Pub Date : 2016-05-01DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.VOL21NO02LEGCOL01
Jillian J Weber, Angela Clark
There are currently 22 million veterans living in the United States. While 8.92 million veterans are enrolled in the Veterans Administration (VA) Health Care System, nearly 60% of veterans are relying on services outside the VA system (National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, 2014). As such, it is imperative that civilian nurses understand service eligibility and veteran-foeused care for this unique population.It is a common misconception that all veterans are eligible to receive full healthcare benefits within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). However, veterans are only eligible for health benefits if they meet specific requirements, such as certain minimum lengths of service and type of discharge as described below (Szvmendera, 2015). Due to the specificity of these requirements, as well as the complicated eligibility process for receiving care in the VHA system, less than half of veterans receive healthcare services within the VHA system (National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics. 2014). Health disparities among this population have been well documented (Montgomery, Dichter, Thomasson, Roberts. & Byrne, 2015). Additionally, with the introduction of the Veterans Choice Act in 2014, veterans increasingly are accessing civilian healthcare services (VA. 2014).Today nurses are at the forefront of the healthcare delivery system and are often the first to provide services to veterans. As nurses, we must be prepared to assist veterans in determining eligibility and understand how to help veterans navigate the VA system, so as to increase their access to care. A better understanding of this process can ensure high quality, veteran-specific patient care, and potentially decrease the health disparities within the veteran population.Determining Veteran Status and EligibilityThe VA offers a variety of benefits to veterans of the armed forces, including multiple types of financial assistance, healthcare, housing, and education (Szvmendera, 2015). To be eligible for benefits, a former service member who enlisted after September 8, 1980, must have served a minimum of twenty-four continuous months of active duty. There are no minimum service obligations prior to this date. However, health benefits for injuries incurred during active military service (service-connected disability) are exempt from this service obligation (Szvmendera. 2015). Discharge criteria require that an individual be released from military duty with either an honorable discharge or general discharge (Moulta-Ali 8i Pananoala, 2015). Although a dishonorable discharge automatically disqualifies an individual for VA benefits, other-than-honorable discharges or bad conduct discharges can be determined by special consideration (Moulta-Ali &. Pananoala. 2015).Once former service members are determined eligible for benefits, their healthcare services are provided under a component of the VA called the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The VHA is an integrated hea
{"title":"Legislative: Providing Veteran-Specific Healthcare","authors":"Jillian J Weber, Angela Clark","doi":"10.3912/OJIN.VOL21NO02LEGCOL01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.VOL21NO02LEGCOL01","url":null,"abstract":"There are currently 22 million veterans living in the United States. While 8.92 million veterans are enrolled in the Veterans Administration (VA) Health Care System, nearly 60% of veterans are relying on services outside the VA system (National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, 2014). As such, it is imperative that civilian nurses understand service eligibility and veteran-foeused care for this unique population.It is a common misconception that all veterans are eligible to receive full healthcare benefits within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). However, veterans are only eligible for health benefits if they meet specific requirements, such as certain minimum lengths of service and type of discharge as described below (Szvmendera, 2015). Due to the specificity of these requirements, as well as the complicated eligibility process for receiving care in the VHA system, less than half of veterans receive healthcare services within the VHA system (National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics. 2014). Health disparities among this population have been well documented (Montgomery, Dichter, Thomasson, Roberts. & Byrne, 2015). Additionally, with the introduction of the Veterans Choice Act in 2014, veterans increasingly are accessing civilian healthcare services (VA. 2014).Today nurses are at the forefront of the healthcare delivery system and are often the first to provide services to veterans. As nurses, we must be prepared to assist veterans in determining eligibility and understand how to help veterans navigate the VA system, so as to increase their access to care. A better understanding of this process can ensure high quality, veteran-specific patient care, and potentially decrease the health disparities within the veteran population.Determining Veteran Status and EligibilityThe VA offers a variety of benefits to veterans of the armed forces, including multiple types of financial assistance, healthcare, housing, and education (Szvmendera, 2015). To be eligible for benefits, a former service member who enlisted after September 8, 1980, must have served a minimum of twenty-four continuous months of active duty. There are no minimum service obligations prior to this date. However, health benefits for injuries incurred during active military service (service-connected disability) are exempt from this service obligation (Szvmendera. 