Conectar
To explore aspects of interpersonal relationships in palliative care nursing, focusing on confidential conversations between patients and registered nurses (RN).
A qualitative study employing focused ethnography.
Data were collected through unstructured participant observations, field notes and interviews with patients and RN in specialist palliative care. Data were analysed using reflective thematic analysis.
Confidential conversations in palliative care are founded on trust that is fragile and develops dynamically through consistent interactions. Small talk, presence and silence are essential for initiating and maintaining trust and the interpersonal relationship. The environment, patient condition and RN emotional presence and competence shape these conversations. As the relationship evolves, conversations adapt to the patient's changing needs. Missed signals or interruptions can disrupt flow, but the potential for repair remains, allowing for restoration and strengthening of trust and connection.
Confidential conversations in palliative care are grounded in fragile, dynamic trust, necessitating ongoing presence, sensitivity and adaptability from RN. To support these interactions, healthcare environments must prioritise privacy, relational continuity and communication training. Future research should investigate how organisational structures and clinical settings influence confidential conversations.
Healthcare environments should facilitate confidential conversations by ensuring relational continuity and minimising distractions. Communication training that emphasises presence and management of silence can strengthen nurse–patient relationships, enhancing patient care and emotional support.
This study explores key aspects of confidential conversations in palliative care, emphasising trust and emotional sensitivity. It addresses a research gap in palliative care using rare observational methods to deepen understanding of nursing relational aspects. The findings offer practical guidance for enhancing communication and relational skills, informing training and policy development and ultimately, improving emotional support and care.
Findings are reported in accordance with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines.
This study did not involve patient or public participation in its design, conduct or reporting.
This study was an investigation of the key factors influencing nurse retention and attrition focusing on the perspectives of current and former nurses within the context of the ongoing nursing shortage exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This descriptive, cross-sectional study was designed to explore the complex dynamics of nurse retention and attrition in a rural and northern academic hospital in northwestern Ontario.
An online survey was administered to current and former nurses to compare the perspectives of those with no intention of leaving the organisation, those contemplating departure within the next year, and those who had reduced their work hours in the past 5 years.
Of the 288 respondents, 47% indicated no intention to leave and 17% reported having already left the organisation. The primary reasons for attrition included excessive workload demands, challenges maintaining a healthy work-life balance and dissatisfaction with management practices and organisational support. Respondents recommended improving leadership effectiveness, increasing staffing levels and implementing retention-focused initiatives to enhance job satisfaction and reduce turnover.
This study underscored the urgent need for strategic interventions tailored to retain nursing staff, particularly in rural and northern communities already facing significant recruitment and retention challenges. By addressing workload pressures, enhancing work-life balance, strengthening leadership and offering retention initiatives, health care organisations can improve job satisfaction and reduce attrition. System-level changes are essential to creating a sustainable and supportive environment for nursing professionals.
The findings highlight the critical need for immediate action to address the nursing crisis in rural and northern health care settings. They emphasise the importance of systemic interventions aimed at improving staffing levels, leadership practices and overall work conditions to safeguard the future of nursing in these underserved regions.
No patient or public contribution.
This research will contribute to the extant literature on the retention and attrition levels of nursing by offering a unique perspective from a rural and northern academ. The findings may help to guide hospital administrators to develop targeted strategies to enhance nurse retention rates within their organisations. By prioritising nurse satisfaction, these efforts will foster positive nurse–patient interactions and improve overall care outcomes.
This study is reported according to STROBE guidelines.
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are essential for evidence-based nursing care. However, the quality of reporting and adherence to methodological standards in Latin American nursing journals remains unclear. This study evaluates the characteristics, reporting quality, and potential risk of bias of RCTs published in Latin American nursing journals.
To assess the reporting compliance and risk of bias of RCTs published in Latin American nursing journals.
Meta-research study.
