Adult day programs and their effects on individuals with dementia and their caregivers (ADAPT-DemCare): a realist synthesis to develop program theories on the how and why.

BACKGROUND: Adult day programs aim to facilitate aging in place by supporting the health and well-being of persons with dementia and providing respite to their caregivers. However, studies on the effects of day programs are inconclusive, and we especially lack insights into the context conditions and mechanisms of day programs that may produce different outcomes for different groups of persons with dementia and their caregivers. Our objective was to conduct a realist review, synthesizing research on day programs to develop program theories explaining how and why day programs do or do not produce positive or negative outcomes for different groups of persons with dementia, and caregivers. METHODS: We identified 14 literature reviews (including 329 references published between 1975 and 2021) on adult day programs. From this initial pool of studies, we will include those that focused on day program attendees with dementia or meaningful cognitive impairment, and/or their caregivers, and that report how day program contexts (C) and mechanisms (M) bring about outcomes (O) for attendees and caregivers. We will extract CMO statements (i.e., narratives that explain how and why day programs do or do not bring about certain outcomes for whom and under what circumstances). Using additional focused searches, citation mapping, citation tracking, and discussions with our researcher and expert team members, we will identify additional references. CMO statements will be synthesized, transformed into hypotheses, and linked and visualized to form program theories. Using focus groups and the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership method, we will discuss and prioritize our CMO statements and refine our program theories with 32 experts (older adults, caregivers, Alzheimer societies, caregiver organizations, day program staff and managers, and health system and policy decision makers). DISCUSSION: By identifying essential elements and processes of day programs and related knowledge gaps, this study will generate much-needed knowledge to leverage the full potential of day programs so they can provide appropriate care, preventing premature institutionalization, and unnecessary acute and primary care use. This will ultimately improve the quality of life of persons with dementia and their caregivers, alleviate caregiver burden, and reduce social costs. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42024504030.

EXploring Patterns of Use and Effects of Adult Day Programs to Improve Trajectories of Continuing Care (EXPEDITE): Protocol for a Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Adult day programs provide critical supports to older adults and their family or friend caregivers. High-quality care in the community for as long as possible and minimizing facility-based continuing care are key priorities of older adults, their caregivers, and health care systems. While most older adults in need of care live in the community, about 10% of newly admitted care home residents have relatively low care needs that could be met in the community with the right supports. However, research on the effects of day programs is inconsistent. The methodological quality of studies is poor, and we especially lack robust, longitudinal research. OBJECTIVE: Our research objectives are to (1) compare patterns of day program use (including nonuse) by province (Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba) and time; (2) compare characteristics of older adults by day program use pattern (including nonuse), province, and time; and (3) assess effects of day programs on attendees, compared with a propensity score-matched cohort of older nonattendees in the community. METHODS: In this population-based retrospective cohort study, we will use clinical and health administrative data of older adults (65+ years of age) who received publicly funded continuing care in the community in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2024. We will compare patterns of day program use between provinces and assess changes over time. We will then compare characteristics of older adults (eg, age, sex, physical or cognitive disability, area-based deprivation indices, and caregiver availability or distress) by pattern of day program use or nonuse, province, and time. Finally, we will create a propensity score-matched comparison group of older adults in the community, who have not attended a day program. Using time-to-event models and general estimating equations, we will assess whether day program attendees compared with nonattendees enter care homes later; use emergency, acute, or primary care less frequently; experience less cognitive and physical decline; and have better mental health. RESULTS: This will be a 3-year study (July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2027). We received ethics approvals from the relevant ethics boards. Starting on July 1, 2024, we will work with the 3 provincial health systems on data access and linkage, and we expect data analyses to start in early 2025. CONCLUSIONS: This study will generate robust Canadian evidence on the question whether day programs have positive, negative, or no effects on various older adult and caregiver outcomes. This will be a prerequisite to improving the quality of care provided to older adults in day programs, ultimately improving the quality of life of older adults and their caregivers. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06440447; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06440447. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/60896.

The development and validation of a conceptual definition of avoidable transitions from long-term care to the emergency department: A mixed methods study.

