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Learning Objective 1: Examine the impact of nurse empowerment on a translational research project.
Learning Objective 2: Identify potential barriers to implementation of Evidence-Based Practices
Fifty percent of elders in nursing homes are incontinent of urine and those with untreated pain range from 45 to 80 percent. This is not a humane or satisfying way to live. The M-TRAIN intervention is striving to make meaningful and life-affirming changes to care delivery in nursing homes. By incorporating evidence-based protocols (EBPs) in the areas of nursing leadership, incontinence management, and chronic pain management, the study aims to show a difference in elder quality outcomes between homes receiving the intervention compared to those who did not. There are several factors influencing the successful implementation of EBPs in nursing homes, including nursing leadership and commitment from management. The study emphasizes leadership training and posits that the evaluation of leadership and empowerment among nursing home staff is a crucial aspect of the successful adoption and diffusion of EBPs.
Preliminary results from the study indicate that it is the leadership in nursing homes, the Registered Nurses, who feel the least empowered of all the staff. This lack of empowerment can contribute to a lower job satisfaction and creates a barrier to facilitating change. Additionally, staff perceptions regarding their supervisor are lower than the actual self-perceptions of the leader. This suggests a disconnect between employees and leadership that may lead to additional problems with the implementation of new practices and the innovation to start something new.
Knowledge of these barriers, as well as potential interventions to overcome them, can assist in the adoption and diffusion of EBPs and ultimately improve quality of care in nursing homes.