Biomedical subjects

S Jarr

Publications and source records attributed to S Jarr.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1998

The registered nurse: perceptions about advance directives.

The driving force behind mandates from both the American Nurses' Association and the American Medical Association is an expectation that doctors and nurses will act as advocates for the participation of the patient in end-of-life treatment decisions. This mandate assumes that both groups are knowledgeable about advance directives and can advise patients on these. Both groups are enjoined not only to facilitate the expression of the patient's wishes but also scrupulously to honor these. The literature suggests that, despite their professional mandate, nurses may feel uncertain about the legal, moral, and ethical obligations surrounding their participation in this enormously significant aspect of patient care. This study focuses on the perception of the dilemma by a sample of registered nurses at a large southeastern university medical center.

Academic Medical Centers↗

PubMed1997

Automating and improving the data quality of a nursing department quality management program at a university hospital.

BACKGROUND: The development and implementation of a relational database program for nursing quality management at a university hospital was stimulated by a lack of consistent data management and analysis tools in the existing noncomputerized program. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION: An initial software prototype implemented in the critical care service included data collection instruments for five areas: medication errors, patient falls, returns to an intensive care unit within 48 hours, hospital-acquired skin breakdown, and unplanned extubations. Access to the database was limited and paper reports only were disseminated on a scheduled basis. In a second phase, the database is being deployed throughout the nursing department using a local area network. Nurse managers will enter and interact with the quality database online and have access to graphics, reports, and action plan development. POSSIBLE ERRORS: A wide range of potential errors influences decisions on how to collect, store, retrieve, and process quality management data. Each type of error affects the nurse manager's ability to identify significant patterns or trends that are amenable to intervention. There is no right way of constructing and implementing a quality improvement database; only an optimum balance between cost, complexity, and efficacy. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS: Initial feedback from end uses has been positive. A three-year experience with a personal computer database suggests that the personal computer-based information technology is appropriate for small to medium applications and can support departmentwide CQI efforts. A case scenario using simulated data is included to illustrate the use of computerized reports in assessing and taking action on an increase in falls.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed1990

Heart sound simulation: how useful for critical care nurses?

Forty critical care nurses participated in a 2-hour teaching program using a heart sound simulator to increase skill in recognition of heart sounds. Mean test scores increased 10 points from the pretest to the first posttest (t = 11.9, p = 0.0001), and this increase was maintained on the second posttest 3 weeks later. Medical intensive care unit and coronary care nurses scored higher than the other critical care nurses. There was a low correlation between recognition of sounds and years of critical care experience. The correlation between the subjects' self-rating of knowledge of heart sounds and their actual skills was also low. These findings suggest that a similar teaching program might be useful for critical care nurses.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Teaching cardiovascular assessment.

This article describes a learning module for teaching heart sound recognition and summarizes results of two studies testing the learning module. The module, built around a heart sound simulator, was effective with both graduate nursing students (n = 37) and experienced critical care nurses (n = 40). In each study, recognition of heart sounds improved significantly, and the knowledge gained was retained for at least 2 weeks.

Education, Nursing, Continuing↗