The caring encounter in nursing

Understanding Older Persons' Experiences of Care Encounters in the Home Environment: A Hermeneutic Study

AIM

To explore and gain a deeper understanding of older persons' experiences of care encounters when their home becomes a workplace.

BACKGROUND

Worldwide healthcare services are increasingly being provided in older persons' homes by registered nurses. This presents new challenges as the home environment of older persons now doubles as a workplace for healthcare professionals. However, there is limited research available on how older persons experience care encounters when their homes serve as workplaces and how this influences their overall well-being and quality of life.

DESIGN

A qualitative hermeneutic study.

METHODS

In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted in Sweden from October 2023 to January 2024 with 10 purposefully selected older persons (aged 65+). Each participant received regular visits from a home care nurse in their home to address specific care needs, such as wound care, medication administration, blood sampling and general supervision. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a hermeneutic interpretation.

FINDINGS

The hermeneutic analysis emerged with one main theme: 'Experiencing care encounters at home as a lottery', with two underlying themes: 'Adapting to loss of control in the private sphere' and 'Striving for independence while navigating daily living'.

CONCLUSIONS

Older persons try to control their lives despite the challenges associated with ageing and receiving care at home. They strive to maintain their independence and autonomy, which reflects their desire for self-determination. Supporting these efforts in an interdependent relationship can enhance their well-being and quality of life.

REPORTING METHOD

Findings were reported following the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Data were collected by patient interviews.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND PATIENT CARE

This study emphasises the importance of supporting older persons in maintaining control over their lives while being cared for in their homes. In the care encounters with home care nurses, their well-being and quality of life can be improved by respecting their autonomy, involving them in decision-making and offering tailored support.

Workplace resilience and compassionate care among Jordanian private sector nurses

BACKGROUND

Compassionate care is a hallmark of the nursing profession. Yet, nursing is beset by perennial problems, not the least of which is nursing shortage and increased workload. As such, resilience becomes a critical ingredient that nurses must possess to overcome such challenges. However, there needs to be more evidence of the relationship between compassionate care and resilience within the Jordanian nursing context.

AIM

To explore the relationship between workplace resilience and compassionate care among Jordanian nurses working in the private sector.

METHODS

The study utilized a descriptive cross-sectional correlational design. Convenience sampling with inclusion-exclusion criteria was used to select participants from three private hospitals in Jordan. The Compassionate Care Questionnaire was used to measure levels of compassionate care, and the Resilience at Work Scale was used to measure workplace resilience. Ethical approval was obtained before data collection.

RESULTS

A total of 161 nurses participated in the study. Participants had high levels of compassionate care and workplace resilience. Male nurses and nurses with lower workloads had significantly higher levels of compassionate care. Likewise, older nurses, nurses with postgraduate degrees, and nurses with experience of less than 5 years in the current area had significantly higher levels of workplace resilience. Compassionate care had a mordantly solid and significant positive relationship with workplace resilience and all its seven dimensions (living authentically, finding one's calling, maintaining perspective, managing stress, interacting cooperatively, staying healthy, and building networks.

CONCLUSION

Developing workplace resilience can support nurses in implementing compassionate care. Nurse Managers and hospital administrators must consider the effects of compassionate care and workplace resilience on nurses and patients. Future research can include a longitudinal exploration of compassionate care and workplace resilience and an investigation of the levels of these variables outside a hospital setting.

Sensory processing sensitivity and compassion fatigue in intensive care unit nurses: A chain mediation model

BACKGROUND

Compassion among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses is an essential component of humanistic care in the ICU However, the enormous pressures of the job and the lack of social support have led to persistently severe compassion fatigue. Sensory processing sensitivity, as a personality trait for individuals to perceive external factors, has underlying significance for compassion fatigue.

AIMS

This study aims to investigate the internal and external environmental factors and the underlying mechanisms that influence the impact of sensory processing sensitivity among ICU nurses on the development of compassion fatigue.

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 290 nurses from various hospitals in five cities in China.

METHOD

A self-designed demographic questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Professional Quality of Life Scale, the Chinese version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale, the Chinese version of the Perceived Social Support Scale, and the Chinese version of the Perceived Stress Scale were used to survey 290 ICU nurses. The mediating roles of perceived social support and perceived stress between sensory processing sensitivity and compassion fatigue were tested.

RESULTS

The research results indicate that the total effect of sensory processing sensitivity on compassion fatigue is significant (0.245 [0.093, 1.160]), whereas the direct effect of sensory processing sensitivity on compassion fatigue is not significant (-0.43 [-0.402, 0.247]). Perceived social support and perceived stress exhibit serial mediating effects between sensory processing sensitivity and compassion fatigue (-0.065 [-0.142, -0.013]).

CONCLUSION

Our results revealed, for the first time, the underlying mechanism between sensory processing sensitivity and compassion fatigue among ICU nurses. Providing necessary stress-relief condition and abundant social support are important measures for nursing managers to reduce compassion fatigue and improve the quality of critical care humanistic nursing services.

Effectiveness of caring behaviours course on decision-making and caring behaviours in undergraduate nursing students: An experimental study

BACKGROUND

Although caring is a core principle of the nursing profession, students often lack the knowledge, comprehension and ability to integrate care into all aspects of nursing practice. Students may have few opportunities to practise caring behaviours on patients who create the impression of providing care and elicit a feeling of receiving care. Studies of strategies to enhance caring behaviours in nursing education are limited.

AIM

This experimental study aimed to examine the effect of nursing caring behaviours course based on interactive learning strategies on the caring behaviours and decision-making abilities of nursing students.

METHODS

A purposive sample of 50 undergraduate students was recruited from a faculty of nursing. Students in the intervention group (n = 24) received 2 h of training per week for 14 weeks in accordance with caring behaviours course based on interactive learning strategies including discussion, brainstorming, concept mapping, reflection and simulation training. Nursing students in the control group (n = 26) received training according to other elective courses in the curriculum. Data were measured at the baseline time point, 7th week and 14th week with the Caring Behaviours Inventory and Nursing Decision-Making Instrument. Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Friedman test and mixed repeated measures ANOVA were used to assess the data.

RESULTS

No significant difference was determined in terms of baseline caring behaviours and decision-making scores between the intervention and control groups (p > 0.05). A significant difference in caring behaviours between the two groups and time effect was not found (p > 0.05). However, there was a significant interaction between time and groups (F = 3.484, p = 0.047). There was a significant increase in the decision-making in intervention groups over time (F = 9.372, p < 0.001) and interaction between time and groups (F = 4.160, p = 0.019).

CONCLUSIONS

A deliberate strategy to raise students' awareness of caring behaviours and incorporate interactive learning methods into education enhances both caring behaviours and clinical decision-making.

Emergency triage nurses' perceptions of caring behaviors and the safety of the patient during triage encounters: a grounded theory study

BACKGROUND

Triage is a dynamic process prioritising the patient coming to the emergency department. Caring behaviour and patient safety during the triage process are essential for ensuring a good care experience and treatment outcome.

OBJECTIVE

To describe triage nurses' perceptions on caring behaviors and patient safety in the triage area.

DESIGN

Strauss and Corbin's Grounded theory method was used to develop the model.

METHODS

The study was conducted in the emergency department in northeastern Slovenia. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection, and 19 triage nurses were selected by theoretical sampling, guided by emerging categories between November 2021 and July 2022. The data analysis was conducted according to Strauss and Corbin's coding framework.

