Psychometric evaluation of the Decision Support System (DSS) for municipal nurses encountering health deterioration among older adults.

BACKGROUND: A valid and reliable tool is crucial for municipal registered nurses (RNs) to make quick decisions in older adults who show rapid signs of health deterioration. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Decision Support System (DSS) among older adults in the municipal healthcare system. METHODS: Firstly, we utilized the Rasch dichotomous model to analyze the DSS assessments (n=281) that were collected from municipal RNs working with older adults in the municipal healthcare system. We examined the properties of the DSS in terms of its unidimensionality, item fit, and separation indices. Secondly, to investigate inter-rater agreement in using the DSS, four experienced municipal RNs used the DSS to assess 60 health deterioration scenarios presented by one human patient simulators. The 60 DSS assessments were then analyzed using the ICC (2,1), percentage agreement, and Cohen κ statistics. RESULTS: The sample of older adults had a mean age of 82.8 (SD 11.7). The DSS met the criteria for unidimensionality, although two items did not meet the item fit statistics when all the DSS items were analyzed together. The person separation index was 0.47, indicating a limited level of separation among the sample. The item separation index was 11.43, suggesting that the DSS has good ability to discriminate between and separate the items. At the overall DSS level, inter-rater agreements were good according to the ICC. At the individual DSS item level, the percentage agreements were 75% or above, while the Cohen κ statistics ranged from 0.46 to 1.00. CONCLUSIONS: The Rasch analysis revealed that the psychometric properties of the instrument were acceptable, although further research with a larger sample size and more items is needed. The DSS has the potential to assist municipal RNs in making clinical decisions regarding health deterioration in older adults, thereby avoiding unnecessary emergency admistion and helping.

Nurse assistants' experiences and knowledge of how they create a meaningful daily life for older persons receiving municipal home healthcare.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore nurse assistants' experiences and knowledge of how they create a meaningful daily life for older people receiving municipal home healthcare. DESIGN: A participatory appreciative action reflection approach. METHODS: Interviews, participant observations and informal conversations with 23 nurse assistants in municipal home healthcare generated the data. A thematic analysis was used. RESULTS: Two main themes were developed. The first main theme, building a reciprocal relationship, was structured by three subthemes: To strengthen the older person's self-esteem, to co-create care and to create equality. The second main theme, creating meaning, was structured by two subthemes: To create closeness and to receive appreciation. The two main themes are each other's prerequisite. Nursing assistants' building reciprocal relationships gives meaning; through the meaning, reciprocal relationships are achieved, and by that, meaningful daily lives for both the older people and the nurse assistants. CONCLUSION: Nurse assistants built a reciprocal relationship both for the older people and for the nurse assistant. This contributes to create a meaningful daily life for the older people. The older person was the main character, and it seems that the nurse assistants apply person-centred care, which can represent a shared common vision that can be used in the encounter.

Electronic medication administration record (eMAR) in Swedish home healthcare-Implications for Nurses' and nurse Assistants' Work environment: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The electronic medication administration record (eMAR) is an eHealth system that has replaced the traditional paper-based medication administration used in many healthcare settings. Research has highlighted that eHealth technologies can change working methods and professional roles in both expected and unexpected ways. To date, there is sparse research that has explored how nurses and nurse assistants (NA) in home healthcare experience eMAR in relation to their work environment. AIM: The aim was to explore how nurses and nurse assistants experienced their work environment, in terms of job-demand, control, and support in a Swedish home healthcare setting where an electronic medication administration record had been implemented to facilitate delegation of medical administration. METHOD: We took a qualitative approach, where focus groups were used as data collection method. The focus groups included 16 nurses and nine NAs employed in a Swedish municipality where an eMAR had been implemented 6 months before the first focus groups were performed. The analysis adapted the job-demand-control-support model, by condensing the professionals' experiences into the three categories of demand, control, and support, in alignment with the model. RESULTS: NAs experienced high levels of job demand and low levels of job control. The use of the eMAR limited NAs' ability to control their work, in terms of priorities, content, and timing. In contrast, the nurses described demands as high but manageable, and described having a high level of control. Both professions found the eMar supportive. CONCLUSION: Nurses and NAs in home healthcare experienced changes in their work environment regarding demand, control, and support when an eMAR was implemented to facilitate delegation of medical administration. In general, nurses were satisfied with the eMAR. However, NAs felt that the eMAR did not cover all aspects of their daily work. Healthcare organisations should be aware of the changes that digitalisation processes entail in the work environment of nurses and NAs in home healthcare.

