Nursing Diagnoses as Predictors of Hospital Length of Stay: A Prospective Observational Study

Trajectories of nursing hours over the course of hospitalization and estimated additional nurse staffing requirements to reduce the length of stay

PURPOSE

The aims of this study are to examine the trajectories of nursing hours per patient day (NHPPD) over the course of hospitalization according to the patient's length of stay (LOS) and to estimate changes in the total nursing hours during hospitalization, average NHPPD, and the number of nurses additionally required when the LOS was reduced by 1 day.

DESIGN

This retrospective longitudinal study analyzed patient data collected from a tertiary university hospital located in Seoul, South Korea. The study sample included 11,316 inpatients who were discharged between September 1 and October 31, 2022.

METHODS

NHPPD over the course of each patient's hospitalization was estimated using the total score of the Korean Patient Classification System-1 (KPCS-1), which nurses evaluated and recorded every day from admission to discharge. The NHPPD trajectories were examined using linear mixed models to analyze repeated KPCS-1 measurements and control for the effects of patient characteristics. The changes in the average NHPPD when LOS was reduced by 1 day were estimated using maximum and minimum estimations. The impact of a 1-day reduction in LOS on staffing requirements was calculated as the number of nurses additionally required to work each shift and to be hired.

FINDINGS

The average LOS was 5.6 days, and the short (1-6 days) and medium (7-14 days) LOS groups accounted for 78.9% and 14.3% of patients, respectively. The NHPPD trajectories showed a "rise-peak-decline" pattern. Patients in the short LOS group received the most NHPPD on day 1 (day of admission) or day 2, whereas the NHPPD for patients in the medium LOS group peaked on days 3-6. After peaking, the NHPPD tended to decrease toward the end of hospitalization, with the least NHPPD on the day of discharge, followed by the day before discharge. When LOS was reduced by 1 day, the average NHPPD was estimated to increase by 7.7-50.0% in the maximum estimation, and 0.9-12.5% in the minimum estimation. In response to a 1-day reduction, 1.10-7.44 nurses were additionally required to care for 100 patients each shift and 5.28-35.70 additional nurses needed to be hired in the maximum estimation. In the minimum estimation, these values were 0.13-1.85 additional nurses per shift and 0.65-8.90 additional nurses to be hired, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Since NHPPD exhibited a "rise-peak-decline" trajectory, reducing the LOS by 1 day was estimated to increase the average NHPPD and lead to additional staffing requirements. The additional nurse requirement for a 1-day reduction was not constant; instead, it increased with each day subtracted from an already shorter LOS.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Sufficient nurse staffing is necessary to provide increased NHPPD as a result of shortened LOS. Changes in the LOS should be considered when determining nurse staffing requirements.

The role of nursing care continuity report in predicting length of hospital stay in older people: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The Nursing Care Continuity Report (NCCR) is a tool for evaluating the quality of nursing care during hospital admission.

AIM

To explore the role of the NCCR in predicting longer length of stay (LOS) in older adults (≥65 years) admitted to a tertiary hospital and determine possible clinical differences at discharge between patients who had a short LOS (≤7 days) and a prolonged LOS (>7 days).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND SETTING

A retrospective cohort study was conducted including all patients with a completed NCCR admitted to the hospital between 2015 and 2019. Sociodemographic data, risk of pressure injuries, level of dependence, presence and intensity of pain, and presence and type of pressure injury were the variables registered in the NCCR.

RESULTS

A total of 41,354 patients were included in this study, with a mean age of 78 years, of whom 47% were female. At admission, 21% of patients were at potential risk of developing pressure ulcers. Age, admission to the internal or respiratory medicine unit, and having at least medium risk of developing pressure ulcers were the predictors of prolonged LOS using a random sample of 950 patients. At discharge, patients with prolonged LOS presented higher risk of pressure ulcers and a higher level of dependency and were more likely to present hospital-acquired pressure ulcers.

CONCLUSIONS

Older adults from the internal or respiratory medicine unit who exhibited higher risk of pressure ulcers were related to a prolonged LOS, a higher level of dependency, and hospital-acquired ulcers at hospital discharge.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Identifying clinical data that have a greater relationship with LOS could be a useful tool for nursing management and for the implementation of strategies to prevent adverse events during hospitalisation.

NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No direct patient contact was made during the data collection.

Nursing diagnoses and hospital readmission of patients with respiratory diseases: Findings from a case-control study

AIM

The rate of readmission after hospitalisation for respiratory diseases has become a common and challenging clinical problem. Social and functional patient variables could help identify cases at high risk of readmission. The aim was to identify the nursing diagnoses that were associated with readmission after hospitalisation for respiratory disease in Spain.

