A growing body of literature portrays sharpening controversy over the appropriate roles and functions of hospital nursing research committees (HNRCs). This descriptive study examined 139 clinical nurse researchers' experiences with HNRCs. Nurse researchers who were members of HNRCs had more positive attitudes towards HNRCs on all three scales of the HNRC-Questionnaire than nurses who were not members of HNRCs. Researchers who were prepared with Master's degrees had more positive attitudes on the HNRC Role Scale than researchers with doctoral degrees. Narrative comments written on the questionnaire reflected a substantial diversity of opinions regarding HNRCs. The results suggest that novice, nondoctorally prepared researchers may perceive the assistance of some HNRCs as beneficial, whereas doctorally prepared researchers tend to perceive them as obstacles.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed1998

Questioning the chains of habit.

This paper could also be titled, "Fortunately, I Was Not Electrocuted." Dr Winslow candidly discusses her bathing and toileting research as well as her more recent research. Because she believes that failure is a good teacher, she describes her blunders as well as her accomplishments. In addition, she provides criteria helpful in selecting a good clinical problem for study and stresses the importance of identifying and investigating nursing rituals. Approaches that enhance the likelihood of success in research, public speaking, publishing, and in life are also shared.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗

PubMed1998

Nursing care and patient satisfaction.

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Data Collection↗

PubMed1997

Dangling practices of 51 nurses: a pilot project.

BACKGROUND: Nurses routinely "dangle" patients to evaluate and promote tolerance to changes in body position and to determine whether the level of activity should progress. Although dangling is a widespread nursing intervention, little research has been done on it, and little is known about how nurses dangle patients. OBJECTIVE: To describe dangling practices reported by critical care and acute care nurses. METHODS: A structured interview tool, developed for the study, was used to interview 51 experienced critical care and acute nurses from seven states about dangling practices. RESULTS: Most respondents said dangling was not routinely ordered and did not require a physician's order. The nurses described numerous strategies they used beforehand to promote tolerance to dangling, for example, premedicating for pain, and multiple interventions they used if patients did not seem to do well during dangling, for example, having patients take slow, deep breaths or move the feet and arms. Indicators of intolerance to dangling included marked changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and level of consciousness and patients' comments such as, "I can't stand it." Estimates of the duration of dangling varied widely, from 1 to 10 minutes; most respondents stated that duration varied "by feel" or depended on the patient's response. The most frequently mentioned personal rule about dangling was, "Get help if you're not sure how the patient will do." CONCLUSIONS: Nurses have developed numerous approaches to dangling acutely ill patients. These approaches should be described and tested to improve nursing practice and patient outcomes.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1996

Nursing and mechanical ventilation weaning.

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Humans↗

PubMed1996

Needle wire localization for nonpalpable breast lesions: sensations, anxiety levels, and informational needs.

PURPOSES: To determine the sensations that women most frequently report during needle wire localization (NWL) for nonpalpable breast lesions, to rate preprocedure anxiety, and to describe what preparation women consider desirable for the procedure. SETTING: Outpatient breast center in a large, not-for-profit hospital in a major city in Texas. DESIGN: Prospective, descriptive design. SAMPLE: Nonprobability sample of 56 women who were an average of 57 years old (range = 30-87 years). Forty-three (77%) underwent single wire localization. Nine (16%) of the women were subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer. METHODS: Subjects provided demographic information preprocedure. Postprocedure, subjects described and rated intensity of sensations on a 0-10 verbal, numeric rating scale. Preprocedure anxiety was also rated. Subjects responded to the question "What would you have liked to have been told before NWL to best prepare you for the procedure?" FINDINGS: Most frequently reported sensations were pressure, stinging, and pain, which averaged 6, 4, and 7, respectively, in intensity. Mean anxiety score was 5.3 on a scale of 10 with 10 subjects rating their anxiety as 10. Five (9%) subjects fainted during the procedure. Subjects provided valuable suggestions about how to prepare patients for this procedure, such as providing brochures and pictures about the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects are moderately or highly anxious before NWL of the breast and describe a variety of sensations. Risk factors for fainting during this procedure and strategies to prevent fainting must be determined. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Sensory information should be used to prepare women for NWL. Subjects' suggestions about how to prepare women for the procedure can be used to develop educational and sensory approaches to enhance preparation for the procedure and perhaps reduce anxiety.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Oxygen saturation and hemodynamic response in critically ill, mechanically ventilated adults during intrahospital transport.

BACKGROUND: Despite the frequency of intrahospital transport of critically ill patients, little research has been done on this topic and the findings are contradictory. OBJECTIVES: To describe arterial oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry, heart rate, heart rhythm, and systolic blood pressure and equipment problems in critically ill, mechanically ventilated adults during intrahospital transport. METHODS: The sample consisted of 36 critically ill, mechanically ventilated adults who required transport out of the intensive care unit for diagnostic testing or procedures within the hospital. Arterial oxygen saturation, heart rate, heart rhythm, and systolic blood pressure were measured at baseline, at least every 5 minutes during transport to and from the test site and at the test site, and every 5 minutes for 15 minutes after return to the unit. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Nineteen patients (53%) had clinically important changes in arterial oxygen saturation, heart rate, and/or systolic blood pressure. New cardiac arrhythmias developed in two patients. The clinically important changes occurred most frequently at the test/procedure site. Equipment problems such as monitor power failure and ventilator disconnection occurred during transport of 4 patients (11%). Total time out of ICU averaged 62 +/- 30 (range = 26 to 166) minutes. CONCLUSIONS: Transport outside the intensive care unit places the critically ill patient at additional risk. Although transport is often unavoidable, its risks versus benefits should be carefully and collaboratively evaluated for every patient prior to making the decision for transport.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Mattresses that spell pressure r-e-l-i-e-f.

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Adult↗