2015). Discharge criteria require that an individual be released from military duty with either an honorable discharge or general discharge (Moulta-Ali 8i Pananoala, 2015). Although a dishonorable discharge automatically disqualifies an individual for VA benefits, other-than-honorable discharges or bad conduct discharges can be determined by special consideration (Moulta-Ali &. Pananoala. 2015).Once former service members are determined eligible for benefits, their healthcare services are provided under a component of the VA called the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The VHA is an integrated hea","PeriodicalId":35614,"journal":{"name":"Online Journal of Issues in Nursing","volume":"21 2 1","pages":"9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70294328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-05-01DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No02Man02
D. Costa, O. Yakusheva
Since the early 1990s researchers have steadily built a broad evidence base for the association between nurse staffing and patient outcomes. However, the majority of the studies in the literature employ designs that are unable to robustly examine causal pathways to meaningful improvement in patient outcomes. A focus on causal inference is essential to moving the field of nursing research forward, and as part of the essential skill-set for all nurses as consumers of research. In this article, we aim to describe the importance of causal inference in nursing research and discuss study designs that are more likely to produce causal findings. We first review the conceptual framework supporting this discussion and then use selected examples from the literature, typifying three key study designs – cross-sectional, longitudinal, and randomized control trials (RCTs). The discussion will illustrate strengths and limitation of existing evidence, focusing on the causal pathway between nurse staffing and outcomes. The article conclusion considers implications for future research.
{"title":"Why Causal Inference Matters to Nurses: The Case of Nurse Staffing and Patient Outcomes","authors":"D. Costa, O. Yakusheva","doi":"10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No02Man02","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No02Man02","url":null,"abstract":"Since the early 1990s researchers have steadily built a broad evidence base for the association between nurse staffing and patient outcomes. However, the majority of the studies in the literature employ designs that are unable to robustly examine causal pathways to meaningful improvement in patient outcomes. A focus on causal inference is essential to moving the field of nursing research forward, and as part of the essential skill-set for all nurses as consumers of research. In this article, we aim to describe the importance of causal inference in nursing research and discuss study designs that are more likely to produce causal findings. We first review the conceptual framework supporting this discussion and then use selected examples from the literature, typifying three key study designs – cross-sectional, longitudinal, and randomized control trials (RCTs). The discussion will illustrate strengths and limitation of existing evidence, focusing on the causal pathway between nurse staffing and outcomes. The article conclusion considers implications for future research.","PeriodicalId":35614,"journal":{"name":"Online Journal of Issues in Nursing","volume":"21 2 1","pages":"2"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70294415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-02-15DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.VOL21NO02PPT01
Ann M Stalter, D. Arms
If you have ever thought about serving on a board or being actively involved in meetings aimed at making policy decisions, but are not sure you have the knowledge, skills or abilities to serve competently, this article is for you! In this article, the authors describe six competencies needed by nurses who are serving on boards and/or policy committees so as to contribute in a productive manner. These competencies include a professional commitment to serving on a governing board; knowledge about board types, bylaws, and job descriptions; an understanding of standard business protocols, board member roles, and voting processes; a willingness to use principles for managing and leading effective and efficient board meetings; an appreciation for the ethical and legal processes for conducting meetings; and the ability to employ strategies for maintaining control during intense/uncivil situations. They also discuss strategies for demonstrating these competencies and describe personal responsibilities of board members. The authors conclude that a knowledge of these rules and standards is essential in order for nurses to assume leadership roles that will enhance the health of today’s and tomorrow’s societies.
