Adherence to Evidence-Based Guidelines and Implications When Designing Electronic Documentation for Urinary Catheters.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the point prevalence and the rate of adherence to evidence-based guidelines for patients who had indwelling urinary catheters in three Australian acute care hospitals.

Design: A cross-sectional observational design was used.

Methods: A multisite cross-sectional observational design was utilised in three acute hospitals across Australia.

Factors leading to overutilisation of hospital pathology testing: the junior doctor's perspective.

Objective Pathology overutilisation is a significant issue affecting the quality and cost of health care. Because junior medical officers (JMOs) order most pathology tests in the hospital setting, the aim of the present study was to identify the main reasons for hospital pathology overutilisation from the perspective of the JMO. Methods A qualitative method, using focus group methodology, was undertaken.

Investigating the role of Clinical Nurse Consultants in one health district from multiple stakeholder perspectives: a cooperative inquiry.

Background: The impetus for this research came from a group of 11 Clinical Nurse Consultants (CNCs) within a health service in NSW, Australia, who wanted to investigate the CNC role from multiple stakeholder perspectives. With support from academic researchers, the CNCs designed and implemented the study.

Objectives: The aim of this research project was to investigate the role of the CNC from the multiple perspectives of CNCs and other stakeholders who work with CNCs in the Health District.

Reflection on observation: A qualitative study using practice development methods to explore the experience of being a hand hygiene auditor in Australia.

Background: Within the Australian public health care system, an observation model is used to assess hand hygiene practice in health care workers, culminating in a publicly available healthcare service performance indicator. The intent of this study was for the results to inform the development of a strategy to support individual auditors and local sustainability of the hand hygiene auditing program.

Method: This qualitative study used a values clarification tool to gain an understanding of the experiences of hand hygiene auditors.

Nurses' discharge planning and risk assessment: behaviours, understanding and barriers.

Aims And Objectives: To examine nurses' discharge planning understanding, adherence and barriers.

Background: Discharge planning commenced at admission by nurses plays a key role in improving patient outcomes,but policies in place to maintain effective discharge planning are often not followed by nurses.

Design: This is a descriptive study.

Substance users' perspective of pain management in the acute care environment.

The aim of this exploratory study was to examine substance users' perspectives towards their acute pain management in the acute hospital setting. Barriers to optimal pain management in the substance user population include: altered physiologic responses to analgesia; cultural values; and health professionals' perceptions of drug-seeking behaviours.

Early completion of the discharge risk screen by nurses in acute care wards.

The aim of this study was to investigate nurses' compliance with discharge risk screening (DRS) policy, the accuracy of this screening, and factors associated with its completion. An audit of 99 acute care patients' medical records revealed that compliance with DRS completion was very low (24%), although accuracy was high, and the 2 factors associated with completion of the DRS were patient diagnosis and day of week admitted. Further research on nurses' attitudes, beliefs, and perceived barriers to DRS is needed as a foundation to increase the use of the tool.