Journal of nursing management
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In Jordan there is limited research evidence regarding aspects of role support provided for nurses and a critical analysis for the availability of support mechanisms has yet to be conducted. ⋯ There is an urgent need for the development of nursing legislation and regulation which can provide role support for nurses at national level. The provision of managerial training for senior nurses and the development of a system where promotion is based on merit should help nurse managers become proactive. In return this will improve the quality of role support provided to nurses and ultimately promote the provision of high-quality patient care.
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To examine the characteristics of computerized decision support systems (CDSS) currently available to nurses working in the National Health Service (NHS) in England. ⋯ The implementation of CDSS is increasing throughout the NHS. Many CDSS are introduced without adequate evidence to support its introduction and there is little evaluation of the benefits once they are implemented. Policy makers and nursing management should consider whether the introduction of CDSS aids nurse decision making and benefits patient outcomes.
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This study examines the relationship between nurse/physician collaboration and patient length of stay (LOS). ⋯ This study found that collaboratively determined care may result in longer LOS, but could prevent complications that may otherwise go untreated. Nurse administrators must implement strategies that foster the development of nurse/physician collaboration.
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This paper reports a review of the empirical literature on factors that contribute to medication errors. ⋯ It is imperative that managers implement strategies to reduce medication errors including the establishment of reporting mechanisms at international and national levels to include the evaluation and audit of practice at a local level. Systematic approaches to medication reconciliation can also reduce medication error significantly. Promoting consistency between health care professionals as to what constitutes medication error will contribute to increased accuracy and compliance in reporting of medication errors, thereby informing health care policies aimed at reducing the occurrence of medication errors. Acquisition and maintenance of mathematical competency for nurses in practice is an important issue in the prevention of medication error. The health care industry can benefit from learning from other high-risk industries such as aviation in the prevention and management of systems errors.
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This paper revisits the published evidence relating to how nurse staffing levels impact on patient, nurse and service outcomes and considers the implications of this body of research for nurse managers in their quest to determine optimum nursing numbers. ⋯ The majority of research in the field relates to the acute service sector and there are considerable similarities in issues that transcend international boundaries. Much of the research focuses on the impact on patients and nurses of 'poor' nurse staffing levels. More recent studies have explored the impact of nurse staffing levels on the service organization itself. However, while there may be an association between models of nurse staffing and outcomes, there is insufficient evidence to establish a causal relationship between these factors. In this context it is perhaps time to reconsider how nursing outcomes are defined and measured. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT AND CONCLUSION: Nurse managers, commissioners of services and workforce planners need to be cognisant of key issues and analyses in the consideration of nurse staffing levels. Not least of these is the need for a healthy degree of caution regarding the supposed objectivity, scientific basis, or evidence base, for rational calculation of optimum nurse staffing levels.