Background/Objectives: Transitions to and from Emergency Departments (EDs) can be detrimental to long-term care (LTC) residents and burden the healthcare system. While reducing avoidable transfers is imperative, various terms are used interchangeably including inappropriate, preventable, or unnecessary transitions. Our study objectives were to develop a conceptual definition of avoidable LTC-ED transitions and to verify the level of stakeholder agreement with this definition. Methods: The EXamining Aged Care Transitions study adopted an exploratory sequential mixed-method design. The study was conducted in 2015-2016 in 16 LTC facilities, 1 ED, and 1 Emergency Medical Service (EMS) in a major urban center in western Canada. Phase 1 included 80 participants, (healthcare aides, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, LTC managers, family members of residents, and EMS staff). We conducted semistructured interviews (n = 25) and focus groups (n = 19). In Phase 2, 327 ED staff, EMS staff, LTC staff, and medical directors responded to a survey based on the qualitative findings. Results: Avoidable transitions were attributed to limited resources in LTC, insufficient preventive care, and resident or family wishes. The definition generated was: A transition of an LTC resident to the ED is considered avoidable if: (a) Diagnostic testing, medical assessment, and treatment can be accessed in a timely manner by other means; (b) the reasons for a transfer are unclear and the transition would increase the disorientation, pain, or discomfort of a resident, outweighing a clear benefit of a transfer; and (c) the transition is against the wishes expressed by the resident over time, including through informal and undocumented conversations. There was a high level of agreement with the definition across the four participant groups. Conclusions and Implications: To effectively reduce LTC resident avoidable transitions, stakeholders must share a common definition. Our conceptual definition may significantly contribute to improved care for LTC residents.

Factors influencing nurse manager retention, intent to stay or leave and turnover: A systematic review update.

AIMS: To understand factors influencing nurse manager retention or intention to leave, develop a preliminary theoretical model and identify strategies and interventions for workforce planning. DESIGN: Systematic review update of literature with integrated design of mixed research synthesis. METHODS: We included peer-reviewed articles examining factors influencing retention or intention to leave for front-line, middle or patient care nurse managers. Authors independently screened articles for inclusion and assessed included articles for quality. We adhered to a convergent synthesis approach. DATA SOURCES: Nine databases included MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, ERIC, Health Source Nursing/Academic Edition, Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses and LILACS in January 2023. RESULTS: Thirty-five studies published between 1990 and 2022, 22 quantitative and 13 qualitative or mixed methods, were included. 155 factors influencing nurse manager retention, intention to stay, or turnover were reported. Job satisfaction was most frequently examined (n = 7), followed by factors such as empowerment (n = 3), decision-making (n = 3) and resilience (n = 2). We developed a preliminary theoretical model demonstrating staff relations and leadership, organizational and job characteristics, socio-demographics, personal characteristics, well-being and nurse manager relationship with work influence managers' intention to stay or to leave. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse managers who were empowered, satisfied with their work, received constructive feedback and found meaning in their roles showed greater intent to stay. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Nurse administrators can ensure managers are provided with authority to make decisions that promote autonomy. Work cultures that allow for regular meaningful constructive feedback from staff and leaders may contribute to nurse managers feeling valued. IMPACT: Understanding factors that influence job retention or intention to leave may help nurse managers and their supervisors identify areas for strategy and intervention design to ensure sustainability of this workforce. REPORTING METHOD: PRISMA 2020 Guidelines. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

Contextually appropriate nurse staffing models: a realist review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Decisions about nurse staffing models are a concern for health systems globally due to workforce retention and well-being challenges. Nurse staffing models range from all Registered Nurse workforce to a mix of differentially educated nurses and aides (regulated and unregulated), such as Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurses and Health Care Aides. Systematic reviews have examined relationships between specific nurse staffing models and client, staff and health system outcomes (eg, mortality, adverse events, retention, healthcare costs), with inconclusive or contradictory results. No evidence has been synthesised and consolidated on how, why and under what contexts certain staffing models produce different outcomes. We aim to describe how we will (1) conduct a realist review to determine how nurse staffing models produce different client, staff and health system outcomes, in which contexts and through what mechanisms and (2) coproduce recommendations with decision-makers to guide future research and implementation of nurse staffing models. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Using an integrated knowledge translation approach with researchers and decision-makers as partners, we are conducting a three-phase realist review. In this protocol, we report on the final two phases of this realist review. We will use Citation tracking, tracing Lead authors, identifying Unpublished materials, Google Scholar searching, Theory tracking, ancestry searching for Early examples, and follow-up of Related projects (CLUSTER) searching, specifically designed for realist searches as the review progresses. We will search empirical evidence to test identified programme theories and engage stakeholders to contextualise findings, finalise programme theories document our search processes as per established realist review methods. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval for this study was provided by the Health Research Ethics Board of the University of Alberta (Study ID Pro00100425). We will disseminate the findings through peer-reviewed publications, national and international conference presentations, regional briefing sessions, webinars and lay summary.