DESIGN

Case-control study within the cohort of patients admitted for respiratory disease during 2016-19 in a tertiary public hospital in Spain (n = 3781).

METHODS

Cases were patients who were readmitted within the first 30 days of discharge, and their controls were the remaining patients. All nursing diagnoses (n = 130) were collected from the electronic health record. They were then grouped into 29 informative diagnostic categories. Clinical confounder-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

The readmission rate was 13.1%. The nursing diagnoses categories 'knowledge deficit' (OR: 1.61; 95%CI: 1.13-2.31), 'impaired skin integrity and risk of ulcer infection' (OR: 1.45; 95%CI: 1.06-1.97) and 'activity intolerance associated with fatigue' (OR: 1.56; 95%CI: 1.21-2.01) were associated with an increased risk of suffering an episode of hospital readmission rate at 30% after hospital discharge, and this was independent of sociodemographic background, care variables and comorbidity.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

The nursing diagnoses assigned as part of the care plan of patients during hospital admission may be useful for predicting readmissions.

Contributions of representing the elements of nursing practice in the ISO 18.104:2023 standard: a theoretical study

OBJECTIVE

To reflect on the contributions of representing nursing practice elements in the ISO 18.104:2023 standard.

METHOD

This is a theoretical study with standard analysis. Categorical structures were described to represent nursing practice in terminological systems and contributions identified in the parts of the version were analyzed.

RESULTS

There is innovation in the inclusion of nurse sensitive outcomes, nursing action, nursing diagnosis explanation as an indicator of nursing service demand and complexity of care, representation of concepts through mental maps and suggestion of use of restriction models for nursing actions. It describes that the Nursing Process is constituted by nursing diagnosis, nursing action and nurse sensitive outcomes.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

Indicating a nursing diagnosis as an indicator will bring benefits for knowledge production and decision-making. Although care outcomes are not exclusive responses to nursing action, the modifiable attributes of a nursing diagnosis generate knowledge about clinical practice, nursing action effectiveness and subjects of care' health state. There is coherence in understanding the Nursing Process concept evolution.

Exploring Nursing Care for Patients With COVID-19 Using International Classification for Nursing Practice-Based Nursing Records

This study explored nursing care topics for patients with the coronavirus disease 2019 admitted to the wards and intensive care units using International Classification for Nursing Practice-based nursing narratives. A total of 256630 nursing statements from 555 adult patients admitted from December 2019 to June 2022 were extracted from the clinical data warehouse. The International Classification for Nursing Practice concepts mapped to 301 unique nursing statements that accounted for the top 90% of all cumulative nursing narratives were used for analysis. The standardized number of nursing statements for each concept was calculated according to the types of nursing care and compared between the two groups. The most documented topics were related to infection; physical symptoms such as sputum, cough, dyspnea, and shivering; and vital signs including blood oxygen saturation and body temperature. Nurses in the intensive care units frequently documented concepts related to the directly monitored and assessed physical signs such as consciousness, pupil reflex, and skin integrity, whereas nurses in wards documented more concepts related to symptoms patients complained. This study showed that the International Classification for Nursing Practice-based nursing records can be used as source of information to identify nursing care for patients with coronavirus disease 19.

Impact of standardized nursing terminologies on patient and organizational outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

To explore the impact of 12 American Nurses Association recognized standardized nursing terminologies (SNTs) on patient and organizational outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Previous studies reported an effect of SNTs on outcomes, but no previous frameworks nor meta-analyses were found.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analyses.

REVIEW METHODS

PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and OpenGrey databases were last consulted in July 2021. All abstracts and full texts were screened independently by two researchers. The review included primary quantitative studies that reported an association between recognized SNTs and outcomes. Two reviewers independently assessed the risk of bias and certainty of evidence for each meta-analyzed outcome using the "Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation" (GRADE) approach.

RESULTS

Fifty-three reports were included. NANDA-NIC-NOC and Omaha System were the most frequently reported SNTs used in the studies. Risk of bias in randomized controlled trials and not-randomized controlled trials ranged from high to unclear, this risk was low in cross-sectional studies. The number of nursing diagnoses NANDA-I moderately correlated with the intensive care unit length of stay (r = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.31-0.44). Using the Omaha System nurse-led transitional care program showed a large increase in both knowledge (d = 1.21; 95% CI = 0.97-1.44) and self-efficacy (d = 1.23; 95% CI = 0.97-1.48), while a reduction on the readmission rate (OR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.09-0.83). Nursing diagnoses were found to be useful predictors for organizational (length of stay) and patients' outcomes (mortality, quality of life). The GRADE indicated that the certainty of evidence was rated from very low to low.

