| 1. |
- Berg, Lena M
(författare)
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Patient safety at emergency departments : challenges with crowding, multitasking and interruptions
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Several challenges with patient safety in the emergency department (ED) context have beenpreviously identified, and some commonly mentioned are crowding, multitasking, andinterruptions. The ED is a complex, high-risk work environment where multiple clinicians(physicians, registered nurses [RNs], and licensed practical nurses [LPNs]) are constantlyworking in parallel work processes, in an often crowded ED, while conducting tasksinvolving cognitively demanding decision-making processes. ED crowding has for the past20 years been identified as a problem internationally, resulting in extended ED length of stay(LOS) and increased morbidity and mortality for patients. ED crowding is also considered tohave negative effects on the clinicians' workload and work satisfaction.Both multitasking and interruptions have been identified as risk factors for patient safety byhaving negative effects on a clinician's decision-making processes and thus increasing therisk of forgetting important details and events because of memory overload. However,information has been lacking about what specific work assignments ED clinicians conduct,and thus there is little information about the types of assignments they perform whilemultitasking and being exposed to interruptions. Further, because not all interruptions lead toerrors and because they are not all preventable, a more refined account of interruptions iscalled for. Moreover, it seems that previous studies have not identified which specific factorsinfluence the ED clinicians' perceptions of interruptions. The work environment has beenreferred to as a possible influencing factor, but specific details on the relationship between thework environment and negative effects from interruptions are pending.The overall aim of the thesis was to describe ED crowding, and its influence on EDclinicians' work processes (activities, multitasking, and interruptions) and patient outcomes,from a patient safety perspective. The thesis addressed six research questions: 1) How has EDcharacteristics, patient case mix and occurrence of ED crowding changed over time? 2) Whatwork activities are performed by ED clinicians? 3) What kind of multitasking situations areclinicians exposed to during ED work? 4) What kind of interruptions are clinicians exposedto during ED work? 5) How do ED clinicians perceive interruptions? 6) Is there anassociation between ED crowding and mortality for stable patients without the need for acutehospital care upon departure from the ED?The data in the thesis were generated from two data collections: 1) registry data containingpatient characteristics and measures of ED crowding (ED occupancy ratio [EDOR], ED LOS,and patient/clinician ratios) extracted from the patients' electronic health records (paper I andIV) and 2) observations and interviews with ED clinicians (physicians, RNs, and LPNs)(paper II and III). Nonparametric statistics were used in paper I and III, quantitative and qualitative content analysis were used in paper II and III, and multivariate logistic regressionanalysis was used in paper IV.The main results in the thesis are presented based on Asplin's conceptual model of EDcrowding, from the aspect of input-throughput-output, and how parts of a sub-optimalthroughput influence patient safety through ED clinicians' work processes and patientoutcomes. During 2009 – 2016 there has been a change in patient case mix at the EDs at thestudy hospital, primarily with an increase in unstable patients (input) and a decrease in thenumber of patients admitted to in-hospital care (output). The median for ED LOS over thestudy period increased, and the largest increases occurred among the subgroups of unstablepatients, patients ≥80 years of age, and those admitted to in-hospital care (throughput).Further, an increase in crowding, in terms of median EDOR and median patients per RNratios, was identified, with an increase in EDOR from 0.8 in 2009 to 1.1 in 2016 and anaverage increase of 0.164 patients/RN/year (throughput). The ED clinicians' workassignments consisted of 15 categories of activities, and information exchange was found tobe the most common activity (42.1%). In contrast, the clinicians only spent 9.4% of theiractivities on direct interaction with patients and their families (ED clinicians' workprocesses). The clinicians multitasked during 23% of their total number of performedactivities, and there was an overall interruption rate of 5.1 interruptions per hour. Themajority of the observed multitasking situations and interruptions in the ED clinicians' workoccurred during demanding activities that required focus or concentration (ED clinicians'work processes). Finally, an association was identified between an increase in ED LOS andEDOR and 10-day mortality for stable patients without the need for acute hospital care upondeparture from the ED (patient outcomes).This thesis illustrates how a sub-optimal throughput, affected by conditions in both the inputand output components, negatively influence the ED clinicians' work processes as well aspatient outcomes.
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| 2. |
- Berg, Lena M, et al.
