Research and Clinical Improvement/Innovation poster displays result in prizes and contact hours; Sunday, April 21, to Thursday, April 25, 2002 - Posters

AORN Journal, July, 2002

Several research posters were displayed at the 2002 Congress, providing attendees an opportunity to earn contact hours and giving poster presenters a chance to win cash awards. Twenty-one posters were displayed, and the authors of four posters were presented awards of merit from the AORN Nursing Research Committee. Awards were underwritten by AORN. Abstracts of the winning posters are featured here.

Preparation of Adolescents for Outpatient Surgery: A Comparison of Methods--Susan O'Conner-Von RN, DNSc, C, Children's Hospital, St Paul. Despite the fact that tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A) are common surgical procedures, preparation needs of adolescents undergoing these surgeries have not been addressed in the literature. The purpose of this experimental study was to compare the effectiveness of two methods of preparation for adolescents undergoing T&A: an Internet program designed by the investigator and the standard program offered at the hospital before surgery. The sample consisted of 66 adolescents, age 10 to 16 years old, and their parents. Thirty-two were randomly assigned to the Internet program and 34 to the standard program. The effectiveness of methods was determined by anxiety scores, knowledge acquisition, postoperative pain intensity, and satisfaction with method of preparation. No statistical differences were found related to demographic characteristics. The Kruskal-Wallis test was significant for knowledge acquisition, with the Internet group receiving the highest scores. Adolescent and parent satisfaction also was significant with 61% of the Internet group reporting being "very satisfied." The findings of this study support the benefit of using technology when preparing adolescents for surgery and offer nurses another method of preparation when caring for adolescents in an outpatient setting.

Managerial Factors Related to Employee Turnover in a Hospital Setting--Lynne Kurth, RN, MHA, St Mary's Healthcare Center, Pierre, SD. Gallup data indicate employee turnover is directly related to the employee's immediate manager. This study examined the relationships employee engagement and managerial emotional intelligence have on employee turnover. All health care managers employed at four different Catholic Health Initiative hospitals were self-assessed regarding 20 emotional intelligence competencies using the Emotional Intelligence Competence Inventory. Employee engagement was measured using the Gallup Q12 tool. Significant results (P < .05) were found with 11 of 45 independent variables. Managerial level of education and the number of years as a manager both were found to relate to turnover. Significant emotional intelligence competencies included trustworthiness, building bonds, and social awareness. Employee engagement factors include the opportunity to do one's best, the belief that one's opinions count, encouragement of development, supervisor's level of caring, coworkers' commitment to quality, and the overall Q12 mean. Managers rating themselves high in trustworthiness had the highest employee turnover, which is exactly opposite of findings in other studies. It is postulated that most managers assumed their role from within organizations, receiving little or no management training. While most receive some financial and productivity training, training in the softer issues (eg, managing people, emotions) is not common. All health care managers, including those running ORs, will be able to see the effect they have on employee satisfaction and turnover.

Influences on Compliance with Standard Precautions and Occupational Exposure Reporting--Sonya Osborne, RN, BSN, CNOR, University of Canberra, Australia. Occupational exposures of health care workers occur because of inconsistent compliance with standard precautions. Also, OR personnel tend to underreport exposures. The purpose of this project was to develop national estimates of compliance with standard precautions and occupational exposure reporting among OR nurses in Australia and to assess factors that influence compliance. A theoretical framework, the Health Belief Model (HBM), was used to give meaning to variables, thus allowing logical conclusions to be drawn about which variables have the greatest influence on compliance. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire distributed to members of the Australian College of Operating Room Nurses. Univariate correlation analysis was applied to describe associations between compliance with specific standard precautions and occupational exposure reporting and each HBM construct. Results of the study revealed compliance rates of 55.6% with double gloving, 59.1% with announcing sharps transfers, 71.9% with using a hands-free sharps pass technique, 81.9% with no needle recapping, 92% with wearing adequate eye protection, and 82.6% with reporting occupational exposures. Although the HBM constructs of perception of risk and severity of a bloodborne infection and perception of benefits of compliance showed some influence on compliance, this study found that perception of barriers to compliance demonstrated a significant influence on compliance with standard precautions and occupational exposure reporting. If occupational exposures among this high-risk group of nurses are to be reduced, these results must be considered and incorporated into perioperative infection control programs aimed at improving compliance.