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Biomedical subjects

Karen S Cox

Publications and source records attributed to Karen S Cox.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Nurses' work environment perceptions when employed in states with and without mandatory staffing ratios and/or mandatory staffing plans.

Multiple stakeholders have sought regulatory and nonregulatory strategies to address nursing workforce and patient safety concerns. This study examines differences in nurses' work environment perceptions. Approximately 4,000 nurses employed in 10 states provided their perceptions of key characteristics of their work environment using the Individual Workload Perception Scale. Univariate statistics were used to characterize mean values of the nurses' work environment perceptions by state of employment and whether these perceptions changed if employed in states with versus without mandatory staffing ratios and/or mandatory staffing plans. This study provides preliminary evidence that mandatory staffing plan legislation may be linked with the most positive nurse work environment perceptions when compared with implementation of mandatory staffing ratios or no workforce regulation. Based on this preliminary observation, further analysis comparing the relative benefits and costs of workforce regulation may be warranted.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Analysis of the nursing workforce crisis: a call to action.

In our integrative review of reports on the health care workforce shortage, we examined 15 reports that focused primarily on nursing and were conducted by various stakeholders. We studied these reports objectively, identifying problems and solutions as described by the authors, which we then categorized by theme. We found problems at both the national and institutional levels and noted that the reports contained similar problem and solution "themes." Yet we also found gaps between these-some problems had no solutions and some solutions didn't address any of the suggested problems. Gaps occurred among problems and solutions listed in the following theme categories: demand, health care economics, workforce planning, research and data support, and technology. Despite the urgent need, we still lack a national strategy designed to avert the nursing shortage. This review may provide a foundation for such a plan.We present the results of our analysis and our recommendations to the federal government and national organizations, to institutions, and to nurses. These recommendations don't provide a comprehensive strategy for averting the nursing shortage, but they do offer a basis upon which one may be created.

Health Planning↗
PubMed2003

Baby boomer nurses bearing the burden of care: A four-site study of stress, strain, and coping for inpatient registered nurses.

OBJECTIVE: Because today's nursing workforce faces a multitude of stressors, the objective of this study was to describe stress, strain, and coping across institution types for inpatient registered nurses (n = 694), and to identify the influence of age on these findings. METHODS: This study, using a multi-site, mixed methods approach, provides data to support more focused interventions that address the challenges of specific types of stressors and age cohort needs. RESULTS: The worst scores for sub-scales addressing stress and strain for this sample of inpatient nurses were problems associated with physical environment and responsibility. Consistency was found across the four institutions for the sub scale of responsibility. Baby Boomer nurses (born between 1946 and 1964) had significantly worse scores than other age cohorts, specifically with the stress and strain sub-scales of role overload, role insufficiency, role ambiguity, role boundary, and interpersonal strain. CONCLUSION: The authors outline specific ways to support registered nurses by using staffing metrics that factor in unit activity as well as supporting the Baby Boomer nurse, both physically and psychosocially.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2002

Using standard desk-top tools to monitor medical error rates.

Many experts believe it is time to do something about the high number of medical errors and adverse events highlighted in the recent IOM report. This article examines how front line managers can use a valuable quality improvement/assurance tool--the statistical process control chart--to track and analyze medical error rates. It includes a step-by-step guide to the creation and interpretation of a demonstration chart, discusses potential barriers to the use of statistical process control charts, and suggests ways to overcome those barriers.

Data Collection↗
PubMed2002

Inpatient nurses and their work environment.

Inpatient nurses are not satisfied with their work environment. Efforts must be undertaken to address these concerns. This articles describes one Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows' leadership project focused on assessing the work environment of nurses in a region using quantitative and qualitative methods. In addition, development and testing of a new instrument which provides nursing leaders with specific guidance in making improvements is discussed.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Developing measures of pediatric nursing quality.

Recent research has highlighted the impact of nursing care on patient outcomes. The link to staffing has also been documented for selected conditions. To date, efforts to establish nurse-sensitive measures have focused largely on adults. This article describes the project undertaken to select and pilot 2 pediatric indicators of nursing quality care to be included in an ongoing national benchmarking program.

American Nurses' Association↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An infrastructure for organizational support of research.

Nurses are well suited to develop, implement, and disseminate research initiatives. However, most nurses need assistance to translate the idea behind the initiative into reality. This process requires resources and support. The authors outline one organization's infrastructure by which support is provided. Collaboration between a hospital-based research team and bedside nurses has produced a successful, funded program of research that has led to dissemination of findings.

Hospitals, Pediatric↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Redesigning the health care system of the future.

The models outlined above represent alternative constructs for examining factors that may or may not influence human health in a positive manner. If the economic framework seems more theoretical than actionable, consider an alternative framework that has been advanced by the American Hospital Association and described in Table I. Regardless of the framework adopted, work to improve the health care system and its financing will be hard, irrespective of whether incremental or wholesale changes are made. What is important, however, is that a thoughtful approach be taken and the trade-offs of each decision carefully weighted. The health of the population of the state and the country depend on it.

Adult↗