Aim and objective.  This paper examined the impact of leadership characteristics of nursing unit managers, as perceived by staff nurses, on staff satisfaction and retention. Background.  A positive work environment will increase levels of job satisfaction and staff retention. Nurse leaders play a critical role in creating a positive work environment. Important leadership characteristics of the front‐line nurse manager include visibility, accessibility, consultation, recognition and support. Design.  Secondary analysis of data collected on 94 randomly selected wards in 21 public hospitals across two Australian states between 2004–2006. Methods.  All nurses (n = 2488, 80·3% response rate) on the selected wards were asked to complete a survey that included the 49‐item Nursing Work Index‐Revised [NWI‐R] together with measures of job satisfaction, satisfaction with nursing and intention to leave. Subscales of the NWI‐R were calculated. Leadership, the domain of interest, consisted of 12 items. Wards were divided into those reporting either positive or negative leadership. Data were analysed at the nurse level using spss version 16. Results.  A nursing manager who was perceived to be a good leader, was visible, consulted with staff, provided praise and recognition and where flexible work schedules were available was found to distinguish the positive and negative wards. However, for a ward to be rated as positive overall, nurse leaders need to perform well on all the leadership items. Conclusion.  An effective nursing unit manager who consults with staff and provides positive feedback and who is rated highly on a broad range of leadership items is instrumental in increasing job satisfaction and satisfaction with nursing. Relevance to clinical practice.  Good nurse managers play an important role in staff retention and satisfaction. Improved retention will lead to savings for the organisation, which may be allocated to activities such as training and mentorship to assist nurse leaders in developing these critical leadership skills. Strategies also need to be put in place to ensure that nurse leaders receive adequate organisational support from nursing executives.

Our data suggest an abnormal processing of nonpainful somatosensory information in FM, especially when somatic signals are arising from the body within an aversive stimulus context. These findings provide further support for the use of biopsychosocial models for understanding FM and other chronic pain states.

Aims and objectives. The study aimed to explore whether nurse staffing, experience and skill mix influenced the model of nursing care in medical-surgical wards. Background. Methods of allocating nurses to patients are typically divided into four types: primary nursing, patient allocation, task assignment and team nursing. Research findings are varied in regard to the relationship between these models of care and outcomes such as satisfaction and quality. Skill mix has been associated with various models, with implications for collegial support, teamwork and patient outcomes. Design. Secondary analysis of data collected on 80 randomly selected medical-surgical wards in 19 public hospitals in New South Wales, Australia during 2004-2005. Methods. Nurses (n = 2278, 80AE9% response rate) were surveyed using The Nursing Care Delivery System and the Nursing Work Index-Revised. Staffing and skill mix was obtained from the ward roster and other data from the patient record. Models of care were examined in relation to these practice environment and organisational variables.Results. The models of nursing care most frequently reported by nurses in medical-surgical wards in this study were patient allocation (91%) and team nursing (80%). Primary nursing and task based models were unlikely to be practised. Skill mix, nurse experience, nursing workload and factors in the ward environment significantly influenced the model of care in use. Wards with a higher ratio of degree qualified, experienced registered nurses, working on their 'usual' ward were more likely to practice patient allocation while wards with greater variability in staffing levels and skill mix were more likely to practice team nursing. Conclusions. Models of care are not prescriptive but are varied according to ward circumstances and staffing levels based on complex clinical decision making skills. Relevance to clinical practice. Variability in the models of care reported by ward nurses indicates that nurses adapt the model of nursing care on a daily or shift basis, according to patients' needs, skill mix and individual ward environments.

AimTo identify activities performed by Nursing Assistants in acute and primary healthcare.DesignSystematic review.Data sourcesThe databases MedLine/PubMed, ProQuest and Google Scholar were searched for empirical studies published in the English language between 2008 and 2018 that addressed the work of Nursing Assistants.Review methodsFrom an initial yield of 2,944 publications, 71 publications were retained for full text review and 20 publications included in this review. Activities undertaken by Nursing Assistants from eight countries were extracted and categorized into one of six categories.ResultsOver 200 activities were identified as being delegated to Nurse Assistants globally. Many of these activities are beyond the training of the Nurse Assistant and are being performed with limited Registered Nurse supervision.ConclusionPatient safety is at risk. Nurse Assistants' roles vary widely, with some seeing their role as similar to that of a regulated nurse, while recognizing their need for additional training.ImpactOver 31% of activities delegated to Nurse Assistants require skill and comprehension beyond their level of training. Patients and regulated nurses need to have confidence that Nursing Assistants responsible for care provision are appropriately trained and practicing within regulatory standards.

Nurses at the site hospital spend over 1700 hr each month on activities associated with transferring patients, meaning that less time is available for nursing care.

Our data suggest that stereotypes are partially confirmed, and that Mediterranean lifestyle is protective for some risk behaviours (drunkenness, ecstasy and amphetamines current use), but not for all of them. Further research in depth is needed in order to clarify the relations between cultural patterns, social norms and nightlife risk behaviours assumed by the young people.

There are serious health problems related to transport and recreational nightlife activities. It is necessary to improve later public transport services, complemented by actions that deter the use of private cars. The relationships of both drunkenness and cannabis/cocaine use with traffic risk behaviors should be addressed and programs implemented to change risk perceptions on the effects of illegal drugs on driving.

High nursing workload is cited as one reason for nurses leaving the profession. Reductions in non-essential transfers may reduce nurse workload, improve patient outcomes and enhance continuity of patient care.