RESULTS

The analysis of the interviews generated one category: The process of creating a caring and safe triage encounter for the patient, together with two categories that explain the key phenomenon: (1) Triage caring and (2) Safety in the triage process. Within the category "Triage caring", four subcategories were developed: (1) Assurance of triage nurses' presence, (2) Connectedness, (3) Respectful attitude, and (4) Knowledge and skills. The category Safety in the triage process consists of three identified subcategories: (1) Conception and perception of safety, (2) Factors influencing patient safety, and (3) Improving the triage safety.

CONCLUSIONS

The triage nurses' perceptions about caring for the patient and his safety in the triage area show that caring and safety are inseparably linked and coincide when triaging a patient. Namely, caring for the patient means ensuring the patient's safety at the same time.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE NURSING FIELD

A better understanding of the importance of triage nurses' caring behavior and patient safety emerges from the findings, highlighting the challenges faced in a busy emergency department where nurses must balance providing care and responding to patients' needs while ensuring safety. Findings in the study show that patient care and safety are inseparably linked and coincide when triaging a patient. Moreover, applying caring behaviour during triage encounter results in greater patient safety.

NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

The study's design, evaluation of the findings, and execution did not need the involvement of patients or the general public. Participants were triage nurses working in the emergency department. Triage nurses were interviewed about their perceptions of triage nurses on caring behaviors and patient safety during triage encounter.

Older persons' experiences of care encounters in their home: A multiple-case study

AIM

To explore and describe older persons' unique experiences of care encounters with home care nurses in a real-life context.

BACKGROUND

The increasing number of older persons in society contributes to increases in age-related impairments compromising their quality of life. Future care consists of "hospitals at home" where care encounters occur in a person's private domain, partly becoming a clinical workplace. Scant research has focused on how older persons experience care encounters with home care nurses and needs to be highlighted.

DESIGN

Multiple-case study.

METHODS

The cases relied on replication logic and five purposive sampled older persons were interviewed. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis and differences within and between cases were explored and findings across the cases were replicated.

FINDINGS

The cross-analysis emerged in three categories: "Nursing routine rules the care encounters", "Lack of knowledge and information" and "Dependency on support from others".

CONCLUSIONS

Our research has found that older persons face challenges while receiving home care, including limited engagement in their care and the need for enhanced support. Implementing person-centred care in homes poses ethical challenges that require careful consideration. Home care nurses should prioritise understanding each patient individually, recognising them beyond their patient role, which necessitates more thorough and time-sensitive care encounters.

REPORTING METHOD

Findings were reported using COREQ guidelines.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Patients were interviewed and contributed with data for this study.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND PATIENT CARE

This study emphasises the need to prioritise individualised care in home settings and listen to the voices of older individuals to enhance quality.

Mutuality between nurses and patients with chronic illnesses: A cross-sectional descriptive study

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Mutuality is a process in which the patient participates and is involved in decision-making and care interventions. The aim of this study was to measure mutuality in the relationship between nurses and chronic illness patients.

METHODS

This study had a cross-sectional design; the sample included 249 patients and 249 nurses. Mutuality was measured with the Nurse-Patient Mutuality in Chronic Illness scale.

RESULTS

Patients had higher scores in almost all items (p < 0.001). Patients demonstrate high reciprocity towards nurses and the ability to express and share their emotions. Patients consider nurses their point of reference and share with them their health goals. Nurses show more difficulty in being mutual with the patient, especially in the aspects related to the sharing of emotions, objectives, and planning. The egalitarian relationship score was low in both patients and nurses.

CONCLUSION

These findings are important to consider at clinical, educational, organisational, and policy levels. Nurse education and organisation must push towards respect for the wishes of patients, the possibility of expressing their choices, and their involvement in the care plan.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

In clinical practice, it is necessary to put the patients more at the centre, involving them in the identification of objectives and in making decisions.

Patients Receiving Palliative Care and Their Experiences of Encounters With Healthcare Professionals

The study aimed to explore experiences of encounters with health care professionals among patients receiving palliative cancer care in specialist palliative care inpatient units. A qualitative explorative study design was conducted in a specialist palliative care inpatient setting. Data collection was implemented using semi-structured individual interviews (20 palliative care cancer patients) and analysed with inductive content analysis. Palliative care patients experienced both meaningful and disrespectful encounters with healthcare professionals. The meaningful encounters encompassed authentic and supportive experiences, while the disrespectful encounters included indifferent and inadequate experiences. Caring for a patient receiving palliative care requires care beyond tending to a patient's physical needs. Patients should be encountered holistically and as equal human beings without highlighting their roles as patients. The healthcare professionals and the organisations should also acknowledge the importance of time and effort spent for encounters and conversations with the patients instead of concentrating resources mainly on physical care.

Empathy in Nursing Students: A Scoping Review

Purpose: Empathy is essential for nursing students as they progress through their education. To date, few review studies explored empathy in nursing students. This review examined empathy in nursing students, including how to promote empathy, factors contributing to empathy, and the evaluation of empathy. Design: The eligible population included undergraduate nursing students. The concept of interest was empathy related to nursing students. The context was undergraduate nursing programs. Eligible studies included quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method studies. The protocol was registered in Open Science Framework (OSF). Review Methods: Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers' Manual guided this scoping review protocol. MEDLINE with Full text (EBSCO), Scopus, ScienceDirect (Elsevier), and PubMed were used for the electronic database search. The findings were analyzed with descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Findings: A total of 94 articles were included for analysis. Three main themes emerged: (1) approaches to promoting empathy, (2) contributing factors to empathy, and (3) evaluation of empathy. Conclusions: Empathy is cultivated in nursing in numerous ways, highlighting the need to incorporate it into the nursing curriculum. There is also controversy regarding the relationship between empathy and individual characteristics. This finding highlights the need for more effective empathy-promoting educational training that considers these personal characteristics.

Meaning of wellness in caring science based on Rodgers's evolutionary concept analysis

BACKGROUND

Wellness is a holistic, multidimensional, and process-oriented property on a continuum. It has been used interchangeably with and is undifferentiated from concepts such as health and well-being without an in-depth clarification of its theoretical foundations and a reflection on its meaning. The concept of wellness is frequently used, but its definition remains unclear.

AIM

To conceptually and theoretically explore the concept of wellness to contribute to a deeper understanding in caring science.

METHOD

Rodgers' evolutionary concept analysis was applied to the theoretical investigation of data from publications of international origins. The focus was on antecedents, attributes, consequences, surrogate and related terms, and contextual references. A literature search was performed through a manual review of reference lists and an online search in CINAHL and PubMed via EBSCO, and in ProQuest. Abstracts were examined to identify relevant studies for further review. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed papers in English; papers published in scientific journals using the surrogate terms 'wellness', 'health', 'health care', and 'health care and wellness'; and papers discussing and/or defining the concept of wellness. Twenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Based on the findings from this concept analysis, a definition of wellness was developed: 'a holistic and multidimensional concept represented on a continuum of being well that goes beyond health'. Implications for nursing practice were correspondingly presented.

CONCLUSION

Wellness is defined as a holistic and comprehensive multidimensional concept represented on a continuum of being well, that goes beyond health. It calls attention by applying the salutogenic perspective to health promotion in caring science. It is strongly related to individual lifestyle and health behaviour and is frequently used interchangeably with health and well-being without an in-depth clarification of its theoretical foundation.

