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The Role of Burnout in Shaping Nursing Department Performance in Academia
No full textBackground: Burnout is a multifaceted occupational syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, detachment, and diminished sense of accomplishment.1-2 Factors such as heavy workloads, low salaries, and lack of work-life balance are major contributors to faculty and administrative staff burnout.3 “Quiet quitting” has become more common in academic settings4 as many prioritize personal life over professional obligations.5 Despite these issues, a notable gap remains in understanding the critical role that academic nurse leaders play in mitigating burnout among the support staff they oversee.
Purpose: To examine academic nurse leaders’ perceptions of burnout and mitigation strategies among faculty and staff in Colleges/Schools of Nursing.
Methods: This cross-sectional survey examined burnout and mitigation strategies among associate deans, business officers, and members of the Organizational Leadership Network (n=105). A survey was distributed to attendees of the 2023 American Association of Colleges of Nursing Business Officers of Nursing Schools (BONUS)6 meeting. Data were collected via Qualtrics and analyzed using descriptive statistics to summarize the demographics and findings. The 11-question survey included 8 multiple-choice and 3 open-ended.
Results: Respondents (57%) noted that staff burnout was either a problem/notable challenge or a major problem/major challenge. The open-ended responses focused on academic faculty burnout, “People [faculty] do not volunteer to fill committee seats because they have too much on their plate….they just want to do the mandatory parts of their job and go home.” Resignations (57%) and difficulties in backfilling staff positions (54.90%) were the most common burnout manifestations. More than half of the academic leaders indicated that they are working beneath their scope due to staffing deficits with an additional 25% to 50% of staff “quietly quitting”. Only a small percentage of academic leaders had an active burnout mitigation strategy for faculty (13%) and staff (7%).
Conclusion: More clarity is needed between acknowledging burnout as a pressing concern and implementing effective mitigation strategies. Leaders can significantly reduce burnout and enhance overall employee well-being by creating a supportive work environment and encouraging professional development. Academic leaders are key to reducing staff burnout by fostering a healthy work environment through organizational change and prioritizing self-care
”I Want You to be Superior to Others!” - Parents’ Experience of Using TCM Remedies for Their Teenagers
No full textPurposes: The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of parents in regarding providing the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) remedies that promotes the height growth for adolescent children.
Methods: This study adopted a qualitative research approach, interviewed parents of children aged 10–20 who were in pre-adolescence or adolescence and have experience using TCM growth-promoting remedies. One-on-one, in-depth interviews were conducted to capture their experiences. The interview content was transcribed and analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
Results: A total of 10 parents were interviewed in this study, with an average age of 45±4 years, and the age at which the children began taking TCM remedies was, on average, 10 ± 1 years for girls and 13 ± 2 years for boys.
The qualitative content analysis revealed 3 themes, namely “The expectations”, “To tests and eats”, “Bone-turning remedies choice”. The parents’ expectations of children’s body are the height, which them “to grow taller”, and try to find “the right time” to use the TCM remedies, and “find the information of grow taller”. When they give their children to test and eat TCM remedies, it is “new experience”, to “meet the bone-turning remedies with love at first try”, and “eating with relish, fragrant and overflowing!”. When parents Chose bone-turning remedies, they wish their kids keeping up the growth trajectory, and to know the tips in choice the remedies, although those are bitter but beneficial
Effects of Continuing Nursing Care for Patients with Total Laryngectomy: RCT
No full textPurpose: The objective of the study was to clarify whether informational/psychological nursing intervention could improve the quality of life of laryngectomized patients 3 months after hospital discharge compared to the provision of information only, and to examine whether the nursing intervention could continue to improve the quality of life at twelve months after discharge.
Methods: Randomization was performed according to Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials guidelines. Hospitalized pharyngeal and laryngeal cancer patients who underwent laryngectomy had agreed to participate in the study.They were randomly assigned to two groups: we offered relevant information including the distribution and conducted interviews on its content in the intervention group “PGI” (N=38). Whereas subjects (N=35) in the control group “PG” were only relevant information and guidebook distribution. The investigation was conducted five times (T1: before surgery, T2: before hospital discharge, T3: three months, T4: six months, and T5: twelve months after hospital discharge). The SF-36v2 was used. Subjects were asked about the basic attributes: age, sex, family structure, and occupational status. Furthermore, we classified the surgery methods as laryngectomy only and extensive surgery. Extensive surgery included total laryngectomy, lymphatic dissection, and free jejunal reconstruction.
