International journal of nursing studies
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Diarrhea as a common complication affects 14% patients in our intensive care unit. Risk factors for diarrhea and its clinical consequences for patients are well known, but the impact of diarrhea on caregivers' workload remains undocumented. ⋯ Dealing with diarrhea increases workload for intensive care unit caregivers with consequences on their well-being. Human related costs of diarrhea are substantial and highlight the economic burden of diarrhea episodes in the intensive care unit. A multidisciplinary approach and specific protocols could positively impact the burden of diarrhea in the intensive care unit.
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Patient satisfaction is considered a measure of the status of the interaction between health- care professionals and service users. The level of this measure indicates the quality of the care received. Burnout is a common phenomenon in nursing professionals and it is a response to the chronic occupational stress. Different studies have shown a link between patient satisfaction and stress and burnout syndrome experienced by nursing personnel in various hospital units. ⋯ No significant association was observed between experiences of stress and burnout dimensions by nursing professionals and the satisfaction with care received reported by their patients. These findings could be explained by the professional and organizational characteristics of the unit. Finally, the limitations and implications of the study are discussed, as well as future research questions related to research of the associations between occupational stress, burnout and patient satisfaction.
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The contemporary health workforce has a professional responsibility to maintain competency in practice. However, some difficulties exist with access to ongoing professional development opportunities, particularly for staff in rural and remote areas and those not enrolled in a formal programme of study. E-learning is at the nexus of overcoming these challenges. The benefits of e-learning have been reported in terms of increased accessibility to education, improved self-efficacy, knowledge generation, cost effectiveness, learner flexibility and interactivity. What is less clear, is whether improved self-efficacy or knowledge gained through e-learning influences healthcare professional behaviour or skill development, whether these changes are sustained, and whether these changes improve patient outcomes. ⋯ This review found insufficient evidence regarding the effectiveness of e-learning on healthcare professional behaviour or patient outcomes, consequently further research in this area is warranted. Future randomised controlled trials should adhere to the CONSORT reporting guidelines in order to improve the quality of reporting, to allow evaluation of the effectiveness of e-learning programmes on healthcare professional behaviour and patient outcomes.