Being met as a person and not as a diagnosis - Meanings of healthcare encounters for women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage III or IV

Our study seeks to elucidate meanings of healthcare encounters for women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage III or IV. We conducted 12 narrative interviews which were analyzed using phenomenological hermeneutic interpretation. Our analysis revealed one theme; being met as a person and not as a diagnosis with three subthemes: getting sufficient time and feeling involved in care; fulfillment of personal needs; and experiencing disrespect and injustice. We found that meanings of healthcare encounters center on the expectation of being seen as a person. Feeling disrespected and injust leaves women unsupported and could pose serious health risks.

Emergency room nurses' caring ability and its relationship with patient safety outcomes: A cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Nurse caring ability plays a crucial role in providing quality care and ensuring patient safety. However, further research is warranted to understand the specific impact of caring ability on patient safety in the emergency department.

AIM

This study has two-fold purposes: (a) to examine the association between nurses' demographic characteristics and their perceptions of their caring ability, and (b) to explore the relationship between nurses' caring ability and nursing care quality, as well as its impact on adverse patient events and missed care.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included a convenience sample of emergency room nurses working in select hospitals in the Philippines. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were performed to analyze the data.

RESULTS

A total of 164 out of the 200 emergency nurses invited responded to the survey. The mean score for the caring ability inventory was 67.89 out of 80. Nurses' demographic characteristics, including job status (working part-time) and hospital size (working in small and medium-sized hospitals), were associated with higher levels of caring ability. Higher levels of nurses' caring ability were associated with better nursing care quality (β = 0.259, p <.001), a reduction in adverse events (β = -0.169, p <.05), and a decrease in instances of missed care (β = -0.158, p <.01).

CONCLUSION

This study emphasizes the significance of nurses' characteristics in influencing nurse caring abilities. Additionally, the results underscore the importance of nurse caring ability in the emergency department and its association with nursing care quality and patient safety outcomes. Organizational strategies directed toward promoting and enhancing nurse caring ability in the emergency department can have positive implications for nursing practice, including improved nursing care quality, reduced adverse events, and decreased instances of missed care.

A Meta-Ethnographic Review of Forensic Psychiatry Inpatient Care. Nursing Staff Experiences of the Nurse-Patient Encounter

AIM

The aim of this review was to synthesise qualitative research into how nurses perceive and experience encountering patients in forensic inpatient care.

REVIEW METHOD

This review followed the steps of meta-ethnography developed by Noblit and Hare.

DATA SOURCES

Twelve studies, published from 2011 to 2021, were identified through a search of relevant databases in December 2021.

FINDINGS

The synthesis revealed three third-order and 10 second-order constructs during the translation of concepts in the studies. These are: Adopting the patient's perspective (liberation, comprehension and resistance), Action (security, trust, flexibility and predictability) and Activation (afraid or safe, involved or indifferent and boundaries). Further, a line of argument was developed which indicates that in forensic psychiatry inpatient care, nurses experience having to deal with internal and external resistance that affects their freedom of choice in the creation of a caring relationship.

CONCLUSION

The encounter is experienced as a continuous process in which the foundation is laid for the encounter (approach), the encounter unfolds and develops (action) and the nurse experiences the encounter (activation). The process is intertwined with and takes place in a context where care is influenced by the duality of the task (task), the culture of care (context), the patient's expression (patient) and the nurse's own impression of the patient's expression (oneself).

IMPLICATIONS

Professional communities should support initiatives that can strengthen nurses' self-awareness and provide opportunities for reflection on practice, which will both benefit the resilience of the nursing staff and the quality of care for patients in this setting.

Relatives' experiences of care encounters in the general ward after ICU discharge: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Care encounters at general wards have many reasons, and the complexity differs. Some arriving at the ward are relatives of discharged intensive care unit patients', who are usually more fragile than others due to what had happened to them. Research indicates that care encounters leave relatives dissatisfied. There is a lack of studies describing how relatives of adult patients experience the transfer from the intensive care unit.

AIM

The purpose of this study was to describe relatives' experiences of care encounters with nurses during their loved ones' stay in the general ward after being discharged from the intensive care unit.

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive design with an inductive approach was used. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with relatives [n = 14) of patients from different hospitals in Sweden. Data were analysed using content analysis.

RESULTS

Relatives expressed feeling a huge responsibility for ensuring the quality of care for their loved ones. It was essential to encounter available, committed, and compassionate nurses in the general ward after being transferred from the intensive care unit. The theme 'longing for trust and struggling to be involved in their loved one's care' was illustrated in the two subthemes of 'wanting to be seen as an important piece of the puzzle' and 'being vigilant and worrying about the quality of care'.

CONCLUSION

The relatives of patients experience their needs as unfulfilled in care encounters with nurses at the general ward after transfer from ICU. In order to meet the needs of relatives, nurses require well-developed non-technical skills to establish a compassionate interaction founded on trust and respect for the individual. Future research should investigate how relatives' needs can be met in practice. New nursing innovations are necessary to structure encounters with patients and relatives transitioning from the intensive care unit.

Pediatric Version of the Nurse Caring Behavior Scale: A Cross-Sectional Study in Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Centers

Background and Purpose: Caring is an essential value in nursing, it's crucial in pediatric hemato-oncology: we tested the Nurse Caring Behavior Scale (NCBS) in this setting. Methods: The NCBS is a 14-item validated psychometric questionnaire: caregivers and nurses adapted versions were used. Descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were used. Results: The questionnaires were completed by 188 caregivers and 193 nurses. The two data sets were suitable for EFA and fitted with one-solution factor analysis; factor loading showed values >0.40 (>0.60 for caregivers). The mean scores were: 4.5 (range: 1-5) for caregivers and 4.7 (range: 1-5) for nurses. Conclusion: The two validated versions can be used on a wider nurses and caregivers sample and provide an instrument for the development of nursing protocols based on caring.

Empathy, sympathy, and altruism-An evident triad based on compassion. A theoretical model for caring

BACKGROUND

Based on existing confusion and a suggested contradiction regarding empathy and compassion in relation to caring science as well as in clinical health care.

AIM

The aim of the study was to find a knowledge base for the development of clinical caring science for, empathy, sympathy altruism, and compassion and their mutual relationship.

DESIGN

A theoretical paper.

RESULTS

The text discusses the different concepts separately, considering their history, research, obstacles, and bias and then brings them together in a concept model. The conclusion shows that empathy, sympathy, and altruism have no contradictions. Instead, they together form an evident triad based on compassion. Compassion is a prerequisite and a basis for the others to work. In clinical application, empathy is metaphorically a quality coming from the head, sympathy from the heart and altruism from the hand, merged in an attitude of compassion as a motif to care. The paper also reflects on the possibilities to increase and develop a compassionate mood and capacity by education and training.

Nursing as a balancing act in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation -nurses' experiences through participation in workshops

PURPOSE

Registered nurses have a key role in supporting patients during the trajectory of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). However, the circumstances for performing nursing are not previously outlined therefore the purpose of this study was to explore the conditions for nursing care in allo-HCT.

METHOD

An explorative design, inspired by Experienced based co-design was used to gather experiences, thoughts and visions of nursing care in allo-HCT by means of workshops. Thematic analysis was applied to analyse the data.

RESULT

An overarching theme that was defined from the data was nursing as a balancing act and illustrating conditions for performing nursing in a highly medical-technical environment. The theme included three sub-themes: Fragmented care vs holistic care outlining how the holistic approach to care disappeared when the care became fragmented; Proximity vs distance illuminating the balance between seeing the patient as an independent person despite illness and the need for support; Teamwork vs stand-alone demonstrating the difficulties inherent in adapting to both teamwork and independence in nursing.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that the conditions for RNs and nursing care in allo-HCT care is to balance tasks and approach towards the patient and themselves. RNs must weigh and balance what is most important in the moment and where something else often has to be put aside. It is difficult for RNs to find the time to plan each patient's care and to support the patient in the way they see as most optimal to prepare for discharge, self-care and rehabilitation.

