Examine the relationships between workplace trust, interpersonal trust, and nurses' physical and mental health, and specifically investigate the mediating role of resilience.
Nurses are central to healthcare delivery but frequently experience workplace violence, adversely affecting their well-being. Trust represents a higher-order mechanism that fosters positive attitudes and professional growth, potentially safeguarding nurses' resilience in coping with adversity. However, research elucidating how trust influences nurses' health via resilience remains limited.
A cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling. A total of 2855 clinical nurses from general hospitals in Fujian Province, China, were surveyed between August and October 2022. Workplace trust and interpersonal trust were served as independent variables, Physical Component Summary and Mental Component Summary scores as dependent variables, and resilience as a mediator. Mediation analysis was performed using Mplus 8.3. The study was prepared and reported according to the STROBE checklist.
Mean scores were Physical Component Summary: 51.12 ± 8.90, and Mental Component Summary: 48.20 ± 10.18. Workplace trust had significant direct effects on both Physical Component Summary and Mental Component Summary. Interpersonal trust had no significant direct effects on Physical Component Summary or Mental Component Summary. Resilience demonstrated significant mediating effects: for workplace trust on Physical Component Summary and on Mental Component Summary; and for interpersonal trust on Physical Component Summary and on Mental Component Summary.
Workplace trust directly enhances nurses' physical and mental health. While interpersonal trust lacks a direct link to health outcomes, both workplace and interpersonal trust significantly improve nurses' health indirectly by bolstering resilience. Resilience serves as a critical pathway through which trust fosters well-being.
No patient or public contribution.
Nurse managers and healthcare administrators should prioritise interventions to cultivate workplace trust (e.g., fostering trust among colleagues, and between nurses and the organisation/management) and strengthen interpersonal trust and psychological resilience. Enhancing these protective factors will better equip nurses to manage occupational and personal stressors, ultimately safeguarding and improving their physical and mental health.
To examine factors, including symptom burden profiles and self-care, associated with quality of life among individuals with heart failure and multimorbidity.
A cross-sectional design.
353 adults aged 50 years or older with heart failure and at least one additional chronic condition were recruited from a university-affiliated hospital. Three symptom burden groups were identified (low, moderate, and high) through latent profile analysis of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale scores. The Heart Failure Self-care Index and EuroQoL-5D-5L measured self-care behaviours and quality of life. This study examined group differences and associations overall and stratified by symptom burden groups via multivariable linear regression.
A higher disease burden and the high symptom burden group compared to the low symptom burden group were associated with lower quality of life. Self-care maintenance was positively associated with a higher quality of life, but not in the high-burden group. Among individual symptoms, pain and depression were associated with lower quality of life. In the high-burden group, older age was positively associated with quality of life. Higher symptom burden groups included a greater proportion of women and middle-aged adults.
Symptom burden and self-care maintenance show significant associations with quality of life in multimorbidity. Symptom burden profiles identified through latent profile analysis may complement conventional approaches by targeting high-risk individuals, such as middle-aged individuals and women with high symptom burden, for follow-up and integrated multimorbidity management.
For healthcare providers, including nurses, these findings underscore the importance of holistic, symptom-based care approaches combined with routine support for self-care maintenance. Adopting a life-course approach, through early identification and management of high-risk individuals, may help promote aging in place with a better quality of life for those with heart failure and multimorbidity.
STROBE checklist.
No patient or public contribution.
To explore the qualitative literature regarding the experiences of survivors of critical illness re-engaging in activities of daily living.
Qualitative systematic review.
Databases were searched with three broad categories of search terms: (1) critical illness, (2) activities of daily living, and (3) participant experiences. Articles were included if they reported qualitative data on the experiences of adults who were re-engaging with activities of daily living after admission to an intensive care unit. The findings from these studies were thematically analysed.
A search of Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and AMED was conducted on the 9th September 2024.
After removing duplicates, the literature search identified 6267 articles. The full texts of 120 articles were reviewed, and 44 were included for data extraction. Thematic analysis identified three themes: (1) loss of autonomy, (2) striving to reclaim independence, and (3) shifting familial dynamics and imposing a burden.
Survivors of critical illness face significant challenges when re-engaging with daily activities. The effort to regain autonomy often leads to feelings of helplessness and a reluctance to engage in both daily tasks and social activities. The emotional burden of dependence and the perception of being a burden further complicate their recovery.
Health services should focus on integrating physical rehabilitation, mealtime support, and cognitive and psychological therapy to effectively cater to the diverse needs of critical illness survivors and their families.
This review highlights the complex challenges of re-engaging in activities of daily living after critical illness and emphasises the need for multidisciplinary rehabilitation to improve physical, cognitive, and emotional recovery.
