The Power in Coming Together.

The role of the chief nursing officer is multifaceted and complex. These complexities can be exacerbated during times of turbulence, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding communication and collaboration are core to achieving optimal outcomes, this article outlines the experience of 3 chief nursing officers through the COVID-19 pandemic and the value of a structured platform for peer shared learning and support.

Observed variation in N95 respirator use by nurses demonstrating isolation care.

Video review and scoring was used to evaluate the behaviors of nurses wearing N95 filtering face piece respirators while providing isolation care in a simulated patient care environment. This study yielded a detailed description of behaviors related to N95 respirator use in a health care setting. Developing a more robust and systematic behavior analysis tool for use in demonstration, simulation, and clinical care would allow for improved respiratory protection of health care workers.

Evaluating Isolation Behaviors by Nurses Using Mobile Computer Workstations at the Bedside.

This secondary analysis from a larger mixed methods study with a sequential explanatory design investigates the clinical challenges for nurses providing patient care, in an airborne and contact isolation room, while using a computer on wheels for medication administration in a simulated setting. Registered nurses, who regularly work in clinical care at the patient bedside, were recruited as study participants in the simulation and debriefing experience. A live volunteer acted as the standardized patient who needed assessment and intravenous pain medication.

Clinical challenges in isolation care.

In 2014, the authors published the results of a study investigating nurses' use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the care of a live simulated patient requiring contact and airborne precautions. The 24 participants were video-recorded as they donned and doffed PPE. Variations in practices that had the potential to cause contamination were noted.

Method for investigating nursing behaviors related to isolation care.

Background: Although an emphasis has been placed on protecting patients by improving health care worker compliance with infection control techniques, challenges associated with patient isolation do exist. To address these issues, a more consistent mechanism to evaluate specific clinical behaviors safely is needed.

Methods: The research method described in this study used a high fidelity simulation using a live standardized patient recorded by small cameras.

Effectiveness and safety of the awakening and breathing coordination, delirium monitoring/management, and early exercise/mobility bundle.

Objective: The debilitating and persistent effects of ICU-acquired delirium and weakness warrant testing of prevention strategies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of implementing the Awakening and Breathing Coordination, Delirium monitoring/management, and Early exercise/mobility bundle into everyday practice.

Design: Eighteen-month, prospective, cohort, before-after study conducted between November 2010 and May 2012.

Redefining parenthood: surviving the death of a child.

Background: Although dying children are often aware of their impending death, parents are reluctant to communicate with their dying child about death.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine how parents of children in the advanced stage of a life-threatening disease trajectory communicated about death.

Methods: Using grounded theory methods, data were collected via interviews with 18 parents of children who had died of an advanced life-threatening disease.

PROMIS pediatric measures in pediatric oncology: valid and clinically feasible indicators of patient-reported outcomes.

Background: Establishing the ability of children and adolescents with cancer to complete the NIH-sponsored PROMIS pediatric measures electronically and the preliminary validity estimates of the measures (both full item banks and short forms) in pediatric oncology will contribute to our knowledge of the impact of cancer treatment on these young patients.

Procedures: A total of 203 8- to 17-year olds were administered eight PROMIS pediatric measures in a cross-sectional study design to establish known-group validity. Of the 200 who completed all or most of the items, a slight majority were male (55.

Health-related quality of life following hematopoietic stem cell transplant during childhood.

The purpose of this study is to examine the self-reported and parent-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of children (age<19 years) who received a hematopoietic (bone marrow, cord blood, or peripheral blood) stem cell transplant (SCT) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). A total of 35 families participated: 31 SCT recipients, 35 mothers, and 28 fathers. Mean scores were 73.

Pretransplant conditioning in adults and children: dose assurance with intravenous busulfan.

Purpose/objectives: To provide clinical insights into dosing and administration of IV busulfan, a conditioning agent for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Data Sources: Review of published literature related to busulfan pretransplant conditioning using MEDLINE. Meeting abstracts, investigational protocols, and pharmaceutical manufacturers' package inserts also were reviewed.

Collaborative clinical research on end-of-life care in pediatric oncology.

Objectives: To present an overview of research into end-of-life (EoL) care for pediatric patients with cancer and to describe research completed by a newly formed collaboration of researchers.

Data Sources: Professional group position papers and guidelines; research studies.

Conclusion: Studies to date in pediatric EoL care used retrospective, descriptive, or pilot intervention designs, have been conducted in single-institution settings, and have included small numbers of patients.

Quality of life 5 or more years post-autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

This cross-sectional study used a mailed survey to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of individuals at least 5 years post-autologous stem cell transplant and to determine instrument preference. Instruments selected were the Medical Outcomes Study-Short Form (MOS-SF-36) as the generic measure and the City of Hope-Quality of Life-Bone Marrow Transplant (COH-BMT) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant (FACT-BMT) as transplant-specific measures. Subjects received the MOS-SF-36 and were randomized to receive (1) COH-BMT, (2) FACT-BMT, or (3) COH-BMT and FACT-BMT.