Nurses are the world’s largest healthcare professionals, totaling 28 million across every level. And being there to witness what works and what doesn’t puts nurses in a powerful position to access and evaluate nursing care. It is only through the work of nurse researchers like these below (and thousands of others around the globe!) that healthcare can keep pace with our rapidly-changing world. It is Sigma’s pleasure to provide a stage like the 32nd International Nursing Research Congress to help disseminate this crucial knowledge.
Chinese Specific-N95 Respirators for Respiratory Infectious Outbreaks: Development, Licensing, Patent, and Manufacturing
Purpose: The unremitting worldwide outbreaks of different infectious respiratory diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2003 and SARS-CoV-2 in 2020, have caused increased awareness of occupational protection among healthcare workers. Therefore, the use of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (also known as N95 respirators) to prevent the spread of droplets transmitted and potential airborne infectious diseases is recommended internationally through protocols by the World Health Organization and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, previous studies indicated that conventional N95 respirators have non-adjustable straps and they do not fit well on Chinese people, as evidenced by ~60% fit-test passing rate. During COVID-19 shortage in the supply of conventional N95 respirators has turned healthcare workers to adopt a nano-fiber mask with ear loops and clips. This super tight mask has left many healthcare workers with pain, pressure sores, or bruises on face and head. Therefore, the development of locally-made Chinese-specific respirators is a pressing and emerging need.
Summary: The development process of N95 respirators is a kind of knowledge transfer work that describes how to conceptualize the research work to an actual healthcare product, thereby contributing to mankind.
Authors:
- Simon Ching Lam, PhD, RN, FHKAN
School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Member of Sigma’s Pi Iota Chapter
- Lorna Kwai Ping Suen, PhD, RN, RM, FHKAN
School of Nursing, Tung Wah College, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Exploring the Implications of Emerging Trends in Artificial Intelligence for Nursing
Purpose: Across the globe, emerging trends in health technologies powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming health systems. AI is a branch of computer science that uses machines to perform cognitive tasks that generally require human intelligence. The emerging future constitutes a major paradigm shift that will have significant implications for nurses in all sectors and across all domains. Yet, to date, research on this nascent topic has been scant.
Summary: This oral presentation focuses on a scoping review that summarizes the literature on emerging trends in AI-powered health technologies (AIHTs) and the implications for nursing and nurses. It also showcases a report, informed by the scoping review, aimed at stimulating critical reflection and inspiring nursing leadership to engage the emerging future.
Authors:
- Rita Wilson, MEd, MN, RN
Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, Toronto, Canada
- Christine Buchanan, MN, RN
Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, Toronto, Canada
- Lyndsay Howitt, MPH, RN
Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Tracie L. Risling, PhD
Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Richard Booth, PhD, MScN, RN
Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Jocelyn Bennett, MScN, RN
AMS Healthcare, Toronto, Canada
Member of Sigma’s Lambda Pi at-Large Chapter
- Gail Paech, MScN, BSN, RN
AMS Healthcare, Toronto, Canada
- Doris Grinspun, PhD, LLD(hon), Dr(hc), MSN, RN, FAAN, FCAN, O.ONT
Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
eHealth in the Philippines Through the Lens of Health Informatics Practitioners
Purpose: The Philippine Health Agenda of the Duterte administration underscores the access to health interventions through functional service delivery networks enabled by eHealth. eHealth encompasses a continuum of health services that are provided through the use of information and communication technology. It aims to promote and strengthen the use of various technology in health development, surveillance, literature, and education using knowledge and research from applications in the field to public governance. The government tasked the Department of Health and the Department of Science and Technology to be the forefront of eHealth and interoperability efforts by mapping out the framework and standards to support the policy. Committees and task groups were formed to steer the programs on telemedicine, mobile health, telehealth center, and electronic medical record system validation, to name a few. Unfortunately, there is a dearth in literature on its development and progress in the country especially on its significant impact to the current health stature.
Summary: The Philippine Health Agenda of the current administration underscores the access to health interventions through functional service delivery networks enabled by eHealth. This study aims to identify the milestones, challenges, and learnings in the past 10 years in implementing steps towards improvement in information systems to support healthcare services in the country.
Author:
- Jan Vincent P. Cabasag, MAN, RN
St. Luke's Medical Center Global City Clinical Advancement and Informatics, Taguig City, Philippines
Member of Sigma’s Psi Beta Chapter
Symptom Clusters and Their Impacts on Quality of Life in Fibromyalgia
Purpose: Fibromyalgia is a poorly understood condition characterized by chronic widespread pain, fatigue, nonrestorative sleep, cognitive impairment, and mood disturbance. This study aimed to identify symptom clusters of patients with fibromyalgia and to compare the scores of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief Form (WHOQOL-BREF) among clusters.
Summary: We identified three (mild, moderate, and severe) symptom clusters in fibromyalgia. The moderate group experienced less pain, high fatigue, and high cognitive function. Although the moderate group had better physical quality of life than the severe group, the two groups did not differentiate in the mental, social, and environmental domains.
Author:
- Pei-Shan Tsai, PhD, MSN, BSN, RN, BCIA
Taipei Medical University School of Nursing, Taipei, Taiwan
Member of Sigma’s Lambda Beta at-Large Chapter