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The Impact of International Visiting Scholars Programmes on Nursing PhD Students: An Integrative Review

ABSTRACT

Aim

To explore the impact of international visiting scholars programmes on the academic and professional development of nursing PhD students and to inform future doctoral curriculum design.

Design

Integrative review.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted across six databases (Embase, Medline, CINAHL, ERIC, Scopus and Web of Science) in December 2024, with no restrictions on publication year. After removing duplicates, 1300 records were screened by title, abstract and full text. Studies were included if they focused on nursing PhD students participating in international visiting programmes and addressed academic or professional development. Five studies met the inclusion criteria. Data were synthesised using a thematic analysis approach.

Results

Four themes were identified: (1) advancing academic excellence through enhanced research skills and critical thinking; (2) cultivating cross-cultural learning by fostering cultural sensitivity and adaptability; (3) fostering global networks that promote sustained international collaboration; and (4) shaping doctoral education by encouraging structured and sustainable international experiences. These findings suggest that international visiting scholars programmes contribute meaningfully to the academic, cultural and professional growth of nursing PhD students.

Conclusion

International visiting scholars programmes provide a unique platform for doctoral nursing students to strengthen their academic foundations and expand their global outlook. Integrating such experiences into doctoral curricula can better prepare future nursing leaders for international health challenges.

Impact

This review addresses a gap in the literature by focusing on the doctoral-level outcomes of international visiting scholars programmes in nursing. The findings offer guidance for educators and policymakers to design curricula that integrate global engagement, build institutional support for mobility programmes and promote equitable access to international academic opportunities in nursing education.

Reporting Method

The review adhered to the EQUATOR and PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.

How Does Mentorship Influence Doctoral Nursing Education? An Integrative Review

ABSTRACT

Aim

To report how mentorship influences the educational experiences and training of doctoral nursing students.

Design

Integrative literature review.

Methods

Peer-reviewed journal articles, theoretical works and editorials published in English that focused on doctoral nursing education were included. Papers reporting on mentorship for undergraduate nursing students, nursing faculty, educators, academics or clinical placements were excluded. Data were synthesised into an integrative review, with findings presented as a narrative summary.

Data Sources

Relevant papers published between January 2015 and January 2025 were identified using CINAHL, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC and Embase electronic databases. Search date March 10, 2025.

Results

The review included 16 articles, mostly from the United States of America (USA), examining mentoring in doctoral nursing education. Key findings highlighted valued mentor attributes, such as role modelling and expertise, along with benefits like enhanced research skills, academic performance and personal development. Mentoring also positively impacted mentors' creative performance. Barriers included limited mentor access and compatibility issues.

Conclusion

This review highlights essential attributes of effective mentors, balancing relational skills with expertise. Mentorship enhances student research skills, performance and personal development, also benefiting mentors' creativity. Limited access and compatibility issues pose barriers for nurse scholars. Doctoral programmes should prioritise mentor training, culturally responsive practices and equitable opportunities. Investing in mentorship can cultivate confident nurse leaders and scholars.

Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care

This review underscores the necessity of structured mentorship within doctoral nursing education. Effective mentorship directly influences student development, enhancing their research capabilities, academic achievements and readiness for professional roles. Prioritising mentor training and implementing culturally responsive mentorship frameworks can foster inclusive environments that better support diverse doctoral students, ultimately strengthening the nursing profession's academic and clinical leadership.

Reporting Method

This integrative review was reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Patient or Public Contribution

This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct, or reporting.

Redefining Nursing Leadership: A Multilevel Competency Framework for Future Healthcare Challenges

ABSTRACT

Aim

To examine the conceptual ambiguity of nursing leadership, particularly in relation to management roles, and to propose a multilevel competency framework that redefines leadership as a core dimension of nursing practice. The paper introduces an innovative hybrid Iceberg–Alles model that integrates observable competencies with deeper motivational, ethical and personality-based attributes.

Design

Integrative review.

Methods

Two-stage evidence identification process informed by theoretical reflection and existing evidence on nursing leadership and management.

Data Sources

A literature search was conducted in targeted databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL and extended to Google Scholar and grey literature.

Implications for Nursing

Current understandings of nursing leadership are fragmented and often limited to managerial skills, overlooking crucial aspects such as ethical commitment, personal values, interpersonal skills and relational capacities. The hybrid Iceberg–Alles model reconceptualizes leadership as a multidimensional construct that balances visible skills with underlying drivers such as motivation, self-awareness and value alignment, offering a more comprehensive basis for leadership development.