Strategies to Improve Emergency Transitions From Long-Term Care Facilities: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Older adults residing in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) often experience substandard transitions to emergency departments (EDs) through rationed and delayed ED care. We aimed to identify research describing interventions to improve transitions from RACFs to EDs. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In our scoping review, we included English language articles that (a) examined an intervention to improve transitions from RACF to EDs; and (b) focused on older adults (≥65 years). We employed content analysis. Dy et al.'s Care Transitions Framework was used to assess the contextualization of interventions and measurement of implementation success. RESULTS: Interventions in 28 studies included geriatric assessment or outreach services (n = 7), standardized documentation forms (n = 6), models of care to improve transitions from RACFs to EDs (n = 6), telehealth services (n = 3), nurse-led care coordination programs (n = 2), acute-care geriatric departments (n = 2), an extended paramedicine program (n = 1), and a web-based referral system (n = 1). Many studies (n = 17) did not define what "improvement" entailed and instead assessed documentation strategies and distal outcomes (e.g., hospital admission rates, length of stay). Few authors reported how they contextualized interventions to align with care environments and/or evaluated implementation success. Few studies included clinician perspectives and no study examined resident- or family/friend caregiver-reported outcomes. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Mixed or nonsignificant results prevent us from recommending (or discouraging) any interventions. Given the complexity of these transitions and the need to create sustainable improvement strategies, future research should describe strategies used to embed innovations in care contexts and to measure both implementation and intervention success.

Nursing home managers' quality of work life and health outcomes: a pre-pandemic profile over time.

AIM: To examine trends in quality of work life and health outcomes of managers in nursing homes in Western Canada pre-pandemic. METHODS: A repeated cross-sectional descriptive study using data collected in 2014-2015, 2017 and 2019-2020, in the Translating Research in Elder Care Programme. Self-reported measures of demographics, physical/mental health and quality of work life (eg, job satisfaction, burnout, work engagement) were administered and completed by nursing home managers. We used two-way analysis of variance to compare scores across times, controlling for clustering effects at the nursing home level. RESULTS: Samples for data collection times 1, 2, 3, respectively, were 168, 193 and 199. Most nursing home managers were nurses by profession (80.63-81.82%). Job satisfaction scores were high across time (mean=4.42-4.48). The physical (mean=51.53-52.27) and mental (mean=51.66-52.13) status scores were stable over time. Workplace engagement (vigour, dedication and absorption) scores were high and stable over time in all three dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing home managers were highly satisfied, had high levels of physical and mental health, and generally reported that their work was meaningful over time pre-COVID-19 pandemic. We provided a comparison for future research assessing the impacts of the pandemic on quality of work life and health outcomes.

Gerontological nursing competencies: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Despite decades of advocates striving to enhance gerontological content in baccalaureate nursing programs, nurses are still graduating with inadequate knowledge and skills to work with older adults. Scholars suggest that incorporating entry-to-practice gerontological competencies could be one way to improve graduating nurses' knowledge about older adults. AIM: To examine the state of gerontological entry to practice competencies and standards for baccalaureate-prepared nurses around the world. DESIGN: We conducted a scoping review of the literature using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework and followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines to report findings. METHODS: We performed searches from inception to June 20th 2022 in Medline and EMBASE via OVID, CINAHL via EBSCOhost, Scopus, and Cochrane Library via Wiley. We conducted a search on GOOGLE for grey literature. We included literature that examined 1) baccalaureate nursing programs, 2) gerontological competencies/standards, and 3) older people/adults. RESULTS: We found 8 literature sources, 4 of which were academic papers and 4 documents describing gerontological entry-to-practice standards and competencies from national nursing associations. Gerontological competencies highlight providing person-centered care to older people and their families across many care contexts. This care includes relational and cultural competence, exhibiting professional values and screening for potential elder abuse. Scholars in two papers relayed their experiences incorporating gerontological competencies into their curricula and two studied student nurses' gerontological competency. CONCLUSIONS: There is interest and some progress in developing and incorporating gerontological competencies in various countries but not enough. A coordinated approach to sharing information and expertise among nations is needed to develop international gerontological competencies to facilitate improved nursing care with older adults.