CONCLUSIONS

Studies using SNTs demonstrated significant improvement and prediction power in several patients' and organizational outcomes. Further high-quality research is required to increase the certainty of evidence of these relationships.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

SNTs should be considered by healthcare policymakers to improve nursing care and as essential reporting data about patient's nursing complexity to guide reimbursement criteria.

Diagnostic concordance among nursing clinical decision support system users: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the nursing diagnostic concordance among users of a clinical decision support system (CDSS), The Electronic Documentation System of the Nursing Process of the University of São Paulo (PROCEnf-USP®), structured according to the Nanda International, Nursing Intervention Classification and Nursing Outcome Classification (NNN) Taxonomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This pilot, exploratory-descriptive study was conducted from September 2017 to January 2018. Participants were nurses, nurse residents, and nursing undergraduates. Two previously validated written clinical case studies provided participants with comprehensive initial assessment clinical data to be registered in PROCEnf-USP®. After having registered the clinical data in PROCEnf-USP®, participants could either select diagnostic hypotheses offered by the system or add diagnoses not suggested by the system. A list of nursing diagnoses documented by the participants was extracted from the system. The concordance was analyzed by Light's Kappa (K).

RESULTS

The research study included 37 participants, which were 14 nurses, 10 nurse residents, and 13 nursing undergraduates. Of the 43 documented nursing diagnoses, there was poor concordance (K = 0.224) for the diagnosis "Ineffective airway clearance" (00031), moderate (K = 0.591) for "Chronic pain" (00133), and elevated (K = 0.655) for "Risk for unstable blood glucose level" (00179). The other nursing diagnoses had poor or no concordance.

DISCUSSION

Clinical reasoning skills are essential for the meaningful use of the CDSS.

CONCLUSIONS

There was concordance for only 3 nursing diagnoses related to biological needs. The low level of concordance might be related to the clinical judgment skills of the participants, the written cases, and the sample size.

Removing the roadblocks to promoting health equity: finding the social determinants of health addressed in standardized nursing classifications

Providing 80% of healthcare worldwide, nurses focus on physiologic and psychosocial aspects of health, which incorporate social determinants of health (SDOH). Recognizing their important role in SDOH, nurse informatics scholars included standardized measurable terms that identify and treat issues with SDOH in their classification systems, which have been readily available for over 5 decades. In this Perspective, we assert these currently underutilized nursing classifications would add value to health outcomes and healthcare, and to the goal of decreasing disparities. To illustrate this, we mapped 3 rigorously developed and linked classifications: NANDA International (NANDA-I), Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), and Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) called NNN (NANDA-I, NIC, NOC), to 5 Healthy People 2030 SDOH domains/objectives, revealing the comprehensiveness, usefulness, and value of these classifications. We found that all domains/objectives were addressed and NNN terms often mapped to multiple domains/objectives. Since SDOH, corresponding interventions and measurable outcomes are easily found in standardized nursing classifications (SNCs), more incorporation of SNCs into electronic health records should be occurring, and projects addressing SDOHs should integrate SNCs like NNN into their ongoing work.

Future advancement of health care through standardized nursing terminologies: reflections from a Friends of the National Library of Medicine workshop honoring Virginia K. Saba

OBJECTIVE

To honor the legacy of nursing informatics pioneer and visionary, Dr. Virginia Saba, the Friends of the National Library of Medicine convened a group of international experts to reflect on Dr. Saba's contributions to nursing standardized nursing terminologies.

PROCESS

Experts led a day-and-a-half virtual update on nursing's sustained and rigorous efforts to develop and use valid, reliable, and computable standardized nursing terminologies over the past 5 decades. Over the course of the workshop, policymakers, industry leaders, and scholars discussed the successful use of standardized nursing terminologies, the potential for expanded use of these vetted tools to advance healthcare, and future needs and opportunities. In this article, we elaborate on this vision and key recommendations for continued and expanded adoption and use of standardized nursing terminologies across settings and systems with the goal of generating new knowledge that improves health.

CONCLUSION

Much of the promise that the original creators of standardized nursing terminologies envisioned has been achieved. Secondary analysis of clinical data using these terminologies has repeatedly demonstrated the value of nursing and nursing's data. With increased and widespread adoption, these achievements can be replicated across settings and systems.