Conclusions

Nursing leadership should be understood as a relational and value-based process embedded across all levels of practice, not confined to formal administrative positions. The proposed model enhances conceptual clarity and provides a transferable framework that can be adapted across diverse health systems, roles and organisational structures.

Impact

Broadening the scope of nursing leadership can reduce role ambiguity, highlight the unique contribution of nurses to healthcare systems, and strengthen the profession's influence in policy and decision-making. The hybrid model provides concrete guidance for educational programmes, competency-based curricula and organisational strategies aimed at preparing future nurse leaders to manage complexity, promote collaboration and improve patient care.

Reporting Method

This manuscript followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines (PRISMA-ScR).

Patient or Public Contribution

This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct or reporting.

The Use of Triage in Primary Care in the UK: An Integrative Review and Narrative Synthesis

ABSTRACT

Aims

To examine the use of triage systems in primary care in the UK.

Design

Integrative literature review and narrative synthesis.

Data Sources

PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and Cochrane Library were searched in October 2024.

Methods

An integrative literature review was conducted following Whittemore and Knafl's (2005) five-step process. Of 1440 articles retrieved, 305 duplicates were removed, and 1086 excluded after title and abstract screening. Two additional articles were identified through citation and hand searches. Twenty studies were quality-assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, and data were extracted for narrative synthesis.

Results

Twenty studies were selected, including four randomised controlled trials, three quasi-experimental studies, eleven descriptive studies and two qualitative studies. The most common type of triage was telephone triage, most frequently performed by nurses. The most common health outcomes included subsequent patient re-contacts after triage, patient symptoms or complaints, current health status and patient safety. The benefits of triage included high patient satisfaction, workload redistribution, reduced GP workload and emergency department crowding, improved resource utilisation, access to care and communication. The challenges of triage included increased overall contact time, mis-triage issues, recruitment and retention challenges, the unsuitability of the decision support tool for the primary care setting and lower usage among older and less affluent groups.

Conclusions

This review examined the current use of triage in primary care in the UK, identifying common patterns in triage processes and classifications. Several benefits were identified, though some ongoing concerns about triage remain.

Impact

This paper provides essential evidence about the current use, effectiveness and challenges of triage in UK primary care. The findings can support healthcare policymakers, practitioners and researchers in planning and improving triage systems.

No Patient or Public Contribution

Integrative review.

Impacts of Financial Stress on Mental Health and Wellbeing of Nursing Students: A Systematic Integrative Review

ABSTRACT

Aim

To explore the direct relationship between financial stress and mental health and wellbeing of nursing students and characterise the effectiveness of available support mechanisms.

Design

Systematic integrative review.

Data Sources

Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, Education Research Complete, MEDLINE, ProQuest Central, PsycNET, Scopus and Web of Science were searched in January and October 2024.

Methods

Studies reporting a direct relationship between financial stress and mental health and wellbeing in nursing students were included. Data related to sources of financial stress, mental health impacts, and support mechanisms were extracted, synthesised narratively, and reported thematically.

Results

Findings from nine studies reveal that financial stress significantly affects nursing students' mental health and wellbeing, contributing to emotional distress and reduced quality of life. Financial stress arises from personal, academic and clinical sources, with the intensity varying based on individual demographic profiles and fluctuating throughout their educational journeys. Marginalised and underserved groups experience greater impacts due to pre-existing disadvantages. Current support mechanisms are largely reactive, providing only short-term relief and failing to address root causes. Additionally, students' efforts to alleviate financial stress in one domain often exacerbated it in another.

Conclusion

This review highlights the multifaceted and compounding effects of financial stress on nursing students' mental health and wellbeing. Proactive strategies, including structured employment programs, embedded financial literacy education, and transparent pre-enrolment information offer promising solutions.

Implications for the Profession

While financial stress cannot be fully eradicated, targeted support for at-risk students can mitigate its impacts, improving their mental health and educational outcomes.

Impact

This review addresses the critical issue of financial stress among nursing students, highlighting its disproportionate impact on marginalised and underserved groups. It underscores the need for proactive interventions and systemic reform to improve educational experiences globally.

Reporting Method

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 Statement.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.

