Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

B M Jennings

Publications and source records attributed to B M Jennings.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Patient outcomes research: seizing the opportunity.

Nurses must take a proactive role in patient outcomes research. Because the patient, not disease, has always been the focus of nursing, nurses are sensitized to the rich but complicated context in which patient outcomes research will be conducted. Nurse researchers are experienced in using complex research models, dealing with ambiguous concepts, grappling with difficult measurement issues, and subscribing to methodological pluralism. These skills are important to success with patient outcomes research. In this article, the opportunities and challenges posed to nurses by patient outcomes research will be addressed. One of the benefits will be a stronger knowledge base for clinical practice and hence patient care.

Health Policy↗
PubMed1991

Military nursing and diagnosis-related groups: using the past to benefit our future.

To contain the escalating cost of health care, a prospective payment system is being introduced into the military. The authors propose a proactive approach to this change in health care financing by evaluating the experiences of nurses to a similar change in the civilian sector. These approaches are presented as nine interrelated lessons: responding optimistically; shifting into a business mode; valuing clinical nursing experts; understanding the implications for documentation; moving to decentralized management; changing outpatient care delivery; considering the effects on job satisfaction; evaluating the relationship between costs and nursing resource consumption; and basing nursing practice in science.

Diagnosis-Related Groups↗
PubMed1990

Stress, locus of control, social support, and psychological symptoms among head nurses.

This study was conducted to evaluate the relationships among work stress, nonwork stress, locus of control, social support, and head nurses' psychological symptoms. Data were collected from head nurses (N = 300) representing all Army hospitals in the United States; 21% of the volunteer sample were men. The results supported the hypotheses that perceived stress from both work and nonwork sources was positively related to psychological symptoms. Direct effects for both internal locus of control and social support, while weak, were manifest as expected; these variables demonstrated a negative relationship with psychological symptoms. None of the hypothesized buffering effects were detected. The stress model derived from this study accounted for 35.9% of the variance in psychological symptoms. Regardless of gender, the head nurses' psychological symptoms were one standard deviation higher than nonpatient norms.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Evaluating the effects of a nurse preceptorship programme.

Nurse preceptorship programmes have evolved as a means to ease the turmoil of transition from student nurse to staff nurse. In this era of economic retrenchment, it is possible that such programmes might be eliminated. Conversely, it is also possible that preceptorship programmes represent an important mechanism for recruitment and retention; issues that also pervade the contemporary health care arena. This study was conducted, therefore, to evaluate the transition process of new graduates who participated in a preceptorship programme. While the objective measures used in this investigation did not support the common belief that the transition from student nurse to staff nurse is an emotion-laden experience, the preceptees did verbalize feelings of psychosocial discomfort. Several explanations are proposed to account for these findings, including that the effectiveness of the programme may have sustained the more positive affective states. The authors conclude that preceptorship programmes remain important and necessary interventions to facilitate integrating and enacting the professional nurse role.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Nursing theory and administrative practice: agenda for the 1990s.

Despite past progress in the development of nursing theory, a theoretical nursing perspective is not yet common to the practice of nursing administration. Such a perspective could serve as a catalyst both to advance knowledge development for administrative nursing practice and to align clinical and administrative practice within a common framework. In this article assumptions, concepts, and questions common to both clinical and administrative nursing practice are identified. Select domain concepts are used to exemplify the themes shared by nurse clinicians and nurse administrators. The article concludes with a five-item agenda as a guide for future theory development.

Administrative Personnel↗
PubMed1988

Merging nursing research and practice: a case of multiple identities.

Although using research to guide nursing practice has been a long-standing goal for the nursing discipline, the actual merger of research and practice is not yet widespread. There are many possible explanations for the limited progress that has been made in this arena. In this paper, it is suggested that the multiple identities taken on by nurses may stifle actualizing a merger between research and practice. Diverging responsibilities and orientations among identities are depicted by considering the nurse as researcher, clinician, educator and administrator. In addition to elucidating differences among these various nurse identities, the paper addresses their commonalities, the most obvious and important of which is that of nurse. If individuals retain the identity of nurse as the generic and salient characteristic, the multiple nurse identities have the potential to become a complementary array of diverse resources that can empower rather than thwart merging research and practice.

Humans↗
PubMed1987

Nursing theory development: successes and challenges.

Central to this paper is the belief that developing nursing theory is fundamental to establishing nursing's scientific foundation. Therefore, the paper examines successes and challenges in nursing theory development. This is achieved by evaluating both the present status of nursing theory as well as ideas for future directions. Within present status, the author considers three areas--those in which there is agreement, those in which both opinions differ and the prescribed course of relationships has not yet been achieved, and those which may serve as catalysts for future progress. A tripartite framework is also used to contemplate future directions by evaluating how nursing's knowledge has developed, what improvements and refinements might take place, and how the domains of nursing might be expanded. The author concludes that satisfaction and pride in current successes are not only justified but may motivate future pursuits; pursuits that are necessary to advancing the discipline of nursing.

Forecasting↗
PubMed1986

Nursing science: more promise than threat.

This paper considers the issue of nursing science. Nursing, as an art, has long been accepted as integral to nursing. Nursing, as a science, however, is a more recent concept. Nursing science is viewed as a threat to the profession by its opponents, while the proponents of nursing science see it as a promise for advancement of the discipline. This paper examines the issue of nursing science by looking at its history and development, the definition of science, and five factors critical to the nursing science issue. The author concludes that nursing science is, in varying respects, both a threat and a promise. It is clear that the preponderance of evidence favours the promise nursing science holds for the profession of nursing. It is not a matter of choosing either art or science, but rather skillfully blending both for the betterment of nursing. Both art and science are necessary in nursing--neither, however, is sufficient.

Education, Nursing↗