Incidence of Pressure Injury Among Older Adults Transitioning from Long-term Care to the ED.

OBJECTIVE: To identify sociodemographic, health condition, and organizational/process factors associated with pressure injury (PI) incidence during older adults' emergency transitions from long-term care (LTC) to the ED. METHODS: Emergency transitions were tracked for older adults within included LTC facilities to participating EDs in two urban centers located in provinces in Canada. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the influence of sociodemographic, service use, and client health and function factors on the incidence of PIs during transitions from LTC facilities to EDs. RESULTS: Having a mobility issue (odds ratio [OR], 4.318; 95% CI, 1.344-13.870), transitioning from a publicly owned versus a nonprofit volunteer LTC facility (OR, 4.886; 95% CI, 1.157-20.634), and time from ED arrival to return to LTC being 7 to 9 days (OR, 41.327; 95% CI, 2.691-634.574) or greater than 9 days (OR, 77.639; 95% CI, 5.727-1,052.485) significantly increased the odds of experiencing a new skin injury upon return to LTC. A higher number of reported reasons for emergency transition (up to 4) significantly decreased the odds of a new PI upon return to LTC (OR, 0.315; 95% CI, 0.113-0.880). CONCLUSIONS: The study findings can be used to identify LTC residents at increased risk for developing new skin injuries during an emergency transition, namely, those with mobility impairment, those requiring inpatient care for 6 or more days, and those transitioning from publicly owned LTC facilities. Evaluating the uptake and effectiveness of single-pronged and multipronged interventions such as visual cues for patient turning through online monitoring, consistent risk assessments, and improved nutrition in all care settings are vital next steps in preventing skin injuries in this population.

Authentic leadership, organizational culture and the effects of hospital quality management practices on quality of care and patient satisfaction.

AIM: To examine the influence of hospital culture and authentic leadership on the effects of quality improvement practices on patient satisfaction. BACKGROUND: Nurses in formal leadership roles shape and are shaped by organizational culture to achieve high performance standards to influence quality of care. DESIGN: Using structural equation modelling, we tested a model on quality improvement practices across three participant groups that differed based on authentic leadership and hospital culture. METHODS: We used survey data from a cross-sectional study conducted in 2015 measuring nurse. Managers' perceptions of authentic leadership, implementation of quality improvement, and organizational culture in Canadian hospitals. RESULTS: 226 nurse managers participated. Our model estimations fit for the high-relational group and mixed group. Our model explained 50.7% and 39.5% variance in our outcome variable of patient satisfaction for the high-relational group and mixed group, respectively. Our model failed to fit the low-relational group. CONCLUSION: Authentic leadership and developmental/group hospital cultures improve quality management practices, quality of care and patient satisfaction. In organizations with low authentic leadership and hierarchical/rational cultures, strategies should target increasing authentic leadership and shifting to developmental cultures. Organizations with high authentic leadership and/or developmental/group cultures should target employee engagement, autonomy and teamwork. IMPACT: We examined how different combinations of authentic leadership and hospital culture influence the effects of quality management practices on quality improvement and patient satisfaction. Findings demonstrate that having both high authentic leadership and developmental or group hospital cultures are essential for quality improvement practices to enhance the quality of care and patient satisfaction. These organizations would benefit the most from systemic programs aimed at standardizing quality management practices as they have the culture and leadership to support these practices. For hospitals with hierarchical/rational cultures and/or low authentic leadership, enhancing hospital culture and leadership through leadership training and accreditation programs is critically needed. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta contributed to this study by facilitating data collection and supporting the conduct of the study through messaging to its members.