A comprehensive handsearch of 29 Latin American nursing journals was performed covering publications from 2000 to 2024. Identified RCTs were assessed for adherence to CONSORT reporting guidelines and evaluated for risk of bias. Outcomes were classified using the COMET taxonomy. A descriptive analysis was performed.
A total of 6377 references were screened, identifying 34 eligible RCTs, most published after 2018. The median CONSORT compliance was 19 reported items (IQR 16–22). High compliance (> 90%) was observed in abstract reporting items, study objectives, and participant selection criteria. However, critical methodological features such as randomization procedures, blinding, and protocol registration showed low adherence (< 40%). Risk of bias was mostly rated as having “some concerns”, largely due to insufficient reporting. According to the COMET taxonomy, the most frequently reported outcome domains were “Delivery of care” and “Physical functioning”.
Reporting compliance and risk of bias of RCTs published in Latin American nursing journals presents significant gaps, particularly in key methodological domains. These shortcomings hinder transparency, reproducibility, and integration into evidence synthesis. Strengthening editorial policies and enforcing reporting standards could enhance the quality and reliability of published research in Latin American nursing journals.
Predicting medical/surgical nurses' delivery of patient pressure injury prevention education within 24 h of hospitalisation.
A cross-sectional sub-study drawn from a larger multisite randomised controlled trial.
A consecutive sub-sample of 300 randomly assigned control group participants was recruited from 20 medical and surgical wards at two major hospitals (July 2020 to August 2023) in Queensland, Australia. Semi-structured observations and chart audit data were collected, including patient education, demographic and clinical data. Binary logistic regression identified hospital site, clinical and patient predictors contributing to pressure injury prevention education delivery by nurses.
Seventeen (5.7%) participants received pressure injury prevention education within the first 24 h of admission. Body mass index was an independent predictor, increasing the odds of nurses delivering patient education.
Few episodes of pressure injury prevention education were observed in this study. As a patient's body mass index rises, they are more likely to receive preventative education from nurses soon after admission.
Our findings underscore the need for standardised inclusive protocols and ongoing nurse training to assess and address education needs beyond single risk factors like body mass index. Further research should explore other factors influencing patient education delivery in hospitals.
This study adhered to STROBE guidelines. Dr. Brett Dyer, statistician, is part of the author team.
No patient or public contribution.
Many frontline essential working mothers returned to work outside of the home after maternity leave during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to describe the changes in breastfeeding relationships.
A longitudinal descriptive qualitative design was used.
Four open-ended questions were asked to explore breastfeeding experiences at home, mothers' thoughts and feelings during direct breastfeeding, strategies to solve their breastfeeding problems, and workplace breastfeeding support. Data were collected by an online survey at 1, 3, 5 and 6 months between June 2022 and August 2023. Data were analysed using inductive content analysis from 21 mothers in the United States who were directly breastfeeding at least once a day for the first 6 months. The trustworthiness of study results involved coding by consensus, peer debriefing, and maintenance of an audit trial.
The core construct, “Changes in Breastfeeding Relationships When Frontline Essential Working Mothers Return to Work Outside of the Home” explained mothers' experience in four domains: (1) Breastfeeding changes, (2) Changes in sleep arrangements, (3) Social support to continue breastfeeding, and (4) Physical and emotional distress of mothers and infants.
Unrestricted direct breastfeeding upon reunion through the night along with co-sleeping was the strategy mothers used to restore breastfeeding relationships with their infants and continue direct breastfeeding. Scheduled feeding and solitary sleep resulted in less direct breastfeeding, had negative consequences such as low milk supply, slow infant weight gain, and maternal distress.
Even though frontline essential working mothers persevered with the complexities of their work during the COVID-19 pandemic, findings highlight challenges mothers faced with their breastfeeding experience. Nurses need to discuss with mothers expected challenges of less frequent direct breastfeeding along with emotional tolls while being separated from their infant and strategies to develop sustainable breastfeeding relationships and continuation of direct breastfeeding.
