Becker's Hospital Review

40 NURSING SPOTLIGHT Strong nursing culture linked to more engaged physicians, loyal patients By Mackenzie Bean I nvesting time and energy to promote a culture of nursing excellence can help hospitals increase patient loyalty, improve care quality and boost physician engagement, according to Press Ganey's 2020 Nursing Special Report released Feb. 20. Press Ganey researchers analyzed 2019 survey data to compare patient experience performance between 1,809 Magnet and non-Magnet hospitals. Press Ganey used Magnet recognition as a marker of nursing excellence for the analysis but noted hospitals can still achieve a nursing culture that promotes good outcomes without this designation. "Every organization should be on a journey to nursing excellence, regardless of whether or not they seek a des- ignation," Christy Dempsey, MSN, chief nursing officer of Press Ganey, told Becker's. In the report, Press Ganey outlines three crucial charac- teristics of nursing excellence: • An unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality, compassionate care • Nurse leaders who advocate for, support and develop staff nurses • A collaborative culture in which nurses are empowered to practice at the top of their licenses, demonstrate autonomy and participate in organi- zational decision-making Overall, researchers found patients were more likely to rec- ommend Magnet-designated hospitals that demonstrated these characteristics compared to non-Magnet facilities. Magnet hospitals also had consistently higher survey ratings for six physician-related performance measures and higher physician engagement scores than non-Magnet fa- cilities. Of all Magnet facilities in the U.S., about one-third were in the top-quartile for physician engagement. "is report truly does solidify and affirm what nurses have known all along," Ms. Dempsey said. "It helps support the fact that nursing is not only important, but also serves as the linchpin for everything else. When you have an excellent nursing culture, then you're also going to have better clinician engagement, care quality, etc." n Patient complaints could forecast violence against nurses, study shows By Anuja Vaidya P atient and family member complaints are "directly related" to increased reports of both emotional abuse and physical violence against nurses in the workplace, according to a study published in Nursing Open. Researchers examined the results of the B.C. Nurses' Workload Impact Study, which includes data from 528 nurses working in medical-surgical settings in British Columbia, Canada. The researchers studied workload factors, such as the number of tasks nurses say they left unfinished during their last shift, patient com- plaints and reports of emotional and physical abuse of nurses. Researchers found that nurses received an average of one patient complaint against them a month, and the rate of reports of emo- tional and physical abuse toward nurses was about the same. Additionally, researchers found that workload factors were also linked to violence. For example, an inability to finish tasks during a shift were linked to increased reports of both physical and emo- tional violence. "What we think happens is a spiral of aggression is created. Pa- tients get frustrated by what they see as poor quality performance — often caused by factors such as staff shortages and large work- loads," said study author Farinaz Havaei, RN, PhD, an assistant professor of nursing at the University of British Columbia. "They respond initially with complaints, and if those complaints aren't addressed in a timely manner, they can then escalate into more serious acts of aggression." n Ochsner to pay tuition for future physicians, nurses who pledge to 5 years with system By Emily Rappleye N ew Orleans-based Ochsner Health System created a $10 million tuition fund to grow its own workforce amid cur- rent labor market challenges, according to The Advocate, a Louisiana news outlet. The system will begin by paying tuition for a cohort of 30 primary care physicians and psychiatrists. The physicians must commit to working in Louisiana with the health system for at least five years to receive the funding. Ochsner has plans to offer similar scholarship opportunities for employees who want to become licensed practical nurses or reg- istered nurses. It plans to ultimately cover tuition for about 1,000 employees, according to the report. n

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