A first look at consistency of documentation across care settings during emergency transitions of long-term care residents.

BACKGROUND: Documentation during resident transitions from long-term care (LTC) to the emergency department (ED) can be inconsistent, leading to inappropriate care. Inconsistent documentation can lead to undertreatment, inefficiencies and adverse patient outcomes. Many individuals residing in LTC have some form of cognitive impairment and may not be able to advocate for themselves, making accurate and consistent documentation vital to ensuring they receive safe care. We examined documentation consistency related to reason for transfer across care settings during these transitions. METHODS: We included residents of LTC aged 65 or over who experienced an emergency transition from LTC to the ED via emergency medical services. We used a standardized and pilot-tested tracking tool to collect resident chart/patient record data. We collected data from 38 participating LTC facilities to two participating EDs in Western Canadian provinces. Using qualitative directed content analysis, we categorized documentation from LTC to the ED by sufficiency and clinical consistency. RESULTS: We included 591 eligible transitions in this analysis. Documentation was coded as consistent, inconsistent, or ambiguous. We identified the most common reasons for transition for consistent cases (falls), ambiguous cases (sudden change in condition) and inconsistent cases (falls). Among inconsistent cases, three subcategories were identified: insufficient reporting, potential progression of a condition during transition and unclear reasons for inconsistency. CONCLUSIONS: Shared continuing education on documentation across care settings should result in documentation supports geriatric emergency care; on-the-job training needs to support reporting of specific signs and symptoms that warrant an emergent response, and discourage the use of vague descriptors.

Factors Influencing Older Persons' Transitions to Facility-Based Care Settings: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Older adults (≥65 years) are living longer with complex health needs and wish to remain at home as their care needs change. We aimed to determine which factors influence older persons' transitions from home living to facility-based care (FBC) settings such as long-term care facilities or assisted living. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Through a scoping review of 7 databases, we considered all academic literature examining factors influencing transitions from home living to FBC. Only English articles were reviewed. Based on the Meleis' Health Transition (MHT) model, we categorized findings into: (a) transition conditions; (b) patterns of response; and (c) health services and interventions. RESULTS: We included 204 unique studies. Age, cognitive/functional impairments, and caregiver burden were the most consistent risk factors for older persons' transitions to FBC. Caregiver burden was the only consistent risk factor in both quantitative and qualitative literature. Other factors around health service use or nonmedical factors were examined in a small number of studies, or demonstrated mixed or nonsignificant results. Key research gaps relate to transitions to intermediate levels of FBC, research in public health systems, and research employing qualitative and interventional methods. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: We expanded the MHT model to capture informal caregivers and their critical role in transitions from home to FBC settings. More research is needed to address practical needs of clients and caregivers while at home, and self-directed care funding models could be expanded. Theory-driven interventional research focusing on caregivers and successful hospital discharge is critically needed.

Assessing quality of older persons' emergency transitions between long-term and acute care settings: a proof-of-concept study.

BACKGROUND: Long-term care (LTC) residents frequently experience transitions in the location of more advanced care delivery, including receiving emergency department (ED) care. In this proof-of-concept study, we aimed to determine if we could identify measures in quality of care across transitions from LTC to the ED, via emergency medical services and back, by applying Institute of Medicine (IOM) Quality of Care Domains to an existing dataset. METHODS: In the Older Persons' Transitions in Care (OPTIC) study, we collected information on residents' transitions in two Western Canadian cities. We applied the IOM's Quality of Care Domains to the OPTIC data to create binary measures of transition quality. We report the median (MED) per cent and IQR of measures met within each domain of quality. RESULTS: We tracked 637 transitions over a 12-month period, with data collected from each setting. We developed 19 safety measures, 20 measures of resident-centred care, 3 measures of timely care and 5 measures of effective care. We were unable to develop measures for equitable care at an individual transfer level. Domain scores varied across individual transitions, with the highest scores in safety (MED 79%, IQR: 63-95), efficiency (66%; IQR: 66-99), and resident-centred (45%; IQR: 25-65), followed by effectiveness (36%; IQR: 16-56), and timeliness (0%; IQR: 0-50). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show variation in scores across the domains of quality suggesting that it is possible to track quality of transitions for individuals across all settings, and not only within settings. We recommend that future work in tracking quality of care be performed at several levels (LTC, region, health authority, province). Such tracking is necessary to evaluate and improve overall quality of care.