Trial Registration: PROSPERO: CRD42024514262

Deployment of Perioperative Nurses From Their Clinical Specialty During the COVID‐19 Pandemic: An Integrative Review

ABSTRACT

Aim

To identify the available records surrounding the deployment of perioperative nurses into differing clinical settings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design

Integrative review methodology.

Methods

Quality appraisal of each record was conducted using a modified Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist. Data were extracted and presented based on outlined research objectives.

Data Sources

Six electronic databases (CINAHL Plus, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched, with relevant peer-reviewed records published after 2019 until February 2025 included to differentiate from other respiratory pandemics.

Results

Ten records were included in the review. Opposing discourse exists between perioperative decision makers and those perioperative nurses who underwent deployment to differing clinical areas surrounding perceptions and experiences of deployment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion

Few studies exist exploring experiences of perioperative nurse deployment to a different clinical area during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research is vital to develop strategies that enhance the deployment process and ensure effective patient care across various clinical settings when cared for by deployed perioperative nurses.

Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care

Further research exploring transferable perioperative nursing skills and its subsequent influence on safe patient care may enhance and inform nurse deployment practices, enriching future staffing protocols in the event of a future pandemic.

Reporting Method

PRISMA guidelines for reporting systematic reviews guided this review.

Patient or Public Contribution

This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct, or reporting.

Virtual Nursing in Residential Aged Care: What Is Known? A Rapid Review

ABSTRACT

Aims

To review current evidence on the implementation and impact of virtual nursing care in long-term aged care.

Design

An integrative rapid literature review.

Data Sources

Medline, CINAHL, Web of Science, Embase, Ageline and Scopus.

Review Methods

The review included studies involving virtual care interventions provided by nurses (or by a multidisciplinary team including nurses) to older people in residential aged care that reported health outcomes or stakeholder experiences. Consistent with PRISMA guidelines, databases were systematically searched in July and August 2024, focusing on literature published since 2014. Studies were screened in Covidence by three team members, with conflicts resolved by additional reviewers. Studies not involving nurses or not set in aged care were excluded.

Results

The search identified 13 studies, which included quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method approaches, conducted in both Australian and international settings, as well as in rural and metropolitan locations. Nurses were often involved as part of an existing virtual care programme, typically located in a hospital setting. The training and credentials of nurses delivering VN varied in terms of specialisation and advanced practice. The model of care in general was ad hoc, though in some cases there were regular, scheduled VN consultations. The time requirements for onsite staff and nurses were not well articulated in any of the studies, and information on the funding models used was also lacking.

Conclusion

There is some evidence that VN interventions in aged care may improve communication, enhance person-centred care and reduce emergency department presentations and hospitalisations.

Impact, Patient or Public Contribution

Rigorous, ongoing evaluation of VN interventions is required to ensure their appropriate application in residential aged care.

Maternity Care Providers Perspectives and Experiences of Obstetric Violence in Low‐, Middle‐ and High‐Income Countries: An Integrative Review

ABSTRACT

Aim

To explore the perspectives and experiences of maternity care providers regarding obstetric violence across low-, middle-, and high-income countries.

Design

An integrative review of the literature.

Methods

A systematic literature search in CINAHL, Medline (via Ovid), SCOPUS, and the Cochrane Library was conducted from 2014 to 2024. Further papers were identified through a review of the reference lists of identified studies and through email alerts from searched databases. Articles were appraised using the applicable Joanna Briggs Institute qualitative or cross-sectional critical appraisal tool.

Results

Title and abstract screen were undertaken on 2748 records. Fifty-four studies using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods designs were included. Maternity providers across all socio-economic levels described witnessing, and/or involvement in both respectful care and incidents of obstetric violence. The most common forms of obstetric violence were verbal and physical abuse, coercion, unconsented and unnecessary interventions, and violations of privacy and autonomy. Women who were socially marginalised, impoverished, and illiterate were vulnerable to obstetric violence. Differences were noted between low- and high-income countries, with detention of women for non-payment, privacy violations due to building design and lack of space, mistreatment due to HIV status, and women who were considered non-compliant being more vulnerable to obstetric violence in low-and low-middle-income countries. Obstetric violence was justified and normalised in the name of saving the baby, with less focus on the psychological health of the mother.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate that obstetric violence is a gender-based violence enabled through patriarchal structures and power imbalances. Maternity providers are witnessing or enacting obstetric violence across low-, middle- and high-income countries, with significant impacts on women and maternity care providers alike. This review highlights opportunities for further research and action to develop health and legal frameworks to prevent instances of obstetric violence and improve outcomes for women and maternity care providers.

