ABSTRACTExperts generally agree that individuals will require partial or complete self-sufficiency for at least the first 72 hours following a disaster. In the face of pervasive environmental and weather hazards, emerging biological threats, and growing population densities in urban areas, personal preparedness is critical. However, disaster planners and policymakers require further information to create meaningful improvements to this aspect of disaster preparedness. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to determine the state of evidence concerning personal disaster preparedness. The purpose of this integrative review is to describe and analyze the professional literature as an intended basis for advancing the field of disaster management research and practice. Included in the review were 36 studies that met the predetermined inclusion criteria. The current evidence indicates that factors influencing preparedness attitudes and behaviors are complex and multifaceted, including demographic characteristics, trust in government efforts, previous exposure to a disaster, and number of dependents in a household. Furthermore, certain population groups, households, and individuals have different disaster preparedness needs and vulnerabilities. This constellation of findings has significant implications for community and national emergency planning and policymaking.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2012;6:217–231)

As the role of the dietitian has expanded over recent years, many are becoming increasingly involved in the care and management of vulnerable individuals, both alone and as part of multidisciplinary teams. This raises an important question – how are we as a profession managing our changing role in the health care setting? The advent of Clinical Governance means there is a need for dietitians to join the debate on the issue of supervision, which has been raging in the nursing and other health professions over recent years. This article attempts to define the terms supervision and clinical supervision both globally and in the context of dietetics, to describe models of clinical supervision being used in other professional groups and to put forward a framework for addressing whether there is a need for clinical supervision in all areas of dietetic practice.

Medical facilities where staff have more positive perceptions of health care workplace safety climate tended to have more positive assessments of patient safety culture. This suggests that patient safety culture and employee safety climate could be mutually reinforcing, such that investments and improvements in one domain positively impacts the other. Further research is needed to better understand the nexus between health care employee and patient safety to generalize and act upon findings.

The purpose of this paper was to elicit attitudes, beliefs, and feelings about testing for curable STDs outside of clinic settings. Telephone interviews were conducted with 120 black, Latino, and white young adults aged 18 to 25 years. Data were analyzed with descriptive frequencies and content analyses. Most (73%) reported people their age would use self-test urine STD kits if available. Perceived advantages were privacy and convenience. Disadvantages included not having an immediate "face-to-face" discussion with a medical professional about positive tests. Young adults report a range of attitudes, beliefs, and feelings that may influence the success of efforts to screen for curable STDs in nonclinic settings.

BackgroundUS healthcare organizations increasingly use physician satisfaction and attitudes as a key performance indicator. Further, many health care organizations also have an academically oriented mission. Physician involvement in research and teaching may lead to more positive workplace attitudes, with subsequent decreases in turnover and beneficial impact on patient care. This article aimed to understand the influence of time spent on academic activities and perceived quality of care in relation to job attitudes among internal medicine physicians in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted with inpatient attending physicians from 36 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. Participants were surveyed regarding demographics, practice settings, workplace staffing, perceived quality of care, and job attitudes. Job attitudes consisted of three measures: overall job satisfaction, intent to leave the organization, and burnout. Analysis used a two-level hierarchical model to account for the nesting of physicians within medical centers. The regression models included organizational-level characteristics: inpatient bed size, urban or rural location, hospital teaching affiliation, and performance-based compensation.ResultsA total of 373 physicians provided useable survey responses. The majority (72%) of respondents reported some level of teaching involvement. Almost half (46%) of the sample reported some level of research involvement. Degree of research involvement was a significant predictor of favorable ratings on physician job satisfaction and intent to leave. Teaching involvement did not have a significant impact on outcomes. Perceived quality of care was the strongest predictor of physician job satisfaction and intent to leave. Perceived levels of adequate physician staffing was a significant contributor to all three job attitude measures.ConclusionsExpanding opportunities for physician involvement with research may lead to more positive work experiences, which could potentially reduce turnover and improve system performance.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-018-3015-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Topic The growing use of acute mechanical circulatory support devices to provide hemodynamic support that has accompanied the increasing prevalence of heart failure and cardiogenic shock, despite significant improvement in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. Clinical Relevance The critical care nurse plays a crucial role in managing patients receiving acute mechanical circulatory support devices and monitoring for potential complications. Purpose To review the anatomical placement and mechanics of each type of device so that nurses can anticipate patients’ hemodynamic responses and avoid complications whenever possible, thereby improving patients’ clinical outcomes. Content Covered Nursing considerations regarding the intra-aortic balloon pump, the TandemHeart, the Impella, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

The new WRWB index shows promise as a valid and widely accessible instrument to assess worker well-being.