Romanian nurses' beliefs on nursing diagnosis. A survey study based on the theory of planned behavior

PURPOSE

To identify clusters of beliefs about nursing diagnosis (ND) among Romanian hospital nurses and to ascertain variations in attitudes, intention to use, behavior associated with the use of ND, and sociodemographic characteristics.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey study was conducted on a convenience sample of 498 hospital nurses in Romania. The questionnaire comprises six scales measuring normative, behavioral, and control beliefs, intention to use, attitudes, and behavior toward ND. Results were reported through cluster analysis.

FINDINGS

Three clusters were identified: highly positive, average, and highly negative beliefs about ND. Romanian nurses have more homogeneous beliefs regarding ND than nurses from other countries. Comparisons among clusters showed significant differences in intention [H(2) = 111.59, p < 0.001], attitudes [H(2) = 145.27, p < 0.001], and reported behavior [H(2) = 43.84, p < 0.001]. The stronger the attitude toward ND, the intention to use it, and the behavior of using ND, the more favorable the beliefs and vice versa. Significant disparities among clusters were discovered regarding education in ND, whereas differences were not observed regarding years of experience, age, and gender.

CONCLUSION

Nurses exhibited different belief patterns about ND. Those with more positive beliefs demonstrated a more favorable attitude, a higher intention, and a more frequent behavior in using ND. Training in ND facilitates positive beliefs about it.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

When designing interventions to promote ND in clinical practice, policymakers, administrators, and educators should consider addressing and potentially changing these beliefs. Modifying nurses' attitudes could positively impact patient care quality during their hospital stay and post-discharge.

The quality of nursing diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes in Romanian nursing documentation measured with the Q-DIO: A cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

To assess the quality of the nursing process in Romania by evaluating nursing documentations with the quality of diagnoses, interventions and outcomes (Q-DIO) measurement instrument.

METHODS

A quantitative cross-sectional research design was employed using probabilistic sampling to select nursing documentations from a Romanian university hospital. The data were analyzed using the Q-DIO measurement instrument.

FINDINGS

Low quality levels of nursing process documentation were found. The Q-DIO subscale "Nursing diagnoses as process" (assessment) revealed a mean = 1.36 (SD 0.52) of maximum 2. Nurses collected lots of data but did not use these to state nursing diagnoses. "Nursing diagnoses as product" showed inaccurate diagnoses; mean = 1.24 (SD 0.48) of maximum 4. Nursing interventions were planned and documented, but their impact on the etiology of nursing diagnoses was low; mean = 0.76 (SD 0.18). The quality of nursing outcomes mean was 0.57 (SD 0.29). Nurses failed making connections between nursing assessment, diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes, and standardized nursing languages (SNLs) were not used. Statistically significant differences were found among all Q-DIO sub-concepts except for "Nursing diagnoses as process."

CONCLUSIONS

The documentation was structured but did not support the nursing process and its documentation, and SNLs were not implemented. There was an underutilization of data to state nursing diagnoses, and nursing interventions were mostly ineffective, leading to low nursing outcomes.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

This study provides new insights on the nursing process and its documentation in Romania and a baseline for future research. Policymakers, administrators, and educators should consider educating nurses to use standardized nursing languages and apply the Advanced Nursing Process.

Factors Affecting the Effectiveness of Discharge Planning Implementation: A Case-Control Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

In many hospitals, a discharge planning team works with the medical team to provide case management to ensure high-quality patient care and improve continuity of care from the hospital to the community. However, a large-scale database analysis of the effectiveness of overall discharge planning efforts is lacking.

PURPOSE

This study was designed to investigate the clinical factors that impact the efficacy of discharge planning in terms of hospital length of stay, readmission rate, and survival status.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted based on patient medical records and the discharge plans applied to patients hospitalized in a regional medical center between 2017 and 2018. The medical information system database and the care service management information system maintained by the Ministry of Health and Welfare were used to collect data and explore patients' medical care and follow-up status.

RESULTS

Clinical factors such as activities of daily living ≤ 60, having indwelling catheters, having poor control of chronic diseases, and insufficient caregiver capacity were found to be associated with longer hospitalization stays. In addition, men and those with indwelling catheters were found to have a higher risk of readmission within 30 days of discharge. Moreover, significantly higher mortality was found after discharge in men, those ≥ 75 years old, those with activities of daily living ≤ 60, those with indwelling catheters, those with pressure ulcers or unclean wounds, those with financial problems, those with caregivers with insufficient capacity, and those readmitted 14-30 days after discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study indicate that implementing case management for discharge planning does not substantially reduce the length of hospital stay nor does it affect patients' readmission status or prognosis after discharge. However, age, underlying comorbidities, and specific disease factors decrease the efficacy of discharge planning. Therefore, active discharge planning interventions should be provided to ensure transitional care for high-risk patients.

