Interactive digital tools to support empowerment of people with cancer: a systematic literature review.

PURPOSE: To identify and synthesise interactive digital tools used to support the empowerment of people with cancer and the outcomes of these tools. METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane, Eric, Scopus, and PsycINFO databases in May 2023. Inclusion criteria were patient empowerment as an outcome supported by interactive digital tools expressed in study goal, methods or results, peer-reviewed studies published since 2010 in cancer care. Narrative synthesis was applied, and the quality of the studies was assessed following Joanna Briggs Institute checklists. RESULTS: Out of 1571 records screened, 39 studies published in 2011-2022 with RCT (17), single-arm trial (15), quasi-experimental (1), and qualitative designs (6) were included. A total of 30 interactive digital tools were identified to support empowerment (4) and related aspects, such as self-management (2), coping (4), patient activation (9), and self-efficacy (19). Significant positive effects were found on empowerment (1), self-management (1), coping (1), patient activation (2), and self-efficacy (10). Patient experiences were positive. Interactivity occurred with the tool itself (22), peers (7), or nurses (7), physicians (2), psychologists, (2) or social workers (1). CONCLUSION: Interactive digital tools have been developed extensively in recent years, varying in terms of content and methodology, favouring feasibility and pilot designs. In all of the tools, people with cancer are either active or recipients of information. The research evidence indicates positive outcomes for patient empowerment through interactive digital tools. Thus, even though promising, there still is need for further testing of the tools.

Association of Foot Health and Lower Extremity Function in Older People with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Foot health and lower extremity function are important in older people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as they maintain and promote these individuals' independent living and functional health. RA is a long-term inflammatory health condition that alters foot structure and function. Relatively little is known about the association between foot health and lower extremity function in older people with RA. Therefore, the aim of the study was to analyse the levels of foot health and lower extremity function in older people with RA and to explore the associations between these factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design study was conducted. The data were collected online in April 2023 from a national association of patients with rheumatic conditions in Finland using two instruments: the Self-administered Foot Health Assessment Instrument (S-FHAI) and the Lower Extremity Function Scale (LEFS). The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: Older people with RA (n = 270) reported many foot health problems, the most common of which were foot pain, dry skin, and oedema. Lower extremity function in older people with RA was at the mild-to-moderate functional limitation level and respondents reported major difficulties running or hopping, squatting, carrying out their usual hobbies, performing strenuous activities outside their homes or putting on shoes/socks. Poor levels of foot health were correlated with decreased lower extremity function. CONCLUSION: Foot health is associated with lower extremity function in older people with RA. Therefore, it is essential that older people with RA be provided with systematic foot health assessments, care and rehabilitation to promote their lower extremity health and improve their functional health. Multiprofessional collaboration and seamless care chains at different levels of health care could benefit older people with RA looking to maintain their functional ability and - above all - promote their active ageing.

Development and psychometric testing of the actualisation of evidence-based nursing instrument.

AIM: To describe the development of the Actualisation of Evidence-Based Nursing instrument targeted at nurses working in clinical practice (ActEBN-nurses), meant for evaluating the actualisation of individual and organisational-level support structures for evidence-based nursing within social and healthcare organisations, and to test its validity and reliability. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. METHODS: The FinYHKÄ model was used as the theoretical background of the instrument development and supplemented with the JBI Model of Evidence-Based Healthcare, previous literature and items from a previous instrument, the Evidence-Based Practice Process Assessment Scale, with permission of the copyright holders. After two rounds of expert panel and piloting, a national survey was conducted with the instrument in 2021. The target group consisted of nurses working in clinical practice. Psychometric testing included internal consistency (Omega, item analysis) confirmatory factor analysis and t-test for comparison of two groups' differences (sensitivity). RESULTS: A new instrument, ActEBN-nurses was developed, comprising two parts: Individual-level (32 items, 5-point Likert-scale) and Organisational-level support structures for evidence-based nursing (37 items, 5-point Likert-scale). In total, 1289 nurses participated in the survey. The ActEBN-nurses proved to have good internal consistency in both parts (Omega ω .931 and .966), structural validity and sensitivity based on the two educational levels within the sample. The structure of both parts was slightly modified, based on the CFA modification indices, considering the impact of the reverse worded items in part Individual and redundant items within both parts. CONCLUSION: The ActEBN-nurses has promising psychometrics, and it can be used for evaluating individual and organisational-level support structures for evidence-based nursing within social and healthcare organisations. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Evaluation of the support structures within social and healthcare organisations is needed to recognise shortcomings in current structures and advance evidence-based nursing across different contexts. REPORTING METHOD: The authors state that they have adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines: STROBE statement for cross-sectional studies. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

Factors contributing to the promotion of moral competence in nursing.