{"title":"Serving on Organizational Boards: What Nurses Need to Know","authors":"Ann M Stalter, D. Arms","doi":"10.3912/OJIN.VOL21NO02PPT01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.VOL21NO02PPT01","url":null,"abstract":"If you have ever thought about serving on a board or being actively involved in meetings aimed at making policy decisions, but are not sure you have the knowledge, skills or abilities to serve competently, this article is for you! In this article, the authors describe six competencies needed by nurses who are serving on boards and/or policy committees so as to contribute in a productive manner. These competencies include a professional commitment to serving on a governing board; knowledge about board types, bylaws, and job descriptions; an understanding of standard business protocols, board member roles, and voting processes; a willingness to use principles for managing and leading effective and efficient board meetings; an appreciation for the ethical and legal processes for conducting meetings; and the ability to employ strategies for maintaining control during intense/uncivil situations. They also discuss strategies for demonstrating these competencies and describe personal responsibilities of board members. The authors conclude that a knowledge of these rules and standards is essential in order for nurses to assume leadership roles that will enhance the health of today’s and tomorrow’s societies.","PeriodicalId":35614,"journal":{"name":"Online Journal of Issues in Nursing","volume":"21 2 1","pages":"8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70294173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-01-31DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No01Man05
Ndolo Njie-Mokonya
Internationally educated nurses (IEN) are a group who reflect Canada’s diverse population as a result of rising immigration trends. There is increasing diversity of the general population in Canada and health service disparities exist. Reducing these disparities among the healthcare workforce and the patients they care for is important to meet language and other cultural needs of patients from different ethnic backgrounds. This article describes a study that examined internationally educated nurses’ transition experiences in the field of nursing with the objective of describing their unique contributions to the patient care experience. A review of the literature provides background information, followed by the study methods, findings, and discussion. Descriptive phenomenology guided this qualitative study that included 11 participants. Findings from this study illustrate how IENs perceive themselves as an asset to nursing and patient care. Implications for the future of nursing education, practice, research, and administration are offered. Healthcare providers that reflect the diversity of Canada’s population and can offer unique cultural perspective have potential to improve the patient experience during a hospital stay.
{"title":"Internationally Educated Nurses’ and Their Contributions to the Patient Experience","authors":"Ndolo Njie-Mokonya","doi":"10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No01Man05","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No01Man05","url":null,"abstract":"Internationally educated nurses (IEN) are a group who reflect Canada’s diverse population as a result of rising immigration trends. There is increasing diversity of the general population in Canada and health service disparities exist. Reducing these disparities among the healthcare workforce and the patients they care for is important to meet language and other cultural needs of patients from different ethnic backgrounds. This article describes a study that examined internationally educated nurses’ transition experiences in the field of nursing with the objective of describing their unique contributions to the patient care experience. A review of the literature provides background information, followed by the study methods, findings, and discussion. Descriptive phenomenology guided this qualitative study that included 11 participants. Findings from this study illustrate how IENs perceive themselves as an asset to nursing and patient care. Implications for the future of nursing education, practice, research, and administration are offered. Healthcare providers that reflect the diversity of Canada’s population and can offer unique cultural perspective have potential to improve the patient experience during a hospital stay.","PeriodicalId":35614,"journal":{"name":"Online Journal of Issues in Nursing","volume":"48 1","pages":"5"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86622281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-01-31DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No01Man01
B. Berkowitz
The concept of patient experience is surprisingly complex and generally linked with patient satisfaction. As reimbursement and performance policies have become more normative within healthcare, the patient experience has become a metric to measure payment systems for quality. However, we still have much to learn about the concept of patient experience and its influence on how patients report satisfaction with their care. This article discusses challenges for measurement of the patient experience, such as lack of consistent terminology and multiple contributing factors, by reviewing a brief selection of selected literature to help readers appreciate the complexity of measurement. Several examples from clinical practice will consider regulation, organizational environments, and research that can offer clarity around important factors that impact a patient’s experience and subsequent satisfaction with the provision of care.
{"title":"The Patient Experience and Patient Satisfaction: Measurement of a Complex Dynamic","authors":"B. Berkowitz","doi":"10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No01Man01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No01Man01","url":null,"abstract":"The concept of patient experience is surprisingly complex and generally linked with patient satisfaction. As reimbursement and performance policies have become more normative within healthcare, the patient experience has become a metric to measure payment systems for quality. However, we still have much to learn about the concept of patient experience and its influence on how patients report satisfaction with their care. This article discusses challenges for measurement of the patient experience, such as lack of consistent terminology and multiple contributing factors, by reviewing a brief selection of selected literature to help readers appreciate the complexity of measurement. Several examples from clinical practice will consider regulation, organizational environments, and research that can offer clarity around important factors that impact a patient’s experience and subsequent satisfaction with the provision of care.","PeriodicalId":35614,"journal":{"name":"Online Journal of Issues in Nursing","volume":"21 1 1","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70293669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-01-31DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No01Man04
M. West, D. Wantz, P. Campbell, Greta Rosler, Dawn Troutman, Crystal Muthler
The public image of nurse professionalism is important. Attributes of a professional nurse, such as caring, attentive, empathetic, efficient, knowledgeable, competent, and approachable, or lack thereof, can contribute positively or negatively to the patient experience. Nurses at a hospital in central northeast Pennsylvania offer their story as they considered the impact of a wide variety of individual uniform and dress choices. This article describes an evidence based practice project and survey created to increase understanding of patient perceptions regarding the professional image of nurses in this facility. Exploring patient perception of nurse image provided insight into what patients view as important. A team approach included the voice of nurses at different levels in the process. Ultimately, this work informed a revision of the health system nursing dress code. The study team also reflects on challenges, next steps in the process, and offers recommendations based on their experiences.
