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Biomedical subjects

J Blythe

Publications and source records attributed to J Blythe.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Nurses' experiences of restructuring in three Ontario hospitals.

PURPOSE: To describe the effects of restructuring, particularly redeployment, on nurses' personal and work lives, and to compare the utility of "survivor syndrome" and empowerment as alternative concepts for understanding these effects and planning change. METHODS: Twenty-six focus groups or interviews were held with 59 nurses working in three hospitals in Ontario, Canada. FINDINGS: Participants described how restructuring strategies had affected them as individuals, as members of nursing teams, and as employees. In each of these aspects of their work lives, relationships became less integrated, their work activities became less controllable, and the changes compromised their ability to deliver effective care. CONCLUSIONS: Restructuring intensifies structural weaknesses in professions, such as nursing, whose members are primarily employed by bureaucracies. Nurses may not find survivor syndrome a useful model to explain their low morale following restructuring because it identifies nurses as "patients" in need of therapy. An empowerment model that takes into account nurses' concerns about uncertainty and integration may be more fruitful for devising strategies to enhance their ability to practice effectively in hospital settings.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2001

Perceived support needs of family caregivers and implications for a telephone support service.

The purposes of this study were: to identify the perceived support needs of family caregivers of persons living with chronic illness (physical or cognitive) and receiving home-care services, and to describe the types of telephone services that would meet the expressed needs of caregivers. The qualitative design used semi-structured interviews. A total of 34 caregivers (mean age 62 years) participated in the study. The care recipients (mean age 78 years) were primarily the husband/wife or parent of the caregiver. The most commonly expressed caregiver needs were: a social life, instrumental support (e.g., respite, assistance with physical care, financial compensation), informational support, and emotional support. Most caregivers said they would use a telephone support service provided by a professional (71%) or a fellow caregiver (59%) if available. The results of this study support a pilot study and evaluation of a telephone support service for family caregivers.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Do nurses have the information resources and skills for research utilization?

While access to information resources and the skills to use them do not ensure that nurses will use nursing research in their practice, they are important facilitators. Mailed questionnaires to assess existing information resources, the information management skills of nurses, and what additional resources and training are required were returned by 67 of the 71 vice-presidents or directors of nursing in hospitals in two regions of Ontario. The two regions have similar information resources, nursing staff with research expertise, and opportunities for training in research and information management but there is variation among hospitals. Most vice-presidents agreed that nurses need better information resources and skills to access and evaluate professional literature. The rapidly developing field of information technology, including the Internet, provides potential for sharing resources and expertise. Nursing administrators can minimize barriers and help staff nurses recognize that information management skills enhance professional development and improve patient care.

Computer User Training↗
PubMed1996

The research utilization process: the use of guided imagery to reduce anxiety.

In the rapidly changing health care environment, nurses need to keep current with developments, assess their applicability to practice, and make changes where appropriate. There is evidence that nursing research is underutilized and that a considerable gap exists between nursing research and practice (Bostrum & Suter, 1993; Brett, 1987; Sokop & Coyle, 1990). The objectives of a study carried out on a bone marrow transplant unit in a teaching hospital were to: (1) by introducing a framework for research-based care, enhance research utilization in a selected setting, and (2) evaluate the outcomes of research utilization on a specific clinical nursing problem chosen by nurses and researchers. This paper describes the research utilization process and its outcomes, presents an evaluation of the participatory approach from the perspective of the participating nurses, and discusses facilitators and barriers to research utilization. Guided imagery was the intervention used to decrease patient anxiety.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Linking the professional literature to nursing practice: challenges and opportunities.

Occupational health nurses face the challenge of rapidly changing, increasingly complex work environments. To respond, they must have access to information and know how to manage it effectively to improve their clinical performance and achieve better client outcomes. Information technology has already had an impact on nursing. Many nurses routinely use computers to access laboratory reports, client records, and administrative programs. However few nurses make use of opportunities provided by information technology to access professional literature as a tool for applying new research to their practice.

Humans↗
PubMed1994

Ovarian remnant syndrome: study in laboratory rats.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to answer two questions: (1) will devascularized ovarian rat tissue reimplant on intact or denuded peritoneal surfaces, and (2) will any revascularized tissue become functional, as evidenced by follicle formation and vaginal cornification? STUDY DESIGN: A total of 110 young female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four study groups and a control group. Bilateral oophorectomy was performed on the rats in the first three study groups. In these groups the ovaries were sutured to the left peritoneal surfaces, where the devascularized tissue might become revascularized. The vascularized ovary was sutured to the right denuded peritoneal surface in the rats in group 4, and an oophorectomy was performed on the rats in the control group. The study animals were killed and evaluated at 3, 6, or 9 weeks postoperatively. RESULTS: Seventy-five percent of the devascularized ovarian tissue revascularized. Forty-three percent of the viable ovarian tissue demonstrated follicular growth that increased with time to death. Thirty-seven percent of the rats showed the effects of estrogen on the vaginal epithelium. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that devascularized ovarian tissue may reimplant on intact or abraded peritoneal surfaces, where in time it may resume functioning. These findings suggest that great care must be taken when using the laparoscope to collect ovarian specimens.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Prolonged continuous acyclovir treatment of normal adults with frequently recurring genital herpes simplex virus infection. The Acyclovir Study Group.

