Evidence and Practice
A nurse-led youth volunteering project to support older people on acute hospital wards
Effective nurse leadership in times of crisis
What the COVID-19 pandemic tells us about the need to develop resilience in the nursing...
Clinical
A nurse-led youth volunteering project to support older people on acute hospital wards
Why you should read this article: • To explore volunteer roles that can support older people on acute hospital wards • To gain awareness of the benefits and challenges of involving young people in hospital volunteering • To consider the advantages of using a framework for planning, developing and organising hospital volunteer services Young people volunteering on acute hospital wards can provide extra support to older patients, for example with eating and drinking, with mobilising and with therapeutic activities. This extra support can reduce nurses’ workload while providing older people with opportunities to interact and engage. For the young people involved, volunteering can improve their skills and confidence, as well as providing opportunities for career development. Nurses are well-placed for developing and managing volunteer services due to their leadership, clinical skills and experience. This article describes a volunteer project where young people aged 16 years and above support older people on acute hospital wards in an NHS trust in England. The project was designed and managed by a nurse using the NURTURe model, a framework for planning, developing and organising volunteer services to support older patients on acute hospital wards.
What the COVID-19 pandemic tells us about the need to develop resilience in the nursing...
Most research on resilience in healthcare systems such as the NHS is based on organisational crises, such as nurse shortages, an ageing workforce and financial restrictions. However, nursing can learn lessons from the past to consider how to become more resilient, particularly considering the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. This article briefly looks at previous pandemics and disasters that have affected healthcare systems, as well as the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and considers how nurse leaders can support staff and show organisational resilience during such emergencies. The article also discusses how nurse leaders can develop their own resilience.
Analysing the implementation and effects of safe staffing policies in acute hospitals
This article examines the main findings of several high-profile inquiries and reports
Effect of authentic leadership on newly qualified nurses: a scoping review
Why you should read this article: • To familiarise yourself with the concept of authentic leadership • To increase your knowledge of the effect of authentic leadership on newly qualified nurses • To understand how authentic leaders can develop genuine and trusting relationships with newly qualified nurses Authentic leadership is a relatively new concept in nursing in which authentic leaders are anchored by their deep sense of self, and know where they stand on important issues, values and beliefs. While there is considerable literature available on authentic nurse leadership, little has been written regarding its effect on newly qualified nurses. Therefore, the author undertook a scoping review of the literature on authentic leadership and newly qualified nurses. A total of 12 articles were found through database searches and included in the review. Thematic analysis of the articles identified two primary themes of ‘well-being at work’ and ‘work environment’, and two lesser themes of ‘transition from student to nurse’ and ‘retention’. The scoping review found that authentic leadership has a positive effect on newly qualified nurses and that authentic leaders can develop genuine and trusted relationships, thereby promoting a supportive work environment for newly qualified nurses.
Effect of e-learning on nurses’ continuing professional development
Why you should read this article: • To understand the role of e-learning in supporting nurses’ continuing professional development (CPD) • To improve your knowledge of the factors that may influence the effect of e-learning on nurses’ CPD • To develop approaches you can use to ensure effective engagement with e-learning Background E-learning can provide nurses with the opportunity to undertake lifelong learning and continuing professional development (CPD) in a flexible, practical and engaging manner. However, much of the research focuses on pre-registration nursing students’ experiences of e-learning, despite nursing students not always experiencing the same clinical demands as registered nurses. Aim To explore the concept of e-learning and nurses’ perception of its value for engaging with lifelong learning and CPD, as well as to determine attitudes towards e-learning, what influencing factors exist and how they affect the perceived value of e-learning. Method This study used a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, in which there were two phases of data collection and analysis. In the first phase, 39 children’s nurses completed questionnaires about e-learning and its flexibility, accessibility, value and contribution to CPD. Their responses were analysed and used to inform questions for the second phase, which involved semi-structured interviews exploring the findings and emerging themes from the completed questionnaires. Of the 39 questionnaire respondents, 12 agreed to participate in the interviews. Findings More than half of the questionnaire respondents (n=22/39) agreed or strongly agreed that e-learning aids their CPD, while 29 respondents valued e-learning that is specific to their practice area. Three main factors were identified that may influence the effect of e-learning on nurses’ CPD: motivation to engage with CPD and e-learning; the perceived value of e-learning as a method for CPD; and challenges to effective engagement with e-learning. Conclusion Engagement with e-learning is influenced by the content of its modules and, while mandatory training is often provided through e-learning, this should not be its sole purpose. Nurses should take the opportunity to develop and engage with e-learning that is specific to their area of practice, which may increase its value.
Quality of work life and work-family conflict: a cross-sectional study among nurses in...
Why you should read this article: • To improve your knowledge of the factors that affect a nurse’s quality of work life • To understand the factors that can contribute to increased work-family conflict in a nurse’s life • To develop strategies that you can implement to improve quality of work life and reduce work-family conflict in the lives of staff Background The nursing profession is known to induce high levels of stress, and being simultaneously engaged in a stressful professional occupation and having a family life can lead to work-family conflict. Healthcare providers require recruitment and retention strategies that preserve nurses’ quality of work-life and mitigate work-family conflict. Aim To investigate the relationship between quality of work-life and work-family conflict among hospital nurses in Iran, as well as the relationships between work-family conflict and quality of work life, and between age, professional experience, type of employment, work shift and marital status. Method This cross-sectional study was conducted among 378 nurses working in six Iranian teaching hospitals, who were selected using random quota sampling. Data on age, professional experience, type of employment, work shift and marital status was collected. The study questionnaire was based on the 53-item Quality of Work Life scale and the 18-item Work-Family Conflict scale. Correlations were established using Pearson’s chi-squared and eta-squared tests. Results A total of 93% of participants experienced moderate or high levels of work-family conflict and 83% had a low or moderate quality of work life. On average, the levels of work-family conflict and quality of work life were moderate. Quality of work life decreased with increasing work-family conflict. Conclusion Healthcare providers can use these results to inform their recruitment and retention strategies. Nurse managers can mitigate any adverse effects of work-family conflict on quality of work life by offering staff interventions such as short training courses on how to manage work-family conflict.
CPD articles
Effective nurse leadership in times of crisis
Essential leadership skills and the importance of decision-making and emotional intelligence
Using Benner’s model of clinical competency to promote nursing leadership
This article explores the concept of leadership in health and social care
Supporting staff who are second victims after adverse healthcare events
It is important to be aware of the effects of adverse events on second victims
Chairing and managing formal workplace meetings: skills for nurse leaders
An overview of how to lead and manage effective meetings
Teamwork in nursing: essential elements for practice
As any nurse working in the NHS knows, teamwork can be powerful. Successful teamwork can make a huge workload of unmanageable tasks manageable. However, unsuccessful teamwork can leave people struggling to cope. This article explores readers’ knowledge and skills related to teamwork and provides them with new skills and techniques to improve practice.
Action learning: staff development, implementing change, interdisciplinary working and...
Action learning (AL) is a process that supports problem-solving by applying a questioning formula to challenge issues and prompt actions. Initially developed to support organisational change, AL is now recognised as a motivating and influencing process for team development, individual goal setting, change initiatives, quality improvement and leadership development. Learning from observation and practice is central to its approach, which lends itself to healthcare settings. It is especially useful to managers seeking to implement change, enhance quality and promote teamwork in multidisciplinary settings.
Practice question
How can critical thinking make me a better nurse?
Critical thinking can help nurses provide excellent care and improve patient well-being