Ethics is a foundational competency in healthcare inherent in everyday nursing practice. Therefore, the promotion of qualified nurses' and nursing students' moral competence is essential to ensure ethically high-quality and sustainable healthcare. The aim of this integrative literature review is to identify the factors contributing to the promotion of qualified nurses' and nursing students' moral competence. The review has been registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023386947) and reported according to the PRISMA guideline. Focusing on qualified nurses' and nursing students' moral competence, a literature search was undertaken in January 2023 in six scientific databases: CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, PubMed Medline, Scopus and Web of Science. Empirical studies written in English without time limitation were eligible for inclusion. A total of 29 full texts were retrieved and included out of 5233 citations. Quality appraisal was employed using Joanna Briggs Institute checklists and the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool. Data were analysed using inductive content analysis. Research about the factors contributing to the promotion of qualified nurses' and nursing students' moral competence is limited and mainly explored using descriptive research designs. The contributing factors were identified as comprising two main categories: (1) human factors, consisting of four categories: individual, social, managerial and professional factors, and ten sub-categories; and (2) structural factors, consisting of four categories: educational, environmental, organisational and societal factors, and eight sub-categories. This review provides knowledge about the factors contributing to the promotion of qualified nurses' and nursing students' moral competence for the use of researchers, nurse educators, managers, organisations and policymakers. More research about the contributing factors is needed using complex intervention, implementation and multiple methods designs to ensure ethically sustainable healthcare.

The prevalence of foot health problems in people living with a rheumatic condition: a cross-sectional observational epidemiological study.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of foot health problems in people living with any rheumatic condition and explore potential associations with exposure variables. A cross-sectional observational epidemiological design was applied. The participants were recruited from one regional patient association in southwest Finland. The data were collected in January-February 2019 and included the Self-reported Foot Health Assessment Instrument (S-FHAI) and demographic questions. In total, 495 responses were obtained. Overall, participants had many foot problems. The point prevalence of self-reported foot problems was 99 per 100 people living with a rheumatic condition. The most prevalent problems were foot pain (73%), dry soles (68%), thickened toenails (58%) and cold feet (57%). Lower educational attainment, increased amount of daily standing and accessing medical or nursing care for foot problems were associated with poorer foot health. The results reveal a high frequency of foot pain among people with rheumatic conditions. The study highlighted the importance of person-centred care and the biological focus that underpins and impacts foot health (what we understand, what we do, and our health-seeking behaviour). Interventions to promote biopsychosocial approaches to personalised foot care could advance people's readiness, knowledge and skill to care for their own feet.

Promoting activity and mobility in long-term care environments: A photo-elicitation study with older adults and nurses.

AIM(S): The aim of this research study is to collaboratively generate insights in the current institutional long-term care environment for activity and mobility of older adults, and of solutions that could be used to increase the activity and improve the mobility of the older adults. DESIGN: This research constitutes a qualitative study with a critical approach. METHODS: Data were collected using photo-elicitation in four long-term care units in Finland during the spring of 2022. Older adults participated in individual data collection sessions which combined photographing and discussion. Staff members individually took photographs and later participated in a group discussion based on the photographs. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse all data together. RESULTS: Ten older adults and 12 staff members participated in the research study. Four themes were identified: (1) facilities should be designed and equipped for their users, (2) moving in the institutional environment, (3) passivity as a norm, and (4) nurses should act differently and have the resources to do so. CONCLUSION: To increase the activity and improve the mobility of older adults, improvements are needed in terms of the design of facilities, opportunities for freedom of movement, outdoor activity, daily life activities, exercise, nurses' role in activating older adults and resources. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Increased attention to the support of activity and mobility could benefit older adults in institutional long-term care. Physical activity promotion should be incorporated as an integral part of nursing practice. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Directors of units were consulted when planning the study. Older adults and nurses contributed to the data collection and interpretation of data. IMPACT: (ADDRESSING): What problem did the study address? ○Older adults have recurrently been reported as living inactive lives in institutional long-term care. ○There is evidence of the relationship between the environment and the activity and mobility of older adults, but there seems to be a research-practice gap in terms of implementing activity- and mobility-promoting environments. ○Older adults and staff members are important in developing practice and change-oriented knowledge that can be used to increase the activity and improve the mobility of older adults in institutional long-term care. What were the main findings? ○Various environmental improvements are recommended to increase the activity and improve the mobility of older adults in institutional long-term care settings. ○Improvements for the design of facilities, opportunities for freedom of movement, outdoor activity, daily life activities, exercise, nurses' role in activating older adults and resources for activity support would benefit older adults' activity and mobility. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? ○Increasing the activity of older adults requires better activity promotion and mobility support by nurses in institutional care. Sufficient education and resources should be organized for activity promotion, in addition to a care and organizational culture that values activity. ○Environmental aspects to promote activity and mobility need to be considered already at the planning, building and renovating phases of facilities. ○Policymakers and care organizers should consider evidence of the harms and benefits of different institutional living environments when making decisions on organizing care. REPORTING METHOD: The study is reported using the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ).