Results: The mean age of the patients was PGI, 69.9 years, and PG, 70.0 years.In terms of the effects of the nursing intervention, there was a difference in the RP, SF, and RE scores of the PGI (33.0, 33.7, 35.4) compared to the PG (22.7, 29.5, 25.9) at T3. Particularly, the PG showed the greatest decline in T3. T3, all scores were above 40 except for RP, SF, and RE. T5, the RP, SF, and RE of the PG were still in the low 31s.
The PGI had a better quality of life than the PG up to T5.
Conclusion: The PGI tended to increase until T5, suggesting that the intervention was effective and validated. In contrast, it was found that there was a downward trend in T3. The PG had the lowest scores in RP, SF, and RE T3. It was suggested that they were experiencing problems in role function and social function and were having difficulties in their lives. The PG had significantly lower scores in RP, SF, and RE T3 compared to T1. It was suggested that they were experiencing problems in role function and social function and were having difficulties in their lives
Understanding Sexual and Gender Minority Patients’ Experiences to Inform Provider Training
No full textBackground: Despite increasing visibility in the United States and worldwide, sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals continue to face significant health disparities, including increased substance use (Schuler et al., 2018), poor mental health (SAMHSA, 2023), and risky HIV behaviors (Solberg et al., 2023). These disparities often stem from negative experiences within the healthcare system, resulting in delayed care or lack of care for health problems (Ayhan et al., 2019). This study seeks to understand the experiences of SGM individuals in healthcare settings and was guided by insights from Uncertainty Management Theory (Brashers, 2001).
Methods: Participants were recruited online and from SGM-focused community centers in Michigan. Qualitative thematic analysis, informed by the Framework Method (Gale et al., 2013), was employed to analyze data from six in-depth, semi-structured focus groups from May 19 to September 5, 2024. Groups, lasting 1.5 to 2 hours, were conducted via Zoom and included diverse SGM community members, including lesbians and bisexual women, gay and bisexual men, transgender men, transgender women, non-binary and gender non-conforming individuals.
Results: Thirty-four people individuals, mostly White (57.7%), Black (23.3%), or Asian (5.8%). Around half were 21-29 years old (48.9%), 21.3% were 30-59, and 29.8% were 60 or older, and the remaining 18.4% were 30-59. Six major themes emerged: 1) verbal interactions (e.g., problematic statements or affirming statements), 2) provider/staff interactions and reactions (e.g., providers/staff exhibiting offensive or affirming behaviors), 3) environment and spaces (e.g., harmful or affirming practice spaces), 4) congruency of practices (e.g., inconsistent and consistent cultural practices), 5) client perspectives and actions related to care (e.g., client care burden), and 6) client aspirations for training and care for providers (e.g., hopes for training providers for competent care). Most themes had negative and positive aspects, but theme five solely focused on burdens while theme six focused solely on aspirations.
Conclusion: This study sheds light on the healthcare experiences of SGM individuals. Our findings highlight the need for inclusive healthcare environments. To address this, a training program to improve provider-patient interactions is being developed to improve the quality of care for SGM patients
Situating Nursing Education Within Cognitive and Sociocultural Perspectives for Meaningful Learning
No full textNurse educators are subject matter experts in nursing science and practice, but designing meaningful instruction and assessment that meets the unique needs of a diverse group of learners requires additional knowledge from education and learning science, including educational theory and an understanding of the underlying nature of knowledge, learning, and transfer. While learning theorists have disagreed on the definitions of these foundational concepts over the last century, it is clear that “the assumptions we make about how people learn fundamentally drive the ways we design to support that learning” (Danish & Gresalfi, 2018, p 39). Whether pedagogies and assessment strategies are designed from thoughtful consideration of learning theories or adopted as routine, an educators underlying assumptions about learning will ultimately influence their teaching practice. As nurse educators work to improve consistency and effectiveness in learning design, aligning instruction and assessment practices based on theoretical perspective is essential. The purpose of this presentation is to translate foundational theoretical perspectives from learning sciences to nursing education practice, providing guidance in learning design and supporting instruction-assessment alignment. This presentation will summarize the theoretical assumptions of both the cognitive and sociocultural perspectives on knowledge, learning, and transfer, framing them as alternatives to the traditions of the empiricist perspective. Synthesizing evidence from both learning sciences and nursing education, pedagogies and assessments commonly used in nursing education will be considered, highlighting the theoretical assumptions on which they are founded. To provide clarity and increase pragmatic uptake of theory-based learning design, exemplars will demonstrate key elements of each perspective through a single learning goal: increasing understanding of pediatric asthma management in pre-licensure nursing students. While theoretical perspectives are the subject of this presentation, key takeaways focus on practical considerations for applying these perspectives to meaningful learning design in nursing education