The Effectiveness of Healthcare System Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study

Introduction: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic was a period of uncertainty and stress for healthcare managers due to the lack of knowledge (about the transmission of the virus, etc.) and also due to the lack of uniform organisational and treatment procedures. It was a period where the ability to prepare for a crisis, to adapt to the existing conditions, and to draw conclusions from the situation were of critical importance to keep ICUs (intensive care units) operating. The aim of this project is to compare the pandemic response to COVID-19 in Poland during the first and second waves of the pandemic. This comparison will be used to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the response, including challenges presented to health professionals and health systems and ICUs with COVID-19 patients according to the European Union Resilience Model (2014) and the WHO Resilience Model (2020). The WHO Resilience model was suitable to the COVID-19 situation because it was developed based on this experience. Methods: A matrix of 6 elements and 13 standards assigned to them was created using the EC and WHO resilience guidelines. Results: Good governance in resilient systems ensures access to all resources without constraints, free and transparent flow of information, and a sufficient number of well-motivated human resources. Conclusions: Appropriate preparation, adaptation to the existing situation, and effective management of crisis situations are important elements of ensuring the resilience of ICUs.

Standardized Nursing Diagnoses in a Surgical Hospital Setting: A Retrospective Study Based on Electronic Health Data

Introduction

In electronic health records (EHRs), standardized nursing terminologies (SNTs), such as nursing diagnoses (NDs), are needed to demonstrate the impact of nursing care on patient outcomes. Unfortunately, the use of NDs is not common in clinical practice, especially in surgical settings, and is rarely included in EHRs.

Objectives

The aim of the study was to describe the prevalence and trend of NDs in a hospital surgical setting by also analyzing the relationship between NDs and hospital outcomes.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted. All adult inpatients consecutively admitted to one of the 15 surgical inpatient units of an Italian university hospital across 1 year were included. Data, including the Professional Assessment Instrument and the Hospital Discharge Register, were collected retrospectively from the hospital's EHRs.

Results

The sample included 5,027 surgical inpatients. There was a mean of 6.3 ± 4.3 NDs per patient. The average distribution of NDs showed a stable trend throughout the year. The most representative NANDA-I ND domain was safety/protection. The total number of NDs on admission was significantly higher for patient whose length of stay was longer. A statistically significant correlation was observed between the number of NDs on admission and the number of intra-hospital patient transfers. Additionally, the mean number of NDs on admission was higher for patients who were later transferred to an intensive care unit compared to those who were not transferred.

Conclusion

NDs represent the key to understanding the contribution of nurses in the surgical setting. NDs collected upon admission can represent a prognostic factor related to the hospital's key outcomes.

Implementing a Care Plan System in a Community Hospital Electronic Health Record

Nursing care plans, the result of the nursing process, are important because they guide quality patient care, define the nurse's role in patient treatment, and support patient specific nursing interventions. Nurse leaders at a community hospital identified that 70% of hospitalized patients shared the same three nursing problems and three-day resolution target dates. This quality improvement project involved the implementation of a nursing care plan system within the organization's existing electronic health record platform that supported the development of individualized plans. The implementation included a) integration of care plan activities into the nursing workflow, b) adoption of a standardized nursing language to provide structure nursing care plan data capture and reporting, c) configuration of the electronic health record to recommend patient data-driven care plan problems based on nursing assessment documentation; and d) trended care plan data to identify problem patterns within the patient population. A postimplementation audit indicated a 130% improvement in achieving individualized care plans within 24 hours of admission.

Nursing knowledge captured in electronic health records

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to describe the extent to which nursing assessment data was present in the electronic health record and linked to NANDA-I, NIC, and NOC.

METHODS

This retrospective review used a descriptive approach to examine documentation in the electronic health records (EHR) of 10 hospitalized patients requiring cardiac surgery. A team of experts applied a Delphi consensus-building process to identify the supports and barriers for nursing documentation.

FINDINGS

Collection of the health history was organized using Gordon's Functional Health Pattern (FHP) Framework. Seventy-five fields were noted for the entry of nursing assessment data of which 65 focused on health history data and 30 documented physical findings and observations. There were no references to the defining characteristics or etiologies with any of the diagnostic labels used. Care plans included the nursing diagnoses, goals of care, and interventions, although there was a lack of clear alignment between the assessment, NANDA-I, NIC, and NOC and the care plan. Progress note documentation addressed significant events in the patient's clinical course; however, these were not nursing problem or diagnosis focused. Four expert reviewers arrived at consensus regarding the supports and challenges impacting nurses' ability to document data depicting nursing's contribution to care using a FHP and standardized nursing language in the EHR.