Reporting of this review followed the ENTREQ checklist, in accordance with EQUATOR guidelines.
No Patient or Public Contribution.
The debate about whether health visiting, a specialist community public health nursing role, is at the level of advanced practice nurse has gone on for more than a decade. There is little empirical evidence that the role matches the traditional role of an advanced practice nurse, although many of the attributes of advanced practice nursing such as prescribing rights, managing complex cases, caseloads with undifferentiated need and advanced assessment and decision-making are certainly present.
The current study aimed to develop, refine and test the Health Visiting Advanced Practice Scale to assess the scope of advanced practice of UK health visitors.
A cross-sectional and methodological scale validation design, following classical test theory.
The design consisted of three phases; the first involved scale development including item generation, phase two assessed the content validity index, and the third phase involved a cross-sectional survey to establish construct validity, content validity, and internal consistency reliability, and conduct exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.
The initial 44-item scale underwent iterative exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, leading to a refined 5-factor structure with 29 items covering domains such as family-centred care, leadership, prescribing, diagnostic reasoning, and professional practice. This final version demonstrated strong reliability and construct validity in the EFA but mixed fit indices in the CFA, supporting both internal consistency and validity of the scale.
The final scale offers a rigorously validated tool for assessing advanced practice among UK health visitors, capturing core domains such as family-centred care, leadership, prescribing, and diagnostic reasoning. By bridging theoretical frameworks with real-world practice, it fills a critical gap in evaluating and supporting the professional scope of this public health nursing specialty.
These findings provide valid and reliable insights for measuring and improving health visitors' advanced practice and developing future professional policies.
No patient or public contribution.
STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines for cross-sectional studies.
The rise in smartphone use presents opportunities and challenges in clinical settings. Despite guidelines restricting mobile phone use, nurses frequently rely on them for various purposes. While beneficial, smartphone use poses risks to information security, patient safety, and care quality, prompting the need for monitoring.
This study examined smartphone usage among nursing students and their perspectives on acceptable and unacceptable use during clinical placements.
This cross-sectional study used convenience sampling to recruit undergraduate nursing students from five universities in Australia and New Zealand. Participants completed the Attitude Towards Digital Device Use during Clinical Placement (Adduct) Scale online between September 2021 and August 2022. The survey included closed and open-ended questions. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted using SPSS. Exploratory factor analysis identified attitudinal dimensions, while group comparisons assessed demographic variations. Qualitative responses were thematically analysed. Reporting followed the Consensus-Based Checklist for Reporting of Survey Studies (CROSS).
Among 279 respondents, drawn from an eligible population of 2682 students, the response rate was 10.4%. Age significantly influenced perceptions of unacceptable smartphone use. Younger students (mean age = 25.0, SD = 9.8) were more likely to view such use as acceptable, with those up to 21 years reporting higher scores on the Unacceptable Use sub-scale compared to older peers (p = 0.024). Most respondents found smartphone use beneficial for accessing information and learning, though concerns included distractions and confidentiality breaches. Younger students were at greater risk of non-adherence to guidelines.
Smartphones can enhance learning and efficiency, but clear guidelines and education are needed to balance benefits with risks, particularly for younger students.
This study highlights the need for clear guidelines and structured training to balance educational benefits of smartphone use with the risks of distraction and breaches of patient confidentiality in clinical practice.
No patient or public pontribution.
Continuous pulse oximetry monitoring has been used in patient deterioration recognition systems for decades. For patients on supplemental O2, questions related to the effectiveness of this approach have been raised due to elevation of SpO2 from O2 therapy. We examine this issue in the context of a stable inpatient continuous pulse oximetry-based rescue system with the aim of ascertaining if patients receiving supplemental oxygen are at risk of experiencing clinically meaningful delays in deterioration recognition as compared to patients on room air.
Retrospective observational analysis.
Clinical markers of deterioration recognition timeliness and impact were compared for patients receiving various levels of supplemental oxygen and those on room air over 6 years. Chart review was conducted to assess cause and likelihood of preventability and improvement in detection with other monitoring modalities for emergent cases.
Analysis adjusted for patient characteristics, and population level supplemental oxygen use showed no difference between patients on supplemental oxygen vs. room air for transfer rate, emergent transfer rate, or death after rescue or transfer. Analysis excluding population supplemental oxygen modeling showed limited increases in event likelihood, but not for emergent transfers. Chart review of emergent transfers revealed no pattern of delay in recognition of deterioration for patients on supplemental oxygen.
