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January/March 2022 - Volume 37 - Issue 1

  • Marilyn H. Oermann, PhD, RN, FAAN
  • 1057-3631
  • 1550-5065
  • 4 issues / year
  • 1.597

This issue of JNCQ focuses on nurses and their critical role in keeping patients safe. Tzeng and colleagues assessed the impact of nurse practitioner (NP) practices on the prescribing rate of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) across states in the US. The PIM prescription rate was lower in states with full NP practice and lower among NPs than among physicians. Access to NPs and degreed or licensed social workers in nursing homes is needed to improve the quality of care. Other articles share the impact of the pandemic on nurses, their moral distress, and their intent to leave the profession. ​
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Marilyn H. Oermann, Editor-in-Chief

Impact of State Nurse Practitioner Regulations on Potentially Inappropriate Medication Prescribing Between Physicians and Nurse Practitioners: A National Study in the United States

Tzeng, Huey-Ming; Raji, Mukaila A.; Chou, Lin-Na; More

Journal of Nursing Care Quality. 37(1):6-13, January/March 2022.

Impact of State Nurse Practitioner Regulations on Potentially Inappropriate Medication Prescribing Between Physicians and Nurse Practitioners: A National Study in the United States

Leveraging Partnerships to Reduce Insulin Needlestick Injuries: Nurse-Led System-Wide Quality Improvement Project

Friel, Beth Ann; Sieradzan, Ray; Jones, Chris; More

Journal of Nursing Care Quality. 37(1):14-20, January/March 2022.

Leveraging Partnerships to Reduce Insulin Needlestick Injuries: Nurse-Led System-Wide Quality Improvement Project

A Call to Address RN, Social Work, and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in Nursing Homes: Solutions From the Missouri Quality Initiative

Popejoy, Lori L.; Vogelsmeier, Amy A.; Canada, Kelli E.; More

Journal of Nursing Care Quality. 37(1):21-27, January/March 2022.

A Call to Address RN, Social Work, and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in Nursing Homes: Solutions from the Missouri Quality Initiative

Nursing Moral Distress and Intent to Leave Employment During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sheppard, Katherine N.; Runk, Barbara G.; Maduro, Ralitsa S.; More

Journal of Nursing Care Quality. 37(1):28-34, January/March 2022.

Nursing Moral Distress and Intent to Leave Employment During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Interventions were directed at reducing nuisance alarms on a 32-bed, non–intensive care - a cardiac telemetry unit. A nursing staff education module with evidence-based practices for reducing nuisance alarms, a daily care protocol for patients on cardiac telemetry monitoring, and daily audits of protocol adherence were implemented. Staff knowledge increased, and daily audits for 7 weeks demonstrated an average of 58.46% staff adherence. Telemetry technician call volume reduction was 16% postimplementation, but nuisance alarms were not reduced significantly. Watch the video and read the article ​for more.

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Patients with a heart transplant and depression have higher rates of graft failure and noncompliance. The heart transplant clinic implemented routine use of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). From July 2018 to February 2019, there were 834 visits; PHQ2 screens were completed during 779 (93%) of those visits with 40 (5%) positive screens. All 40 patients had PHQ9 assessment, with 33 patients (4%) exhibiting moderate or severe depressive symptoms. All 33 patients were provided with mental health resources and received follow-up. Implementation of universal depression screening in a heart transplant clinic is feasible, identifies patients with depression, and does not add significant clinical burden.​ Learn more by watching the video and reading the article​.
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Patient microclimate is a contributing risk factor for pressure injuries (PI). However, the acceptable range for microclimate is unknown, in part because the body adapts to changing conditions. Addressing microclimate, when coupled with an increasing awareness of the cumulative effect of individual patient risk factors, can help resolve the risk of PI by lowering the cumulative inputs to keep patients under the threshold for tissue damage. Learn more about this in the video and article. 
​​​The aim of this study was to determine patients' (n=503) and nurses' (n=308) perceptions of the quality of nursing care in surgical clinics and influencing factors. Characteristics of patients such as age, gender, complications, and nursing care scores, and characteristics of the nurses such as being satisfied with the current clinic and work affected perceptions of care quality. Patients' perceptions were lower than those of nurses, and some factors belonging to the patients and nurses negatively influenced the quality of care. Dr. Mert shares her study in this video and the article​.
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Two evidence-based practice projects and an innovative model provided best evidence and a framework for the implementation and sustainment of a bedside shift report (BSR) quality improvement project. Facilitators and barriers were identified and addressed during planning. Key elements of BSR were incorporated. Implementation was completed in 4 months for 11 units. After 15 months, there was consistent BSR on 82% of the units and improved patient satisfaction with nurses taking time to listen.  This is an excellent example of sustainability of a practice change: watch the video and be sure to read the article.​













Watch our Videos on Writing Journal Articles on QI

This is the first video in our writing for publication series. The purpose of the manuscript and intended readers guide your selection of a journal for submission. Learn about directories of nursing and other journals and sending a query email.
This is the second video in our writing for publication series. Learn about the journal’s Information for Authors and why important, formats for writing different types of manuscripts, and reporting guidelines. The video will prepare you for writing papers about quality improvement and using the SQUIRE guidelines. References and tables/figures also are discussed.
​This is the final video in our writing for publication series. In this video you will get some additional tips on writing your manuscript and will learn about peer review and responding to reviewers’ comments. Other topics include authorship criteria, copyright, open access, and avoiding “predatory journals.”
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