In this 3-year study of suppressive acyclovir for recurrent genital herpes, patients with more than six recurrences per year were randomized initially to 400 mg of acyclovir or placebo orally two times per day, with recurrences treated with 200 mg of acyclovir five times per day for 5 days. In the second year of the study, all patients received acyclovir as a daily suppressive or intermittent acute therapy; in the third year, all received daily acyclovir. Among 525 patients completing 3 study years, 289 received 3 years of suppressive therapy and 236 received 1 year of acute therapy followed by 2 years of suppressive therapy. Of those who completed the third year, 61% were recurrence free that year; 25% of the suppressive therapy-only group were recurrence free for all 3 years. The annual recurrence rate dropped from more than 12 recurrences per year at baseline to 1.0 (suppressive therapy) and 1.4 (acute and suppressive therapy) recurrences during the third year. No significant toxic effects were detected. Daily suppressive acyclovir therapy was effective and well tolerated.

Acyclovir↗
PubMedDate not supplied

RN and RPN decision making across settings.

Nursing decision making was a focus of the Province-Wide Nursing Project (PWNP), a 3-year project to promote best nursing practice. In much of the growing literature on nursing decision making, it is assumed that there are differences in the way RNs and RPNs make decisions. However, there is little scientific evidence to support this assumption. The RN and RPN decision making across settings questionnaire was completed by nurses employed in the 23 agencies of the 4 Participating Complexes taking part in the project. The survey questions were subjected to factor analysis and reduced to five factors. Results revealed measurable differences between the way that RNs and RPNs made decisions. Both RNs and RPNs reported making decisions frequently and experiencing little difficulty in making them. However, there were statistically significant differences in the frequency with which RNs and RPNs perceived they made decisions and the difficulty they found in making them. To plan effective health care, it is important to take account of the strengths of different health care workers. There is a need for further research to investigate the reasons behind the differences revealed in these findings.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The organizational environment and evidence-based nursing.

The Province-Wide Nursing Project (PWNP) was designed to remove some of the structural barriers that can impede the ability of nurses in selected health care settings to assess, implement and evaluate best nursing practice. Literature on capacity building and research utilization suggests that the organization is the most important factor in promoting best nursing practice. Therefore, managers and nursing leaders need to encourage the creation of optimum work environments. A survey undertaken by the PWNP Research Centre team assessed the extent to which the 23 agencies in the 4 Participating Complexes provided supportive environments for evidence-based practice. The Characteristics of Agencies in Participating Complexes: Demographics and Resources questionnaire investigated the resources available to help nurses improve their standards of practice in agencies participating in the project. Larger agencies, especially those associated with academic centres, had considerably more resources than agencies in smaller towns. Participation in the Province-Wide Nursing Project enabled agencies to develop strategies to improve the use of evidence in nursing practice.

Education, Nursing, Continuing↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Healthcare restructuring: the impact of job change.

Restructuring, particularly redeployment and job change, had a dramatic impact on the working conditions and practices of nursing personnel. This study was conducted to determine whether nurses (RNs and RPNs) who experienced job change perceived their work-lives differently than those who did not undergo job change and, whether nurses who experienced different types of job change (new role, new unit, or new hospital) varied in their perceptions. A questionnaire exploring themes relevant to redeployment was administered to all nurses (N = 3,408) in two large teaching hospitals that had undergone restructuring. The response rate was 50.7% (n = 1,728). Of the responses, 1,662 were used in the analysis. T-tests and ANOVAs were used to compare groups of nurses. Nurses who changed their jobs perceived their commitment to the organization, their work environment and quality of care differently than those who did not change jobs. Nurses with different types of job change differed in their organizational commitment, perceptions of work-related injuries, attitudes towards job change, need for orientation and new knowledge, and feelings about the health care team. Results will assist managers to address the specific needs of nurses with different experiences of job change in the restructured workplace.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Literature search and retrieval in the workplace.

Nurses do not adequately access and use information to enhance knowledge-based practice. A computerized literature search and retrieval system was installed on a selected hospital unit to evaluate its utility in a work setting. Thirty-three nurses were taught how to use six CD-ROM bibliographic and full-text databases, electronically request articles from the librarian, and to critique the literature. The training program was evaluated by questionnaire and subsequent use of the system. Qualitative data regarding the perceived impact were collected using focus groups. The Michigan Organizational Assessment Questionnaire was administered before and after the intervention. Following training, nurses used the system to successfully answer questions related to patient care, general health issues, and education courses.

CD-ROM↗