Policy, Politics, and Nursing Practice最新文献

Research to assess and inform health policy is an essential component of the policymaking process to advance equity in public health practice. This study investigated health disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022) in older adult institutional settings in Philadelphia, PA, to inform policy initiatives, interventions, and infrastructure development. We first explored the changing patterns of nursing staffing levels (total direct care staff and registered nurses [RNs]) measured by hours per resident per day (HPRD) before and after COVID-19. Our findings revealed that HPRD levels consistently fell below the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recommended standards from 2018 to 2022, with notable declines observed starting from 2021. Results from multilevel modeling showed significant declines in HPRD for total direct care nursing staff in nursing homes located in zip codes with a high proportion of Black residents (≥40%). In contrast, HPRD for RNs significantly declined in nursing homes located in zip codes with a lower proportion of Black residents (<40%). Moreover, higher reported direct care HPRD and RN HPRD were associated with any reported COVID-19 cases only within zip codes with a low proportion of Black residents. These findings indicate the need for additional policies to address these observed patterns in staffing levels. Our study provides a foundation for future policy reviews utilizing a conceptual framework that is health equity-centric for local and state health departments program and units intended for institutional care settings for older adults.

Many countries, including Korea, are struggling with a nursing workforce shortage. This study aimed to identify the actual turnover rate of Korean clinical nurses and the factors affecting the turnover rate, considering the time required for nurses to gain experience at their current medical institution. This longitudinal study followed up on a cohort consisting of all 107,682 nurses from January 1, 2017 to July 30, 2020. Differences in the distribution of retention and turnover according to the medical institutions' and nurses' characteristics were analyzed using the chi-square test. The hazard ratios (HRs) for turnover in each analysis interval were analyzed using multilevel Cox proportional-hazards analysis. The mean turnover rate was 10.0% within 1 year and 33.4% within 3.5 years. Several organizational characteristics (the type and ownership of the hospital, its location, and the bed-to-nurse ratio) and individual characteristics (gender, age, and clinical experience) were found to be associated with turnover risk. Among these factors, compared to hospitals with a bed-to-nurse ratio in general wards of 6.0 or more, those with a ratio of 3.5-3.9 had an HR for 1-year turnover of 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI]  =  0.67-0.98), and those with a ratio of 2.5-2.9 had an HR for 3.5-year turnover of 0.77 (95% CI  =  0.66-0.90). The bed-to-nurse ratio is a condition that can be modified through collaboration between government policy-makers and medical institutions. To reduce nurse turnover and retain experienced nurses, appropriate staffing should be implemented.

Preventive policies have been devised with the aim of curbing health-related violence, and their efficacy is believed to furnish evidence for their continued implementation, thereby enhancing their effectiveness. This study undertakes a retrospective analysis of these policies in the context of Türkiye. A comprehensive examination involved the review of 26 documents, employing a progressive scanning approach for data collection. This methodology encompassed the utilization of gray literature databases (OECD iLibrary and WHO Iris), extensive Google searches, thorough website scans, and consultations with subject-matter experts. Data analysis was meticulously conducted within the framework of the Health Policy Triangle. The findings reveal active participation from diverse stakeholders, including governmental bodies, political entities, professional organizations, and trade unions, in various preventive initiatives aimed at mitigating health-related violence. Notably, the adoption of legislation for health violence prevention, perceived as a paramount achievement, can be attributed to persistent efforts by both the media and other influential actors and stakeholders. These endeavors have sustained the topic's prominence on the policy agenda, positioning it as a promising source for the development of novel violence prevention and management strategies. This study underscores the necessity for a comprehensive investigation into the working conditions, personal rights, and wage policies of healthcare workers, in light of documented factors that frequently precipitate violence. Concomitantly, it advocates for the development of effective mechanisms to address these issues.

The Oral Health Nursing Education and Practice Program (OHNEP), a core partner of the National Interprofessional Initiative on Oral Health, is a national initiative focused on implementing an interprofessional oral health workforce innovation to influence change in clinical education, practice, and policy. OHNEP aims to address oral health disparities by enhancing the nursing profession's role in integrating oral health and its links to overall health in both academic and clinical settings. Leveraging the opportunity to cultivate faculty, preceptors, and clinicians as oral health champions, OHNEP aims to integrate interprofessional oral health clinical content and competencies in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs through faculty and preceptor development, curriculum integration, and establishing oral health as a standard of care in clinical settings. Outcomes include widespread dissemination of OHNEP virtual products and resources used by a significant number of undergraduate and graduate programs nationwide. OHNEP has a notable impact on policy related to integrating oral health and its links to overall health in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs, thereby increasing interprofessional oral health workforce capacity and aiming to improve oral health equity.