Defining Caring Behaviors in Online Nursing Education: A Faculty Perspective
No full textThe shift to online nursing education, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, has underscored new challenges in fostering caring interactions, a core component of effective nursing pedagogy. While research highlights the importance of perceived caring behaviors by faculty for positive student outcomes, tools for standardizing and assessing these behaviors in virtual settings remain limited. Findings point to the need for resources, training, and assessment tools specifically designed for online teaching. This study will explore nursing faculty perspectives on essential caring behaviors in online environments, aiming to bridge this gap and enhance the student experience in online nursing education.Using a descriptive, non-experimental, cross-sectional design, this study will conduct an online survey with nursing faculty teaching in virtual formats to assess key caring behaviors and identify faculty priorities for these behaviors. The researchers hypothesize that the findings will help clarify how faculty define and prioritize caring interactions in online settings, offering valuable insights into the unique aspects of delivering compassionate, student-centered care in virtual classrooms.The implications for nursing education are considerable. Grounded in Watson\u27s Theory of Human Caring, the proposed rubric has the potential to foster consistent, compassionate interactions in digital education, positively impacting student engagement, satisfaction, and academic success. Research shows that faculty caring behaviors can enhance students\u27 sense of belonging, motivation, and retention in online nursing programs, ultimately supporting their professional growth and readiness for clinical practice.For nursing faculty, a standardized rubric for evaluating caring behaviors will provide a clear framework to support expectations, improve job satisfaction, and increase confidence and preparedness in online teaching. The rubric is not only a valuable tool for professional development but may also enhance retention by reinforcing the core values of nursing within digital education. This research lays the groundwork for a standardized approach to caring behaviors in virtual nursing education, benefiting both students and faculty. Future research will focus on validating this rubric to ensure alignment with the profession’s foundational values of empathy and compassion in online education
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): Policy and Practice Challenges in West Africa
No full textAntimicrobial resistance is a complex global health challenge we face now in our world. There are global solutions developed to tackle this challenge. To explore the challenge, Ghana and Liberia were the countries of focus. Using policy analysis of data from the Tripartite Antimicrobial Resistance Country Self-Assessment Survey (TrACSS) by the World Health Organization data Global database as of 2022 on AMR an analysis of the various policies both governments have been implemented was conducted. A semi-structured interview was conducted among three selected from each country. The results of this study indicate that AMR is a global health security challenge; however, in developing countries, it is not a significant priority for the government, according to our studies. The study addressed the existing community structures and systems that drive antimicrobial resistance. The study shows that both governments of Liberia and Ghana have launched their national action plans; however, the implementation of the objectives and goals has been slow due to the financial constraints and other factors addressed in the studies
Tangology Simulation: An Experiential Simulation to Understand Leadership and Followership
No full textBackground: Leadership is emphasized in many healthcare disciplines, especially nursing1. However, learning about leadership typically occurs in the context of readings and discussions, which do not provide students with the visceral experiences needed to critically reflect on what is required of them to lead effectively2. Furthermore, there is limited discussion about followership, or what is required of a good follower to collaborate effectively within a healthcare team3.
Purpose: The purpose of the Tangology Simulation is to provide students with an experiential activity that emulates the roles of leadership and followership in a non-threatening environment. The ultimate goal is to facilitate students\u27 critical reflection on their own roles as leaders and followers within a healthcare team.
Implementation: Since 2017, this leadership experiential activity has been part of the Summer Health Professions Education Program, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, at UTHealth Houston. During this activity, 80 pre-health professional students participated in a 10-minute discussion on the roles of leader and follower. After the discussion, students engage in a 45-minute session where they learn the basic steps of Argentine Tango. During this session, they experience the roles of leading and following with different teammates.
