Stroke nursing is widely recognised for its significant role across the whole multidisciplinary stroke care pathway.1 Ensuring that stroke nurses are equipped with the latest stroke specialist knowledge and skills is fundamental in providing high-quality and safe stroke care.1 2 However, in spite of the provision of nationally-recognised, quality-assured training and education programmes, for example, the Stroke-Specific Education Framework in the...

Previous investigations into postnatal debriefing have had mixed results regarding its effectiveness and have not established best practices for its usage.1 Shortcomings of prior studies included the heterogeneity of types of debriefing delivery, which varied across contexts (format, setting, provider type), and varying inclusion and exclusion criteria.1 Importantly,...

Although care for low-risk births in the Netherlands is primarily conducted by midwives, the use of consultant-led care has been increasing for a variety of indications, leading to a high patient burden for consultants. The induction of labour (IOL) of late-term pregnancies has historically been an indication for consultant-led care. This study by Velthuijs et...

As a result of the mass scale of production of plastics since the 1950s, microplastics, defined as particles 1 Microplastics have been linked to reproductive toxicity in both cell culture...

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a recommended treatment for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVDs), given the rising number of cardiac incidents due to ageing population and modern lifestyles.1 To improve accessibility and follow-up support for optimal health, e-platforms are increasingly being used. Virtual CR uses technology-based methods such...

Emergency departments (EDs) have a crucial role in suicide prevention. Around 18% of people who died by suicide presented to ED in the month prior to death, commonly for self-harm.1 A hospital presentation for self-harm is one of the strongest risk factors for suicide;...

The study by Goto et al screened adolescents across Ukraine for mental health consequences of war.1 These adolescents had a range of exposures to the Russian invasion beginning in early 2022 and completed self-report symptom questionnaires. Prior studies cited in the article suggested that children and adolescents may be especially vulnerable to war-related mental health problems. Given the difficulties of conducting research during ongoing hostilities, this study’s efforts to collect and systematically evaluate a large research...

Over the last decade, there has been a growing focus on the use of opioids in the management of pain across clinical practice and media outlets. The incidence of chronic non-cancer pain is estimated between 35% and 51%.1 It is estimated that around 22% of patients with chronic non-cancer pain received a prescription for an opioid, with 8%–12% showing signs of OUD.2...

An increasing number of adolescents and young adults seek medical care for gender affirmation.1 Approximately 0.6%–2.0% of adolescents and young adults identify as transgender and non-binary (TNB).2 TNB youth and their caregivers need to be engaged in the developmentally appropriate multidisciplinary care that encompasses gender-affirming medical care and support.

Child abuse or neglect is estimated to occur in 10–30 per 100 000 infants in developed countries but is likely under-reported.1 Abusive head trauma, which includes all inflicted head trauma regardless of specific mechanisms such as shaken baby syndrome, is a severe form of physical abuse and linked to high rates of morbidity and mortality.2 Babies less than 1 year...

Suicide is defined as a ‘direct cause’ of maternal death while pregnant or within 1 year post partum.1 Maternal suicide has been identified as a leading cause of maternal mortality in high-income countries including, for example, the Netherlands, where the study2 was conducted, the UK3 and France.4...

Caesarean section (CS) is a lifesaving intervention which can be used when complications arise during pregnancy or delivery. In the last...

Recent literature has demonstrated benefits of the upright position and mobility during labour, including a reduction in caesarean birth incidence and the promotion of positive childbirth experiences. However, mobilisation during labour is still not a common practice worldwide. This study by Borer and Dubovi investigates the use of interactive-constructive forms of childbirth instruction to improve maternal education of the benefits of mobility and foster positive attitudes towards this style of labouring. Chi...

Hospitalisation in patients with HF is associated with impaired quality of life, increased mortality and excessive medical costs.1 Although HF signs and symptoms have been strongly associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes2 and play a key role in the management of HF, their role has not been yet included in prognostic models for HF...

Individuals with mental illness experience higher rates of physical health issues compared with those without.1 These people tend to have poorer surgical outcomes and report fewer positive experiences of care during hospital admissions for medical or surgical procedures.1 Unpreparedness, negative attitudes and perceptions, along with a reported lack of knowledge and skills, contribute to nurses working in medical and surgical environments feeling unable to deliver effective holistic care to...

This article on realist reviews is the second in a four-part series on realist research.1–3 Evidence synthesis involves collating published research to address specific research questions,4 commonly centred around identifying what works for an average person within a population of interest.5 Systematic reviews are thought of as the universal gold standard in conducting evidence synthesis.5 6 However, when it comes to understanding intervention effectiveness, complementary knowledge is needed addressing why some interventions work and others do not, among whom they work best and in what contexts.3 In answering such questions, a different approach to systematic review methodology is required.

Realist reviews (or realist evidence syntheses) are a theory-building, interpretative approach to evidence synthesis. Realist reviews aim to go beyond seeking whether interventions work (ie, are effective), to generating explanations as to...

There is mounting evidence of the effects of global warming and ecological changes on human health, encompassing mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.1 The systemic, global and potentially irreversible impacts of climate change have led to concepts such as eco-anxiety, eco-grief, eco-guilt and solastalgia.2 Solastalgia, introduced by Australian philosopher Glenn Albrecht, is a relatively new concept used to understand the links between human health and the ecosystem. Solastalgia describes the emotional or existential distress individuals feel when their sense of home and place is disrupted by environmental changes caused by climate change, natural disasters or human activities.3–5Solastalgia refers to the "homesickness felt while at home". It is the distress caused by changes in one’s environment, rather than physically leaving...

Diabetes is already known as a risk factor for developing dementia. Multiple factors contribute to this association: presence of microvascular and macrovascular complications, chronic inflammation, hyperglycaemia, hypoglycaemia and hyperinsulinemia.1

Older adult patients often present with multimorbidities, polypharmacy, malnutrition, sarcopenia, longer duration of diabetes and renal and hepatic dysfunction. Furthermore, low education level, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, obstructive...

This article is the first in a series exploring realist research, a methodological approach well suited to the complexity of nursing practice. Unlike traditional approaches such as randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews, which focus on whether interventions work, realist research examines how and why interventions work when implemented in specific groups; reflecting the individualised care nurses provide. By introducing the key concepts of realist research, this article highlights its relevance to nursing and lays the groundwork for using realist research to drive meaningful improvements in healthcare.