{"title":"Contributing to a Quality Patient Experience: Applying Evidence Based Practice to Support Changes in Nursing Dress Code Policies","authors":"M. West, D. Wantz, P. Campbell, Greta Rosler, Dawn Troutman, Crystal Muthler","doi":"10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No01Man04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No01Man04","url":null,"abstract":"The public image of nurse professionalism is important. Attributes of a professional nurse, such as caring, attentive, empathetic, efficient, knowledgeable, competent, and approachable, or lack thereof, can contribute positively or negatively to the patient experience. Nurses at a hospital in central northeast Pennsylvania offer their story as they considered the impact of a wide variety of individual uniform and dress choices. This article describes an evidence based practice project and survey created to increase understanding of patient perceptions regarding the professional image of nurses in this facility. Exploring patient perception of nurse image provided insight into what patients view as important. A team approach included the voice of nurses at different levels in the process. Ultimately, this work informed a revision of the health system nursing dress code. The study team also reflects on challenges, next steps in the process, and offers recommendations based on their experiences.","PeriodicalId":35614,"journal":{"name":"Online Journal of Issues in Nursing","volume":"21 1 1","pages":"4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70293823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-01-31DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No01Man02
Christina Dempsey, Barbara A Reilly
The concept of nurse engagement is often used to describe nurses’ commitment to and satisfaction with their jobs. In reality, these are just two facets of engagement. Additional considerations include nurses’ level of commitment to the organization that employs them, and their commitment to the nursing profession itself. Because nurse engagement correlates directly with critical safety, quality, and patient experience outcomes, understanding the current state of nurse engagement and its drivers must be a strategic imperative. This article will discuss the current state of nurse engagement, including variables that impact engagement. We also briefly describe the potential impact of compassion fatigue and burnout, and ways to offer compassionate connected care for the caregiver. Such insight is integral to the profession's sustainability under the weight of demographic, economic, and technological pressures being felt across the industry, and is also fundamental to the success of strategies to improve healthcare delivery outcomes across the continuum of care.
{"title":"Nurse Engagement: What are the Contributing Factors for Success?","authors":"Christina Dempsey, Barbara A Reilly","doi":"10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No01Man02","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No01Man02","url":null,"abstract":"The concept of nurse engagement is often used to describe nurses’ commitment to and satisfaction with their jobs. In reality, these are just two facets of engagement. Additional considerations include nurses’ level of commitment to the organization that employs them, and their commitment to the nursing profession itself. Because nurse engagement correlates directly with critical safety, quality, and patient experience outcomes, understanding the current state of nurse engagement and its drivers must be a strategic imperative. This article will discuss the current state of nurse engagement, including variables that impact engagement. We also briefly describe the potential impact of compassion fatigue and burnout, and ways to offer compassionate connected care for the caregiver. Such insight is integral to the profession's sustainability under the weight of demographic, economic, and technological pressures being felt across the industry, and is also fundamental to the success of strategies to improve healthcare delivery outcomes across the continuum of care.","PeriodicalId":35614,"journal":{"name":"Online Journal of Issues in Nursing","volume":"21 1 1","pages":"2"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70293701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-01-31DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No01ManOS
J. Becker
Working as a patient experience champion is a dream come true for me as both a nurse and a leader. Looking back, my desire to provide an exceptional experience started when I was a teen working in a long term care center as a certified nursing assistant; I just didn't know that was what I was doing at the time. What I did understand was this: when I anticipated and met the patients' needs, they were happier and my day seemed more meaningful. This provided a very simple measure of satisfaction at a time when patient satisfaction data was nonexistent. We all know healthcare providers who epitomize a high performing, caring individual who each of us hope to encounter when receiving care. Some of these individuals come by it naturally, while others have refined a skill set to achieve that level of caring and compassion. Regardless, we have all experienced excellent service in some form, whether in healthcare or another industry, and we know what it feels like to receive excellent service.I "experienced" healthcare highs and lows through my own 6 month-event leading to a diagnosis of a chronic condition with unknown etiology and also through experiences of family members: two sisters diagnosed with breast cancer and a father going through open heart surgery. What became very clear to me, as my family and I moved through services in various healthcare organizations over a 15 year span, was that progress toward providing an exceptional experience every time occurred slower than one would expect, but when healthcare organizations got it right, phenomenal experience was the