Impact

A woman-centred approach underpinned by respectful maternity care has benefits for pregnant and birthing women. Obstetric violence, including verbal and physical abuse, coercion, and overmedicalisation, is prevalent in maternity services globally. This integrative review explored the perspectives and experiences of maternity care providers regarding obstetric violence across low-, middle-, and high-income countries. This review highlights the similarities and differences of witnessed, enacted, and perceived obstetric violence from the experience of maternity care providers. This review identifies the covert and overt nature of obstetric violence across low-, middle- and high-income countries. Gaining insight into provider perspectives across low-, middle-, and high-income countries may inform policy and practice reforms to eliminate obstetric violence and advance the provision of respectful maternity care.

Reporting Method

This integrative review adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.

Best Evidence Summary of Digital Therapeutic Interventions for Self‐Management in Patients With Hip Fractures: An Integrative Review

ABSTRACT

Aim

To consolidate the best evidence on digital therapeutic interventions for self-management in patients with hip fragility fractures, providing a foundational guide for clinicians in developing digital therapy-based self-management plans.

Design

Integrative review.

Data Sources

A comprehensive electronic search was conducted across multiple databases, including UpToDate, BMJ Best Practice, Joanna Briggs Institute, Health and Clinical Excellence, Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Web of Science and Chinese databases like China National Knowledge Infrastructure and SinoMed. This study retrieved papers published from the establishment of the database to September 2023.

Review Methods

Studies were selected based on inclusion criteria, such as relevance to hip fragility fractures and self-management through digital therapies. Quality assessments were conducted independently by two reviewers using established tools for each type of study, ensuring the inclusion of high-quality evidence.

Results

Fifteen studies were included: 4 guidelines, 5 expert consensus documents, 5 systematic reviews and 1 evidence summary. From these, 26 best practices were identified across 4 domains: digital design, self-management influencing factors, intervention plans and intervention content.

Conclusion

This integrative review provides a comprehensive, evidence-based summary of digital therapeutic interventions for self-management in patients with hip fragility fractures. The findings offer healthcare professionals a scientific basis for integrating digital therapy into clinical practice, highlighting its potential to enhance patient self-management.

Impact

This review underscores the value of digital therapies in empowering patients to take an active role in their rehabilitation, potentially improving adherence to self-management strategies and long-term outcomes.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution was used for this study.

Weight Bias Interventions for Healthcare Professionals: An Integrative Review

ABSTRACT

Aim

To describe interventions to mitigate weight bias among practicing healthcare providers and examine their effectiveness.

Design

An integrative review.

Methods

The framework of Whittemore and Knafl (2005) was utilised to identify and synthesise studies of weight bias interventions. Covidence reference management software facilitated screening using predetermined eligibility criteria that is, published in peer-reviewed journals, reported in English, and described outcomes for weight bias mitigation interventions among healthcare providers with a professional practice licence. We evaluated study quality using Joanna Briggs Institute's Critical Appraisal Tools for qualitative and quantitative studies.

Data Sources

Five databases were searched (CINAHL, Embase, EBSCOhost, APA PsycINFO, and Scopus) in July 2024.

Results

Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Four themes emerged: (1) active learning lessens weight bias more than passive learning, (2) multicomponent approaches yield better outcomes, (3) healthcare providers are willing to change their practices, and (4) explicit attitudes and beliefs are more amenable to change than implicit ones. Four sub-themes within theme one included the use of in-person workgroups; films, computer-based, and podcast delivery; written modules; and physical characteristic modifications, such as the use of an adiposity empathy suit. Intervention designs using a theory-based, active learning approach with repeated sessions were most successful at decreasing negative weight-biased attitudes and beliefs.

Conclusions

Interventions that effectively reduce weight bias among practicing healthcare providers vary, yet evidence suggests that weight bias mitigation is achievable. These interventions offer strategies to improve patient-centred care among patients living with obesity.

Impact

Healthcare providers often display weight bias. This review synthesises information on effective interventions for reducing bias, which may limit the subsequent negative patient outcomes associated with it.

Reporting Method

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses was the structure used for this paper.

Patient or Public Contribution

There were no patient or public contributions.