None.
Workplace safety culture is pivotal in healthcare settings, known to enhance nurses' effectiveness and productivity. Yet, the specific pathways through which safety culture influences these outcomes, especially in relation to compassion fatigue, are not fully understood.
This study investigated the mediating role of compassion fatigue in the relationship between workplace safety culture, career satisfaction, and turnover intention among nurses.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 269 nurses from various acute healthcare facilities in Eastern Visayas, Philippines. Three standardized scales were used to collect the data. Mediation testing was performed using Hayes' PROCESS macro in SPSS (Model 4).
Workplace safety culture was negatively associated with compassion fatigue (β = −0.2604, p = 0.0012) and turnover intention (β = −0.2778, p = 0.0048) and positively associated with career satisfaction (β = 0.3986, p = 0.0001). Compassion fatigue partially mediated the relationship between workplace safety culture and career satisfaction (β = 0.0645, 95% CI [0.0213, 0.1215]) and the relationship between workplace safety culture and intention to stay (β = −0.0756, 95% CI [−0.1398, −0.0263]).
A positive workplace safety culture was associated with a lower compassion fatigue, which in turn enhanced career satisfaction and lower turnover intention among nurses. Healthcare organizations and policymakers should prioritize strategies that enhance safety culture and provide support for nurses to manage compassion fatigue effectively, ultimately leading to better patient care and a more stable nursing workforce.
Compassion competence among nurses is crucial for patient safety and the quality of nursing care, yet the mechanisms linking these factors remain unclear, indicating a significant gap in current understanding.
This study aimed to explore the mediating role of adherence to safety standards in the relationship between nurse compassion competence and patient safety incidents.
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 455 nurses across 3 hospitals in Visayas, Philippines. Participants completed self-report measures assessing compassion competence, adherence to safety standards, and perceived patient safety incidents. Data were analyzed using SPSS Hayes Macro Model 4 to examine direct and indirect effects.
Higher levels of compassion competence in nurses were positively associated with increased adherence to safety standards (β = 0.3438, p = 0.0019) and fewer patient safety incidents (β = −0.2586, p = 0.0001). Adherence to safety standards was found to partially mediate the relationship between compassion competence and patient safety incidents (β = 0.0451, 95% CI [0.0106, 0.0862]).
Fostering compassion competence in nurses can enhance adherence to safety standards, ultimately leading to a reduction in patient safety incidents in healthcare environments. The findings underscore the critical role of compassion competence not just as a desirable nursing trait but as a strategic lever for improving patient safety. Healthcare organizations should implement structured professional development programs that cultivate empathy, emotional intelligence, and effective communication—core elements of compassion competence. Nursing leadership must also embed compassion-driven practices into patient safety protocols, promote a culture of accountability and empathy, and support interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure consistent adherence to safety standards and minimize preventable harm.
To describe the implementation determinants for care coordination interventions in a hospital context.
Systematic review.
This review was guided by the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research (CFIR), assessed for quality using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and reported with the PRISMA guidelines.
CINHAL Complete, EMBASE, MEDLINE Complete, PsychINFO (between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2022, and updated May 09, 2024) and a manual reference list search of all included studies.
The search returned 5614 articles after duplicates were removed. After title and abstract screening, 264 articles underwent full-text review. Sixteen studies (15 care coordination models) met the inclusion criteria. The CFIR inner setting domain and the implementation process domain were the most prominent domains and ‘Partnerships & Connections’, ‘Work Infrastructure’, ‘Capability’ and ‘Reflecting and Evaluating’ subdomains emerged as important determinants across the included studies.
Inconsistent findings relating to care coordination outcomes are likely to be substantially influenced by the complexity and heterogeneity of the interventions and variations in implementation and contextual factors. Intra- and inter-organisational relationships were important to connect previously disconnected parts of the health system and were facilitated by experienced care coordinators. Continual improvement was also important to increase fit with contextual factors. More high-quality studies are needed to identify commonalities and provide generalisable principles and characteristics associated with high-performance implementation.