phrase that came to mind. As a patient experience leader, my observations over my career are much the same as those viewed through my eyes as a patient and family member. Yes, overall progress has been slow. However, as a healthcare leader, I understand the complexities that exist.The progress, though slow to date, is currently showing promise in many respects. Conferences focusing solely on the patient experience are readily available, senior leaders are listing the patient experience as one of the top organizational priorities, employee evaluations often include patient satisfaction metrics, and data transparency is improving. There are many more areas of advancement in the patient experience realm and all of them demonstrate a heightened awareness of the integral part patient experience plays in the overall health of an organization through reimbursement, loyalty and outcomes. Furthermore, movement in organizations toward tackling the obstacles limiting exceptional experiences is gathering momentum, as evidenced by the addition of new patient experience leader roles at the senior leader level and additional dedicated employee and financial resources. One would expect a quicker pace in progress with these additional resources and increased knowledge gathered and shared within the industry.At a recent conference, I heard numerous references to the human-centered experience versus the
{"title":"Overview and Summary: The Patient Experience: Capturing the Intricacies of Contributing Factors","authors":"J. Becker","doi":"10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No01ManOS","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol21No01ManOS","url":null,"abstract":"Working as a patient experience champion is a dream come true for me as both a nurse and a leader. Looking back, my desire to provide an exceptional experience started when I was a teen working in a long term care center as a certified nursing assistant; I just didn't know that was what I was doing at the time. What I did understand was this: when I anticipated and met the patients' needs, they were happier and my day seemed more meaningful. This provided a very simple measure of satisfaction at a time when patient satisfaction data was nonexistent. We all know healthcare providers who epitomize a high performing, caring individual who each of us hope to encounter when receiving care. Some of these individuals come by it naturally, while others have refined a skill set to achieve that level of caring and compassion. Regardless, we have all experienced excellent service in some form, whether in healthcare or another industry, and we know what it feels like to receive excellent service.I \"experienced\" healthcare highs and lows through my own 6 month-event leading to a diagnosis of a chronic condition with unknown etiology and also through experiences of family members: two sisters diagnosed with breast cancer and a father going through open heart surgery. What became very clear to me, as my family and I moved through services in various healthcare organizations over a 15 year span, was that progress toward providing an exceptional experience every time occurred slower than one would expect, but when healthcare organizations got it right, phenomenal experience was the phrase that came to mind. As a patient experience leader, my observations over my career are much the same as those viewed through my eyes as a patient and family member. Yes, overall progress has been slow. However, as a healthcare leader, I understand the complexities that exist.The progress, though slow to date, is currently showing promise in many respects. Conferences focusing solely on the patient experience are readily available, senior leaders are listing the patient experience as one of the top organizational priorities, employee evaluations often include patient satisfaction metrics, and data transparency is improving. There are many more areas of advancement in the patient experience realm and all of them demonstrate a heightened awareness of the integral part patient experience plays in the overall health of an organization through reimbursement, loyalty and outcomes. Furthermore, movement in organizations toward tackling the obstacles limiting exceptional experiences is gathering momentum, as evidenced by the addition of new patient experience leader roles at the senior leader level and additional dedicated employee and financial resources. One would expect a quicker pace in progress with these additional resources and increased knowledge gathered and shared within the industry.At a recent conference, I heard numerous references to the human-centered experience versus the ","PeriodicalId":35614,"journal":{"name":"Online Journal of Issues in Nursing","volume":"21 1 1","pages":"1 p preceding 1"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70293915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-01-28DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.VOL21NO01PPT05
N. Abu-El-Noor
Nurses strive to provide holistic care, including spiritual care, for all patients. However, in busy critical care environments, nurses often feel driven to focus on patients’ physical care, possibly at the expense of emotional and spiritual care. This study examined how Palestinian nurses working in intensive care units (ICUs) understand spirituality and the provision of spiritual care at the end of life. In this article, the author presents background studies, encouraging an increased emphasis on spiritual care, and describes the qualitative method used to study 13 ICU Gaza Strip nurses’ understanding of spiritual care. Findings identified the following themes: meaning of spirituality and spiritual care; identifying spiritual needs; and taking actions to meet spiritual needs. The author discusses the difficulty nurses had in differentiating spiritual and religious needs, notes the study limitations, and concludes by recommending increased emphasis on the provision of spiritual care for all patients.