Exploring the Impact of COVID‐19 on Acute Care Nurses: An Integrative Review

ABSTRACT

Aim

To analyse, critique, and synthesise available research to create a unique framework of the impacts of COVID-19 on acute care nurses.

Methods

Whittemore and Knafl's framework was used to organise this review. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used for quality analysis.

Data Sources

CINAHL, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus and the National Institute of Health COVID-19 database were searched.

Results

Twenty-five articles were included. Impacts on acute care nurses came from changes, access to resources, interrupted relationships, and the virus itself. The outcomes from nurses were categorised as positive, physical, emotional responses, leaving and mental disorders. These outcomes were mediated by making connections, coping, learning and experience, and finding meaning.

Conclusion

Nurses working in acute care during COVID-19 were faced with immense stressors in a tumultuous and dangerous time. The vastly negative outcomes were less surprising than the fact nurses were left to find mitigating factors on their own. Given the large attrition from nursing that occurred and is still occurring, health systems that can both lessen the impacts and strengthen the buffering effects of mediating factors may fare better when the next pandemic comes.

Implications

Lessons learned can be used to prepare for future pandemics. Nurses should be at the forefront of all planning whether through education, policy, or research. Having a framework allows for a more comprehensive understanding and provides an underpinning for future action.

The possibility for impact spans nurses across the globe who have worked, and who may work, during a pandemic. This framework provides a basis for changes related to pandemic planning throughout nursing domains.

Reporting Method

The researcher has adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement.

No Patient or Public Contribution.

Telerehabilitation Interventions That Improve Adherence to Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients With Chronic Respiratory Diseases: A Realist Review

ABSTRACT

Aim

To explore how, under what circumstances and why telerehabilitation can improve adherence to pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic respiratory diseases.

Design

A realist review.

Data Sources

Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to 2 July 2024 to identify relevant literature.

Methods

Initial programme theory was developed through research team meeting, informal literature reading and the use of Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour model. After completing the literature search, key evidence was appraised, extracted and synthesised into context-mechanism-outcome configurations.

Results

The review included 23 studies. Seven context-mechanism-outcome configurations were identified. Accessibility and convenience of pulmonary rehabilitation; social interaction and support; technical support; individuality and flexibility of program; getting feedback and seeing results; real-time monitoring of diseases; and diverse motivational incentives were found to be critical for telerehabilitation to improve adherence to pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic respiratory diseases.

Conclusions

This review explains the key mechanisms by which telerehabilitation improves adherence to pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic respiratory diseases, which may contribute to the development and improvement of future pulmonary telerehabilitation interventions.

Impact

The program theory developed in this study may guide researchers and clinical staff in the development or improvement of pulmonary telerehabilitation interventions to improve patients' adherence to pulmonary rehabilitation and further support better pulmonary rehabilitation outcomes.

Reporting Method

This study adheres to The RAMESES reporting standards.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.

Trial Registration

Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/). DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/YWMQ8

The Discourse of Medical Assistance in Dying and Its Relationship With Hospice Palliative Care in Canada: An Integrative Literature Review

ABSTRACT

Aim

To explore how the legalisation of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) has shaped the discourse of MAiD and its relationship with hospice palliative care (HPC) in Canada.

Background

There is perceived tension in the discourse between the goals of MAiD and HPC, but little literature examines this relationship and the effect it has on healthcare providers such as nurses.

Design

Integrative review following Whittemore and Knafl's and Toronto and Remington's methodology.

Review Methods

A search was conducted to identify literature discussing MAiD and HPC in Canada. Articles were critically appraised for methodological quality. Data from each article were abstracted, thematically analysed, and synthesised.

Data Sources

Initial searches were conducted in CINAHL, PubMed, and professional association and government websites in September 2018 and updated in May 2023.

Results

A total of 457 records were screened for inclusion, and 83 articles were included. Articles included healthcare provider, patient, public, and institutional perspectives. Three themes identified from the data were the relationship between MAiD and HPC, suffering in the context of MAiD, and moral distress and moral uncertainty in providing or not providing MAiD.

Conclusions

The discourse around the relationship between MAiD and HPC is complex and contextual. Personal and professional understandings of end-of-life care differ and influence perspectives on how and whether MAiD and hospice palliative care can be reconciled. More exploration of this topic is recommended, given the changing legislation and beliefs around MAiD.