Addressing Communication Breakdowns during Emergency Care Transitions of Older Adults: Evaluation of a Standardized Inter-Facility Health Care Communication Form.

Transitions for older persons from long-term care (LTC) to the emergency department (ED) and back, can result in adverse events. Effective communication among care settings is required to ensure continuity of care. We implemented a standardized form for improving consistency of documentation during LTC to ED transitions of residents 65 years of age or older, via emergency medical services (EMS), and back. Data on form use and form completion were collected through chart review. Practitioners' perspectives were collected using surveys. The form was used in 90/244 (37%) LTC to ED transitions, with large variation in data element completion. EMS and ED reported improved identification of resident information. LTC personnel preferred usual practice to the new form and twice reported prioritizing form completion before calling 911. To minimize risk of harmful unintended consequences, communication forms should be implemented as part of broader quality improvement programs, rather than as stand-alone interventions.

The Association of Service Use and Other Client Factors with the Time to Transition from Home Care to Facility-Based Care.

OBJECTIVES: People are living longer with complex health needs and wish to remain in their homes as their care needs change. We examined which client factors (sociodemographic, health service use, health, and function) influenced older persons' (≥65 years) time to transition from home living to assisted living (AL) or long-term care (LTC) facilities. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Long-term services and supports in Alberta, Canada. Long-stay home care clients (≥65 years) who received a Resident Assessment Instrument-Home Care (RAI-HC) assessment between 2014 and 2018. MEASURES: We assessed time from initial receipt of long-term home care to AL and LTC facility transitions, using Cox proportional hazard regressions, and a provincial continuing care data repository (Alberta Continuing Care Information System). We adjusted for client sociodemographic, health, function, and health service use variables. The outcome was time from initial long-term home care receipt to transition to facility living. RESULTS: We included 33,432 home care clients. Clients who were visited by care aides once in the last 7 days transitioned to AL later than those with no care aide visits [hazard ratio (HR) 0.976, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.852, 0.964]. Clients receiving physical therapy services once or more a week transitioned to LTC later than those who did not receive these services (HR 0.767, CI 0.672, 0.875). Institutionalizations happened sooner if the client's caregiver was unable to continue (AL: HR 1.335, CI 1.306, 1.365; LTC: HR 1.339, CI 1.245, 1.441) and if clients socialized less (AL: HR 1.149, CI 1.079, 1.223; LTC: HR 1.087, CI 1.018, 1.61). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The diverse role of care aides needs to be explored to determine which specific services help to delay AL transitions. Physical therapy exercises that require minimal supervision should be integrated early into care plans to delay LTC transitions. Social/recreational programs to improve older adults' socialization and informal caregiver support could delay transitions.

Quality Indicators for Older Persons' Transitions in Care: A Systematic Review and Delphi Process.

We identified quality indicators (QIs) for care during transitions of older persons (≥ 65 years of age). Through systematic literature review, we catalogued QIs related to older persons' transitions in care among continuing care settings and between continuing care and acute care settings and back. Through two Delphi survey rounds, experts ranked relevance, feasibility, and scientific soundness of QIs. A steering committee reviewed QIs for their feasible capture in Canadian administrative databases. Our search yielded 326 QIs from 53 sources. A final set of 38 feasible indicators to measure in current practice was included. The highest proportions of indicators were for the emergency department (47%) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) quality domain of effectiveness (39.5%). Most feasible indicators were outcome indicators. Our work highlights a lack of standardized transition QI development in practice, and the limitations of current free-text documentation systems in capturing relevant and consistent data.