Review findings will provide practitioners, policymakers, and researchers with a comprehensive synthesis of evidence underpinning implementation of effective community care coordination from hospital settings.
These review findings will inform the effective implementation of care coordination interventions in a hospital context for patients with complex multimorbidity.
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis.
PROSPERO Registration: CRD42022376642.
No patient or public Contribution.
The aim of this study was to understand the needs of children and young people of a parent with young-onset dementia, to inform the development of a nursing model.
Children and young people of a parent diagnosed with young onset dementia have a range of needs that are subject to change and aligned to their stage of development and growth.
Systematic review.
Searches were conducted in PsycInfo (1806–Jan 2025), Medline (1996–Jan 2025) and CINAHL (1961–Jan 2025); search terms were developed in consultation with an academic librarian.
The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses was used to assess the trustworthiness and applicability of the findings and the Mixed Methods Assessment Tool to assess quality. The review protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42024534104). Needs identified from the literature were matched with the activities and interventions of a specialist nursing model.
Searches yielded 223 records of which 17 met the inclusion/exclusion criteria, the majority of which used qualitative methods (N = 16). A thematic synthesis approach was used to analyse data to reveal four emergent themes: (1) finding a way, (2) social connection and peer support, (3) preserving childhood and adolescence and (4) practical support, including the needs relating to education. Identified needs: knowledge and information, emotional support, consistency in education and development, maintaining social connections, physical and psychological well-being, and grief and loss were mapped against a specialist nurse role.
Children and young people with a parent diagnosed with young-onset dementia face unique challenges compared to older carers. Despite growing awareness of their needs, this population is often overlooked in national dementia strategies. Developing a specialist nurse role is a positive step, but broader systemic support is essential to safeguard their well-being and future opportunities.
This study adheres to the PRISMA reporting guidelines.
A bespoke Research Advisory Group, consisting of people with young onset dementia, young family carers, clinicians and academics, guided the review.
Research priorities guide research activities, funding and resources within health services. To ensure that research efforts are meaningful and impactful, it is vital that organisational research agendas reflect the priorities of both healthcare consumers and staff, alongside broader national and international research frameworks. This paper outlines a research priority-setting project conducted across two hospitals in Western Australia, aimed at identifying shared research priorities through a collaborative and inclusive approach.
To identify the top ten nursing and allied health research priorities for two hospitals in Western Australia.
A modified James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership approach was used, involving health services users, nurses, allied health professionals, and community members in a co-design approach across three phases. In phase 1, four community conversations were conducted to elicit an initial set of research topics. This data-informed phase 2, a survey to collect diverse views from a wider participant pool. In phase 3, a pre-selected sample of potential research priorities was discussed in a consensus workshop to reach a group consensus of the top ten research priorities. Qualitative data was analysed using multi-step thematic analysis, and quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics.
A total of 67, 151 and 18 people participated across study phases 1, 2 and 3, respectively, comprising nurses, allied health professionals, healthcare users, carers, and interested community members. The top ten research priorities reflected three areas: healthcare systems re/design (streamlining care; access to healthcare; patient journey and quality of care), workforce needs (workforce well-being, retention and adequate staffing; workforce training), and specific health issues and needs (dementia and delirium; mental health; caring for carers; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health; palliative care and elderly people).
The research priorities identified in this study for two hospitals in Western Australia reflect the strong desire of nurses, allied health professionals, healthcare users and community members to improve structural issues in healthcare systems. This includes how healthcare systems are designed and integrated with each other, how workforce needs affect service delivery, and a greater focus on holistic service provision for specific health issues and needs.
Healthcare consumers were an integral part of this study. Healthcare consumers were involved in the design of the study, the conduct of the study, and the review of the data analysis.