Person-centred care in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross sectional study based on nursing staff and first-line managers' self-reported outcomes.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has presented many difficulties in providing person-centred care (PCC) in nursing homes (NH). Factors such as organisational support, work condition and leadership may play a crucial role in supporting the performance of PCC during COVID restrictions. The study aim was to evaluate nursing staff and manager perceptions of the opportunities to perform person-centred care during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Nursing staff (NS) (n = 463) and First Line Managers (FLM) (n = 8) within all NHs in one community filled in the SVENIS questionnaire which consists of five areas: perceived organizational support, work climate, person-centred care, work conditions and leadership. A Kruskal-Wallis test was used to perform inter-group comparisons and standard multiple regression was used to investigate which factor contributed most to perform PCC. RESULTS: The comparison analyses indicate that staff from nursing homes for persons with dementia had the highest opportunities to perform PCC during the pandemic. The day shift staff had more opportunities to perform PCC than night shift staff. The results from the standard multiple regression show that a NA's current nursing home was the most significant variable affecting the opportunities to perform PCC. The analyses of both the comparison analyses and the regression suggest that day shift staff from nursing homes for persons with dementia had the highest opportunities to perform PCC during the pandemic. The same group also rated the importance of leadership as high for performing PCC. CONCLUSION: Despite the COVID-19 restrictions and all the criticism directed against the care of older people; the day staff felt that they conducted PCC. Staff in nursing homes for dementia had the highest opportunities for PCC and this may be because they are better prepared to provide care for the individual in NH. The importance of leadership was also evident, which means that investment in FLMs is seen as necessary.

Reporting adverse events-Swedish Registered Nurses experience in a municipal home care context.

AIM: To describe how Registered Nurses in a municipal home care context experience adverse event reports. DESIGN: A qualitative design was used. METHOD: Twelve semistructured individual interviews with Registered Nurses in a municipal home care context were collected on two occasions and analysed with qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The results show that conflicts exist between being able to trust the managers and their feedback, being loyal to colleagues and retaining professional pride. These are described in the theme "Contradiction" and the three categories: "Awareness"; "Uncertainty"; and "Concealment."

Trying to cope with everyday life--emotional support in municipal elderly care setting.

Emotional support is considered to be important to older patients because it is a contributing factor to experiencing good health and it has been shown that it can prevent depression after a hip fracture. Opinions differ on whether emotional support falls within the field of nursing, and studies also show that nurses in an elderly home care setting fail when it comes to giving emotional support. The aim of this study was to explore reasons for registered nurses to give emotional support to older patients in a municipal home care setting. The study was conducted using Grounded Theory. Data collection was carried out through interviews with 16 registered nurses. The inclusion criteria were emotional support given to patients aged 80 years and above living in ordinary or sheltered housing and who were in need of help from both the home help service and registered nurses. The results show that the main concern of emotional support was "Trying to relieve the patient from their emotions so they are able to cope with everyday life." This core category illustrates how registered nurses tried to support the patients' own strength, so that they were able to move forward. Registered nurses consider that they could support the patients because they give them access to, or could create access to, their emotions, but there were also times when they felt helplessness and as a result, consciously opted out. The results also indicate that registered nurses were keen to give emotional support. To develop patient-centered elderly care, more knowledge of emotional support and the elderly's need for this support is required.