National registry-based data of adverse events in Finnish long-term professional homecare in 2009-2019.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to discover the nature of the adverse events in Finnish long-term professional homecare reported by professionals, and to identify the circumstances in which adverse events occur and their consequences. BACKGROUND: Adverse events are incidents causing unintended and unnecessary harm to older people at home. Safety is a basic human right and a fundamental prerequisite for independent living among older people at home. Few studies have focused on both long-term professional homecare environment and the safety of older people. DESIGN: The research was a descriptive registry-based study. METHODS: This study consisted of adverse events (N = 61248) in Finnish public long-term professional homecare (2009-2019). Data were described using frequencies and percentages. STROBE statement checklist was chosen for reporting the study process. RESULTS: By profession, practical nurses and registered nurses reported the most of adverse events (89.8%). These were either critical incidents (78.3%) or near misses (20.0%) and concerned medicine, injuries and accidents, information flow or management. Consequences for older people were usually rated from no-harm to moderate harm. For long-term professional homecare, image harm, extra financial costs, no-harm and prolonged care for older people were among the consequences. Personnel frequently observed the older people afterwards and informed older people of adverse events, yet some of actions were unknown. CONCLUSIONS: Many harmful adverse events are considered harmless for older people. Sometimes this can lead to unmet care needs or missed care. The degree of harm needs to be assessed in terms of physical, mental and social health with the HaiPro reporting system for homecare. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: An understanding and a comprehensive view of the situation and holistic assessment of care needs includes safety and safety risks to increase safety and feeling of safety for older people at home.

Patients' right to know: A scoping review.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To analyse research-based evidence about patients' right to know from their own perspective to promote ethically high-quality nursing and to identify future research areas. BACKGROUND: Patients' right to know is a fundamental right. Although of topical research interest, the current state of scientific evidence on patients' right to know has not been reviewed. DESIGN: A scoping review according to the methodological framework by Arksey & O'Malley and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. METHODS: In June 2022, a literature search was conducted in the Ovid Medline, CINAHL and Cochrane Library databases. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed, empirical studies on the right to know with samples comprising adult patients. Data were analysed with inductive content analysis, and methodological quality was assessed with Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. RESULTS: Out of 2658 identified reports, 12 were selected for analysis. Based on the results, the research on patients' right to know can be classified into two main content categories: (1) expectations of the right and (2) realisation of the right. In the quality assessment, most of the reports did not meet all the quality criteria, the most common deficits being related to instrumentation and risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS: Research-based evidence on patients' right to know provided a general insight into expectations and realisation of the right to know and not to know. The results indicate a need for continued efforts for novel approaches with high-quality methodological choices in future studies. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nurses make constantly ethical decisions: The findings of this study can be useful for their decision-making and understanding of the patient's perspective on knowledge issues, and therefore, support ethically high-quality patient education. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No direct patient or public contribution to the review.

Identifying personal health-related resources of women with breast cancer for nursing: An integrative review.