Evaluation: At the end of the experiential activity, students complete a written reflection activity, prompted by open-ended questions4. To summarize the data, qualitative descriptive analysis is used to identify themes. Confidence and trust are the main themes that consistently emerge. Through the Tangology Simulation, students discover that confidence in oneself is crucial when leading. Trust in the leader emerges as an essential characteristic for effective followership. Students also noted that the simulation helped them become more aware of other skills, such as communication, needed to become effective leaders and followers in a healthcare team.
Implications: The Tangology Simulation provides an experiential learning activity that allows students to critically reflect on their strengths and weaknesses as future leaders and followers5. This type of experiential learning activity offers students an opportunity for self-reflection on their future roles as leaders and followers in multidisciplinary healthcare teams
A Systematic Review of Symptoms in Adolescents with CKD
No full textBackground: Childhood chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects an estimated 15 to 75 children and adolescents per million worldwide. As a disease and symptom multiplier, childhood CKD is burdensome and leads to decreased quality of life. It is essential to explore current knowledge of the symptom experience in adolescents with CKD to help reduce burden and improve quality of life. The purpose of this systematic review was to explore the state of the science of the symptom experiences in children and adolescents with conservatively managed CKD.
Methods: This systematic review included articles identified through searches in Scopus, PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Complete, PsycINFO (EBSCO) in October 2024. Included articles were English language, peer-reviewed, descriptive, full-length original research articles. Article appraisal and risk of bias was assessed by two independent reviewers using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Research Appraisal Tool.
Results: 1,522 articles were screened and eight met criteria for review and investigated the presence of at least one CKD associated symptom in 1,084 (426 female, 658 male) children and adolescents. Symptoms studied most frequently across articles included anxiety and depressive symptoms (62.5%, respectively), followed by fatigue, sleep disturbances, pain, mobility difficulties, and peer relationships. Other symptoms included changes in mood, behavior and cognitive functioning, gastrointestinal and nutritional disturbances, fluid shift imbalances, and other (fever, vison changes, acne, restless legs). Symptoms in children and adolescents with CKD were often compared to healthy age-matched peers or those with inactive disease (remission). The pediatric Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System® (PROMIS®) measures were most common, used in three (37.5%) of the included articles.
Conclusions: The low number of articles, varying symptoms and symptom domains studied, and varying symptom measures indicate there is very little consensus on conceptual or operational issues related to symptoms reported by children and adolescents with CKD. Furthermore, there are varying methods of describing (intensity, severity, prevalence) and reporting (composite score, numeric value) symptom domains. Additional research of symptoms is essential to guide therapeutic management of CKD effectively and improve the quality of life in children and adolescents with CKD
Identifying Neurological Conditions: A Virtual Reality Simulation for Critical Care Nursing Students
No full textBackground: Virtual reality (VR) has become one of the most useful tools in nursing education because it allows simulation for active learning that requires interaction and provides an authentic, standardized, safe experience for students (Kiegaldie & Shaw, 2023). Moving difficult content from a didactic setting to a VR experience opens a new opportunity for a more meaningful learning experience.Purpose: The purpose was to create a standardized neurological virtual reality (VR) simulation using the Virti platform for senior level nursing students in a traditional BSN program to achieve three primary objectives. Identify signs and symptoms of decreased level of consciousness due to increased ICP, select appropriate treatment interventions related to the patient’s medical condition, and assess and recognize of the signs and symptoms of Cushing’s Triad.Method: Students are scheduled in groups of 20 - 25 and provided VR headsets. The simulation begins with report then students are prompted to assess the patient followed immediately by a question posed by faculty followed by a multiple-choice question. As the simulation unfolds each assessment requires a confirmation question. If a question is answered incorrectly, an automated video of faculty appears and provides additional information then the student is re-routed back to the question. Each student is scored for this formative assessment after the completion of the simulation. Upon completion of the simulation, students are given a 30 minute debrief lecture by faculty to clarify any confusing concepts and review the simulation.Results: Student formative feedback from 200 students immediately following simulation debrief showed 99.5% of students Strongly Agreed/Agreed that After completion of the VR neuro simulation I am more confident in my neurological assessment skills”. Summative results showed an average improvement on three exam questions since beginning the VR simulation. Exam question scores increased for identification of Cushing’s Triad, and increased IPC, and ICP treatment by 13%, 4%, and 47% respectively.Conclusions: Findings illustrate that compared to traditional teaching methods, virtual reality offers excellent possibilities in advancing nursing students’ concept knowledge, clinical practice skills, and overall satisfaction, while providing an innovative approach to develop critical thinking skills