Impact

Findings consider how the concepts of end of life, MAiD, HPC, suffering, and moral distress influence and are influenced by the discourse of dying. This review provides direction for healthcare professionals working in end-of-life care and future ethical and moral areas for consideration.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution was necessary for this literature review.

Meaning of Person‐Inclusive Care and Care Expectations of Transgender Individuals From Healthcare Professionals: An Integrative Review

ABSTRACT

Aims

To comprehensively understand the meaning of person inclusive care and the care expectations of transgender individuals from health care professionals.

Design

An integrative review was conducted.

Data Sources

Literature was searched in four databases (CINAHL, PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus) and 25 qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies published during January 2019–October 2024 were included.

Methods

All articles were critically appraised using validated critical appraisal tools. Deductive and constant comparative analyses were used to develop themes and sub-themes.

Results

Person inclusive care was described as: (a) recognition and respect of identity, (b) holistic and individualised care and (c) creating safe and affirming healthcare environments. Care expectations included: (a) empowerment through shared decision-making, (b) person-centred communication, (c) advocacy as a supportive gesture and (d) intersectionality-informed care.

Conclusions

This review highlights the critical importance of person-inclusive care for transgender individuals, emphasising the need for healthcare practices that respect and affirm their identities, provide holistic care, and foster safe and supportive environments.

Impact

Transgender individuals experience persistent stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings and beyond. Understanding how to provide person-inclusive care and their care expectations from healthcare professionals is crucial to improving the delivery of quality care. The current body of evidence underscores significant disparities in healthcare for transgender individuals. While advancements in inclusive practices and affirming care models are evident in specific settings, these practices are not universally adopted. Inclusive care equips healthcare professionals with the necessary competencies to deliver high-quality, sensitive care that meets the unique needs of transgender individuals, ultimately fostering trust and equitable health outcomes. Nurses must ensure the delivery of person-inclusive care by demonstrating respect, advocacy, holistic assessment and care and genuine involvement of transgender individuals in decision-making for their care.

Patient or Public Contribution

No direct patient or public contribution.

Experiences and Impacts of Working in Organisations Undergoing Regulatory Scrutiny: An Integrative Review

ABSTRACT

Aim

To explore the experiences of healthcare staff in organisations undergoing regulatory scrutiny and to identify the professional and organisational impact.

Design

Integrative review.

Data Sources

Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, and Google Scholar.

Review Methods

This review followed Whittemore and Knafl's framework, adhering to PRISMA guidelines. Searches identified peer-reviewed studies from 2010 to 2025 examining healthcare staff under regulatory scrutiny. Studies employing diverse methodologies were included and synthesised using the constant comparison method to identify and refine key themes.

Results

Eight studies were included. Four interrelated themes were identified: (1) workforce wellbeing, autonomy, and professional identity; (2) regulatory culture, organisational adaptation, and quality improvement; (3) communication and relationships; and (4) impact on patient care and contextual variation.

Conclusion

Regulatory scrutiny profoundly shapes healthcare quality and professional culture but can unintentionally undermine workforce adaptability and innovation essential for effective care. These findings highlight the need for nursing-sensitive regulatory approaches that support professional autonomy, reduce burden, and enhance patient-centred care.

Impact

This evidence will inform nursing and midwifery policy and practice globally by providing support to inform nuanced, context-sensitive regulatory approaches that safeguard professional autonomy, reduce administrative burden, and promote safe, person-centred care across diverse healthcare settings. It will assist policymakers, healthcare leaders, and educators worldwide in enhancing workforce sustainability, patient safety, and care quality, facilitating the transfer of learning to varied healthcare environments and systems.

Patient or Public Contribution

Not applicable.

The Role of Nurses in General Practice: An Integrative Review

ABSTRACT

Aim

To synthesise the literature around the roles of general practice nurses (GPNs) and the barriers and facilitators of their role.

Design

Integrative literature review using Whittemore and Knafls framework.

Methods

Papers were exported into Covidence for screening. Quality was appraised using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool. Data were extracted into a summary table and analysed using thematic analysis.

Data Sources

CINAHL, Medline, and Google Scholar were used to identify papers published between January 2000 and February 2025 in English that reported primary research about GPN roles.