To develop a structured intervention aimed at enhancing family communication to reduce relapse in adolescents with depression.
This study follows a multi-stage process guided by the Intervention Mapping procedure with the Medical Research Council framework, assessing the layers of complexity. Its design comprises four interrelated stages to construct a family communication intervention, culminating in a pilot randomised controlled trial.
The program has four stages: (1) Identifying family interaction gaps through literature review and expert input; (2) Investigating communication needs of depressed adolescents and their families via a mixed methods study to develop a model intervention; (3) Refining the intervention with focus groups and expert e-Delphi; and (4) Finalising the intervention based on pilot randomised controlled trial outcomes. The research will be conducted in Greater Accra, Ghana.
The process will result in a family communication intervention tailored to the needs of adolescents with depression and their families. It will be pilot tested, and the results will inform a nationwide efficacy trial.
This research integrates qualitative and quantitative data to inform the development of an evidence-based family communication intervention. The program will carefully examine data integration and contextual challenges encountered during its implementation.
The intervention has the potential to enhance family communication, thus playing a crucial role in adolescent depression recovery by reducing relapse rates. Healthcare professionals will benefit from a structured, evidence-based communication tool that can be used in clinical settings.
The study focuses on improving communication between families of adolescents with depression, aiming to develop a family communication package for clinical and community use. This intervention may enhance recovery outcomes and reduce relapse risk for adolescents.
This study adhered to the GUIDED guideline for reporting intervention development studies.
No Patient or Public Contribution.
To evaluate the predictive capacity of the Integrated Care for Older People screening tool for the risk of falls in older people receiving care at a healthcare service.
A cross-sectional study.
This study was conducted in a geriatric healthcare service in the southeast region of Brazil. The convenience sample included older people aged 60 and over living at home. The study used the Fall Risk Score to assess the risk of falls and the Integrated Care for Older People screening tool to track intrinsic capacity. The data was analysed using logistic regression to analyse the association between the six Intrinsic Capacity domains, for the early detection of impairment and risk of falls.
A total of 253 older adults participated in the study, most of whom were identified as having a high risk of falls. Logistic regression analysis across six association models revealed that the models including the Intrinsic Capacity domains of locomotion and hearing had a significant association with having a higher risk of falls. Care plans should prioritise the domains most strongly associated with fall risk, guiding targeted strategies to enhance older adults' safety.
The Integrated Care for Older People screening tool, in the locomotion and hearing domains, is associated with the risk of falls in older people from the community receiving care in a geriatric healthcare service. Future longitudinal studies could show whether other domains of intrinsic capacity can predict the occurrence of falls.
This study highlights the Integrated Care for Older People screening tool as essential in nursing practice, especially for assessing the locomotion and hearing domains of intrinsic capacity. Early detection of impairments helps identify increased fall risk in older adults, enabling nurses to implement targeted, person-centred interventions that enhance safety, autonomy and overall quality of life.
No patient or public contribution.
This study complied with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines for cross-sectional studies.
To co-design an information booklet to support adults living with a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) at home.
A sequential, mixed-method approach using Boyd's co-design framework.
A diverse project team led co-design of a PICC booklet based on preferences and PICC management strategies identified through content analysis of interviews with 15 Australian health consumers (January 2022–March 2023) using a qualitative descriptive approach. A draft booklet was developed, reviewed by the team and prototyped, which was evaluated by consumer participants and an external nurse panel, with readability assessed using Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch–Kincaid scores. The project team reviewed feedback, reached consensus on changes and collaborated with designers to produce the final booklet.
Consumer participant strategies were classified into four categories: enhancing coping, taking responsibility and understanding information, modifying life and accessing supports. Two pre-determined categories were included (participant recommendations for PICC education resource content and top tips for living with a PICC). The prototype was evaluated as highly relevant (3.9/4), comprehensive (3.8/4) with an appropriate writing style and visual appeal. Readability scores were 76.1/100 (Flesch Reading Ease) and 6.9 (Flesch–Kincaid grade level). The final booklet contained 13 sections.