Development and validation of two versions of the Nurse-Patient Mutuality in Chronic Illness scale

AIMS

The aim of the study was to develop and psychometrically test the Nurse-Patient Mutuality in Chronic Illness (NPM-CI) scale in two versions, one for nurses and one for patients.

METHOD

A multiphase methodological study was conducted. In the first phase, a qualitative investigation was conducted through interviews and an analysis of the content; inductively, the items of two instruments were generated, one for nurses and one for patients. In the second phase, the content and face validity were assessed through the expert consensus method. In the third phase, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), Cronbach's alpha test, intraclass correlation and Pearson correlation coefficients were conducted to estimate construct, criterion validity and instrument reliability. For each phase, the sample included nurses and patients recruited from a large hospital in Northern Italy. Data collection was conducted between June and September 2021.

RESULTS

Nurse and patient versions of the NPM-CI scale were developed. Two rounds of consensus reduced the items from 39 to 20; content validity index ranged between 0.78 and 1, content validity ratio was 0.94. Face validity indicated clarity and comprehensibility of the items. EFA identified three latent factors for both the scales. Internal consistency was satisfactory, with Cronbach's alphas ranging between .80 and .90. Test-retest stability was suggested, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of .96 (nurse scale) and .97 (patient scale). Predictive validity was established, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of .43 (nurse scale) and 0.55 (patient scale) between the mutuality scales and satisfaction in providing and receiving care.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that the NPM-CI scales are sufficiently valid and reliable for the clinical practice among chronic illness patients and the nurses caring for them. A more in-depth exploration of this construct in the context of nursing and patient outcomes is warranted.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Patients were involved in all study phases.

IMPACT

Mutuality is fundamental in the relationship between nurse and patient, based on trust, equality, reciprocity, and mutual respect. The NPM-CI scale was developed and psychometric estimated through a multiphase study in both nurse and patient versions. The NPM-CI scale measures the factors of 'developing and going beyond', 'being the point of reference' and 'deciding and sharing care'. The NPM-CI scale allows us to measure mutuality in clinical practice and research. Expected outcomes and influencing factors for patients and nurses could be associated.

Mutuality in nurse-caregiver relationships in pediatric nursing: A concept analysis

PROBLEM

Mutuality is often used in literature in the context of family-centered care and therapeutic relationship building. A therapeutic relationship is necessary to deliver family-centered care, strengthen family health and function, increase patient and family satisfaction, reduce anxiety, and empower decision-makers. Despite mutuality being such an important concept, it is not well defined in the literature.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The Walker and Avant method for concept analysis was used. The databases Medline, PSYCHInfo, CINHAL and Nursing & Allied Health were searched for texts in English from 1997 to 2021 using specific search terms.

SAMPLE

Of the 248 results, 191 articles were screened and 48 met inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Mutuality was found to be a process of dynamic reciprocity whereby the partners contribute uniquely to their shared goals, values, or purposes.

CONCLUSION

Mutuality is an important aspect of family-centered care and is used throughout nursing and advanced nursing practice.

IMPLICATIONS

The concept of mutuality should be incorporated into family-centered care policies, as without it, family-centered care cannot be established. Further research should be done to develop methods or educational techniques to establish and maintain mutuality in advanced nursing practice.

Encountering patients with anorexia nervosa - An emotional roller coaster. nurses’ lived experiences of encounters in psychiatric inpatient care

Purpose

The aim of this study was to illuminate the meaning of nurses’ lived experiences of encounters with adult patients with anorexia nervosa in psychiatric inpatient care.

Methods

A qualitative phenomenological hermeneutical design was used. Personal interviews with a narrative approach were conducted with 11 nurses with experience of encountering patients with anorexia nervosa in psychiatric inpatient care.

Results

Three key themes were revealed: Being overwhelmed by emotions consisting of three subthemes: Bearing feelings of incomprehension, Navigating emotions, and Being disappointed and frustrated; Seeking strength to cope consisting of three subthemes: Relying on colleagues and routines, Feeling hope and motivation, and Building inner security; and Trying to build relations consisting of two subthemes: Getting closer to the patient and Relating to relatives.

Conclusion

Our findings illuminate the “emotional roller-coaster” which nurses are embedded in during their daily work experiences. Being able to balance one’s professional role, seeing the person behind the patient, and the illness is important in all nurse-patient encounters. An examination of nurses’ lived experiences can contribute new and important knowledge, an in-depth understanding of the nurses’ work situation, and can help identify any need for increased knowledge.

Death-coping self-efficacy and its influencing factors among Chinese nurses: A cross-sectional study

Background

Nurses are the main caregivers of dying patients. Facing or dealing with death-related events is inevitable. Death-coping self-efficacy (DCS) is very important, as it can reduce the risk of nursing staff to adverse emotional distress, help them participate in end-of-life care and improve the quality of care of patients.

Methods

Using the convenient sampling method, this study included a total of 572 nurses from a tertiary hospital in Hangzhou, China. The status and influencing factors of the DCS of nurses were explored using a general information questionnaire and DCS scale.

Results

The scores of each parameter, ranging from low to high, were in the order of coping with grief, preparation for death and hospice care. Factors influencing nurses’ DCS included attendance in hospice care education courses within the previous year, experience of accompanying the family members of the deceased and attitude towards death.

Conclusions

The overall self-efficacy of nurses in palliative care was at a medium level. Moreover, their self-efficacy in coping with grief and preparation for death should be strengthened. Managers of medical institutions can assess the death-coping ability of nurses, which helps provide corresponding support and training for nurses at an early stage. Nurses should receive guidance in grief adjustment and emotion regulation. Medical units should provide nurses with a platform for continuous training and education, use of death-related theoretical models and frameworks to guide nurses in dealing with death-related events, reduce nurses’ negative mood and jointly promote their mental health.

ICU nurses´ lived experience of caring for adult patients with a tracheostomy in ICU: a phenomenological-hermeneutic study

Background

The care of adult patients with a tracheostomy in intensive care unit is complex, challenging and requires skilled intensive care unit nurses. ICU nurses’ live experience is scarcely known. This study aimed to describe the lived experience of intensive care unit nurses of caring for adult patients with a tracheostomy in intensive care unit.

Methods

This study employs a qualitative design. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sampling of 6 intensive care unit nurses from a medical-surgical ICU of a university hospital in Norway who were interviewed. Data was analyzed and interpreted using a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach. This study was reported according to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ).

Results

The interpretation yielded the following themes and subthemes: 1) theme: ‘challenges of caring for patients with a tracheostomy’ consisted of the sub-themes: ‘difficult to communicate/interpret and understand the patient’s different forms of expression’, ‘complicated professional assessments’, ‘caring with patience’, and ‘collaborating with patient regarding challenges. 2) theme: ‘the satisfaction from providing care to patients with a tracheostomy’ consisted of the sub-themes: ‘working with intensive care patients is instructive’ and ‘importance to motivate’.

Conclusions

ICU nurses experienced ambivalent feelings while caring for adult patients with a tracheostomy in ICU. They perceived caring as demanding owing to communication and collaboration at the same time, they experienced satisfaction while they strived to provide proper care and motivation. The identified challenges would lead to further improvement in nurses’ experiences and, in turn, the quality-of-care for patients with a tracheostomy. Awareness of these challenges is crucial to understand the need for an effective communication strategy to improve the quality and safety of adult patients with tracheostomy in ICU.