This study found no evidence that pulse oximetry-based continuous monitoring significantly degrades or delays detection of severe deterioration episodes for patients receiving supplemental oxygen. These findings challenge arguments suggesting pulse oximetry is not an appropriate continuous monitoring modality for general care patients receiving oxygen.
This study provides clinical nurses with information about using continuous monitoring when caring for patients who are receiving supplemental oxygen in the general care setting. The study also assesses patient safety of the practice of using pulse oximetry for monitoring in this patient population.
This study addresses concerns related to using continuous pulse oximetry monitoring for deterioration detection when patients are receiving supplemental oxygen. This study found no evidence that pulse oximetry-based continuous monitoring significantly degrades or delays detection of severe deterioration episodes for patients receiving supplemental oxygen. The results can be used by the inpatient nursing community to ensure safe practices are in place for patient care.
This study adheres to the STROBE reporting method.
Patient and/or public contribution was not deemed applicable for the rigorous design and execution of this study.
To combine qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate the feasibility, participant satisfaction and effectiveness of a hybrid pulmonary rehabilitation programme following hospital discharge for an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Convergent parallel mixed method study nested in a larger ongoing prospective study; this report includes a subset of 21 participants who complete the qualitative and quantitative assessments between May 2023 and January 2024.
Semi structured interviews using open-ended questions were conducted and analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Participants were interviewed after completing an 8-week hybrid home-based rehabilitation programme, including four face-to-face and four remote sessions. Quantitative assessments—covering disease impact, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and exercise tolerance—were conducted at the beginning and end of the intervention in the same participants who took part in the interviews, and a 10-item satisfaction questionnaire was also completed after the programme.
May 2023 to January 2024.
GRAMMS checklist was followed.
21 people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (11 females; mean age 62 ± 7 years; mean FEV1 30% ± 10% of predicted) were interviewed. Five major themes were identified: (i) accessibility and adaptation to individual needs; (ii) confidence in the transdisciplinary care manager model, confirmed by high satisfaction score (95/100); (iii) integration of informal carers; (iv) perceived benefits supporting maintenance of health behaviour, consistent with the statistically and clinically significant improvements observed across all quantitative outcomes; and (v) hybrid programme challenges (technical issues and preference for face-to-face visits).
The hybrid programme resulted in significant improvements in physical and psychological outcomes, and participants reported high levels of satisfaction. Qualitative findings highlighted the value of home-based delivery, supervision by a single care manager, informal carer involvement and emotional support in shaping feasibility and satisfaction. However, challenges related to remote sessions indicate that telerehabilitation may not be suitable for all patients and should not be used as a standalone PR option.
Given the strong preference of participants for face-to-face visits over remote visits, telerehabilitation should always include a minimum of individual or group face-to-face supervised sessions. The balance between supervision modalities should be personalised according to participants' needs and progress.
To describe patient outcomes for patients at high risk of mortality (with a prognosis of three months or less to live) where a Palliative Care Nurse Consultant (PCNC) was embedded in a General Medicine team. To explore patients and/or their carers feedback and allied health, nursing professionals' perspectives on integrating a palliative care approach in the General Medicine ward.
Prospective exploratory study.
SQUIRE reporting guidelines was adopted for the study reporting. This study was conducted over six weeks in a general medicine ward at Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Participants were 20 patients aged > 65 years with non-malignant, chronic conditions at high risk of mortality within three months and had 18 nursing and allied health professionals involved in their care. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively and qualitative survey data were analysed thematically.
Twenty patients participated, with an average age of 87 years. 55% spoke a language other than English. PCNC interventions, focused on care coordination and family liaison, were found to facilitate timely referrals to other support services, improve communication and better address end-of-life care needs. Healthcare professionals recognised the benefits of PCNC involvement; however, a key qualitative theme was staff reluctance to raise palliative care needs due to perceived role boundaries and limited confidence. While PCNC presence improved communication and advocacy, barriers included time constraints and patient/family resistance.
Embedding a PCNC in a general medicine team appears to enhance care coordination and support timely palliative care integration. Addressing barriers and optimising workflow can improve patient, carer and clinician experience as well as improve resource utilisation.
The model has the potential to enhance patient-centred care and clinician support in acute general medicine settings.
The research will have an impact on acute care settings, particularly general medicine units, by informing models of integrated palliative care for patients with complex needs and enhancing staff capability and confidence in providing timely, person-centred care.
Patients or members of the public were not involved in the design, conduct, analysis or manuscript preparation of this study. The project was a prospective observational study with limited scope and resources, which did not include a formal patient or public involvement component.
To evaluate the research capability of clinical nurses in China and identify the determinants associated with their capability.
