Dataset Information

Communication tools and sources of education and information: a national survey of rural and remote nurses.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This study examined accessibility of communication tools in the workplace, use of education to update nursing knowledge, and use of information to make specific decisions in practice among registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in rural and remote communities in Canada.

Methods

Data were analyzed from the cross-sectional survey, "Nursing Practice in Rural and Remote Canada II," of regulated nurses practicing in all provinces and territories of Canada. Data were collected from April 2014 to August 2015.

Results

The survey was completed by 3,822 of 9,622 nurses (40% response), and the present analysis was conducted with a subsample of 2,827 nurses. High-speed Internet was the most accessible communication tool, and nurses used "online/electronic education" more often than "in-person education" to update their nursing knowledge. Internet searches were used more often than several other online/electronic sources to inform decision making. Compared to LPNs, RNs reported greater workplace access to most communication tools and greater use of online/electronic education as well as information sources in online/electronic and print formats. Compared to nurses in community-based health care and hospital settings, nurses in long-term care settings reported lower access to most communication tools, lower use of online/electronic and in-person education, and lower use of online/electronic information.

Conclusions

Access to continuing education and up-to-date information is important for effective patient care. This study points to a need for further research on the continuing education and information needs of rural and remote RNs and LPNs, and on their capacity to incorporate and apply new knowledge in practice.

SUBMITTER: Kosteniuk J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6774559 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Communication tools and sources of education and information: a national survey of rural and remote nurses.

Kosteniuk Julie J Stewart Norma J NJ Wilson Erin C EC Penz Kelly L KL Martin-Misener Ruth R Morgan Debra G DG Karunanayake Chandima C MacLeod Martha L P MLP

Journal of the Medical Library Association : JMLA 20191001 4

<h4>Objective</h4>This study examined accessibility of communication tools in the workplace, use of education to update nursing knowledge, and use of information to make specific decisions in practice among registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in rural and remote communities in Canada.<h4>Methods</h4>Data were analyzed from the cross-sectional survey, "Nursing Practice in Rural and Remote Canada II," of regulated nurses practicing in all provinces and territories of Canad ...[more]

PMID: 31607811

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Project description:BackgroundIn Canada, as in other parts of the world, there is geographic maldistribution of the nursing workforce, and insufficient attention is paid to the strengths and needs of those providing care in rural and remote settings. In order to inform workforce planning, a national study, Nursing Practice in Rural and Remote Canada II, was conducted with the rural and remote regulated nursing workforce (registered nurses, nurse practitioners, licensed or registered practical nurses, and registered psychiatric nurses) with the intent of informing policy and planning about improving nursing services and access to care. In this article, the study methods are described along with an examination of the characteristics of the rural and remote nursing workforce with a focus on important variations among nurse types and regions.MethodsA cross-sectional survey used a mailed questionnaire with persistent follow-up to achieve a stratified systematic sample of 3822 regulated nurses from all provinces and territories, living outside of the commuting zones of large urban centers and in the north of Canada.ResultsRural workforce characteristics reported here suggest the persistence of key characteristics noted in a previous Canada-wide survey of rural registered nurses (2001-2002), namely the aging of the rural nursing workforce, the growth in baccalaureate education for registered nurses, and increasing casualization. Two thirds of the nurses grew up in a community of under 10 000 people. While nurses' levels of satisfaction with their nursing practice and community are generally high, significant variations were noted by nurse type. Nurses reported coming to rural communities to work for reasons of location, interest in the practice setting, and income, and staying for similar reasons. Important variations were noted by nurse type and region.ConclusionsThe proportion of the rural nursing workforce in Canada is continuing to decline in relation to the proportion of the Canadian population in rural and remote settings. Survey results about the characteristics and practice of the various types of nurses can support workforce planning to improve nursing services and access to care.

Project description:BackgroundPatient and public involvement (PPI) in health education is a practice whereby research and education are carried in collaboration 'with' patients and/or citizens, maintaining their role as a team member or expert. PPI in health education is of great interest for all stakeholders in the field, as it can make program development more relevant to the public and increase its utilization by the target population. However, little is known about how PPI should be implemented in different settings particularly in rural and remote areas. Therefore, a deeper understanding of how PPI works in different environments is needed. We aim to explore how information and communication technologies (ICT) are used for PPI in health education programs in rural and remote areas.MethodsWe performed a scoping review. Two reviewers independently selected 641 studies from five electronic databases. Data were extracted, charted and validated by the senior researcher and study lead. We performed a narrative synthesis to map the literature.ResultsOf the initial 641 articles identified, 5 fit the eligibility criteria. Most of the studies targeted community members at large. Consultation and collaboration were the main levels of PPI, which included communities at large and specific at-risk groups. The main forms of ICT used were telephone and Internet, followed by teleconferences, electronic health records, and weblogs. No study measured the effectiveness of ICT for involving patients in health education in rural and remote areas.ConclusionTelephone and Internet were the most frequently used forms of PPI in health education in rural areas with consultation and collaboration as the main levels of PPI there. No study measured the impact of ICT for PPI in health education in rural areas. Due to this, measuring the impact of ICT in rural and remote areas as a means for PPI in health education of medical students, health professionals and patients requires further study.

