Showing papers by "René Schwendimann published in 2016"

Framework for Evaluating the Impact of Advanced Practice Nursing Roles.

Abstract: Purpose To address the gap in evidence-based information required to support the development of advanced practice nursing (APN) roles in Switzerland, stakeholders identified the need for guidance to generate strategic evaluation data. This article describes an evaluation framework developed to inform decisions about the effective utilization of APN roles across the country. Approach A participatory approach was used by an international group of stakeholders. Published literature and an evidenced-based framework for introducing APN roles were analyzed and applied to define the purpose, target audiences, and essential elements of the evaluation framework. Through subsequent meetings and review by an expert panel, the framework was developed and refined. Findings A framework to evaluate different types of APN roles as they evolve to meet dynamic population health, practice setting, and health system needs was created. It includes a matrix of key concepts to guide evaluations across three stages of APN role development: introduction, implementation, and long-term sustainability. For each stage, evaluation objectives and questions examining APN role structures, processes, and outcomes from different perspectives (e.g., patients, providers, managers, policy-makers) were identified. Conclusions A practical, robust framework based on well-established evaluation concepts and current understanding of APN roles can be used to conduct systematic evaluations. Clinical Relevance The evaluation framework is sufficiently generic to allow application in developed countries globally, both for evaluation as well as research purposes.

Factors associated with high job satisfaction among care workers in Swiss nursing homes – a cross sectional survey study

Abstract: While the relationship between nurses’ job satisfaction and their work in hospital environments is well known, it remains unclear, which factors are most influential in the nursing home setting. The purpose of this study was to describe job satisfaction among care workers in Swiss nursing homes and to examine its associations with work environment factors, work stressors, and health issues. This cross-sectional study used data from a representative national sample of 162 Swiss nursing homes including 4,145 care workers from all educational levels (registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants and aides). Care worker-reported job satisfaction was measured with a single item. Explanatory variables were assessed with established scales, as e.g. the Practice Environment Scale – Nursing Work Index. Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) models were used to examine factors related to job satisfaction. Overall, 36.2 % of respondents reported high satisfaction with their workplace, while another 50.4 % were rather satisfied. Factors significantly associated with high job satisfaction were supportive leadership (OR = 3.76), better teamwork and resident safety climate (OR = 2.60), a resonant nursing home administrator (OR = 2.30), adequate staffing resources (OR = 1.40), fewer workplace conflicts (OR = .61), less sense of depletion after work (OR = .88), and fewer physical health problems (OR = .91). The quality of nursing home leadership–at both the unit supervisor and the executive administrator level–was strongly associated with care workers’ job satisfaction. Therefore, recruitment strategies addressing specific profiles for nursing home leaders are needed, followed by ongoing leadership training. Future studies should examine the effects of interventions designed to improve nursing home leadership and work environments on outcomes both for care staff and for residents.

It depends on this

Abstract: July 24, 2010 Type Package Title Calculate ANSI S3.5-1997 Speech Intelligibility Index Version 1.0.0 Date 2010-07-22 Author Gregory R. Warnes Maintainer Gregory R. Warnes Description This package calculates ANSI S3.5-1997 Speech Intelligibility Index (SII), a standard method for computing the intelligibility of speech from acoustical measurements of speech, noise, and hearing thresholds. This package includes data frames corresponding to Tables 1 4 in the ANSI standard as well as a function utilizing these tables and user-provided hearing threshold and noise level measurements to compute the SII score. The methods implemented here extend the standard computations to allow calculation of SII when the measured frequencies do not match those required by the standard by applying interpolation to obtain values for the required frequencies – Development of this package was funded by the Center for Bioscience Education and Technology (CBET) of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Depends Suggests splines, gdata, xtable License GPL-2 LazyLoad yes Repository CRAN Date/Publication 2010-07-24 19:42:30

Absenteeism and Presenteeism among Care Workers in Swiss Nursing Homes and Their Association with Psychosocial Work Environment: A Multi-Site Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract: Background: Worker productivity is central to the success of organizations such as healthcare institutions. However, both absenteeism and presenteeism impair that productivity. While various hospital studies have examined the prevalence of presenteeism and absenteeism and its associated factors among care workers, evidence from nursing home settings is scarce. Objective: To explore care workers' self-reported absenteeism and presenteeism in relation to nursing homes' psychosocial work environment factors. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study utilizing survey data of 3,176 professional care workers in 162 Swiss nursing homes collected between May 2012 and April 2013. A generalized estimating equation ordinal logistic regression model was used to explore associations between psychosocial work environment factors (leadership, staffing resources, work stressors, affective organizational commitment, collaboration with colleagues and supervisors, support from other personnel, job satisfaction, job autonomy) and self-reported absenteeism and presenteeism. Results: Absenteeism and presenteeism were observed in 15.6 and 32.9% of care workers, respectively. While absenteeism showed no relationship with the work environment, low presenteeism correlated with high leadership ratings (odds ratio [OR] 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.48) and adequate staffing resources (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.02-1.38). Conclusion: Self-reported presenteeism is more common than absenteeism in Swiss nursing homes, and leadership and staffing resource adequacy are significantly associated with presenteeism, but not with absenteeism.

Evidence on the validity and reliability of the German, French and Italian nursing home version of the Basel Extent of Rationing of Nursing Care instrument

Abstract: Aim To develop and test psychometrically the Basel Extent of Rationing of Nursing Care for Nursing Homes instrument, providing initial evidence on the validity and reliability of the German, French and Italian-language versions. Background In the hospital setting, implicit rationing of nursing care is defined as the withholding of nursing activities due to lack of resources, such as staffing or time. No instrument existed to measure this concept in nursing homes. Design Cross-sectional study. Methods We developed the instrument in three phases: (1) adaption and translation; (2) content validity testing; and (3) initial validity and reliability testing. For phase 3, we analysed survey data from 4748 care workers collected between May 2012–April 2013 from a randomly selected sample of 162 nursing homes in the German-, French- and Italian-speaking regions of Switzerland to provide evidence from response processes (e.g. missing), internal structure (exploratory factor analysis), inter-item inconsistencies (e.g. Cronbach's alpha) and interscorer differences (e.g. within-group agreement). Results Exploratory factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure with good fit statistics. Rationing of nursing care was structured in four domains: (1) activities of daily living; (2) caring, rehabilitation and monitoring; (3) documentation; and (4) social care. Items of the social care subscale showed lower content validity and more missing values than items of other subscales. Conclusion First evidence indicates that the new instrument can be recommended for research and practice to measure implicit rationing of nursing care in nursing homes. Further refinements of single items are needed.