admission, make providing equitable, consistent, safe, quality care and support to people with dementia and their families a national priority requiring immediate investment. The inclusion of Admiral Nursing within acute hospital services supports service and quality improvement which positively impacts upon the experience and outcomes for families affected by dementia.

Collaboration and guidelines for the coordination of health care for frail older persons with intellectual disability: A national survey of nurses working in municipal care

AIMS

To describe and compare perceptions of collaboration between care providers on the part of three groups of Registered Nurses working in municipal care and having particular responsibility concerning the care of frail older people with intellectual disability (ID); and, furthermore, to investigate the presence of and compliance with guidelines for the coordination of care.

DESIGN

National survey study with cross-sectional design.

METHODS

Nurses (N = 110) with key positions concerning people with ID answered a national questionnaire about collaboration, guidelines and coordinated individual plans. Descriptive and comparative statistical analyses were applied.

RESULTS

The meetings on cooperation and coordination of interventions were attended most frequently by nurses, and least frequently by social workers. The nurses were overall satisfied with the collaboration but perceived shortcomings in the case of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care. Only in about half of the meetings for making care plans participated the people with intellectual disability and next of kin.

New Zealand National Audit of Outpatient Inflammatory Bowel Disease Standards of Care

Aim

This study audits the delivery and standards of New Zealand (NZ) inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care against international standards, with emphasis on the IBD nursing role.

Methods

Utilising international standards in IBD care, a 3 phase national multicentre survey study was performed between 2015 and 2019. We 1) evaluated the current role and practices of IBD nurses, 2) evaluated IBD service provision and identified areas for improvement, and 3) audited key aspects of IBD patient care, directly comparing nurse-led and doctor-led outpatient clinics.

Results

The median duration spent in an IBD nursing role was 21 months (range 2 to 120 months) with the majority (12/15) performing two or more nursing roles. The median IBD nurse full-time equivalent (FTE) was 0.8 (range 0.2 to 1.25). The average number of hours spent undertaking IBD nursing tasks was 22.2 – a 6.8-hour shortfall compared to rostered hours. No service had a per capita IBD multidisciplinary team (MDT) FTE which met international standards. Just under two-thirds (62.5%) of departments held a regular MDT meeting. All responding services could be contacted directly by IBD patients and respond within 48 hours of contact. During 492 doctor-led and 196 nurse-led scheduled outpatient clinic visits, nurses were significantly more likely to document weight, smoking status and organise appropriate colonoscopic surveillance than doctors.

Conclusion

Multiple nursing job roles resulted in rostered hours being insufficient to complete IBD specific tasks. IBD FTE did not meet international standards. The IBD care was patient-centred, encouraging direct contact from patients with prompt response. IBD nurses in NZ provide high-quality outpatient care when measured against auditable standards. As the IBD nursing role continues to develop, following the implementation of an educational framework and education programme, an increase in numbers is required in order to achieve the recommended minimum FTE per 250 000 population.

Nursing Implications of Recent Changes in Management Practices for Metastatic Prostate Cancer

OBJECTIVE

Prostate cancer is one of the most common male cancers in the world and accounts for substantial morbidity, mortality, loss of disability-adjusted life-years, and financial burden to patients and to the community. Metastatic prostate cancer has been managed for over 70 years with androgen deprivation therapy, but further life-prolonging therapies were not available until 2004. Since then, drugs such as docetaxel, abiraterone, enzalutamide, cabazitaxel, radium-223 dichloride, and (not available in Australia) sipuleucel-T have all demonstrated efficacy in prolongation of survival in castrate-resistant prostate cancer, and improvement in cancer-related morbidity.

DATA SOURCES

Peer-reviewed scientific publications, Australian Government agency reports, and expert opinion.

CONCLUSION

More recently, several of these agents have been given earlier in the treatment course to the hormone-sensitive metastatic setting, with even greater benefits in survival. These treatments have come at a cost: a literal financial cost to the community, and often to the patients and their families; and financial costs to the community to supply the drugs to those who need them. They also carry non-financial costs, including side effects of treatment, exacerbation of other co-morbidities, metabolic and bone health challenges, and psychological and social stresses, including those associated with longer survival with metastatic cancer.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

The role of the nurse in management of these issues has never been more important. Nurses are often uniquely placed to educate men with prostate cancer and their families, screen for and identify adverse effects of treatment, and provide education and support not otherwise available. Nurses are central to the streamline of care coordination within the multidisciplinary team and the holistic care journey for men and their partners through the health care system. This review discusses several of these aspects to inform practice.