CONCLUSIONS

The EHR provides an opportunity to reflect nursing clinical judgment and make nursing care visible. These findings suggest there are challenges to capturing nurse focused data elements in the EHR.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

This work has important implications for clinicians, educators, and administrators alike. EHR systems must accurately capture nurses' contribution to patient care to plan for resource allocation and quality care delivery. Ultimately, the development of standardized data sources reflecting the outcomes of nursing care will expand the opportunities to advance nursing knowledge.

Clinical indicators of the nursing diagnosis ineffective health management: Systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Nursing diagnoses should reasonably represent global nursing practice phenomena, organizing indicators in their clinical structure that represent different scenarios and populations. However, few studies have summarized the evidence of these indicators, mainly for behavioral diagnoses.

AIM

This systematic review aimed to identify the best clinical indicators (CI) to determine the presence or absence of the nursing diagnosis "Ineffective Health Management" (IHM).

METHOD

A systematic review with meta-analysis was utilized. Six electronic databases were consulted to retrieve studies that identified the nursing diagnosis IHM, with at least one CI. The period of data collection was between September and October 2020. The research group independently conducted the selection, quality assessment, data extraction, and analysis of all included studies. Fixed-effect measures and meta-analyses summarized sensitivity, specificity measures, and diagnostic odds ratios using the statistical software R. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses and standards for reporting studies of diagnostic accuracy guidelines were used to guide this review, and quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies was used for the critical appraisal of the methodological quality of the included studies.

RESULTS

The systematic review included 11 studies on people with chronic conditions, the elderly, and pregnant women. The analyzed four CI showed diagnostic odds ratios statistically higher than the unit value, highlighting the "Failure to include the treatment regimen in daily living" (DOR = 45.53; CI = 10.1, 205.6).

LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION

Overall, findings showed that all CI of the IHM nursing diagnosis had good sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio measures to identify their presence correctly. These findings can contribute to better accuracy in nurses' decision-making process, providing indicators to infer the IHM nursing diagnosis early in different population spectra based on the best measures of diagnostic accuracy.

The Usability of IT Systems in Document Management, Using the Example of the ADPIECare Dorothea Documentation and Nurse Support System

Background: In 2016, an IT system was developed at MUL for the documentation of nursing practice. Preparing nursing students for the implementation of eHealth solutions under simulated conditions is crucially important for achieving the digital competencies necessary for health care systems in the future. Scientific evidence demonstrates that the use of an IT system in clinical practice shortens the time required for the preparation of documentation, increases the safety of clinical decisions and provides data for analysis and for the creation of predictive models for the purposes of HB HTA. Methods: The system was created through the cooperation of an interprofessional team at the Medical University of Łódź. The ADPIECare system was implemented in 2016 at three universities in Poland, and in 2017 a study of its usability was conducted using a questionnaire made available by Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, “Defining and Testing EMR Usability MASTER V2 Final” on 78 nurses—students of MA in Nursing at Medical University of Łódź. Findings: Over 50% of the surveyed nurses indicated the usability of the system for the “effectiveness of documentation” variable. The same group of respondents had a positive attitude towards patient care planning with the use of the assessed system. In the opinions of the examined parties, positive opinions predominated, such as, e.g., “the system is intuitive”, “the system facilitates work”, “all patient assessments are in one place”, and “the time needed for data entry would be shortened”.

Nursing diagnoses among oncology patients in medical units: a retrospective study of patients' records

Objective

Nursing care plans for oncology patients are complex and overlapping enough to warrant the need for systematised documentation that ensures high quality, flawless and comprehensive care. Addressing the patients’ needs through nursing diagnoses is the initial step that shapes the subsequent care. Therefore, the current study aimed to identify the frequent NANDA-I diagnoses reported in nursing care plans for medical oncology patients.

Data sources

A retrospective design was used to collect data from 260 electronic nursing care records of oncology patients admitted to medical floors at an accredited oncology centre in Jordan.

Conclusion

The complexity of nursing care for oncology patients can be inferred from the high number of reported nursing diagnoses. This study summarises the most common nursing diagnoses and their combinations that can be used as a guide to formulate nursing care plans for oncology patients in medical units.

Implications for nursing practice

Oncology nurses may refer to this study to guide and support their care and documentations to maintain a high standard of nursing practice. Besides, the reported diagnoses can be integrated to generate pre-printed, standardised nursing care plans, where diagnoses are listed for nurses to select the applicable ones for their patients. Similarly, the combinations of nursing diagnoses may guide nurses to search for a concurrent diagnosis, thus improving patients’ outcomes. This study revealed the complexity of patients’ care in medical oncology units, which alarms the nursing managers to reconsider the nurse–patient ratio in these settings to meet patients’ care demands and maintain their safety.