A co-design approach successfully created a novel PICC information booklet with positive evaluations.
Provides understanding of consumer information preferences to inform PICC education and offers insight into consumer-developed strategies and knowledge for living with a PICC.
A co-designed PICC information booklet based on consumer knowledge may augment nursing education for people living with a PICC to improve outcomes.
The qualitative component follows the EQUATOR network COREQ guideline. A co-design research reporting standard is not available.
A consumer representative was a member of the project team and contributed to study design, interpretation of findings and development of the booklet and manuscript.
To explore the illness coping experiences of patients with moderate-to-severe burns and provide a reference for healthcare professionals to formulate coping strategies.
Qualitative study using a descriptive phenomenological approach.
From 1 June to 30 September 2024, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 patients with moderate-to-severe burns. Colaizzi's seven-step method was used for data analysis.
Seven subthemes and three higher order themes were identified: (1) perception of illness experience; (2) coping with disease threats; and (3) benefits of coping with illness. Most of the participants faced multiple difficulties in their disease experiences, such as increased financial pressure, higher pressure on family caregiving, deformed physical conditions and negative emotions. Positive psychological qualities, family and social support played significant roles in coping with these challenges.
Patients with moderate-to-severe burns experience multiple difficulties during their recovery. Effective coping resources can help them overcome these challenges.
Healthcare professionals should work with patients with moderate-to-severe burns and their families to establish an effective support system that enhances patients' coping abilities and promotes their overall recovery.
Patients with moderate-to-severe burns face diverse challenges. However, their experiences and coping processes during recovery remain unclear. This study provided valuable insights into their illness experiences and coping strategies. The findings highlighted multiple difficulties, such as a significant increase in financial pressure and dependence on family caregiving, painful and deforming physical conditions and various negative emotions. Positive psychological qualities, family and social support play an important role in coping with these challenges. Healthcare professionals should work with patients and their families to establish effective support systems to promote overall recovery.
No patient or public involvement.
To determine the application rate of the preventive measures, alternate air anti-decubitus mattress and postural changes in patients who develop hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) on the basis of their preventive or reactive temporality.
This is an ambispective observational study that included adult patients without pressure injuries admitted to Mancha Centro Hospital (Spain) who developed at least one HAPI during hospitalisation (August 2022 to March 2023).
The main variables were the implementation of preventive measures and the time of their application. Other variables were comorbidities, sociodemographic and clinical variables, Braden and Barthel scale, variables related to the application of preventive measures and information to characterise HAPI.
180 patients who developed 276 HAPI during their admission were included; 73.9% of the patients received a risk assessment upon admission, and 53.9% were re-evaluated. At some point during admission, an anti-decubitus mattress was placed in 73.3% of the patients, and 76.1% received postural changes.
Among the patients at risk at the time of HAPI onset, 49.4% had received anti-decubitus mattress preventively, 23.9% had received it reactively, and 26.7% did not receive it. Among the patients without contraindication for postural changes, 51.4% received them before the lesions appeared, 33.6% received them after the lesions appeared, and 13.6% did not receive them.
We detected a significant association between the preventive application of anti-decubitus mattress and postural changes with the Braden reassessment; admission to the intensive care unit; mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, nasogastric tube; mental state confused; hospital isolation; low Barthel and Braden scores; impaired mobility; inability to perform postural changes; diaper; urinary/faecal incontinence; and sedatives.
Only approximately half of the patients received preventive measures. Although patients with a more unfavourable clinical profile were more likely to receive these measures, increased awareness and training among healthcare professionals are necessary to ensure broader and more consistent implementation of preventive strategies.
This study explores the real-world use of preventive measures in hospitalized patients who develop HAPI. In half of the patients, these measures were applied reactively, highlighting the need to introduce strategies that facilitate the implementation of evidence-based practices.