"You Know Where the Boundary Is When You Cross It" - A Phenomenological Understanding of Vulnerability as Experienced by Carers in Forensic Inpatient Care

In forensic nursing, carers must balance caring and limiting actions in encounters with patients. Interpreting suffering in others raises awareness of one's own vulnerability. Hence, the aim of this study was to describe the phenomenon of vulnerability as experienced by carers in forensic inpatient care. Nine participants were recruited at a major forensic hospital, and their narratives were analysed with a reflective lifeworld approach. The findings revealed that vulnerability was both a strength and a burden. Vulnerability comprised becoming aware of one's boundaries, being genuine and protecting oneself. Dealing with vulnerability enables carers to open up to patients.

Experiences of nurses practising mindfulness during self-leadership in delivering a rapid response system for general wards in a private hospital in Gauteng

Background

The increased complexity of the nursing care needs of patients and acuity in general wards present nursing care challenges for nurses. Self-led nurses are attentive, taking responsibility for activating the rapid response service when a patient is starting to deteriorate.

Objectives

The purpose of this article is to describe nurses’ experiences practising mindfulness during self-leadership in delivering a rapid response system (RRS) in a private hospital in Gauteng.

Method

A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was followed. Homogenous purposive sampling was used and a total of eight focus groups were conducted. Focus groups durations were between 45 min and 60 min. The data analysis was carried out through open coding on Atlas.ti using the noticing things, collecting things and thinking about things (NCT) approach. An independent coder met with the researcher during a consensus meeting and finalised the analysis.

Results

The findings indicated an underlying theme of nurses being mindful in their self-leadership through the development of self-motivation and self-direction in the RRS. Three categories with six subcategories emerged from the data analysis, namely self-motivation in an RRS by the team, self-direction through role-modelling to peers and training.

Conclusion

Nurses practised mindfulness during self-leadership, utilising behavioural and natural reward approaches and constructive thought patterns. These findings could assist management with developing training programmes for nurses.

Pre-hospital emergency nurse specialist's experiences in caring for patients with non-specific chief complaints in the ambulance - A qualitative interview study

BACKGROUND

Pre-hospital emergency nurse (PEN) specialists are faced with patients presenting with non-specific chief complaints (NSC) to the emergency medical service (EMS) on a daily basis. These patients are often elderly and one in three has a serious condition and their acuity is not recognized.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the current study was to explore PEN specialists' experiences in caring for patients presenting with non-specific chief complaints.

DESIGN

A qualitative study design with eleven individual interviews of PENs, between 2018 and 2020. Qualitative content analysis was used.

RESULTS

The analyses generated three categories including subcategories. The categories were "Unexplained suffering". "Systematic approach and experience enhances medical safety". "Organizational processes can be optimized". The relation between the categories compiled as ́In-depth systematic assessment is perceived to reduce suffering and increases patient safetý.

CONCLUSION

The PENs experiences in caring for patients presenting with non-specific chief complaints show that an in-depth systematic assessment may lead to a meaningful caring encounter which enables the identification of the cause of the chief complaint. Experience and a systematic approach were considered as essential to enhance medical safety. This could be strengthened through feedback on the nurse's care provided by care managers and employers. To optimize organizational processes, the development of the opportunity to convey the patient to different levels of care can be an important component.

High-fidelity simulation in undergraduate nursing education: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

To explore the effectiveness of high-fidelity simulation (HFS) in undergraduate nursing education.

DESIGN

A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and quasi-experiment.

DATA SOURCES

Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, WANFANG, and CNKI were searched for eligible articles published in English and Chinese until May 28, 2021.

REVIEW METHODS

The Quality Appraisal Check-list for Quantitative Intervention Studies was applied to the quality evaluation. Standard mean differences (SMD) were pooled using a random effects model. The results of the individual and combined intervention effects estimation of was displayed in a forest plot, with weight, SMD, its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI), Z-test, p, I².

RESULTS

Thirty-eight studies were included and 37 were analyzed. High-fidelity simulation (HFS) revealed significantly larger effect sizes for knowledge (SMD = 0.89, 95% CI [0.54 to 1.23]), skill (SMD = 0.93, 95% CI [0.69 to 1.17]), collaboration (SMD = 0.52, 95% CI [0.26 to 0.78]), caring (SMD = 1.40, 95% CI [0.23 to 2.58]) and learning interest (SMD = 0.85, 95% CI [0.00 to 2.04]) when compared with other teaching methods. However, no significant difference between HFS and other teaching methods in critical thinking (SMD = 0.46, 95% CI [-1.12 to 1.58]), self-confidence (SMD = 0.22, 95% CI [-0.32 to 0.75]) and learning satisfaction (SMD = 0.58, 95% CI [-0.25 to 1.41]) was shown.

CONCLUSIONS

High-fidelity simulation (HFS) can more effectively cultivate knowledge, skills, collaboration, caring, and learning interest of undergraduate nursing students. Since the effect of HFS is equivalent to other teaching methods in cultivating undergraduate nursing students' critical thinking, self-confidence and learning satisfaction, nursing educators can choose the most appropriate methods to achieve the intended learning outcomes according to the actual situation.

Mutuality in nursing: A conceptual framework on the relationship between patient and nurse

AIMS

To describe and develop a conceptual framework for the process of mutuality between nurse and patient.

DESIGN

This was a qualitative study with a grounded theory (GT) design following the constructivist approach of Charmaz (SAGE handbook of research, 2014).

METHODS

A sample of 33 patients with one or more chronic diseases and 35 nurses were interviewed between July and October 2020. Comparative and simultaneous data analyses were conducted. Theoretical sampling and saturation of categories were used to define the sample size.

RESULTS

A conceptual framework for mutuality between nurse (mean age 42 SD ±7 years, 89% female) and patient (mean age 63 SD ±8 years, 42% female) was developed, including the mutuality process, potential influencing factors for both nurses and patients, and outcomes. The mutuality process was characterised by three dimensions: developing and going beyond, being a reference, and deciding and sharing care. Influencing factors for nurses were personal characteristics and professional organisation, while for patients these were age and past experiences. Nurse outcomes were satisfaction and quality of life; patient outcomes were improved self-care and reduction of hospitalisation and emergency admissions.

CONCLUSION

This study described a new conceptual framework for mutuality between nurse and patient, which could improve our understanding of the relationship between nurses and patients, thus enhancing both nurse and patient outcomes.

Assessing the reliability and validity of attitudes and confidence scales for the care of women and girls affected by female genital mutilation/cutting

Background

Approximately 545,000 women and girls in the USA have undergone Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting (FGM/C) or have mothers from a country where FGM/C is practiced. Women and girls living with FGM/C in the USA may experience stigma and bias due to their FGM/C, immigration, racial, and language status. Health care provider attitudes toward FGM/C and confidence for related clinical care may affect the quality of care, yet there are no validated instruments to measure these constructs.

Methods

We developed the instruments via review of the FGM/C literature, the development of scale items, expert review, and pre-testing. We validated the instruments using a convenience sample of providers in Arizona and Maryland. We used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to confirm factor structures, and compared scores between known groups to assess validity.

Results

The EFA revealed a two-factor solution for attitudes, including subscales for Negative Attitudes and Empathetic Attitudes toward FGM/C and those who practice with Cronbach’s alphas of 0.814 and 0.628 respectively. The EFA for confidence revealed a two-factor solution including Confidence in Clinical FGM/C Care and Confidence in Critical Communication Skills for FGM/C Care with Cronbach’s alphas of 0.857 and 0.694 respectively.

