Journal of nursing management
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The aim of the study was to identify factors related to critical incidents that influence the competence of nurse supervisors. ⋯ Nurse supervisors need to include more nursing theory and focus on the nursing process as well as being aware of their own shortcomings and resources. One way for the supervisor to scrutinize his/her actions is to discuss and examine them with a more experienced nurse supervisor colleague.
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The purpose of this article is to review the management of health and social care provision for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease patients within the United Kingdom. The link between the epidemic of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle and the subsequent emergence of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) in humans during the mid 1990s created new mechanisms for the organization of health and social care for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease patients. This article draws on the experiences of two National Care Co-ordinators appointed to manage the care of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease patients throughout the United Kingdom, and identifies how additional money set aside by the Department of Health (DoH) is spent to overcome local difficulties in the timeliness or availability of services. The key issues that emerge include the positive benefits associated with care co-ordination and the difficulties encountered in developing flexible and individual care packages within existing health and social organizational structures.
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Nursing autonomy has been associated with better patient-outcomes; therefore, it is a priority for critical care nursing management. Low authority has been a persistent complaint of Hellenic intensive care unit nurses; however, issues of nursing autonomy have not been previously addressed empirically in Hellas. ⋯ The results revealed moderate autonomy in technical tasks and low decisional autonomy among Hellenic intensive care unit nurses. Factors related to the educational preparation of nurses, gender issues and institutional characteristics might hinder intensive care unit nurses' autonomy in Hellas.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of nurse competence in different hospital work environments.
This study examines nurses' perceptions of competence in different university hospital work environments. ⋯ Nurse competence profiles differed in both the level of and in frequency of using competencies between work environments. Context-specific knowledge of nurse competence from real work life situations provides direction on how to structure work environments and staff development interventions to provide qualified care.
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Comparative Study
Assessing patient category/dependence systems for determining the nurse/patient ratio in ICU and HDU: a review of approaches.
A huge range of patient classification systems/tools are used in critical care units to inform workforce planning, however, they are not always applied appropriately. Many of these systems/tools were not originally developed for the purposes of workforce planning and so their use in determining the nurse:patient ratio required in critical care settings raises a number of issues for the organisation and management of these services. ⋯ The implications of these findings for the organization and management of critical care services are discussed. Careful consideration of these areas is vital if a cost efficient and cost-effective critical care service is to be delivered.