project

Is this an Evidence-Based Article? Name of Journal and Year article was written?

Yes

Name of Journal: International Nursing Review

Year: 2018

.2 points

State the problem

What was the goal of the project in the article?

Does this project correlate with your problem? State how?

What are you trying to achieve? Does this article support this goal?

Problem: Newly graduates and early career nurses especially RNs are likely to quit their jobs in hospital settings leading to turnovers. This in turn leads to the decline in the morale of nurses who choose to stay leading to low job satisfaction both to the health care professions and the patients as well. When they leave their jobs, hospitals are faced with lower staffing ratios leading to further decline in the delivery of quality care due to increased workload.

Goal: The researchers of this study aimed at identifying the role of social support in enhancing nursing retention at hospitals thereby leading to low turnovers by ensuring the retention of early-career nurses at hospitals. The goal of this study was to:

1. Test the association between social support and turnover.

2. Identify the impact of peer support in safe patient handling leading to retention and low rate of early career nurses quitting their jobs in hospital settings.

3. Identify safety practices that would facilitate integration thereby prompting retention.

State how this article correlates with your group problem and goal: The groups’ problem is that there is a shortage of RNs at a surgical unit following a mass quitting of newly graduated nurses in their early careers. The goal of the group is to come up with a comprehensive plan to ensure the retention of new graduate nurses. This follows the hiring of six new graduate nurses to the surgical unit. This research article identifies the hindrances that these nurses face before their quitting in their first year of hire including heavy workload, lack of proper social support and mentorship from their peers with heavy experience, and job dissatisfaction. For an effective plan, the problems that lead to poor retention need to be identified hence the research article is helpful to our goal. Second, the research article tests the impact of social support in promoting retention of these nurses which would add value to the group’s goal. Finally, the research has further provided retention strategies effective for retaining early career nurses including provisions of programs to integrate, mentorship, and support as well as providing a conducive working environment. This would be very resourceful in crafting a retention plan by the group leading to successive efforts in retention.

.2 points

Strengths (Internal)

What’s was good about your article?

Support from Institutions: The researchers received overwhelming support from various institutions including Oregon Health & Science University that covered the expenses of the research through funding. There was no conflict of interest despite being funded for the research. The International Council of nurses also provided support to the research.

Staff Input: Nurses from different units who participated in the study provided self-reported data sources propelling the success of the research study. Their input into the research study helped the researchers maximize the information provided aiding the success of the study. There was also efficient corporation by the administration on which the investigative study was conducted.

Did the Implementation take place in an area like yours?

Yes. The research study drew nurses from both the medical and surgical units as well as Registered nurses from the Intensive Care units at the environmental setting where the study was conducted.

.4 points

Weakness (Internal)- issues

Size: Despite the researchers drawing participants from core units at the hospital setting where the study was conducted, it was only limited to two units within the hospital settings. Nurses from some specific departments such as the emergency and pediatric departments were not included in the study hence difficult to know how efficient it would be to the other units.

Inefficient Assessments: The researchers noted that it was difficult to assess the role of supportive peers that nurses acted due to the tenure and nature of their work. In addition, there was the absence of key information regarding the causes of what led to the departure of some nurses who had barely served a year at the hospital settings raising concerns of the eligibility of the study.

.4 points

Opportunities (External)

Patient Satisfaction: By providing social support through peer motivation, early-career nurses were able to provide safe patient handling to patients compared to those who had quit hence facilitating the satisfaction of patients. However, there was a lack of diversification with the majority of the nurses being predominantly white. An improvement on equality through diversifying recruitment would help ensure that patient satisfaction is met on cultural differences between patients.

Staff Satisfaction: Through social support and safe patient handling, there was a remarkable decrease in the reduction of early-career nurses quitting their jobs thereby facilitating retention. This would help in achieving a supportive staff ratio to patients. However, social support needs to be provided early. This would help in curbing the rate at which nurses quit their jobs within one year of recruitment.

Baseline data: The researchers did not find any significant changes among employees who had quit their jobs on safety compliance.

.4 points

Threats - (External)

Cultural Differences: The researchers acknowledged that a majority of the nurses’ participants were non-hispanic white, hence drawing threats on the validity of social support among culturally diverse nurses and patients. This further raise concerns on satisfaction on both staff and patient from diverse cultures.

Validity: While the social support was effective within the surgical and ICU units, it remains unclear whether it would help attain retention among early-career nurses in other hospital units such as emergency departments and pediatric units.

.4 points