This study was reported following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist for cross-sectional studies.
In the present study, data from patients have been obtained, but the patients or caregivers have not contributed to the development of the manuscript.
To design and develop a novel co-produced intervention tool aimed at facilitating discussions that lung cancer nurses have with lung cancer patients about clinical trial opportunities; and promote trial recruitment.
A multi-phase qualitative focus group (phase 1) and co-production (phase 2) study.
The rigorous design and content of the intervention tool was informed by qualitative data from seven focus groups with lung cancer healthcare professionals (n = 38) and patients and their carers (n = 22) to establish barriers and facilitators to clinical trial participation. Data collection took place across England and Scotland between October and December 2023. Findings from a previously published systematic review were also incorporated to inform intervention tool design. The tool was developed through an extended co-production workshop comprising lung cancer nurses (n = 7), lung cancer patients (n = 2) and health researchers (n = 4). The COM-B model of behavioural change underpinned both phases of the project to guide tool development.
Phase 1 focus groups identified the need for a tool to provide basic trial information to patients, and to support lung cancer nurses in discussing trials with patients, thus improving nurses' knowledge, confidence, and awareness of trials. The phase 2 coproduction workshop identified that the tool should consist of two elements: a patient-facing information pamphlet and a large poster for nurses to assist them in discussing trial opportunities.
The study results demonstrate how nurses can be supported to discuss clinical trial opportunities with patients, with the potential to increase long-term recruitment to clinical trials.
Lung cancer nurses often lack confidence to support patients to make informed choices about trial enrolment. By addressing this issue, participation in lung cancer clinical trials can be significantly improved to benefit patient outcomes and trial participation rates.
The tool has the potential to be used across a range of different cancer settings and sites to increase recruitment to clinical trials.
The COREQ checklist was utilised to ensure that robust processes were followed and reported on.
Patients and members of the public were involved in all study processes and contributed to the study design, interpretation of the data, and intervention design. Their contributions included reviewing focus group topic guides, reviewing data analysis, the co-production of the intervention tool, and co-authoring this paper, ensuring the research addressed the needs and priorities of lung cancer patients when making an informed choice about clinical trial participation.
The aim of this study was to explore the digital health technology readiness of nurses, nursing students, nurse-academics, and nurses in leadership roles. Workforce digital readiness impacts the adoption of digital health technologies and quality and safety outcomes. This study sought to identify key factors affecting nurses' readiness for specific digital health technologies and provide recommendations to accelerate readiness levels in alignment with rapidly advancing digital health technologies.
Cross-sectional multi-method study.
An online survey was followed by semi-structured interviews. Survey data (N = 160) were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, whereas qualitative responses (N = 8 interviews, 43 open-ended responses) were thematically analysed.
Participants were confident regarding openness to innovation, reporting highest confidence Levels around telehealth, wearable devices, and information technology. The lowest confidence scores were seen in health smart homes technology, followed by health applications, social media, patient online resources, and EHRs. Four themes were developed from the qualitative interviews including ‘opportunities for efficient ways of working’, ‘digital technology turning experts into novices’, ‘disillusionment between expectation and reality’ and ‘shared responsibility for development of digital expertise’. Open-ended data was focused on the need for comprehensive education, ongoing support, and infrastructure improvements to prepare healthcare professionals for digital health environments.
Notable findings include age-related differences, the need for shared responsibility in workforce preparation, and a link between problem-solving ability and help-seeking.
Low confidence among nurses around the use of digital health technologies such as electronic health records, in-home monitoring technology, and other wearable technologies could impact adoption readiness. Because patient safety is increasingly and inextricably linked to digital health technologies, nurses must not only be digital health literate but also included in the design and implementation process of these technologies.
This study adhered to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines for the reporting of cross-sectional survey research, and the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative (COREQ) research guidelines.