Results

Twelve papers were included in the review. The four overarching themes were role characteristics, the clinical role, the non-clinical role, and barriers and enablers. Findings suggest ambiguity surrounding the GPN role, with inconsistent perspectives and overlapping responsibilities contributing to underutilisation. GPNs played an important role in continuity of care and reported a desire to spend more time on health promotion, health education and assessment. GPNs were leaders in collaboration as they functioned as agents of connectivity for patients and staff. The GPN role faces both barriers and enablers, with the organisational structure, interprofessional relationships, and professional development.

Conclusion

The GPN role offers an opportunity to enhance access to general practice care. However, there is limited and mixed literature describing the roles of GPNs. Future research should more closely explore the current practice of GPNs to inform policy and optimal utilisation of the workforce to the full extent of their practice scope.

Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care

Understanding the complex roles of GPNs requires more robust data on clinical activity. These data would have the potential to inform ways to optimise the GPN role within the multidisciplinary team.

Reporting Method

This study adhered to the PRISMA reporting guideline.

Patient or Public Contribution

This review did not include patient or public involvement.

Beyond the Technology: Nursing Critically Ill Children on Extracorporeal Organ Support—A Hermeneutic Review of the Literature

ABSTRACT

Background

Using advanced forms of medical technology such as extracorporeal organ support to take over organ function in the face of critical illness is a manifestation of the technological expertise to support and prolong life. However, clinician focus on the technical aspects of extracorporeal organ support both in research and clinical practice has the tendency to relegate to the background and disregard multiple, non-technical components such as the meanings, interactions, and experiences of nurses, families and other healthcare professionals.

Aim

To understand how experiences and social interactions of critically ill children, families, and healthcare professionals are influenced by the use of extracorporeal organ support.

Design

Hermeneutic review of the literature.

Data Sources

CINAHL, PubMed and Web of Science followed by cross-citations and snowballing.

Results

A total of 24 studies were included in the review, representing four conceptual streams, namely (1) extracorporeal organ support as a biomedical intervention, (2) relationality concerning extracorporeal organ support, (3) performativity in using extracorporeal organ support and (4) the agential role of extracorporeal organ support.

Conclusion

The hermeneutic framework helped foreground perspectives demonstrating that extracorporeal organ support is not merely a piece of medical technology, but is an active fulcrum upon which human and material elements revolve, interact, and integrate to form multiple assemblages that can influence how the huge volume of nurse work can be reframed beyond the perpetuation of the patient-machine connection and affect the ways by which patients and families are cared for.

Impact

Understanding extracorporeal organ support as more than a medical device can enable nurses to develop informed plans of care and advocate for the interests of the family and that of the critically ill child who remains a passive recipient of care in an intensive care bed.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.

Self‐Management of Chronic Illness Among Chinese Immigrants: An Integrative Review

ABSTRACT

Aim

To advance the understanding of chronic illness self-management among Chinese immigrants in Western countries by synthesising evidence and through the lens of the Middle Range Theory of Self- and Family Management of Chronic Illness.

Design

Integrative review following Whittemore and Knafl.

Methods

Two reviewers used Covidence software to screen potential articles. After identifying the sample, reviewers extracted data into a matrix and appraised study quality using Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklists. Reviewers used the constant comparative method to categorise data into categories: (1) facilitators/barriers, (2) processes and (3) outcomes. Findings were then synthesised and mapped to the theory domains.

Data Sources

MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO and ProQuest Central (database inception—August 2025).

Results

Of 3205 records screened, 20 studies met the inclusion criteria with acceptable quality. Personal characteristics/health status, resources/environment, Chinese-Western cross-cultural experiences, family and healthcare systems, and linguistic barriers shaped the processes of Focusing on Illness Needs (developing illness insights, taking ownership of health needs, and health promotion); Activating Resources (Western health care, traditional Chinese practices, community and family support, and blended spiritual resources); and Living with a Chronic Illness (processing emotions, adjusting, integrating, and meaning-making). These processes lead to outcomes including improved disease control, psychological/cognitive well-being, and healthcare utilisation and unintended negative consequences such as emotional burden and delayed care-seeking.

Conclusion

While Chinese immigrants share certain aspects of self-management with Western populations, their approaches are shaped by culturally grounded, family-centred values, traditional health practices, and immigrant experiences, which underscore the need for culturally and contextually sensitive self-management support. The findings also expand the applicability of the guiding theory by identifying new cultural elements.