{"title":"ICU Nurses’ Perceptions and Practice of Spiritual Care at the End of Life: Implications for Policy Change","authors":"N. Abu-El-Noor","doi":"10.3912/OJIN.VOL21NO01PPT05","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.VOL21NO01PPT05","url":null,"abstract":"Nurses strive to provide holistic care, including spiritual care, for all patients. However, in busy critical care environments, nurses often feel driven to focus on patients’ physical care, possibly at the expense of emotional and spiritual care. This study examined how Palestinian nurses working in intensive care units (ICUs) understand spirituality and the provision of spiritual care at the end of life. In this article, the author presents background studies, encouraging an increased emphasis on spiritual care, and describes the qualitative method used to study 13 ICU Gaza Strip nurses’ understanding of spiritual care. Findings identified the following themes: meaning of spirituality and spiritual care; identifying spiritual needs; and taking actions to meet spiritual needs. The author discusses the difficulty nurses had in differentiating spiritual and religious needs, notes the study limitations, and concludes by recommending increased emphasis on the provision of spiritual care for all patients.","PeriodicalId":35614,"journal":{"name":"Online Journal of Issues in Nursing","volume":"38 1","pages":"6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70294318","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-01-14DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.VOL21NO01PPT04
S. Dyess, R. Sherman, Beth A. Pratt, L. Chiang-Hanisko
With the growing complexity of healthcare practice environments and pending nurse leader retirements, the development of future nurse leaders is increasingly important. This article reports on focus group research conducted with Generation Y nurses prior to their initiating coursework in a Master’s Degree program designed to support development of future nurse leaders. Forty-four emerging nurse leaders across three program cohorts participated in this qualitative study conducted to capture perspectives about nursing leaders and leadership. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze and code the data into categories. We discuss the three major categories identified, including: idealistic expectations of leaders, leading in a challenging practice environment, and cautious but optimistic outlook about their own leadership and future, and study limitations. The conclusion offers implications for future nurse leader development. The findings provide important insight into the viewpoints of nurses today about leaders and leadership.
{"title":"Growing Nurse Leaders: Their Perspectives on Nursing Leadership and Today’s Practice Environment","authors":"S. Dyess, R. Sherman, Beth A. Pratt, L. Chiang-Hanisko","doi":"10.3912/OJIN.VOL21NO01PPT04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.VOL21NO01PPT04","url":null,"abstract":"With the growing complexity of healthcare practice environments and pending nurse leader retirements, the development of future nurse leaders is increasingly important. This article reports on focus group research conducted with Generation Y nurses prior to their initiating coursework in a Master’s Degree program designed to support development of future nurse leaders. Forty-four emerging nurse leaders across three program cohorts participated in this qualitative study conducted to capture perspectives about nursing leaders and leadership. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze and code the data into categories. We discuss the three major categories identified, including: idealistic expectations of leaders, leading in a challenging practice environment, and cautious but optimistic outlook about their own leadership and future, and study limitations. The conclusion offers implications for future nurse leader development. The findings provide important insight into the viewpoints of nurses today about leaders and leadership.","PeriodicalId":35614,"journal":{"name":"Online Journal of Issues in Nursing","volume":"21 1 1","pages":"7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70294187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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