Background: A key policy of the Taiwan healthcare system is promoting the hiring of nursing assistants (NAs) to reduce the workload of nurses. However, few studies in the literature have compared the relative effectiveness of different nurse staffing policies, and no studies have addressed the impact of the NA staffing (NAS) model.
Purpose: This study explored the current status of the NAS model as implemented in Taiwan hospitals and to investigate the methods used to evaluate the outcomes of NAS model implementation.
Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was performed in hospitals nationwide from June 1 to December 31, 2018. There were 153 government-accredited hospitals being invited to participate in the survey.
Results: Of the 139 hospitals that completed the online survey, 26% (36 hospitals) had implemented the NAS model. Many of the hospitals had hired full-time, certified NAs. Most of the tasks assigned to NAs were in the nonprofessional/general and technical work categories. In addition, medical wards were the most frequently assigned workplace, especially on day shifts. Few of the surveyed hospitals had evaluated the effectiveness of the NAS model. Improvement after implementation of the NAS model (based on the 35 outcome indicators) was found to vary significantly. The most commonly used outcome indicator was patient satisfaction. All the stakeholders, including patients, family caregivers, nurses, and nurse supervisors, supported implementation of the NAS model. However, some of the participants expressed concerns regarding the difficulties involved with model implementation.
Conclusions/implications For Practice: Although the NAS model may be beneficial, further empirical research is necessary to confirm the contributions of NAs. Additional evidence regarding the benefits of the NAS model for hospital performance and patient outcomes may be expected to motivate more hospital administrators to adopt this model.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/jnr.0000000000000540 | DOI Listing |
Artif Intell Med
January 2025
Koç University, Department of Physics, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Istanbul, Turkiye. Electronic address:
Deep neural networks have significantly advanced medical image classification across various modalities and tasks. However, manually designing these networks is often time-consuming and suboptimal. Neural Architecture Search (NAS) automates this process, potentially finding more efficient and effective models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiomaterials
January 2025
Institute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518107, China; School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, 310015, China; Guoke Ningbo Life Science and Health Industry Research Institute, Ningbo, 315040, China. Electronic address:
T cell therapy for solid tumors faces significant challenges due to the immune off-target attack caused by the loss of tumor surface antigens and inactivation in acidic tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, we developed a bifunctional immunomodulator (MO@NAL) by loading ovalbumin (OVA; model antigen) mRNA (mOVA) onto lysozyme-coated layered double hydroxide nano-aluminum adjuvant (NA). The NA's inherent alkalinity effectively neutralizes the excess acid within the TME and suppresses regulatory T cells, creating a favorable microenvironment to enhance cytotoxic T cell infiltration and activation in tumors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharmaceutics
December 2024
Department of Pharmaceutics, Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
Background: Achieving a balance between stable drug loading/delivery and on-demand drug activation/release at the target sites remains a significant challenge for nanomedicines. Carrier-free prodrug nanoassemblies, which rely on the design of prodrug molecules, offer a promising strategy to optimize both drug delivery efficiency and controlled drug release profiles.
Methods: A library of doxorubicin (DOX) prodrugs was created by linking DOX to fatty alcohols of varying chain lengths via a tumor-responsive disulfide bond.
Nutrients
December 2024
First Department of Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laikon General Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major metabolic disorder with no established pharmacotherapy. Quercetin, a polyphenolic flavonoid, demonstrates potential hepatoprotective effects but has limited bioavailability. This study evaluates the impact of quercetin on NAFLD and assesses the roles of autophagy-related proteins in disease progression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMaterials (Basel)
December 2024
College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China.
A geopolymer is a low-carbon cementitious material, and its condensation process is akin to the formation of inorganic polymers. The crystal phase of synthesized geopolymers was identified using XRD; the scattering peaks of amorphous phases were analyzed, and the zeolite minerals akin to different n(Si)/n(Al) geopolymers were determined. Based on this, a model structure of N-A-S-H geopolymers was established.
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