International journal of nursing studies
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As required or pro re nata (PRN) psychotropic medicines are frequently used in acute mental health wards. PRN is known to contribute to polypharmacy and high doses of antipsychotic medication. Few studies have attempted to improve clinician's use of these potentially harmful drugs. ⋯ The introduction of the manual appeared to influence some of the practices associated with the prescribing and administration of PRN psychotropic medications. Further, larger, more robust studies are required in this area. In particular research is required to identify the reasons why professionals continue to rely so heavily on using PRN medication.
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The critical shortage of nurses experienced throughout the western world has prompted researchers to examine one major component of this complex problem - the impact of nurses' professional identity and job satisfaction on retention. ⋯ Strategies or interventions requiring implementation and evaluation include: counseling to improve nurse general self-concept, education programs and competencies in health communication between health professionals, reporting of nurse-initiated programs with substantial patient benefit, nurse-friendly organizational policies, common health team learning opportunities, and autonomous practice models.
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Employee empowerment is an important organizational issue. Empowered employees with new ideas and innovative attributes may increase their ability to respond more effectively to face extensive changes in current public health care work environments. ⋯ Employee empowerment and innovative behavior of PHNs have little influence on job productivity. Employees with greater competence for delivering public health showed higher self-evaluated job productivity. The negative influences on job productivity possibly caused by conflict meaning on public health among PHNs in current public health policy. It should be an issue in further researches. Public health department should strengthen continuing education to foster competence of psychological sense of empowerment and innovative behavior to increase job productivity
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Adequate risk assessment is essential in pressure ulcer prevention. Assessment scales were designed to support practitioners in identifying persons at pressure ulcer risk. The Braden scale is one of the most extensively studied risk assessment instruments, although the majority of studies focused on validity rather than reliability. ⋯ Although the calculated interrater reliability coefficients for the total Braden score were high in some cases, several clinically relevant differences occurred between the nurses. Due to interrater reliability being very low for the items "sensory perception" and "nutrition", it is doubtful if their assessment contributes to any valid results. The calculation of weighted kappa or intraclass correlation coefficients is the most appropriate interrater reliability estimates.
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Type 2 diabetes constitutes a growing public health concern due to the risk of long-term complications. Control of blood glucose and other preventative measures are known to decrease this risk. Since prevention depends on the individual's behaviour, this study sought to identify factors related to self-care behaviour of persons with type 2 diabetes. The theory of planned behaviour provided the theoretical framework. ⋯ Strategies to improve self-care behaviour in relation to type 2 diabetes should focus on improving the individual's perception of behavioural control, especially with regards to exercise and diet.