As nursing evolves into an increasingly independent discipline, the research capability of clinical nurses has become critical for the development of the profession, advancing evidence-based practice and improving patient care quality.
A multicentre cross-sectional survey was conducted using convenience sampling from September 2023 to February 2024, among clinical nurses in tertiary hospitals across three provinces in China. The Nursing Research Capability Self-Assessment Scale was used to assess the research capability of the nurses. Chi-square tests, one-way analysis of variance and multiple linear regression were used to examine factors associated with research capability. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology was followed.
A total of 1074 clinical nurses participated. The mean research capability score was 89.11 ± 27.69, reflecting a moderate level of research capability. However, two dimensions of research questions and literature review received lower scores. Multiple linear regression analysis identified that education level, professional title, administrative position and nursing job title (all p < 0.05) were independent predictors of research capability.
Clinical nurses exhibit moderate research capability, with notable deficiencies in formulating research questions and conducting literature reviews. Key factors influencing research capability include education, professional title, administrative position, and job title. Targeted training and development programmes should address these factors to enhance nurses' research competence and advance nursing science.
This study aims to explore the trajectories and co-occurrence of perceived control and caregiver self-efficacy among patients with heart failure (HF) and their caregivers within 3 months post-discharge and identify associated risk factors.
A prospective cohort design.
A prospective cohort study was conducted from March to June 2024 in Tianjin, China. Information on perceived control and caregiver self-efficacy was collected 24 h before discharge, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months after discharge. Group-Based Dual Trajectory Modelling (GBDTM) and logistic regression were used for analysis.
The study included 203 dyads of patients with HF and their caregivers (HF dyads). Perceived control identified three trajectories: low curve (15.3%), middle curve (57.1%) and high curve (27.6%). Caregiver self-efficacy demonstrated three trajectories: low curve (17.2%), middle curve (56.7%) and high stable (26.1%). GBDTM revealed nine co-occurrence patterns, with the highest proportion (36.7%) being ‘middle-curve group for perceived control and middle-curve group for caregiver self-efficacy’, and 16.7% being ‘high-curve group for perceived control and high-stable group for caregiver self-efficacy’. Age, gender, household income, NYHA class, symptom burden and psychological resilience were identified as risk factors for perceived control trajectories; marital status, regular exercise and psychological resilience were identified as risk factors for caregiver self-efficacy trajectories.
We identified distinct trajectories, co-occurrence patterns and risk factors of perceived control and caregiver self-efficacy among HF dyads. These findings help clinical nurses to better design and implement interventions, strengthening the comprehensive management and care outcomes for HF dyads.
These findings highlighted the interactive relationship between perceived control and caregiver self-efficacy trajectories, suggesting that interventions should boost both to improve personalised treatment plans and outcomes for HF dyads.
This study adhered to the STROBE checklist.
Patients and their caregivers contributed by participating in the study and completing the questionnaire.
To describe self-care behaviours and explore factors associated with self-care behaviours in older adults with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs).
The prevalence of MCCs is increasing in a rising trend. MCCs complicate the self-care behaviours of older adults. There is limited evidence regarding the factors associated with self-care behaviours in older adults with MCCs.
A cross-sectional design was adopted using the convenience sampling method.
Participants were recruited from a community health service centre. Measurements included the Self-Care of Chronic Illness Inventory, a single item for loneliness, the 6-item Lubben Social Network Scale, the 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire, the 15-item Tilburg Frailty Indicator, and a self-developed questionnaire for sociodemographic and disease-related characteristics. Descriptive statistics were used as appropriate. Multiple linear regression and multivariate logistic regression were adopted to examine the influencing factors.
A total of 223 participants were enrolled in this study. Among the 223 participants, 49.3%, 32.7% and 28.7% achieved a cut-off score of ≥ 70 in self-care maintenance, monitoring and management, respectively. The linear regression models indicated that smoking status, frailty and self-care confidence were significantly associated with self-care maintenance; education level, per capita monthly household income and self-care confidence were significantly associated with self-care monitoring; and employment status and self-care confidence were significantly associated with self-care management. In addition, multivariate logistic regression showed that living in cities or towns was significantly associated with higher odds of adequate self-care management.
Three domains of self-care behaviours were influenced by distinct factors, and self-care confidence demonstrated consistent associations with all three domains of self-care behaviours. Self-efficacy-focused interventions may have the potential to promote self-care behaviours in older adults with MCCs.
Healthcare providers need to take into account the pivotal factors influencing self-care behaviours of this cohort to deliver structured and effective education and support. Clinicians should consider adopting confidence-building strategies in routine education for this cohort.
We adhered to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines.
No patient or public contribution.