Implications for the Profession and Patient Care

Nurses can support self-management among Chinese immigrants by developing culturally and linguistically tailored interventions, engaging family members in health education and treatment planning, enhancing accessible digital, community and navigational resources, providing language assistance and strengthening staff training.

Reporting Method

We used the PRISMA 2020 checklist for adherence to review protocols.

Patient or Public Contribution

This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct or reporting.

Mastering the Art of Caregiving: Instructional Approaches to Teaching Healthcare‐Related Procedural Skills to Informal Caregivers—An Integrative Review

ABSTRACT

Aims

This review aims to explore instructional approaches employed in teaching complex procedural skills among caregivers.

Design

Integrative Review.

Data Sources

Electronic searches were conducted across seven databases: CINAHL, PubMed, OVID, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, ProQuest Central and Google Scholar. Manual searches of references within relevant studies were also performed. Original, peer-reviewed studies published in English between 2014 and 2025 were reviewed.

Methods

The Whittemore and Knafl method of integrative review was utilised to comprehensively examine literature encompassing various methodological designs. 17 articles that examined the learning of procedural skills among caregivers were included.

Results

The optimal approach to enhancing caregivers' knowledge, competence and confidence involves a learner-centric training model involving multiple phases. Effective caregiving begins with a thorough preparation of the caregiver, which is key to ensuring the success of the training programme. Next, knowledge can be imparted through diverse learning approaches and paradigms to cater to individual learning styles. Subsequently, the translation of knowledge gained to hands-on practice, deepens understanding and enhances caregivers' practical skills competency. Finally, confidence is built through providing opportunities and platforms for repeated practice, leading to mastery and increased confidence over time.

Conclusions

While specific learning pedagogies were not highlighted in the literature, the instructional approaches summarised in the existing literature closely resembled an existing teaching pedagogy: Peyton's Four-Step Approach. This approach is a stepwise teaching framework that has been widely used in healthcare teaching. The approaches used in the studies align with this approach and future interventions should consider designing their training accordingly to enhance its efficacy.

Impact

A well-designed training programme fosters caregiver resilience and preparedness, enabling them to navigate challenges effectively and sustainably. Future research could focus on creating an all-encompassing caregiver training that integrates the various approaches. Its feasibility and effectiveness in improving the caregiver preparation process could then be assessed.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.

Teaching and Learning Activities That Promote Critical Thinking in Student Nurse Practitioners: A Rapid Review

ABSTRACT

Background

Critical thinking has been identified as a key requirement for safe and competent practice for Nurse Practitioners. It has been suggested that it is the foundation for the development of clinical reasoning, diagnostic reasoning, and clinical judgement. Poorly developed critical thinking is linked to negative patient outcomes, diagnostic error, cognitive bias, and poor information processing. There is little literature that studies the teaching and learning activities that can be used in the development of critical thinking in Nurse Practitioners. The aim of this rapid review was to identify teaching and learning activities that promote critical thinking in Nurse Practitioners.

Design and Method

A rapid review was conducted to identify studies that examined different teaching and learning activities that promoted the development of critical thinking or any of its subthemes such as clinical reasoning, diagnostic reasoning or clinical judgement. Four databases were systematically searched: CINAHL, Medline, Embase and ERIC. The methodology used was guided by the Cochrane Rapid Review Methods Group. Eligible papers included peer-reviewed publications that evaluated the efficacy or effectiveness of teaching or learning strategies used for the development or promotion of critical thinking or its components. The included populations were faculty teaching in a Nurse Practitioner programme, Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Practitioner students or graduate level nursing students.

Results

The search yielded 6421 article titles and abstracts. Of these, 12 were included in the final rapid review. Teaching and learning activities were divided into three themes: classroom, simulation, and written. Classroom activities included problem-based learning, unfolding case scenarios, self-explanation, and Socratic inquiry. Simulation was in the form of high fidelity using standardised patients, computer-based programmes, escape rooms and virtual reality. Written activities included concept mapping, evolving case studies and illness scripts. Study participants noted that using a combination of teaching and learning activities had the greatest impact on their development of critical thinking.

Conclusion

There is limited knowledge on the effects of teaching and learning strategies on the development of critical thinking in nurse practitioners. This review offers a perspective on strategies that were most impactful for student nurse practitioners in their development of the different aspects of critical thinking. Simulation activities were the most researched and using it in combination with other activities was preferred by study participants.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution as this is a literature review.

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