Limited patient and public involvement was incorporated, focusing on feedback from digital health researchers and practitioner-academics during the academic peer review process. Their insights informed the clarity and relevance of the survey design and data interpretation, ensuring alignment with real-world workforce development priorities in nursing.
To investigate and compare the self-assessed professional competence of registered nurses, specialist nurses and midwives at a regional teaching hospital in Sweden. Moreover, to explore associations between potential predictive background factors and self-assessed professional competence.
A cross-sectional study.
Convenience sample of 615 nurses answered a questionnaire; sociodemographic data, 35-item Nurse Professional Competence Scale, Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale. Statistical analyses: Fisher's non-parametric permutation test, Kruskal–Wallis test, Mantel–Haenszel chi-square test, Spearman rank correlation test, calculating sum score. Multiple linear regressions and reliability testing with Cronbach's alpha.
Response rate, 58.7%; mean age, 44.7 years; work experience, 0.2 years to 45 years (mean 16.4 years); 83.4% women. 82.4% bachelor's degree; out of these, 34.3% with an additional master's degree. 17.6% nursing diploma without an academic degree. The highest mean scores for the NPC Scale were in Value-based nursing care, Medical and technical care. The lowest were in Care pedagogics and Development, leadership and organisation of nursing care. Total mean score 84.3, (79.3–90.0). Specialist nurses scored higher in all areas except Care pedagogics. Predictive factors indicated being a woman was positively associated with higher competence scores in all six areas, β coefficients 2.2–5.3 with p < 0.05. Longer nursing experience was positively associated with higher competence in Nursing care (β 0.17 per year, p = 0.01), Medical and technical care (β 0.14 per year, p = 0.01). The occupational self-efficacy scale was strongly positively associated with higher competence in all areas, β per scale step 0.42–0.63 with p < 0.0001. Nurses without academic degree had lower competence scores in several areas compared to bachelor's degree, β ranges from −3.47 to −2.31, p < 0.05.
Utilising competence data, the Swedish Enhanced Competence Development Model (vKUM) can effectively support the planning and management of ongoing professional competence development.
Study methods and results reported in adherence to STROBE checklist.
The nurses contributed their consent, time and data to this study.
To identify and synthesise the ethical, feasibility and acceptability challenges associated with implementing eye-tracking research with clinicians in acute care settings and to explore strategies to address these concerns.
Scoping review using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.
Six databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Web of Science, APA PsycInfo and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global) were searched for peer-reviewed articles. Reference lists of included studies were also hand-searched.
Eligible studies involved clinicians using or interacting with eye-tracking devices in acute care environments and addressed at least one ethical, feasibility, or acceptability consideration. Data were extracted and thematically analysed. Knowledge users, including clinicians, ethicists and a patient partner, were engaged during protocol development and findings synthesis.
Twenty-five studies published from 2010 to 2024 were included. Seven challenges were identified: obtaining ethical approval, managing consent, privacy and confidentiality concerns, collecting data in unpredictable environments, interference with care, participant comfort and data loss or unreliability. Knowledge users highlighted the importance of early institutional engagement, clear protocols, continuous consent and context-sensitive ethical reflection.
Eye-tracking offers valuable insights into clinician behaviour and cognition, but its implementation in acute care raises complex ethical and methodological issues. Responsible use requires anticipatory planning, stakeholder engagement and flexible yet rigorous protocols.
By informing the development of ethically sound study protocols and consent practices, this work contributes to safer, more transparent and patient-centred research that respects participant autonomy and protects clinical workflows.
The protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/jn4yx).
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA; Page et al., 2021) and its Extension for Scoping Reviews (Tricco et al., 2018).
A patient partner was involved in protocol development, interpretation of findings and development of study recommendations. Their contributions included participating in advisory groups and providing feedback alongside clinicians and ethicists during focus groups. This input helped ensure the research addressed patient-relevant priorities and informed the development of ethically responsible practices for conducting eye-tracking research in clinical care settings.
FreshRSS 