Using simulation to introduce students and healthcare professionals to losses experienced by older adults: a pre-post analysis.

Background: To introduce students and healthcare professionals to losses experienced by older adults and instill compassion among interprofessional learners, an interactive narrative simulation activity was developed and incorporated in clinical staff orientation and student professional course work. Narrative simulation allows learners to incorporate skills of examination, exploration, sharing, and reflection applied to simulated losses and lived experience of the older adult to promote empathy and understanding.

Methods: A pre-post analysis was conducted to evaluate changes in self-reported empathy scores among nurses, pharmacists, student nurses and student pharmacists using the 20-item Jefferson Scale of Empathy©, Health Professional and Health Professional Student versions.

Protecting Patient Safety and Preventing Modifiable Complications After Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Topic: Protecting patient safety and preventing modifiable complications after acute ischemic stroke.

Clinical Relevance: Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in adults. Stroke survivors often experience a variety of deficits related to mobility, nutrition, immunity, mood, and cognition.

Understanding Patient Safety and Quality Outcome Data.

The need for nurses to understand patient safety and quality outcome data is pressing in the current era of data transparency. Health care outcomes data are now publicly reported and readily accessible to consumers, are necessary for performance-based reimbursement, and are required by government and regulatory agencies. In order for nurses at all levels of practice to own their outcomes and be accountable for making improvements, they must possess skills in collecting, analyzing, evaluating, and acting on outcome data.

Creating Healthy Work Environments for Second Victims of Adverse Events.

Adverse events may cause a patient serious harm or death; the patient becomes the first victim of these events. The health care providers who become traumatized by the events are the second victims. These second victims experience feelings such as guilt, shame, sadness, and grief, which can lead to profound personal and professional consequences.

Resuscitation team perceptions of family presence during CPR.

The literature supports family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and its many perceived benefits for patients and their families. It also suggests that, overall, health care professionals are supportive of this practice. There have not been any published studies to date that have looked at the perception of family presence from the multidisciplinary resuscitation or code team's perspective.