Definition of patient complexity in adults: A narrative review

Background

Better identification of complex patients could help to improve their care. However, the definition of patient complexity itself is far from obvious. We conducted a narrative review to identify, describe, and synthesize the definitions of patient complexity used in the last 25 years.

Methods

We searched PubMed for articles published in English between January 1995 and September 2020, defining patient complexity. We extended the search to the references of the included articles. We assessed the domains presented in the definitions, and classified the definitions as based on (1) medical aspects (e.g., number of conditions) or (2) medical and/or non-medical aspects (e.g., socio-economic status). We assessed whether the definition was based on a tool (e.g., index) or conceptual model.

Results

Among 83 articles, there was marked heterogeneity in the patient complexity definitions. Domains contributing to complexity included health, demographics, behavior, socio-economic factors, healthcare system, medical decision-making, and environment. Patient complexity was defined according to medical aspects in 30 (36.1%) articles, and to medical and/or non-medical aspects in 53 (63.9%) articles. A tool was used in 36 (43.4%) articles, and a conceptual model in seven (8.4%) articles.

Conclusion

A consensus concerning the definition of patient complexity was lacking. Most definitions incorporated non-medical factors in the definition, underlining the importance of accounting not only for medical but also for non-medical aspects, as well as for their interrelationship.

Ineffective health management: A systematic review and meta-analysis of related factors

PURPOSE

A standardized language system can support the elaboration of clinical guidelines by matching information from similar patterns of response to people. To identify the factors that are related to a higher likelihood of an ineffective health management nursing diagnosis.

METHODS

We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis. An electronic search was conducted in MEDLINE databases via PubMed, Web of Science, SciELO, CINAHL, SCOPUS, and Embase between October and November 2020. Descriptive data were extracted from each article. The odds ratios for each etiological factor related to ineffective health management were directly extracted from the articles or calculated from the data described in the articles. The analysis of the measurements of exposure and the magnitude of the effect was performed using the statistical software R, and a forest plot was constructed for each etiological factor.

FINDINGS

Ten studies were included, and 15 related factors were recovered from the primary studies. The factors that significantly increased the likelihood of an ineffective health management nursing diagnosis were insufficient knowledge of the therapeutic regimen, perceived barriers, powerlessness, economic disadvantage, and difficulty managing complex treatment regimens. No effect was verified with the following factors: decision conflict, family pattern of healthcare, and inadequate number of cues to action.

CONCLUSION

Factors related to a higher likelihood of ineffective health management may be the focus of early and targeted nursing interventions, contributing to an improved quality of care.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Understanding exposure to these factors can improve diagnostic reasoning at different population levels.

Developing a nursing diagnosis for the risk for malnutrition: a mixed-method study

AIM

As the risk for malnutrition in older people in hospitals is often underreported, we aimed to develop a risk nursing diagnosis, including label, definition and risk factors.

DESIGN

A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed.

METHODS

A literature review led to risk factors, validated by 22 hospitalized older people's perspectives and observations, including their nursing records. Per participant, one interview (qualitative), one non-participatory observation of three meals (198 hr; qualitative) and one nursing record evaluation (quantitative) were conducted.

FINDINGS

According to the classification system of NANDA International, the risk for protein-energy malnutrition is defined with 18 risk factors, including associated conditions. Content validated risk factors are presented from three participants with the most, medium and least coherent nursing record, measured with the Quality of Diagnosis, Intervention and Outcomes tool.

CONCLUSION

This new nursing diagnosis supports nurses to manage the risk for malnutrition and optimize older people's nutrition.

Filling a gap in standardized nursing terminology. Development of a new nursing diagnosis proposal on heart failure self-care

PURPOSE

Heart failure is a highly prevalent chronic health problem associated with poor quality-of-life and negative outcomes. Self-care is a cornerstone in patients suffering from heart failure. Nurses are commonly engaged in enhancing patients' self-care behaviors, but the specific condition of deficit on self-care is not clearly identified by nurses. No nursing diagnoses focused on self-care of heart failure patients is currently available. This study aimed to develop a new nursing diagnosis that focuses on self-care in heart failure patients.

