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Aims and objectives: Gaining insight in how people living with chronic conditions experience primary healthcare within their informal network. Background: The primary healthcare system is challenged by the increasing number of people living with chronic conditions. To strengthen chronic care management, literature and policy plans point to a person‐centred approach of care (PCC). A first step to identify an appropriate strategy to implement PCC is to gain more insight into the care experiences of these people and their informal caregivers. Design: A phenomenological‐hermeneutical philosophy is used. The study is in line with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research Guidelines (COREQ). Method: In‐depth, semi‐structured interviews with people living with chronic conditions and informal caregiver dyads (PCDs) (n = 16; 32 individuals) were conducted. An open‐ended interview guide was used to elaborate on the PCDs' experiences regarding primary care. A purposive, maximal variation sampling was applied to recruit the participants. Results: Based on sixteen PCDs' reflections, ten themes were identified presenting their experiences with primary care and described quality care as listening and giving attention to what people with chronic conditions want, to what they strive for, and above all to promote their autonomy in a context wherein they are supported by a team of formal caregivers, family and friends. Conclusion: To meet the PCDs' needs, self‐management should be addressed in an interprofessional environment in which the PCD is an important partner. The findings may facilitate a shift to encourage PCDs in their strengths by enabling them to share their personal goals and by working towards meaningful activities in team collaboration. Relevance to clinical practice: Three strategies—self‐management support, goal‐oriented care, and interprofessional collaboration—have been suggested to improve the PCDs' primary care experiences. These strategies could guide nursing practice in using more and improve high‐quality nursing care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the optimal threshold for national early warning score in clinical practice. Background: The national early warning score is an aggregate early warning score aiming to predict patient mortality. Studies validating national early warning score did not use standardised patient outcomes or did not always include clinical workload in their results. Since all patients with a positive national early warning score require a clinical workup, it is crucial to determine the optimal threshold to limit false‐positive alerts. Design: An external validation study using retrospectively collected data of patient admissions in six Belgian hospitals. Methods: We adhered to the STARD guideline for reporting. Two sample groups were selected: the cross‐sectional sample (admitted patients, 1 day every 4 months) and the serious adverse event sample (all patients with unexpected death, cardiac arrest and unplanned admission to the intensive care unit). The maximum registered national early warning score value was collected in both groups. Predictive values were used as estimates for clinical workload. Results: We collected 1,523 in the cross‐sectional sample and 390 patients in the serious adverse event sample. A national early warning score ≥5 had a predictive value of 6.8% and a negative predictive value of 99.5% to predict unexpected death, cardiac arrest with cardiopulmonary resuscitation or unplanned admission to intensive care (AUROC 0.841). The performance of national early warning score differed between outcome measures. Considering the predictive value, the optimal threshold for national early warning score is ≥5. Conclusions: We validated national early warning score to be applied in general hospital wards and confirmed the optimal threshold (≥5). Relevance to clinical practice: When a patient has a national early warning score <5, we may assume that in the next 24 hr this patient is less likely to die unexpectedly, receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation or be transferred to the ICU. Because of the significant number of false positives when national early warning score is ≥5, hospitals should create workable guidelines for clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To explore the views of general practitioners, practice nurses and patients on interprofessional collaboration in general practice and to understand to what extent the nurse–doctor relationship meets their needs and expectations. Background: To address future challenges of primary health care, there is a need for integrated interprofessional collaboration care systems with a patient‐centred focus. Worldwide, there is an integration of nurses in general practice. However, in a transitioning Belgian context little is known about the perspectives of three key stakeholder groups. Design: The results of four qualitative descriptive primary studies were triangulated and a secondary analysis resulted in a thematic synthesis within a pragmatic research paradigm. Methods: Primary data were collected through individual, semi‐structured interviews with 7 general practitioners, 19 practice nurses and 21 patients living with chronic illness in 26 primary care centres with different nurse integration levels. We conducted a secondary analysis for the thematic synthesis of the different stakeholders' perspectives. This study was reported in accordance with the COREQ checklist. Results: Four overarching themes were found as follows: vision and mission at general practice level, patient‐centred care, practice nurse role development and interprofessional collaboration. Interprofessional collaboration within general practice ensures better response to patient needs. Evolution of the practice nurse role to autonomous decision‐making can be facilitated by clear vision and mission, team communication, complementarity of responsibilities and trust‐based professional relationships. Conclusions: The key for patient‐centred care in a well‐organised practice is a clear vision and mission and well‐defined task description for interprofessional collaboration. General practice is urging for systematic guidance for the sustainable integration of a practice nurse. Relevance to clinical practice: Our study highlights opportunities and challenges to nurse integration in general practice from key stakeholders' perspectives, which can inform other transitioning contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To appraise and synthesise empirical studies examining sources of occupational stress and ways of coping utilised by nurse managers when dealing with stress. Background: The Nurse Manager's role is challenging yet draining and stressful and has adverse consequences on an individual's overall health and well‐being, patients’ outcomes and organisational productivity. Considerable research has been carried out; however, an updated and broader perspective on this critical organisational issue has not been performed. Design: An integrative review. Methods: Five databases (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, SCOPUS, PubMed, PsychINFO and MEDLINE) were searched to identify relevant articles. Search terms and MeSH terms included: “charge nurse,” “coping,” “coping strategy,” “coping style,” “psychological adaptation,” “psychological stress,” “stressors,” “nurse manager” and “unit manager.” Twenty‐two articles were included in this review. Reporting followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses statement guidelines. Results: Four themes were identified: moderate stress levels, common sources of stress, ways of coping and the impact of nurses’ characteristics on stress. Conclusions: Nurse managers experienced moderate levels of stress mainly from heavy workloads, lack of resources and financial responsibilities. Enhancing social support and promoting job control were seen as important in reducing work stress and its related consequences. Additional studies using a more rigorous method and a larger sample size preferably in multicultural settings would shed more light on this topic. Relevance to clinical practice: Hospital and nurse administrators play an important role in promoting supportive structures for daily professional practice for nurse managers through staffing, organisational resources, support services, leadership and stress management training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives To study the combination of personality and interpersonal behaviour of staff nurses in general hospitals in relation to burnout and its separate dimensions. Background More research on the individual factors contributing to the development of burnout is needed to improve the risk profile of nursing staff. Therefore, a combination of Leary's interpersonal circumplex model, which depicts the interpersonal behaviour trait domain, and the five-factor model was considered in the study at hand. Design A cross-sectional research method was applied using self-report questionnaires. Methods A total of 880 Belgian general hospital nurses were invited to participate in the study. Data were collected from November 2012-July 2013. The questionnaire consisted of three validated self-report instruments: the NEO five-factor inventory, the Dutch Interpersonal Behaviour Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results Of the 880 nurses invited to participate, 587 (67%) returned the questionnaire. Sex, neuroticism, submissive-friendly behaviour, dominant-friendly behaviour and vector length were found to be predictive factors for emotional exhaustion. For depersonalisation, sex, neuroticism, conscientiousness, friendly behaviour, submissive-friendly behaviour, dominant-hostile behaviour and vector length were predictive factors. Finally, personal accomplishment was determined by neuroticism, openness, conscientiousness, and hostile behaviour. Conclusions This study confirmed the influence of the Big Five personality factors on the separate dimensions of burnout. Interpersonal behaviour made a significant contribution to the predictive capacity of the regression models of all three dimensions of burnout. Additional longitudinal research is required to confirm the causal relationship between these individual factors and burnout. Relevance to clinical practice The results of this study can help to achieve a better understanding of which vulnerabilities an individual prevention programme for burnout should target. In addition, hospitals could use assessment instruments to identify nurses who are prone to burnout and thus would benefit from additional support or stress reduction programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives. To investigate the circumstances of nursing care eight hours before serious adverse events (=SAE's) on medical and surgical nursing units with subsequent in-hospital mortality in order to identify the extent to which these SAE's were potentially preventable. Background. The prevention of SAE 's in acute care is coming under increasing scrutiny, while the role nursing care plays in the prevention of acute critical deterioration of patients is unclear. Methods. Retrospective review of patient records of 63 SAE's in a Belgian teaching hospital where death was the final outcome following a cardiac arrest team call or unplanned ICU admission from an acute care unit. Data from chart reviews were combined with data regarding working conditions on the nursing unit at the time of the events and experts' opinions regarding the preventability of the outcomes. Finally, a pilot survey of staff nurses about their experiences with deteriorating patients and knowledge of vital signs and call criteria was conducted independently of the chart abstractions and case reviews. Results. Experts were almost five times more likely to designate a case as potentially preventable when a cardiac arrest team call was the terminal event and were 40% less likely to designate a case as potentially preventable when more observations were documented in patient records. Survey results revealed that nurses were often unaware that their patients were deteriorating before the crisis. Nurses also reported threshold levels for concern for abnormal vital signs that suggested they would call for assistance relatively late in clinical crises. Conclusion. Renewed attention to accurate recording, documentation and interpretation of vital signs in hospital nursing practice appears needed. Relevance to clinical practice. Timely detection of deteriorating patients to assist staff to improve their outcomes appears to be jeopardised by a number of practices and factors and merits deeper study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To investigate impacts of practice environment factors and burnout at the nursing unit level on job outcomes and nurse-assessed quality of care in acute hospital nurses. Background. Prior research has consistently demonstrated correlations between nurse practice environments and nurses’ job satisfaction and health at work, but somewhat less evidence connects practice environments with patient outcomes. The relationship has also been more extensively documented using hospital-wide measures of environments as opposed to measures at the nursing unit level. Design. Survey. Method. Data from a sample of 546 staff nurses from 42 units in four Belgian hospitals were analysed using a two-level (nursing unit and nurse) random intercept model. Linear and generalised linear mixed effects models were fitted including nurse practice environment dimensions measured with the Revised Nursing Work Index and burnout dimensions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory as independent variables and job outcome and nurse-assessed quality of care variables as dependent variables. Results. Significant unit-level associations were found between nurse practice environment and burnout dimensions and job satisfaction, turnover intentions and nurse-reported quality of care. Emotional exhaustion is a predictor of job satisfaction, nurse turnover intentions and assessed quality of care as well besides various nurse work practice environment dimensions. Nurses ‘ratings of unit-level management and hospital-level management and organisational support had effects in opposite directions on assessments of quality of care at the unit; this suggests that nurses’ perceptions of conditions on their nursing units relative to their perceptions of their institutions at large are potentially influential in their overall job experience. Conclusion. Nursing unit variation of the nurse practice environment and feelings of burnout predicts job outcome and nurse-reported quality of care variables. Relevance to clinical practice. The team and environmental contexts of nursing practice play critical roles in the recruitment and retention of nurses, and as well as in the quality of care delivered. Widespread burnout as a nursing unit characteristic, reflecting a response to chronic organisational stressors, merits special attention from staff nurses, physicians, managers and leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]