In Canada, reports of nursing staff shortages, job vacancies and the use of private agency nurses, especially in hospitals, have increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Media reports suggest the pandemic exacerbated nursing shortages among other issues, and nurses are leaving their traditional positions to work at such agencies. Public spending on agency nurses has increased appreciably. Using 2011 to 2021 regulatory college data on all registered nurses (RNs) and registered practical nurses (RPNs) in the province of Ontario, Canada, we investigated trends in the count and share of nurses working for employment agencies. We also examined the rate at which previously non-agency employed nurses transition to employment in at least one agency job. We found the prevalence of RNs and RPNs reporting agency employment was relatively stable from 2011 to 2019, and decreased slightly in 2020 and 2021. However, there was a small increase in transitions from non-agency employment to working at an agency job. We also found the mean hours of practice in all jobs reported by agency and non-agency nurses increased during the pandemic. Based on these findings, an increase in hours and/or prices for agency nurses may explain the increase in public funding for agency nurses, but it was not driven by an increasing share of nurses working for employment agencies. To fully understand employment agency activity, policymakers may need to monitor hours of work and hourly costs rather than only costs. Further research is required to investigate any long-term effects the pandemic may have had on agency-employment.

In Germany, a person's need for nursing care is assessed by evaluators according to the federal legal definition of the statutory long-term care insurance (LTCI). This definition and the associated standardized assessment tool constitute the conditions for providing nursing care in a community care setting in Germany. Furthermore, the community care setting is regulated by state law and negotiations between long-term care funds and associations of providers of nursing care. During nursing care, nurses engage in a variety of interactions with people. The extent to which the legal definition of the need for nursing care leads to challenges in these interactions is unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted 22 problem-centered interviews with nurses in the community and analyzed the data using the constructivist grounded theory. The results revealed that the negotiation processes are settled within professional-family relationships and vary between the constructs of closeness and distance, advocacy and submission of responsibility, and ethos and technocracy; these are the central challenges nurses encounter in this setting. We discuss the implications and questions that arise from the findings for the nursing profession regarding its own current and future role as well as the design of nursing support in the community, to nurture more advanced nurse practitioners and community health nurses.

Shift workers support critical 24-hr operations; their health can be impaired by disrupted circadian rhythms and dysfunctional sleep. Shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) is a prevalent condition with significant psychological consequences. Nurse leaders have not yet implemented effective policies to prevent SWSD and optimize shift workers' mental health. The purpose of this integrative review was to examine research about SWSD within the context of neurobiological, sociological, and psychological perspectives that can inform policy changes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Policy Analytic Framework was used to determine the priority recommendations. A search of three databases provided 19 research articles about SWSD and mental health, which illustrated how SWSD is common around the world in many occupations. Backward-rotating schedules and quick returns were risk factors for SWSD. In addition, SWSD was associated with circadian languidity, sleep reactivity, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. Collectively, the studies lacked objective measures of sleep and circadian rhythms, which has hindered the ability to devise interventions that will target the neurobiological causes of SWSD. The research also lacked attention to important sociological factors, such as workers' pay and benefits. Using these findings, nurse leaders can contribute to public policy reforms that increase funding for more rigorous SWSD research. Lawmakers should be advised by nurse leaders to enforce new regulations that provide incentives for employers to create healthier workplaces, such as prohibiting the overuse of schedules that make employees vulnerable to SWSD and providing funds for interventions to prevent SWSD and support mental health.

This study analyzed the NHANES database (2016-2018), investigating substance use patterns among 6,108 U.S. adults (18-64 years), with a focus on health insurance, race/ethnicity, age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Among participants, 1,063 reported a history of substance use. A key finding was the correlation between health insurance coverage and substance use history; notably, 80% of those with a history of substance use were insured. Non-Hispanic Whites represented a significant proportion (76%) of substance users, exceeding their population representation. Age and gender differences were prominent, with older adults (50-64 years) comprising 41% of substance users, and males accounting for 61%. The study's reliance on self-reported substance use history from NHANES may introduce measurement bias. Such bias necessitates careful interpretation of the data, considering variations across demographic and socioeconomic variables. Logistic regression analysis revealed that lacking health insurance increased the odds of a history of substance use (OR = 1.43, p < .01). The interaction between insurance coverage and race/ethnicity was not significant. These findings underscore the multifaceted nature of substance use, highlighting the need for comprehensive public health strategies to address the diverse factors influencing substance use behaviors.

Ethical climate is one of the important factors in the working climate of the hospital. Considering the difference in the Ethical climate in different departments of the hospital and the importance of the ethical climate in the delivery ward, this study aimed to assess the characteristics of hospital ethical climate in delivery ward of educational hospitals in southeast Iran. This descriptive and multi-center study was conducted from 2020 to 2021 in educational hospitals in southeast Iran. Two hundred forty midwives working in delivery wards, midwifery instructors, and midwifery students were included in the study by census method. Data collection tools included a demographic information form, Olson's Hospital Ethical Climate Survey, completed using the self-report method. The mean ethical climate in the midwifery group (3.82 ± 0.63 out of 5) was higher than in the instructors' and students' groups. The lowest mean score obtained from the ethical climate questionnaire of participants was associated with the inability to use their experiences in the delivery ward. The lowest mean of ethical climate from the midwives' point of view is the Physicians' dimension and the patient's dimension from the instructors' point of view. The highest mean score belonged to the ethical climate of the supervisors. According to the results of the present study, it is suggested to implement protective laws to support the higher independence of midwives to improve the ethical climates by using their experiences in the delivery department.