Conclusions

Health care provider attitudes and confidence toward FGM/C care may affect quality of care and health outcomes for women and girls. Our study describes the rigorous psychometric analysis to create reliable and valid instruments to assess health care provider attitudes and confidence for the care of women and girls who have experienced FGM/C.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03249649. Registered on 15 August 2017. Retrospectively registered.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-11455-8.

Caught on the Fringes of Life: Mothers' Lived Experiences of Initial Breastfeeding Complications

Becoming a parent changes one's life, and existential questions arise. Time and being oscillate between joy and powerlessness, vulnerability, and self-confidence, between harmony and unpreparedness. Breastfeeding, one of the first skills new mothers try to master, can be joyful and painful. The aim of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of initial breastfeeding complications as they are lived and experienced by mothers and how these mothers can be supported. Twelve mothers were interviewed, and a phenomenological lifeworld approach was used. Nourishing an infant and having initial breastfeeding complications can be understood by the essence and its constituents. Expectations are fulfilled, and expectations come to naught when complications are experienced such as wavering between powerlessness and joy and finding solutions through resistance. The results suggest that lifeworld-led caring may lead to deepened acknowledgment and the possibility for mothers to feel supported in their extreme situations.

Big Five Personality Model-based study of death coping self-efficacy in clinical nurses: A cross-sectional survey

Background

Specific personality traits may affect the ability of nurses to deal with patient death. The relationship between personality and death coping self-efficacy (DCS) has rarely been investigated in the palliative care setting. In this study, we explored the associations between different personality profiles and DCS in clinical nurses from general wards and ICU.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey of 572 Chinese nurses was conducted between August and September 2020, by way of a self-administered questionnaire.

Results

Among the Big Five Personality Traits, in nurses the score was highest for conscientiousness and lowest for neuroticism. With regard to DCS, nurses scored highly on the intention of hospice care. The Big Five Personality Traits were found to explain 20.2% of the overall variation in DCS. Openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness were significantly associated with DCS in nurses.

Conclusions

Nursing managers should pay attention to differences in personality characteristics and provide personalized and targeted nursing education. This should improve nurses’ DCS, enrich their professional development and promote high quality palliative care for patients and their families.

Supportive conditions for sexual and perinatal wellbeing in women living with HIV in Sweden: A phenomenological study

OBJECTIVES

Women living with HIV have specific needs regarding sexuality, pregnancy, and childbirth. However, there is lack of knowledge about how these needs can be met. The aim of this study was to identify supportive conditions for sexual and perinatal wellbeing in women living with HIV in Sweden.

METHODS

A phenomenological reflective lifeworld research approach was used. Transcribed interviews with 18 women living with HIV in Sweden were analyzed focusing on the meanings of the study phenomenon.

RESULTS

When living with HIV, "feeling safe with oneself and in relationships with others" is essential for sexual and perinatal wellbeing. This is constituted by having good overall health, being in a caring context, having access to high quality information about HIV, and being ensured the same rights as other women.

CONCLUSIONS

The study shows that women living with HIV have specific needs for the support of their sexual and perinatal wellbeing. This knowledge can be used by all those engaged in HIV care and HIV prevention in order to improve and implement supportive conditions for women living with HIV. It is important that all those involved in the care of women living with HIV constantly update their knowledge about HIV and women's experiences of living with HIV in order to provide safe arenas and caring contexts that support the wellbeing of these women.

A concept analysis of self-leadership: The "bleeding edge" in nursing leadership

AIM

To explore the concept of self-leadership in nursing. Self-leadership, while frequently referenced, has not been clearly defined in either the literature or within nursing.

DESIGN

Common language sources were reviewed, along with literature searched from 2017 to 2019 using seven electronic databases: CINAHL, EbscoHost, Sabinet, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Nexus, and Academic Complete. Database searches yielded 10 articles. REVIEW METHODS: Walker and Avant's method of concept analysis was modified, as suggested by Risjord.

RESULTS

Reviews of the broad literature demonstrated that self-leadership is the creation of a space for the individual with self-awareness to live a better self through reflective consciousness. The multidimensionality of work and blurring of boundaries between work and living has prompted the individual to understand their own qualities or abilities. The individual has a true sense of who they are and what they think and feel. This shift in leadership refocuses on a more desirable way of living and envelopes being a master of one's own destiny.

CONCLUSION

Analytic work provides support for a middle-range explanatory theory that engenders self-awareness, taking the lead, and personal satisfaction. Explication of the concept and the relevance to professional nursing gives direction for future research.

Registered nurses' understandings of emergency medical dispatch center work: A qualitative phenomenographic interview study

Non-urgent and urgent telephone nursing services are increasing globally, and phenomenographic research has shown that how work is understood may influence work performance. This descriptive study makes a qualitative inductive investigation of understandings of emergency medical dispatch center work among registered nurses. Twenty-four registered nurses at three mid Swedish emergency medical dispatch centers were interviewed. Analysis based on phenomenographic principles identified five categories in the interviews: (i) Assess, prioritize, direct, or refer; (ii) Facilitate ambulance nursing work; (iii) Perform nursing care; (iv) Always be available for the public; and (v) Have the person behind the patient in mind. The first constitutes the basis of the work. The second emphasizes cooperation with and support for the ambulance staff. The third entails remotely providing nursing care, whilst the fourth stresses serving the entire population. The fifth and most comprehensive way of understanding work involves having a holistic view of the person in need, including person-centered care. Provision of high-quality emergency medical dispatch center work involves all categories. Combined, they constitute a "work map," valuable for reflection, competence development, and introduction of new staff.

Palliative Nursing Competencies Required for Different Levels of Palliative Care Provision: A Qualitative Analysis of Health Care Professionals' Perspectives

Background: Nurses must possess adequate competencies to provide high-quality palliative care. Earlier statements have described certain competencies that are relevant for palliative care, yet only limited empirical research has focused on the perspective of health care professionals to clarify which competencies are required for different levels of palliative care provision. Objective: The aim was to describe the required palliative nursing competencies of registered nurses aligned to different levels of palliative care provision, from the perspectives of multiprofessional groups. Design: A qualitative study design. Setting/Subjects: A purposive sample of professionals, working in different levels of palliative care across various settings in Finland, was used to gain information about the aim of the study (n = 222). Measurements: Content analysis was applied to describe the competencies of registered nurses. Results: Competencies relevant to basic palliative care were categorized under 17 main categories, which included a total of 75 subcategories. "Competence in managing the most common symptoms" was the main category that contained the largest number of reduced expressions (f = 75). An analysis of specialist palliative care data yielded 10 main categories, including 49 subcategories, with "Competence in maintaining expertise and taking care of own well-being at work" containing the most reduced expressions. Conclusion: The study provided new knowledge; more specifically, competencies related to encounters and maintaining hope were described as palliative care nursing competences. The results can be used to ensure that palliative nursing education focuses on the competences that are necessary in practice.

Professional values and nursing self-efficacy in the Italian context. Correlational descriptive study

INTRODUCTION

Nurses' professional values (NPVs) and self-efficacy (SE) are two fundamental elements in nursing care that influence its professional identity, competences, resulting in changing the behaviour of professionals and their response to the patient's health needs. The various studies produced so far have not investigated a possible relationship between these two areas. Therefore, the objective of the following study is to identify and deepen the relationship between NPV and SE, in order to improve the knowledge of these issues.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An observational, correlational and multicentric study has been carried out through a questionnaire based survey. The sampling was conventional. The data collection took place through Nursing Professional Values Scale, version 3 (NPVS-3), which investigates professional values; and Nursing Professional Self-Efficacy Scale (NPSES), which investigates self-efficacy and a socio-demographic questionnaire.

