Practices and experiences of European frontline nurses under the shadow of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused health professionals to deal with new situations they have not encountered before. Nurses were forced to cope with increased workloads, seriously ill patients, numerous patient deaths, and unresolved ethical dilemmas. This study aimed to examine the lived experiences of nurses across Europe during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a qualitative narrative research study. Eighteen nurses from eight European countries (four each from the UK and Israel, three from Portugal, two each from the Netherlands and Ireland, and one each from Belgium, Italy, and Sweden) submitted narratives about their professional experiences during May-June 2020. The narratives were analyzed using thematic analysis. Seven categories across the narratives were condensed and interpreted into three themes: opportunities and growth, care management, and emotional and ethical challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nurses emotionally and provided an opportunity to actively develop systems and skills needed to minimize harm and maximize benefits to patients and nurses.

Experiences with remote communication in adult intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to explore the lived experiences of critically ill adults, their families, or health care professionals with remote communication in intensive care units (ICUs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. INTRODUCTION: Family visiting restrictions in ICUs during the COVID-19 pandemic imposed significant challenges to communication between critically ill adults, their families, and the health care team. Evidence shows that several communication strategies were developed and implemented in ICUs during the COVID-19 pandemic to promote family engagement; however, the experiences of critically ill adults, their families, and health care professionals with these strategies are scattered across primary qualitative studies. INCLUSION CRITERIA: This review will consider qualitative studies that include critically ill adults, their families, or health care professionals, focusing on their experiences with remote communication strategies in ICUs during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This review will be conducted in accordance with JBI methodology. The search strategy will aim to locate both published and unpublished qualitative studies in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Studies published after January 2020 will be included. Study selection, critical appraisal, and data extraction will be performed independently by 2 reviewers. Data will be presented in narrative format and synthesized using the JBI meta-aggregation process. A ConQual Summary of Findings will be presented. REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42022383603.

Validation of the Therapeutic Self-Care Scale-European Portuguese Version in Primary Care Type 2 Diabetes Adults.

Self-care is an important nursing-sensitive outcome. Reliable and valid measures are needed for therapeutic self-care assessment that may inform the development and evaluation of individualized nursing interventions co-created with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) adults. The therapeutic self-care scale European Portuguese version (TSCS-EPV) is a validated generic measure that may be used to assess self-care in T2DM adults. AIM: To examine the psychometric properties of the TSCS-EP version in T2DM adults, in primary health care. METHODS: A cross-sectional pilot study in a convenience sample of 80 adults with T2DM from two primary health care centers in Portugal was conducted. Individuals completed the Portuguese version of the TSC scale. RESULTS: A three-factor solution emerged from the principal component analysis: "Recognizing and managing signs and symptoms"; "Managing changes in health condition" and "Managing medication", explaining 75% of the total variance. Total scale Cronbach's alpha was 0.884 and for the three factors ranged from 0.808 to 0.954. CONCLUSION: the therapeutic self-care scale European Portuguese version is a promising scale for assessing therapeutic self-care abilities in adults with T2DM in primary care settings. More consistent results on its validity and reliability are needed for it to be used in the country.

Effectiveness of educational programs using Diabetes Conversation Map tools on the health outcomes of people with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to determine the effectiveness of educational programs using Diabetes Conversation Map on health outcomes of people with type 2 diabetes. INTRODUCTION: Diabetes Conversation Map has been used in the context of diabetes self-management education as a resource for managing type 2 diabetes. There is a need to determine the effectiveness of this non-pharmacological intervention on health outcomes. INCLUSION CRITERIA: This review will consider studies that focus on adults with type 2 diabetes, aged ≥18 years, in any context that implemented educational programs using Diabetes Conversation Map. The following outcomes will be explored: self-care, diabetes knowledge, empowerment, diabetes distress and quality of life, glycated hemoglobin, blood pressure, and body mass index as assessed by any validated instrument. METHODS: This systematic review will be conducted in accordance with JBI methodology for systematic reviews of effectiveness. Any published and unpublished sources of information in English, Spanish, and Portuguese will be considered, with no geographical or cultural limitations. All identified studies will be collated and uploaded into EndNote and duplicates removed. Two independent reviewers will screen the studies based on their titles and abstracts, and then screen the full text against the inclusion criteria. Eligible studies will be critically appraised by two independent reviewers using the standard JBI critical appraisal instruments. Data will be extracted by two independent reviewers using the JBI data extraction tool. The study selection process will be presented using a PRISMA flow diagram. Studies will, where possible, be pooled in statistical meta-analysis. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42020154253.

Experiência da pessoa com doença oncológica em situação paliativa no domicílio / Experience of the person with oncological disease in palliative situation at home

Os cuidados paliativos têm vindo a ganhar relevância significativa nos sistemas de saúde, focando-se na criação de condições para que a pessoa em situação paliativa permaneça mais tempo em casa, no seu seio familiar. A deslocação dos cuidados institucionais para o domicílio permite proporcionar respostas mais adequadas às necessidades e preferências da pessoa. Contudo, a forma como as pessoas vivenciam este período da sua vida no seu domicílio é ainda pouco explorado. Estudo exploratório descritivo de abordagem qualitativa, que teve como objetivo compreender a experiência da pessoa com doença oncológica, em situação paliativa, no domicílio. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas a onze pessoas, sete homens e quatro mulheres, com doença oncológica em situação paliativa, acompanhados em consulta de cuidados paliativos, entre 16 de julho e 13 de agosto de 2018. Os princípios éticos foram respeitados e efetuada análise de conteúdo das entrevistas segundo Bardin. Da análise das narrativas emergiram quatro categorias que refletem a experiência da pessoa com doença oncológica em situação paliativa no seu domicílio: i) o impacto da doença na vida da pessoa, com repercussões negativas na perceção de si, nas atividades de vida diária, nas emoções, na relação com os outros e na perspetiva de futuro; i) as necessidades percebidas, identificadas essencialmente como físicas e psicossociais, e a necessidade de terem alguém que os orientasse nas decisões de procura de saúde; iii) as estratégias adotadas para lidar com a doença, nomeadamente na gestão de sintomas físicos e estratégias de coping;. iv) os recursos utilizados, foram identificados o conhecimento, a família, vizinhos e comunidade, e as instituições sociais e de saúde. Viver com doença oncológica incurável e progressiva, é uma experiência que expõe a fragilidade do ser humano e que pode conduzir a uma vivência de sofrimento. É importante identificar as necessidades da pessoa e família e providenciar o apoio constante no processo de transição saúde/doença. O acompanhamento por uma equipa interdisciplinar, articulada com os cuidados da comunidade e hospitalares, poderá ser uma mais-valia, para um cuidado integral, antecipando necessidades, apoiando na gestão do autocuidado terapêutico, melhorando o conforto da pessoa e da sua família.