(författare)
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Reasons for interrupting colleagues during emergency department work : A qualitative study
- 2016
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Ingår i: International Emergency Nursing. - : Elsevier. - 1755-599X .- 1878-013X. ; 29, s. 21-26
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Emergency department team members frequently need to interact with each other, a circumstance causing multiple interruptions. However, information is lacking about the motives underlying these interruptions and this study aimed to explore clinicians' reasons to interrupt colleagues during emergency department work.Method: Semi-structured interviews with 10 physicians and 10 registered nurses at two Swedish emergency departments. The interviews were analyzed inductively using content analysis.Results: The working conditions to some extent sustained the clinicians' need to interrupt, for example different routines. Another reason to interrupt was to improve the initiator's work process, such as when the initiators perceived that the interruption had high clinical relevance. The third reason concerns the desire to influence the work process of colleagues in order to prevent mistakes and provide information for the person being interrupted to improve patient care.Conclusion: The three identified categories for why emergency department clinicians interrupt their colleagues were related to working conditions and a wish to improve/influence the work processes for both initiators and recipients. Several of the reasons given for interrupting colleagues were done in order to improve patient care. Interruptions perceived as negative to the recipient were mostly related to the working conditions.
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| 3. |
- Gardulf, A., et al.
(författare)
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The Nurse Professional Competence (NPC) Scale: Self-reported competence among nursing students on the point of graduation
- 2016
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Ingår i: Nurse Education Today. - : Elsevier BV. - 0260-6917 .- 1532-2793. ; 36, s. 165-171
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: International organisations, e.g. WHO, stress the importance of competent registered nurses (RN) for the safety and quality of healthcare systems. Low competence among RNs has been shown to increase the morbidity and mortality of inpatients. Objectives: To investigate self-reported competence among nursing students on the point of graduation (NSPGs), using the Nurse Professional Competence (NPC) Scale, and to relate the findings to background factors. Methods and participants; The NPC Scale consists of 88 items within eight competence areas (CAs) and two overarching themes. Questions about socio-economic background and perceived overall quality of the degree programme were added. In total, 1086 NSPGs (mean age, 28.1[20-56] years, 87.3% women) from 11 universities/university colleges participated. Results: NSPGs reported significantly higher scores for Theme I "Patient-Related Nursing" than for Theme II "Organisation and Development of Nursing Care". Younger NSPGs (20-27 years) reported significantly higher scores for the CAs "Medical and Technical Care" and "Documentation and Information Technology". Female NSPGs scored significantly higher for "Value-Based Nursing". Those who had taken the nursing care programme at upper secondary school before the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programme scored significantly higher on "Nursing Care", "Medical and Technical Care", "Teaching/Learning and Support", "Legislation in Nursing and Safety Planning" and on Theme I. Working extra paid hours in healthcare alongside the BSN programme contributed to significantly higher self-reported scores for four CAs and both themes. Clinical courses within the BSN programme contributed to perceived competence to a significantly higher degree than theoretical courses (932% vs 875% of NSPGs). Summary and conclusion: Mean scores reported by NSPGs were highest for the four CAs connected with patient-related nursing and lowest for CAs relating to organisation and development of nursing care. We conclude that the NPC Scale can be used to identify and measure aspects of self-reported competence among NSPGs. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 4. |
- Nilsson, Jan, et al.
(författare)
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Disaster nursing: Self-reported competence of nursing students and registered nurses, with focus on their readiness to manage violence, serious events and disasters
- 2016
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Ingår i: Nurse Education in Practice. - : Elsevier BV. - 1471-5953 .- 1873-5223. ; 17, s. 102-108
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The World Health Organization and the International Council of Nurses recognises the importance of nurses' involvement in disaster preparedness and response. The aim of this study was to describe and compare self reported disaster nursing competence (DNC) among nursing students (NSs) and among registered nurses (RNs) with professional experience. Further to investigate possible associations between self-reported DNC and background factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted of 569 NSs and 227 RNs. All respondents completed the 88-item Nurse Professional Competence Scale, including three items assessing DNC. Significant differences were found among the NSs depending on which University/University College they had attended. RNs reported significantly higher overall DNC and better ability to handle situations involving violence, and to apply principles of disaster medicine during serious events. RNs working in emergency care reported significantly better DNC ability, compared with RNs working in other areas of healthcare. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that working night shift and working in emergency care were positively associated with high self-reported overall DNC. The results indicate that workplace experience of serious events increase the readiness of registered nurses to handle violence, to act in accordance with safety regulations, and to apply principles of disaster medicine during serious events. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 5. |
- Theander, Kersti, et al.