Project description:BackgroundHealth information is crucial for preservation of health and maintenance of healthy practices among cancer survivors. This study examines the sources and factors associated with choice of health information source among cancer survivors and those without a cancer history.MethodsWe examined health information sources utilized by cancer history between 2011-2014 and 2017-2018 using the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). Factors associated with seeking health information were examined using multinomial logistic regression. Data from HINTS 4, cycles 1-4 (2011-2014) and HINTS 5, cycles 1-2 (2017-2018) were combined and used for all analyses. HINTS-FDA, cycles 1-2 (2015-2017) were excluded from this study because the question about a cancer history was not asked.ResultsOver half of cancer survivors (52.7%) and those without a cancer history (60.9%) obtained their health information through the media. Among cancer survivors, factors associated with health information seeking either through the media or interpersonal communication relative to not seeking information were age, gender, level of education, income, marital status and having a regular healthcare provider. Male survivors were 39% less likely to seek health information from the media (aOR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.38-0.99) while those with a regular health provider had significantly higher odds of seeking health information via interpersonal communication (aOR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.09-3.38). In addition, widowed cancer survivors had lower odds of seeking health information from either interpersonal communication (aOR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.13-0.60) or the media (aOR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.13-0.69). In the study population without a cancer history, compared to non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanics and non-Hispanic other categories were significantly less likely to seek health information from the media rather than not seek health information.ConclusionSocioeconomic status, marital status, gender and age are important correlates of choice of health information source among cancer survivors in the US. These factors may be useful in guiding interventions aimed at various groups of cancer surviving populations to ensure that they improve their health seeking behaviors.

Project description:ObjectivePublic cooperation to practise preventive health behaviours is essential to manage the transmission of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. We aimed to investigate beliefs about COVID-19 diagnosis, transmission and prevention that have the potential to impact the uptake of recommended public health strategies.DesignAn online cross-sectional survey.ParticipantsA national sample of 1500 Australian adults with representative quotas for age and gender provided by an online panel provider.Main outcome measureProportion of participants with correct/incorrect knowledge of COVID-19 preventive behaviours and reasons for misconceptions.ResultsOf the 1802 potential participants contacted, 289 did not qualify, 13 declined and 1500 participated in the survey (response rate 83%). Most participants correctly identified 'washing your hands regularly with soap and water' (92%) and 'staying at least 1.5 m away from others' (90%) could help prevent COVID-19. Over 40% (incorrectly) considered wearing gloves outside of the home would prevent them from contracting COVID-19. Views about face masks were divided. Only 66% of participants correctly identified that 'regular use of antibiotics' would not prevent COVID-19.Most participants (90%) identified 'fever, fatigue and cough' as indicators of COVID-19. However, 42% of participants thought that being unable to 'hold your breath for 10 s without coughing' was an indicator of having the virus. The most frequently reported sources of COVID-19 information were commercial television channels (56%), the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (43%) and the Australian Government COVID-19 information app (31%).ConclusionsPublic messaging about hand hygiene and physical distancing to prevent transmission appears to have been effective. However, there are clear, identified barriers for many individuals that have the potential to impede uptake or maintenance of these behaviours in the long term. We need to develop public health messages that harness these barriers to improve future cooperation. Ensuring adherence to these interventions is critical.

Project description:The number of social media users has increased substantially in the past decade, creating an opportunity for health-care professionals and patients to leverage social media for health communication. This study examines the recent use and predictors of social media for health communication in a nationally representative sample of US adults over time. We used 2013, 2014, and 2017 National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey to identify respondents' use of social media for sharing health information or exchanging medical information with a health-care professional. We conducted bivariate analysis using the Pearson χ2 test to assess the association of respondents' basic demographic characteristics as well as health status and the use of social media for health communication. We performed multivariable logistic regression models to examine factors associated with the use of social media for health communication. We identified 4242 respondents (weighted sample size: 343 465 241 [2-year pooled sample]) who used social media for sharing health information and 4834 respondents (weighted sample size: 354 419 489 [2-year pooled sample]) who used social media for exchanging medical information. Multivariable analyses indicated the proportion of respondents who used social media for sharing health information has decreased (odds ratio [OR], 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49-0.85, P = .002), while the use of social media for exchanging medical information with a health-care professional has increased (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.09-3.26, P = .025). The younger population had significantly higher odds of using social media for health communication. The study found no racial/ethnic disparities in the use of social media for health communication. Use of social media for sharing health information has declined, while exchanging medical information with health-care professionals has increased. Future research is needed to determine how to engage the population in social media-based health interventions, particularly for older adults.

Dataset Information

Communication tools and sources of education and information: a national survey of rural and remote nurses.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Communication tools and sources of education and information: a national survey of rural and remote nurses.

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