Post on 04-Nov-2014
description
Perceptions of ICU Stakeholders toward Nursing Staff Levels in Omani Hospitals: A Qualitative
Case Study
Dr. Majid Al Maqbali, RN, DHADirector of Nursing & Midwifery Affairs
MOH(HQ) – Sultanate of Oman
Outline
Background
Problem statement
Purpose
Why qualitative case
study?
Theoretical framework
Research questions
Data collection
Results
Findings
Implications
Limitations
Further studies
Background• Studies examining the relationship between nurse staffing and
health outcomes strongly support the importance of effective
deployment of nursing resources.
• High nurse staffing and an effective skill mix are associated with
improved patient outcomes (RCN, 2010)
• A strong link between quality of care, patient safety, and nurse
staffing (Spetz, 2004).
• Policies and regulations requiring an increase in the number of
nurses would reduce the risk of medical errors (Spetz, 2004).
Background• Skill mix of nurses, not merely the number of nurses, strongly influences
patient outcomes. Despite poor nurse staffing levels, positive patient
outcomes could still be attained (Blegen and Vaughn, 1998) .
• If nurse managers are well-prepared in their human resource planning
and conduct adequate staffing projections, cost savings occur.
• A higher ratio of nurses is associated with reductions in cost and length
of stay (Wiest et al. 2009).
• The adequacy of registered nurses can also prevent unnecessary stays
and reduce the possibility of cross infection of other patients that may
lead to costly adverse effects (AHRQ, 2004).
Background
• There is significant disagreement about the best way to
determine an appropriate number of nurses.
• Nurse job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intent to
leave/stay were interconnected.
• A significant relationship between ineffective deployment of
nursing resources and negative patient and organizational
outcomes.
• When determining an appropriate level of staffing, the RCN
(2010) recommended healthcare leaders incorporate staff
involvement, triangulation, and regular performance reviews.
Problem Statement
Excessive Nursing workload in ICUs
Leaders Fail to anticipate the significant impact of:
low staffing levels
deployment and utilization
excessive workloads
Purpose Statement
Explore the perceptions of ICU stakeholders
regarding high nurse workloads in critical care
units in Oman
Why Qualitative Case Study?
Explore a problem and gain further understanding
Excessive ICU workloads are poorly understood by
Omani healthcare leaders
Confusion about the severity of the ICU nurse shortage
Empower and sacrifices personal interests to others
Why Qualitative Case Study?
Prior studies have not measured ICU stakeholder
perceptions about the study problem
Allowed exploration and understanding of the
reasons contributing to excessive nursing workload
Data were collected by means of in-depth individual
semi-structured open-ended interviews
Research Questions
RQ 1 – How do stakeholder perceptions differ regarding the severity of the intensive care unit nurse shortage in Oman?
RQ 2 – What factors contribute to excessive nursing workloads in Oman’s intensive care units?
RQ 3 - How can Omani healthcare leaders improve the management of nursing workloads in intensive care units?
Theoretical Framework
Taylor's Scientific Management Theory
o To replace the “rule-of-thumb”
o To select, train, and develop each employee scientifically, rather
than promoting a worker's self-development.
o To provide continuous supervision and performance appraisal
o To separate the work between supervisors and employees
Virtually synonymous with maximization of the use of
available nurses in hospital wards or units
Population and Geographical Location
ICU stakeholders representing Royal, Khoula, and Sohar
hospitals
The population of ICU stakeholders included clinical and
non-clinical workers (nurses, physicians, and hospital
administrators)
21 ICU stakeholders were interviewed.
Stratified sampling
Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Data Collection
Pilot study
o Rustaq Hospital
o A convenience sample of five volunteer healthcare stakeholders
o Fit within the sampling frame and willing to provide timely
feedback on the study’s interview questions.
o Data were not included in the results of the main study
Data Collection
Main study Semi-structured open-ended questions
Face-to face interviews (scheduled for 60 minutes)
Multiple stakeholders from different hospitals strengthened the
validity of the study’s results.
Digitally recorded and transcribed for accuracy
Participants re-read and checked what they said
Participants were able to provide feedback on a draft copy of
the final case study
Data Collection
Three coders
After identifying open-ended themes, coders categorized
responses
Category frequencies were determined.
A Cronbach’s alpha was computed to determine an inter-rater
reliability score.
The study’s coding produced a Cronbach alpha of .91 which was
considered reliable
Data Analysis
Pilot study
Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed
Five of the seven pilot study questions were retained without
any phrasing changes
Two questions were revised for phrasing
Two new questions were added
Results – RQ1(Severity of the ICU nurse shortage)
RQ1 was supported: 81% indicating ICUs are
inadequately staffed
Institutional Perceptions: Sohar Hospital expressed
highest level of concern (100%)
Role Perceptions: 83% of Hospital Administrators, 78% of
nurses, and 50% of doctors did not believe there was an
adequate number of ICU nurses
Results – RQ2(Factors contributing to nursing workloads in ICUs)
RQ2 was supported: 74 comments, three main themes
emerged:
Shortage of ICU nurses
Shortage of support and resources
Distractions
Nurse Turnover:
Negative working environment
High workloads
Unpopular shifts
Communication, compensation, and hospital policies
Results – RQ3(Suggestions for improving ICU nurse workloads)
RQ3 was supported
More experienced ICU nurses
Increasing the availability of support staff, resources
Revising hospital policies
improve pay
More education and training
Increase recognition
Implications(Health Vision 2050)
Nursing and midwifery human resources: the need for an adequate number of skilled nurses
Positive practice environments : the importance of career pathways (promotions, pay increases, and professional recognition) for nurses.
Access and quality of education: the importance of offering multiple and convenient modalities of professional development programs that includes face-to-face, e-learning, and distance education
Implications(Health Vision 2050)
Scaling up capacity of nursing and midwifery: the need for ICU nurses to be specialized practitioners with a post-basic certificate
Strengthening regulatory capacity : the importance of nurses receiving a minimally acceptable level of education so they are licensed, certified, and/or baccalaureate trained nurses.
Research : the importance of using evidence-based practices when managing Omani ICUs
Limitations
Self-reported perceptions of 21 stakeholders at three major
hospitals in Oman
Study participants were limited to health administrators,
doctors, and nurses
The study’s principal researcher was a senior leader in the
Ministry of Health
Face-to-face interviews may have influenced the candor and
openness of study participants
Further Studies
Identify the types of ICU nurses required to work
Conduct an educational needs assessment
Develop the best career pathways, financial incentives, and
educational programs for nurses in Oman
Align all workforce initiatives within the framework of the Health
Vision 2050 recommendations
Thank you!