The American journal of nursing
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Evaluation of a hand hygiene campaign in outpatient health care clinics.
To improve hand hygiene in two outpatient health care clinics through the introduction of a gel sanitizer and an informational poster. ⋯ Hand hygiene performance by health care workers in outpatient clinics may be improved through promoting the use of gel sanitizer and using informational posters. Compared with surveys, direct observation by trained observers may provide more accurate information about worker preferences for hand hygiene tools.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Bedside assessment of enteral tube placement: aligning practice with evidence.
Since the flexible Levin tube was introduced in 1921, enteral feeding has become ubiquitous. From the out-set, nurses have been responsible for confirming the correct placement of enteral feeding tubes prior to their use for alimentation or medication administration, but current nursing practice doesn't always reflect the best evidence. ⋯ The authors examine the research that's been conducted over the past 25 years and compare the accumulated evidence with current practice, as reflected in a convenience sample of 28 New England hospitals. In addition, they evaluate various methods for assessing enteral feeding tubes and make evidence-based practice recommendations.
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Multicenter Study
'It depends': medical residents' perspectives on working with nurses.
Using the theory of relational coordination, which holds that in high-pressure settings such as hospitals, high-quality communication and strong relationships are necessary for coordinated action, we sought to determine the quality of the nurse-physician relationship by examining the communication and interaction between nurses and residents from the residents' perspective. ⋯ Given the strong doubts some residents expressed about nurses' cooperativeness and competence, the nursing profession should consider strengthening nursing education and clearly delineating nurses' roles and competencies.
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Multicenter Study Controlled Clinical Trial
Effects of nursing rounds: on patients' call light use, satisfaction, and safety.
There is limited research on patient call light use as it pertains to effective patient-care management, patient safety, and patient satisfaction. Therefore, this study sought to determine the frequency of and reasons for patients' call light use, the effects of one-hour and two-hour nursing rounds on patients' use of the call light, and the effects of such rounding on patient satisfaction, as well as patient safety as measured by the rate of patient falls. ⋯ A protocol that incorporates specific actions into nursing rounds conducted either hourly or once every two hours can reduce the frequency of patients' call light use, increase their satisfaction with nursing care, and reduce falls. Based on these results, we suggest operational changes in hospitals, emphasizing nurse rounding on patients to achieve more effective patient-care management and improved patient satisfaction and safety.