American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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Professional quality of life is the quality a person feels in relation to work. For critical care nurses, it is composed of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. Professional quality of life is affected by work environment. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has identified 6 standards for a healthy work environment. ⋯ Authentic leadership is the strongest predictor of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. Therefore, improving leadership should be a priority in intensive care units seeking to improve nurses' professional quality of life.
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Standards for advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) licensure in the United States require certification programs to analyze practice in order to document the knowledge and skills necessary for entry-level adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioners (AGACNPs) and wellness-through-acute-care clinical nurse specialists (AGCNSs). The practice analysis done every 5 years by the AACN Certification Corporation provides research data for use in establishing test plans for certification of APRNs. ⋯ Data from practice analysis surveys formed the basis for developing reliable and valid certification examinations for entry-level APRNs. The information from such studies of practice should inform practicing nurses and students, as well as educators, accreditors, legislators, and regulators, about the work of AGACNPs and AGCNSs.