Recommendations for navigating the experiences of moral distress: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Moral distress is a complex ethical phenomenon that occurs when one is not able to act according to their moral judgement. Consequences of moral distress negatively impact nurses, patient care, and the healthcare system. There is limited evidence on specific approaches to prepare nurses to manage these ethical situations. AIM: The aim of this scoping review is to identify moral distress interventions for nurses who provide direct patient care, identify gaps in the current moral distress research, and determine areas of focus for future research on this topic. METHODS: We employed the framework outlined by Levac, Colquhoun, and O'Brien and Arksey and O'Malley to conduct a scoping review. These steps included the: identification of the research question, identification of relevant studies, study selection, charting the data, collating, summarizing, and reporting the results. We appraised the quality of included studies using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. RESULTS: We identified 5206 articles from the selected databases. Once duplicates were removed, two independent reviewers each screened 4043 title and abstracts. We included 554 articles for full-text screening, with 10 studies included based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Study designs included before-after studies (n = 4), randomized control trials (n = 3), concurrent mixed-methods studies (n = 2), and one controlled before-after study. All studies were conducted in acute care settings. In four studies, interventions focused on informing nurses on moral distress. Two interventions focused on increasing the nurses' reflexivity on their workplace experiences. One intervention included formal clinical mentoring and clinical ethics support through interprofessional rounds. Two studies utilized a multicomponent intervention. The overall moral distress scores significantly decreased after intervention implementation in three included studies. Three additional studies showed significant differences in specific survey item scores (e.g., "provision of less-than-optimal care" and "caring for patients they did not feel qualified to care for"), as compared to overall scores, after intervention implementation. In 70% of studies the amount of quality criteria met were 60% or higher according to the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. CONCLUSION: Our review is the first to synthesize intervention studies pertaining to moral distress among nurses. The findings of this review demonstrate that there is no clear pattern regarding which strategies consistently minimize the effects of moral distress among nurses. Future interventions should be tested more broadly by increasing the sample size, assessing length of intervention in relation to moral distress scores, expanding the interventions to other units and institutions, and including other healthcare professionals. Tweetable abstract: We reviewed interventions to help nurses with moral distress. Findings show no clear pattern of strategies to minimize their moral distress.

Determinants of nurse manager job satisfaction: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Front-line nurse managers provide direct oversight of healthcare delivery to ensure organizational expectations are implemented to achieve optimal patient and staff outcomes. Ensuring the job satisfaction of front-line nurse managers is key to retaining these individuals in their roles. Understanding factors influencing job satisfaction of nurse managers can support the development and implementation of strategies to enhance job satisfaction and sustain retention. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to systematically review the empirical literature measuring determinants of job satisfaction among nurse managers. DESIGN: We conducted a systematic review using 11 electronic databases. DATA SOURCES: Electronic databases included ABI Inform, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, EMBASE, ERIC, Health Source Nursing, Medline, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, PsychINFO, and LILACS. REVIEW METHODS: We included research articles that examined the determinants of job satisfaction for front-line nurse managers. Two research team members independently reviewed and determined inclusion of each study. Each study was appraised independently for quality by two team members. Data extraction was completed for included studies. Content analysis was used to categorize factors associated with job satisfaction of nurse managers. RESULTS: A total of 5608 articles were screened for inclusion or exclusion. Thirty-eight studies were included. One hundred and one factors influencing nurse manager job satisfaction were reported in the included studies. Factors were grouped into three main categories: job characteristics, organizational characteristics, and personal characteristics. Most factors were examined in single studies or their relationship with job satisfaction was equivocal. However, across these categories, findings included significant positive relationships between autonomy, power, social support among team members and job satisfaction of front-line nurse managers. A significant negative relationship between job stress and nurse manager job satisfaction was indicated in the findings. CONCLUSIONS: Promoting autonomy, power to make decisions for change, social support, team cohesion, and strategies to reduce job stress may improve job satisfaction of front-line nurse managers. Innovative solutions such as co-management and targeted administrative and electronic resources warrant further investigation. Promoting prosocial group behaviours, team building, coaching and the implementation of wellness programs may improve social support, team cohesion, and wellbeing. Examining factors of nurse managers job satisfaction beyond the acute care setting could provide further insights into the role that the practice environment plays in nurse manager job satisfaction. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Promoting autonomy, power to effect decisions for change, social support, team cohesion, and strategies to reduce job stress are important drivers of job satisfaction of front-line managers.