Search

Aims Background Methods Results Discussion Conclusion Implications for nursing and nursing policy To investigate the effect of ward operational efficiency on nursing workload and identify the factors that influence nursing workload.It remains unclear how and to what extent ward operational efficiency can influence nursing workload.A prospective observational study was conducted from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, in one tertiary general hospital in China. Purposive and convenience sampling was used, and 266 470 patients from 66 wards and 52 nurses from 13 wards were recruited. The relationships between operational efficiency and nursing workload and the predictors of nursing workload were analyzed. The STROBE guidelines were followed.The operational characteristics vary by the type of wards. Nursing workloads were positively correlated with case mix index (CMI), rate of level 4 surgery, the number of patients transferred in and out, the number of deaths, total bed days, and the number of emergency admissions and critical illnesses (γs: 0.35–0.56, p < 0.05). And the CMI, rate of level 4 surgery, average bed occupancy rate, number of critically ill patients, and total bed days were the predictors of nursing workload (R2 = 57.3%, p < 0.05).This study is the first to discuss the relationship between operational efficiency and nursing workload on the ward level and offers valuable insights into the nursing workload.The operational efficiency of wards affects the nursing workload and needs to be considered both in the measurement of nursing activities and in the sizing of the nursing staff.The study findings provide a full understanding of the relationship between ward operation and nurse staffing, which is helpful for nursing managers to formulate scientific nurse staffing policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on the relationship between iodine, vitamin A (VA), and vitamin D (VD) and thyroid function are limited. This study aimed to analyze iodine and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) status and their possible relationships with VA, VD, and other factors in postpartum women. A total of 1,311 mothers (896 lactating and 415 non-lactating) from Hebei, Zhejiang, and Guangxi provinces were included in this study. The urinary iodine concentration (UIC), TSH, VA, and VD were measured. The median UIC of total and lactating participants were 142.00 µg/L and 139.95 µg/L, respectively. The median TSH, VA, and VD levels in all the participants were 1.89 mIU/L, 0.44 µg/mL, and 24.04 ng/mL, respectively. No differences in the UIC were found between lactating and non-lactating mothers. UIC and TSH levels were significantly different among the three provinces. The rural UIC was higher than the urban UIC. Obese mothers had a higher UIC and a higher prevalence of excessive TSH. Higher UICs and TSHs levels were observed in both the VD deficiency and insufficiency groups than in the VD-sufficient group. After adjustment, no linear correlation was observed between UIC and VA/VD. No interaction was found between vitamins A/D and UIC on TSH levels. The mothers in the present study had no iodine deficiency. Region, area type, BMI, and VD may be related to the iodine status or TSH levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (UVATS) lobectomy has been gradually applied for the surgical treatment of resectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The purposes of this study were to analyze the learning curve of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy for the treatment of resectable non-small-cell lung cancer and discuss the clinical application value. We retrospectively evaluated 160 consecutive patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who underwent intended uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy by a single surgical team in our ward between May 2016 and April 2017. The patients were divided into four groups in chronological order. The general clinical date, perioperative data, and postoperative complications were individually compared and analyzed among the four groups. The four groups were similar in terms of incision length, chest tube duration, total number of dissected lymph nodes, and nodal stations and postoperative length of stay. The differences of operative time (185.9 SD 17.9 versus 139.9 SD 10.7 versus 128.7 SD 7.8 versus 124.0 SD 9.3 min), intraoperative blood loss (233.9SD135.8 versus 126.8SD18.1 versus 116.4 SD 22.6 versus 112.8 SD 25.3 ml), conversion rate (17.5% versus 7.5% versus 5.0% versus 5.0%), and postoperative complications rate (27.5% versus 10.0% versus 10.0% versus 7.5%) were significant among the four groups (p < 0.05). Compared with group A, the operative time and intraoperative blood loss were significantly decreased in groups B, C, and D, with significant differences (p < 0.05). Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy can be safely and feasibly performed on resectable non-small-cell lung cancer; the learning curve of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy is approximately 40 cases. The operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative complications, and conversion rates can be used as the main measure indexes for surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]