DATA SOURCES

A concept and content analysis were used. Some steps of the concept analysis were performed through an integrative literature review conducted searching in PUBMED and CINAHL databases to identify attributes, antecedents, and consequences of the diagnosis. Forty-five articles were selected from the 1450 studies found. Then, the content analysis was performed by an international panel of 29 experts. Two Delphi rounds were used to achieve consensus and an item content validity index was calculated for each diagnostic element.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Integrative review proposed four diagnostic labels, two definitions, 15 defining characteristics, and 44 related factors. After the two Delphi rounds a consensus was reached for each diagnostic indicator with a content validity index ranging from 82.8% to 100%. The nursing diagnosis-labeled heart failure self-care deficit-was validated with a definition, eight defining characteristics, 15 related factors, and five at-risk populations.

CONCLUSIONS

This diagnosis allows nurses to document patients' self-care in daily clinical practice through a standard nursing terminology, by naming this health problem, describing its etiology, and clinical manifestations.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

This new diagnosis is expected to assist nursing clinicians, educators, and students in clinical reasoning with the aim to improve diagnostic accuracy in identifying patients with a heart failure self-care deficit, to select the most appropriate interventions and pursue better outcomes.

Predictive factors of a prolonged length of stay in a community Nursing-Led unit: A retrospective cohort study

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To describe the care provided to patients admitted into a community Nursing-Led inpatient unit and to identify factors predicting a length of stay exceeding an established threshold.

BACKGROUND

Few studies have been conducted to describe the care provided in a Nursing-Led unit. No studies have investigated factors affecting length of stay in these services.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

Consecutive patients admitted to a community Nursing-Led unit between 2009-2015 were enrolled. Sociodemographic, medical and nursing care (diagnoses and activities) variables were collected from electronic health records. Descriptive analysis and a backward stepwise logistic regression model were applied. The study followed the STROBE guidelines.

RESULTS

The study enrolled 904 patients (mean age: 77.7 years). The most frequent nursing diagnoses were bathing self-care deficit and impaired physical mobility. The nursing activities most provided were enteral medication administration and vital signs measurement. Approximately 37% of the patients had a length of stay longer than the established threshold. Nine covariates, including being discharged to home, having an impaired memory nursing diagnosis or being treated for advanced wound care, were found to be independent predictors of prolonged length of stay. Variables related to medical conditions did not affect the length-of-stay threshold.

CONCLUSIONS

The length of stay in the community Nursing-Led unit was mainly predicted by conditions related to sociodemographic factors, nursing complexity and functional status. This result confirms that the medical and nursing needs of a community Nursing-Led unit population substantively differ from those of hospitalised acute patients.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The nursing complexity and related nursing care to be provided may be adopted as a criterion to establish the appropriate length of stay in the community Nursing-Led unit for each individual patient.

Predicting patient acuity according to their main problem

AIM

To assess the ability of the patient main problem to predict acuity in adults admitted to hospital wards and step-down units.

BACKGROUND

Acuity refers to the categorization of patients based on their required nursing intensity. The relationship between acuity and nurses' clinical judgment on the patient problems, including their prioritization, is an underexplored issue.

METHOD

Cross-sectional, multi-centre study in a sample of 200,000 adults. Multivariate analysis of main problems potentially associated with acuity levels higher than acute was performed. Distribution of patients and outcome differences among acuity clusters were evaluated.

RESULTS

The main problems identified are strongly associated with patient acuity. The model exhibits remarkable ability to predict acuity (AUC, 0.814; 95% CI, 0.81-0.816). Most patients (64.8%) match higher than acute categories. Significant differences in terms of mortality, hospital readmission and other outcomes are observed (p < .005).

CONCLUSION

The patient main problem predicts acuity. Most inpatients require more intensive than acute nursing care and their outcomes are adversely affected.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Prospective measurement of acuity, considering nurses' clinical judgments on the patient main problem, is feasible and may contribute to support nurse management workforce planning and staffing decision-making, and to optimize patients, nurses and organizational outcomes.

Relationship between the frequency of nursing activities and adverse outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome: A retrospective cohort study

The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to identify the relationship between the frequency of nursing activities during the first hospitalization and adverse outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome by using electronic health records. Patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome from April 2010 to April 2015 were examined for eligibility based on 36 months of major adverse cardiac events as the main outcome. Among the 652 patients who were enrolled, 66 patients experienced major adverse cardiac events. The average frequency of nursing activities was 1098.7 (±2703.8), and four variables (length of hospital stay, albumin level, hemoglobin level, and frequency of nursing activities) were significantly associated with 36 months of major adverse cardiac events. After adjusting for these variables, the frequency of nursing activities was found to be the only significant factor associated with the incidence of 36 months of major adverse cardiac events. This finding suggests that patients with acute coronary syndrome who require more frequent nursing activities during the first hospitalization could be vulnerable to adverse outcomes and should be closely monitored.