Windle, P., Mamaril, M., and Fossum, S. (2008). Perianesthesia Nursing Advocacy: An Influential Voice for Patient Safety. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 23(3), 163-171.
In this paper, Windle et al (2008) focused on the critical role played by Perianesthesia nurses in the promotion of advocacy on their patients. To achieve this, the paper focused on the role played by these nurses in airing the needs and requirements of their patients, maintaining a conducive environment for work and client safety, and fatigue management. However, Windle et al (2008) advocated that these roles should be conducted as per the standards, codes, and ethics that govern the nursing profession. Therefore, the actions and decisions made by nurses should be ethical and legal hence protecting patients from any form of harm and guaranteeing their safety. In this paper, Windle et al managed to emphasize the importance of a stress-free working environment for nurses and proper nurse-patient ratios to understand the needs of patients hence enhancing the quality of service offered to them. Windle et al (2008) thus concluded that this could be achieved by nurses developing a culture of advocacy that enable them to bring forward the problems faced by the patient without fear. Despite all this, the paper did not clearly bring out means through which nurses can collaborate and come up with forums to enhance this practice. Pamela Windle, Maryna Mamaril, and Susan Fossum are registered, nurses and nurse managers. They have served several leadership roles mainly in the field of patient and workplace safety.
Hanks, R. (2008). The Lived Experience of Nursing Advocacy. Nursing Ethics, 15(4), 163-171.
In this paper, Hanks (2008) examined the role played by nursing advocacy in nursing. To achieve this, he conducted a qualitative study that focused on the implementation of nursing advocacy by medical-surgical nurses. In this study, Hanks (2008) tried to identify how medical-surgical nurses describe their nursing advocacy experiences with their patients and educational reflections that assist them in achieving this. The results of the study showed that education and work experience played a critical role in nursing advocacy. With their education and backgrounds, nurses can speak out, speak for and present the needs of their patients. This is essential as it improves the quality of service that the patients receive. However, the study did not effectively cover other critical factors that affect nursing advocacy such as nurse-patient ratio and the quality of the working environment. Other than being a professor of nursing at the University of Texas, Robert Hanks is also the director of Family Nurse Practitioner Track. His career and research mainly focus on improving the field of patient advocacy.
Hemsley, B., Sigafoos, J., and Green, V. (2007). Communicating with Nurses: The Experiences of 10 Adults with Cerebral Palsy and Complex Communication Needs. Applied Nursing Research, 20 (1), 56-62.
According to Hemsley et al (2007), communication between a client and a nurse plays a critical role in determining the quality of nursing care. To determine this, their current study focused on the communication needs of patients suffering from cerebral palsy. This study targeted individuals who aimed at improving communication efficiency in the nursing practice. Hemsley et al (2007) used interviews to collect data from 10 adults who suffered either from cerebral palsy or from CCN. This study aimed to determine the main barriers to communication between nurses and patients. From this study, it was identified that nurses experienced a limited chance to communicate with their clients. At the same time, the patients did not have an effective means of communication especially when it was difficult for them to speak. It was thus concluded that nurses require to undergo rigorous training to improve their communication and interaction with patients. At the same time, Hemsley et al (2007) suggested that patients who had trouble in communication needed to be familiarized with the various communication options present before being admitted. The findings of this paper are essential since their application will help to improve communication and understanding between patients and nurses hence guaranteeing the provision of quality health services. However, the means through which patients could be trained were not effectively covered. Hemsley et al (2007) are PhD holders in the field of nursing. Their experiences in nursing played a critical role in conducting this study.
Casey, A., and Wallis, A. (2011). Effective Communication: Principle of Nursing Practice E. Nursing Standard, 25(32), 35-37.
As communication is an essential form of human interaction, Casey and Wallis (2011) assert that effective communication among the nursing staff and between nurses and their clients has a direct relationship with the quality of healthcare given. At the same time, Casey and Wallis (2011) stated that it is essential for nurses and their clients to share information actively and consistently to ensure that there is continuity, and safety hence guaranteeing high-quality health services are maintained and provided to everyone. To achieve this, Casey and Wallis (2011) advocate for the maintenance of patient confidentiality, proper documentation and reporting of patients’ information. At the same time, patients’ complaints and measurement of their level of satisfaction need to be put into consideration as it paves way for improvement of the quality of communication mechanism in the nursing practice. With these mechanisms in place, Casey and Wallis (2011) believe that accurate information and precise information should be part of daily nursing practice hence ensuring that patients receive high-quality services. This study targeted individuals who aimed at improving communication efficiency in the nursing practice. Based in London, Anne Casey is an information standards officer. Allison Wallis is a registered nurse and an eHealth advisor.
Powell-Cope, G., Hughes, L., Sedlak, C., and Nelson, A. (2008). Faculty Perceptions of Implementing an Evidence-Based Safe Patient Handling Nursing Curriculum Module. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 13(3). Web.