RESULTS

The total sample was 532 nurses and 65.6% was female, with a median age of 42 years and a median of 15 working years. Positive statistically significant correlations between the various domains of the NPVS-3 and NPSES scales were found. These relationships also emerged in the analyses between geographical areas. Overall, the relationships between self-efficacy and values were similar in all the analyses.

DISCUSSION

As the professional values of nurses increase in their response to the patient's health needs, self-efficacy perceived by them increases and vice versa, significantly effecting the clinic and care outcomes of the patients and improving nursing outcomes. The stratification of the sample by geographical area regarding the relationship between age, years of work and professional values indicated that these variables strongly influence the NPV and SE of nurses. Therefore, in some contexts, more support in maintaining a stable value structure may be needed; moreover, it is necessary to incentivise nurses with more effective interventions, as an example and a basis of motivation for future generations.

Perceptions of Caring Behavior Among Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Three-Cohort Observational Study

Introduction

Increase in the knowledge of "caring science" among nurses plays a key role in ensuring a correct caring behavior towards patients. Caring training for students is a priority in nursing education, but unfortunately there are limited and conflicting studies which explore this outcome. The purpose of this observational study was to explore the perceptions of caring behaviors by nursing students during their clinical practice training in order to highlight if the level of caring behaviors changes as the nursing course progresses.

Materials and Methods

The Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 (CBI-24) was administered to 331 students, enrolled in the three years of an Italian Nursing Course, who accepted to participate in the study (89.2% response rate). The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 26.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL).

Results

The total mean score of CBI-24 was 4.82 in the first, 5.12 in the second and 5.26 in the third-year students. The CBI-24 dimensions "Responding to individual needs" and "Being with" obtained the highest scores among the students of the first year. At the end of the first year, our students were already able to perform expressive caring, whereas instrumental caring developed at a high level in the second and third years. We did not highlight any statistically significant difference between the two gender CBI-24 item scores.

Conclusion

In light of our results, we put in evidence that Nursing Degree Programme favours the development in students of both relational and technical components of caring behaviors. We hope that in future students' self-assessment of caring behaviors could be considered an educational outcome for Nursing Programme.

Experiences of acute care by persons with mental health problems: An integrative literature review

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Understanding experiences of acute care by persons with mental health problems is vital for improving these experiences through the development of different parts of the care delivery and its facilities. Literature has extensively addressed experiences of persons with mental health problems in acute care settings. Yet, there is a paucity of studies that aggregate and organize these findings in presenting development-oriented solutions for the improvements of these experiences. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Acute care can be understood through patients' experiences of structure (such as setting, staff and resources); process (such as communication and interpersonal relations); and outcome (such as satisfaction and post-discharge well-being and health) and suggests improvements in these domains. The paper illuminates that previous literature has mainly captured negative experiences of acute care by persons with mental health problems, and suggests diverting the focus to the best practices and to seek inspiration from other fields of research. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Attending to the improvement and development of different parts of the acute care might be an important step in improving experiences of persons with mental health problems. For example, improving resource allocation systems and facilities, emphasizing professionalism in encounters with these patients and systematically assessing patient satisfaction during and after visits are important areas that require attention. ABSTRACT: Aim The provision of acute care to persons with mental health problems is challenging due to difficulties in encountering this group and the vulnerability of these persons. Understanding this group's experiences with acute care is thus an important endeavour. The purpose of this review was to critically and systematically identify and assess previous research on experiences of acute care by persons with mental health problems, guided by Donabedian's structure-process-outcome framework (Prospero ID: CRD42019116652). Method and results An integrative literature review was performed, resulting in the identification of 43 studies. The search was conducted using five electronic databases: Web of Science Core, PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycINFO. Discussion The review revealed that patients experienced structure components such as setting, staff and resources in a predominantly negative way. A predominately negative picture also emerged of the process components, where, for example, communication and interpersonal relations were represented by negative experiences, with limited positive experiences reported. The outcome components, related to patients' satisfaction and their well-being after discharge, were also predominantly experienced negatively. Implications for practice Using Donabedian's framework of structure, process and outcome allowed us to systematize the literature reviewed, to identify the research gaps and to suggest ways forward for the field's development.

Patients' experiences of the caring encounter in health promotion practice: a qualitative study in Swedish primary health care

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have reported that organizational structures and cultures in primary health care are obstacles to district nurses doing successful work in health promotion practice (HPP). Because organizational structures are not easily changed, Jean Watson's Attending Nurse Caring Model (ANCM) was introduced and piloted at a primary health care center in Sweden, aiming to transform HPP so as to empower district nurses and increase their work satisfaction.

AIM

To investigate patients' experiences of the caring encounter in HPP after introduction of the ANCM in Swedish primary health care, the aim being to explore the essential components of the caring encounter between patients and district nurses.

METHODS

A descriptive and qualitative research design was used. Data collection was performed using individual face-to-face interviews with twelve patients at risk for developing CVD. Data analysis consisted of both deductive content analysis, using a categorization matrix based on the ANCM and, subsequently, inductive latent content analysis.

RESULTS

The findings were abstracted into three themes: 1.'Feeling the deepest essence of being cared for': to be respected and being put at the center of the encounter; 2. 'Feeling acceptance and worth': being treated with openness and permissive attitudes, 3. 'Being in a supportive atmosphere that promotes hope': to feel trust and being trusted in the encounter, and being empowered by hope. The unifying main theme of the caring encounter was abstracted as 'Experiencing human dignity'.

CONCLUSION

The present study revealed that the essence of the caring encounter between patients and district nurses in HPP is to be unconditionally accepted in an environment that inspires hope and encouragement. The ANCM seems to be a promising model to use for strengthening the caring encounter and supporting CVD patients in making healthy lifestyle choices. However, further studies of qualitative and quantitative designs are needed to investigate what the ANCM can contribute to HPP in Swedish primary health care.

Development and psychometric testing of the Gerontological Nursing Competence (GeroNursingCom) instrument

AIM

To develop and psychometrically test an instrument - GeroNursingCom - that measures gerontological nursing competence of nursing students.

DESIGN

An instrument development guided by COSMIN guidelines.

METHOD

The development and testing of the GeroNursingCom instrument proceeded according to four distinct phases: (a) establishing a theoretical background; (b) testing face and content validity; (c) examining structural validity; and (d) testing internal consistency. The items of instrument were based on a theoretical framework developed from a comprehensive literature review and focus group interviews with experts (N = 27) in spring 2018. Content validity was assessed by nine experts in gerontological nursing, while face validity was tested in a pilot study including 36 nursing students. Structural validity was examined with exploratory factor analysis with 267 nursing students from nine universities of applied sciences. The internal consistency was established with Cronbach's alpha. The data were collected in spring and autumn 2019. The data analysis was conducted with multivariate statistical methods.

RESULTS

The GeroNursingCom development and testing process yielded an instrument that includes 53 items across 11 factors: (a) appreciative encounters and interactions with older people; (b) medication for older people; (c) nutrition for older people; (d) safe living environment for older people; (e) supporting the functioning of older people; (f) end-of-life care; (g) developing one's competencies; (h) supporting an older person's mental well-being; (i) supporting an older person's sexuality; (j) guiding self-care among older people; and (k) responding to challenging situations. The instrument was able to explain 66.15% of the total observed variance, while Cronbach's alpha values for individual items varied from 0.75-0.89.