(författare)
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Adjusting to future demands in healthcare : Curriculum changes and nursing students' self-reported professional competence
- 2016
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Ingår i: Nurse Education Today. - : Elsevier BV. - 0260-6917 .- 1532-2793. ; 37, s. 178-183
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Nursing competence is of significant importance for patient care. Newly graduated nursing students rate their competence as high. However, the impact of different designs of nursing curricula on nursing students' self-reported nursing competence areas is seldom reported. Objectives: To compare newly graduated nursing students' self-reported professional competence before and after the implementation of a new nursing curriculum. The study had a descriptive comparative design. Nursing students, who graduated in 2011, having studied according to an older curriculum, were compared with those who graduated in 2014, after a new nursing curriculum with more focus on person-centered nursing had been implemented. Setting: A higher education nursing program at a Swedish university. Participants: In total, 119 (2011 n = 69, 2014 n = 50) nursing students responded. Methods: Nursing students' self-reported professional competencies were assessed with the Nurse Professional Competence (NPC) scale. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups of nursing students, who graduated in 2011 and 2014, respectively, with regard to age, sex, education, or work experience. Both groups rated their competencies as very high. Competence in value-based nursing was perceived to be significantly higher after the change in curriculum. The lowest competence, both in 2011 and 2014, was reported in education and supervision of staff and students. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that newly graduated nursing students- both those following the old curriculum and the first batch of students following the new one - perceive that their professional competence is high. Competence in value-based nursing, measured with the NPC scale, was reported higher after the implementation of a new curriculum, reflecting curriculum changes with more focus on person-centered nursing. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 6. |
- Florin, Jan, 1956-, et al.
(författare)
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Attitudes towards pressure ulcer prevention : a psychometric evaluation of the Swedish version of the APuP instrument
- 2016
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Ingår i: International Wound Journal. - : Wiley. - 1742-4801 .- 1742-481X. ; 13:5, s. 655-662
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The primary aim was to conduct a psychometric evaluation of the Attitude towards Pressure ulcer Prevention (APuP) instrument in a Swedish context. A further aim was to describe and compare attitudes towards pressure ulcer prevention between registered nurses (RNs), assistant nurses (ANs) and student nurses (SNs). In total, 415 RNs, ANs and SNs responded to the questionnaire. In addition to descriptive and comparative statistics, confirmatory factor analyses were performed. Because of a lack of support for the instrument structure, further explorative and consecutive confirmatory tests were conducted. Overall, positive attitudes towards pressure ulcer prevention were identified for all three groups, but SNs reported lower attitude scores on three items and a higher score on one item compared to RNs and ANs. The findings indicated no support in this Swedish sample for the previously reported five-factor model of APuP. Further explorative and confirmative factor analyses indicated that a four-factor model was most interpretable: (i) Priority (five items), (ii) Competence (three items), (iii) Importance (three items) and (iv) Responsibility (two items). The five-factor solution could not be confirmed. Further research is recommended to develop a valid and reliable tool to assess nurses' attitudes towards pressure ulcer prevention working across different settings on an international level.
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| 7. |
- Gunningberg, Lena, et al.
(författare)
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Pressure ulcer knowledge of registered nurses, assistant nurses and student nurses : a descriptive, comparative multicentre study in Sweden
- 2015
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Ingår i: International Wound Journal. - : Wiley. - 1742-4801 .- 1742-481X. ; 12:4, s. 462-468
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to describe and compare the knowledge of registered nurses (RNs), assistant nurses (ANs) and student nurses (SNs) about preventing pressure ulcers (PUs). PU prevention behaviours in the clinical practice of RNs and ANs were also explored. A descriptive, comparative multicentre study was performed. Hospital wards and universities from four Swedish county councils participated. In total, 415 participants (RN, AN and SN) completed the Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Assessment Tool. The mean knowledge score for the sample was 58·9%. The highest scores were found in the themes 'nutrition' (83·1%) and 'risk assessment' (75·7%). The lowest scores were found in the themes 'reduction in the amount of pressure and shear' (47·5%) and 'classification and observation' (55·5%). RNs and SNs had higher scores than ANs on 'aetiology and causes'. SNs had higher scores than RNs and ANs on 'nutrition'. It has been concluded that there is a knowledge deficit in PU prevention among nursing staff in Sweden. A major educational campaign needs to be undertaken both in hospital settings and in nursing education.
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