In this paper, Powell-Cope et al (2008) focus on the trends of teaching manual patient handling techniques in nursing schools despite the fact that safe handling techniques are being advocated for in the nursing practice. It has long been discovered that manual patient handling practices result in musculoskeletal injuries to nurses, hence affecting their careers. To determine the nature and extent of this practice, Powell-Cope et al conducted a parent study whose audience was nurses present in the nursing practice. This study aimed to determine the attitudes and perceptions of facilitators towards the development and implementation of safe patient handling techniques in the nursing curriculum in nursing institutions. At the same time, the barriers to implementing these techniques were also examined. The findings of the study revealed the importance of structured and organized curriculum formats, module flexibility, and technical assistance in enhancing the knowledge and attitudes of nursing students with regard to safe patient handling. With this information, the level at which safe manual handling techniques are taught and implemented in nursing is expected to increase hence reducing the resultant injuries suffered by nurses. This in turn improves the entire nursing experience and quality of healthcare services. However, the manner in which these techniques could be implemented was not well explained in the paper. Powell-Cope et al (2008) are PhD holders and registered nurses. Their over 30 years of experience in the field of nursing in gaining the understanding of the challenges faced by nurses inspired this study.
Kay, K., Glass, N., and Evans, A. (2012). Reconceptualising manual handling: Foundations for practice change.Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 2(3), 203-212. Web.
According to Kay et al (2012), manual handling is the application of force by caregivers in the process of delivering service to patients. Despite the fact that a lot of research has been conducted to put safe handling practices into place, caregivers continue to sustain injuries in the course of their work. It is with regards to this that this paper expounds on manual handling risks that arise in a normal working environment for nurses and the strategies that can be used to reduce resultant injuries. To collect relevant data, Kay et al (2012) compared and contrasted the official statistics collected by medical institutions with the individual reports and cases filed by nurses. At the same time, the study also put into consideration the success rate of various training techniques. From the results that were collected, Kay et al (2012) concluded that the current conceptualization of manual handling techniques laid a lot of emphasis on guidelines instead of utilizing information from other studies and experiences. Kay et al, therefore, advocated that nurses should be involved in research studies since they are the actual victims of the problem. This will therefore ensure that the results, strategies, and actual recommendations can be easily applicable in the nursing practice hence reducing musculoskeletal injuries. However, the credibility of the statistics used in this study could not be fully used to determine the attitudes and perceptions of nurses. Kay et al (2008) are PhD holders, registered nurses and professors in the Australian Catholic University.
Milton, C. (2008). Accountability in Nursing: Reflecting on Ethical Codes and Professional Standards of Nursing Practice from a Global Perspective. Nursing Science Quarterly, 21(300), 299-303. Web.
In this paper, Milton (2008) defined accountability in nursing as the trust and confidence that nurses owe to their clients. On these grounds, this paper aimed at expounding on the obligations and duties that a professional nurse owes to his/her clients. The paper also researched the professional codes and standards that govern this concept. Given the fact that the target audience of this paper were practitioners in the field of nursing, these case studies were essential in expounding the codes of nursing and accountability, theories regarding the values and the ethics surrounding the nursing discipline, moral residue and the accountability of life and death. From the information that was gathered in this paper, it is evident that nurses are accountable to their clients. This includes their patients, the nursing institution, society, the state, and the globe at large. Therefore, nurses need to make professional decisions and actions in the course of exercising their duties. These decisions and actions should be in accordance with the codes and standards that have been set by various nursing bodies to ensure that they are legal, moral, and ethical. The paper did not however explain how accountability can be measured and the consequences that nurses might face after failing to adhere to these rules and standards. Constance Milton is a PhD holder, an RN, editor and the dean at California Baptist University, Riverside.
Chassin, M., Loeb, J., Schmaltz, S. and Wachter, M. (2010). Accountability Measures: Using Measurement to Promote Quality Improvement. The New England Journal of Medicine, 5(2), 17-26.
In this paper, Chassin et al (2010) state the improvement of how the quality of health services is measured is essential in improving the overall quality of service offered in the healthcare discipline and in increasing the transparency and accountability of the service. To expound on this, Chassin et al (2010) conducted a literature review focusing on the implementation of accountability as a measure of improving health services in the United States. The paper, therefore, focuses on the history of improved measurement of health services, the contemporary impacts of quality measurements, the areas in which this practice can be improved, and the challenges that have been experienced in the implementation of this strategy. The findings of this paper can thus be used to promote, and support programs and activities that advocate for quality measurements. These programs are essential in improving accountability in the nursing practice by emphasizing accreditation and public reporting. Therefore, practitioners in the nursing profession should advocate for those practices that are in line with accountability requirements and measures to ensure that the nursing profession is practiced in a professional, moral, ethical, and legal manner. However, this paper requires further work to defend its credibility since it only used literature review to gather evidence. Chassin et al (2010) are PhD holders and medical doctors.