An Exploration of the Rs of Radiobiology in Prostate Cancer

OBJECTIVES

To explore the four Rs of radiobiology (Repair, Reoxygenation, Reassortment, and Repopulation) as a means to understand the effects of ionising radiation on biological tissue and subsequently as the basis for conventional fractionated treatment schedules. These radiobiological principles will form a rationale for combined regimens in prostate cancer treatment involving androgen deprivation therapy and radiation therapy and the associated toxicities of this approach will be discussed.

DATA SOURCES

Electronic databases including CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus, professional websites, books and grey literature were searched using Google Scholar.

CONCLUSION

It is important for nurses to understand the four Rs of radiobiology to grasp the effects of ionising radiation on biological tissue as the basis for conventional fractionated treatment schedules in prostate cancer. Men can experience a sequalae of physical and psychological side effects of treatment that can negatively impact quality of life.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Men can experience a range of unmet supportive care needs particularly related to informational, sexual, and psychological needs. For men affected by prostate cancer opting for radiation therapy (+/-) androgen deprivation therapy, nurses should ask targeted questions based on the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events related to urinary and bowel function, potency and fatigue, and sexual health. We also recommend the use of holistic needs assessments to tailor self-management care plans. Evidence-based self-management advice should be provided in response to each man's unique needs.

Understanding the factors which promote registered nurses' intent to stay in emergency and critical care areas

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE

To explore the influential factors and strategies that promote an experienced nurse's intent to stay in their emergency or critical care area.

BACKGROUND

Turnover among registered nurses (herein referred to as nurses) working in specialty areas of practice can result in a range of negative outcomes. The retention of specialty nurses at the unit level has important implications for hospital and health systems. These implications include lost knowledge and experience which may in turn impact staff performance levels, patient outcomes, hiring, orientating, development of clinical competence and other aspects of organizational performance.

DESIGN

This qualitative study used an interpretive descriptive design to understand nurses' perceptions of the current factors and strategies that promote them staying in emergency or critical care settings for two or more years.

METHODS

Focus groups were conducted with 13 emergency and critical care nurses. Data analysis involved thematic analysis that evolved from codes to categories to themes.

RESULTS

Four themes were identified: leadership, interprofessional relationships, job fit and practice environment. In addition, the ideas of feeling valued, respected and acknowledged were woven throughout.

CONCLUSIONS

Factors often associated with nurse attrition such as burnout and job stresses were not emphasised by the respondents in our study as critical to their intent to stay in their area of practice. This study has highlighted positive aspects that motivate nurses to stay in their specialty areas.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

To ensure quality care for patients, retention of experienced emergency and critical care nurses is essential to maintaining specialty expertise in these practice settings.

How does specialist nursing contribute to HIV service delivery across England?

This study aimed to examine what specialist nursing contributes to HIV service delivery across England and how it could be optimised. A three part multi-method qualitative study was undertaken, involving (1) interviews with 19 stakeholders representing professional or service user groups; (2) interviews with nurse/physician pairs from 21 HIV services; and (3) case studies involving site visits to five services. A framework analysis approach was used to manage and analyse the data. There was substantial variability in specialist nursing roles and the extent of role development. Most hospital-based HIV nurses (13/19) were running nurse-led clinics, primarily for stable patients with almost half (6/13) also managing more complex patients. Role development was supported by non-medical prescribing, a robust governance framework and appropriate workload allocation. The availability and organisation of community HIV nursing provision determined how services supported vulnerable patients to keep them engaged in care. Four service models were identified. The study showed that there is scope for providing a greater proportion of routine care through nurse-led clinics. HIV community nursing can influence health outcomes for vulnerable patients, but provision is variable. With limited financial resources, services may need to decide how to deploy their specialist nurses for best effect.