CONCLUSION

TheGeroNursingCom instrument can be used to measure gerontological nursing competence among nursing students to improve gerontological nursing education and/or geriatric care.

IMPACT

Graduating nursing students must develop versatile competencies to face the multiple needs of older patients and curriculums need to be further developed to ensure students are prepared for gerontological nursing.

The Lived Experience of Nurses Caring for Patients with COVID-19 in Iran: A Phenomenological Study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 in Iran.

METHODS

This study was a descriptive phenomenology. Sampling was purposefully performed, and participants were selected in terms of the inclusion criteria. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews using the WhatsApp mobile messaging application. Colaizzi's method was used to analyse the data. The criteria introduced by Lincoln and Guba were used for the study rigour.

RESULTS

The data were obtained from 12 nurses caring for patients with COVID-19. The mean age of the participants was 29.41 years (SD = 2.72) with a mean work experience of 6.75 years (SD = 2.52). Three main themes and six subthemes were identified: mental condition (subthemes included "anxiety and stress" and "fear"), emotional condition (subthemes included "suffering and affliction" and "waiting for death"), and care context (subthemes included "turmoil" and "lack of support and equipment").

CONCLUSION

The results of this study show that nurses working in the wards and care centres designated for patients with COVID-19 are experiencing mental and emotional distress and are working in inadequate professional conditions.

The meaning of significant encounters in forensic care

BACKGROUND

Research in forensic psychiatric care focusing on person-oriented care is ambiguous about matters of quality. The encounters between a healthcare professional (HCP) and patient could influence how connections and relations emerge between the caregiver and the patient.

OBJECTIVES

To better understand caring aspects, this study explores significant encounters in forensic psychiatric care from the perspective of HCPs.

METHOD

This study is based on 34 written narratives from HCPs from two forensic psychiatric hospitals in Sweden. The narratives concern significant encounters with a patient. These narratives were analysed according to methodologies developed by phenomenological and reflective lifeworld research.

FINDINGS

The essence of a significant encounter is a temporal extended phenomenon that both precedes as well as is a consequence of the actual encounter as it occurs. The encounter is unforeseeable and being open to an encounter also means to be vulnerable as it is not predetermined how someone will respond. The significant encounter is an act of sharing, and HCPs may come to understand more about their patients as well as about themselves. Moreover, these encounters seem to create repercussions and hope for the future care.

CONCLUSIONS

The everyday activities of forensic psychiatric care are not trivial activities. Rather, they are important aspects of health care as these everyday encounters can deepen the relationship between the HCPs and their patients and help both the HCPs and their patients develop a sense of hope for the future.

Patients' experiences of the caring encounter with the psychiatric emergency response team in the emergency medical service-A qualitative interview study

BACKGROUND

Mental illnesses are increasing in the population; consequently, the number of psychiatric emergencies handled by the emergency medical services (EMS) has also increased. Alternative response systems have been developed and evaluated, but there is still a lack of knowledge concerning the patients' experiences of being cared for in the EMS by a psychiatric emergency response unit (In Swedish: Psykiatrisk Akut Mobilitet [PAM]).

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore patients' experiences of the caring encounter with the PAM team.

DESIGN

A qualitative study design with 14 patients' interviews and content analysis was used.

RESULTS

The patients expressed that the PAM team created a safe environment and actively involved the patient in their care by creating an open and safe place for dialogue. In this safe environment, the patients described how they participated in the decision making and received care without fear of being dismissed, ignored or judged.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The patients' experiences of being cared for by the PAM team show that person-centred care was achieved by involving the patients in their own care. This participation was possible because mutual trust and confidence existed, and the patients acknowledged the specialist response unit to be a valuable part of the EMS. However, further studies are needed to explore whether the PAM as a response unit in the EMS decreases the risk of suicide and to examine different health economic aspects of using PAM in the EMS.

Encounters with Persons Who Frequently Use Psychiatric Emergency Services: Healthcare Professionals' Views

Encounters and interactions between healthcare professionals and patients are central in healthcare services and delivery. Encountering persons who frequently use psychiatric emergency services (PES), a complex patient group in a complex context, may be particularly challenging for healthcare professionals. The aim of the study was to explore healthcare professionals’ experiences of such encounters. Data were collected via individual interviews (N = 19) and a focus group interview with healthcare professionals consisting of psychiatric nurses, assistant nurses, and physicians. The data were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. This study focused on the latent content of the interview data to gain a rich understanding of the professionals’ experiences of the encounters. Two themes were identified: “Nurturing the encounter with oneself and colleagues for continuous, professional improvement” and “Striving for a meaningful connection with the patient”. The professionals experienced their encounters with persons who frequently use PES as caring, professional, and humane processes. Prerequisites to those encounters were knowing and understanding oneself, having self-acceptance and self-compassion, and working within person-centered cultures and care environments.

Nursing and Rehabilitative Care of the Elderly Using Humanoid Robots

Japan's declining birth rate and increasing aging population prompted intercessory efforts towards robot technologies in nursing practice for theelderly. Today, technological companies are developing robots that meet universal health care technology demands. While human caring focus on human-to-human relationships,but between humans and nonhumans, e.g. Humanoid Nursing Robot (HNRs)-to-human relationships, caring practices have not been forthcoming. When HNRs can support patients independently, capabilities much like being human will be required, including intelligence and skill competencies. Currently, Tanioka's research group is conducting clinical trials of humanoid robots equipped with applications using Pepper (manufactured by SOFTBANK CORPORATION), towards elderly care and rehabilitation at the Mifune Hospital, Kagawa prefecture. Care Prevention Gymnastics Exercises (Pepper-CPGE) was madeby Xing Company, Japan. Therefore, this paper aims to describe the clinical trial outcomes based on the Transactive Relationship Theory of Nursing (TRETON) (Tanioka, 2017) emphasizing nursing engagement processes between HNRs and human persons. Observable effects include positive changes in relationships of patients, humanoid robots and healthcare providers. Emphasizing ethical concerns and human person safety as critical factors of care, and fears for divergent robot use are observed. Cooperative undertakings with various interdisciplinary activities mark the visioning of Japanese human caring ideas for an aging society. J. Med. Invest. 66 : 19-23, February, 2019.

Delivering direct patient care in the haemodialysis unit: a focused ethnographic study of care delivery

Background

Direct patient care is a term used within nursing and healthcare to help quantify and qualify care delivery. Direct patient care time is considered as a valuable measure by healthcare providers to indicate efficiency and to quantify nursing work, however little is understood of the patient experience and care delivery in haemodialysis settings.

Aim

The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of patients' and nursing staff perceptions and experiences of 'direct patient care' within one haemodialysis unit.

Methods

A focused ethnographic approach utilised participant observations, informal questioning, photographs and 27 semi-structured interviews of registered nurses, clinical support workers and patients. Observation notes and interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed.

Results

The key finding was the construction and reconceptualisation of care delivery in this setting. Care was identified to be delivered in two distinct ways, both of which allowed patients to feel cared for. 'Active care' where patients feel cared for when they are being dealt with directly by staff and 'Passive care' where patients feel cared for through staff availability and visibility.

Conclusion

Developing this understanding of patient care delivery in this specialism has highlighted some important aspects to the way care can be delivered which challenges current traditional understandings of direct patient care. Time spent with a patient is not the only important consideration to patient experience in haemodialysis. This understanding of passive care could improve care experiences in this setting.