Personal health-related resources are essential for women with breast cancer, as these help them to maintain their own health and well-being during different phases of their illness. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify, describe and synthetise what personal health-related resources have already been identified for this patient group. We carried out an integrative review to find papers that focused on personal health-related resources for women with breast cancer aged 18-64 years. The search covered 1 January 2005 to 31 May 2021 and was carried out using the CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases. It was limited to peer-reviewed scientific papers with abstracts published in English and 23 papers met the inclusion criteria. The data were analysed using content analysis. Personal health-related resources for women with breast cancer consisted of three different, but inherently interconnected, categories of personal strengths, person-centred cancer care and social support from and involvement in their cultural community. Personal health-related resources for women with breast cancer were multifaceted. Women need nursing support to identify and use these resources and future studies are needed to strengthen how they are measured.

Effectiveness of an educational intervention to increase professional nurses' person-centred care competence in long-term care of older people-Quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Based on previous evidence person-centred care (PCC) as a quality indicator is important in long-term care (LTC) settings for older people. Effective ways to increase nurses' person-centred care competence are missing. AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of a continuing education (CE) intervention named 'Person First-Please' (PFP) for improving nurses' PPC competence and its connection to PPC climate. METHODS: Quasi-experimental cluster design with intervention and control groups was carried out in LTC settings for older people. The intervention group (n = 77) received a 10-week CE intervention, with control group (n = 123) working as usual. The primary outcome was professional nurses' PCC competence. Secondary outcome was the PCC climate as perceived by nurses and, residents with their next of kin. Measurements were conducted pre-/post-intervention and after 6 weeks using the validated, Person-centred Care Competence scale and the Person-centred Care Climate questionnaire, staff and patient versions. Data was analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: PCC competence was significantly increased in the intervention group and remained after 6 weeks of follow-up. PCC climate increased in the intervention group in total score and also in all sub-scales, across residents with their next of kin. The control group did not show any significant change. Comparisons of PCC competence and PCC climate in time between intervention and control groups confirmed that changes seen between groups were statistically significant in intervention group. LIMITATIONS: Measurements were self-assessments, which may have been affected by bias, especially in context of competence assessment. CONCLUSION: The intervention was effective in increasing professional nurses' PCC competence and on person-centred care climate in long-term care settings for older people.

Association between work empowerment and interprofessional collaboration among health care professionals working in cancer care settings.

This study aimed to analyze work-related empowerment and interprofessional collaboration and to identify possible associations among healthcare professionals working in cancer care settings. A cross-sectional survey design was employed in this study. Healthcare professionals (n = 175) in one Finnish Cancer Center participating in the care of patients with cancer at least on a monthly basis took part in the study. The data were collected with three instruments: Interprofessional Collaboration and Leadership, Performance of an Empowered Personnel (PEN), and Work-related Empowerment Promoting Factors (WEP). The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson and Spearman's correlation coefficients and multivariate analysis using generalized liner models. Healthcare professionals rated their work empowerment as rather high. Performance of an Empowered Personnel (PEN) was perceived as high (mean 4.08, SD 0.47). Promoting factors for Work Empowerment (WEP) were also assessed as high (mean 3.98, SD 0.61). Interprofessional collaboration in the cancer care setting was perceived as moderate (mean 2.94, SD 0.36). Managerial position explained work empowerment based on multivariate analysis. Work empowerment and interprofessional collaboration had a strong correlation. The results can be used in the leadership and management of interprofessional collaboration and in developing new structures to support health professionals' work empowerment. In the future, work empowerment needs to be promoted by constructing solutions and practices that support interprofessional collaboration and thus improve the quality of cancer care.

School Nurses' Experiences of Health Promotion for School-Age Asylum Seekers.

The number of school-age asylum seekers and refugees worldwide is increasing. Health promotion provided by school nurses can be crucial for the well-being of young asylum seekers, yet research on these nurses' experiences is limited. This qualitative study aims to describe school nurses' experiences of providing health promotion to school-age asylum seekers. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 school nurses, and inductive content analysis was then used. The results were grouped under the following themes: (1) difficulties in providing health services to school-age asylum seekers, (2) considering the vulnerable circumstances of asylum seekers, (3) the importance of family-centered health promotion, and (4) the importance of time management. School nurses face challenges that stem from individual asylum seekers' unique circumstances, nursing competency, and the school health care system. To deepen the existing knowledge, further research is needed from the perspective of asylum seekers.

The practices of nurses about palliative sedation on palliative care wards: A qualitative study.

AIM: To describe the practices of nurses concerning palliative sedation in palliative care wards in hospitals. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive design. METHODS: A total of 27 nurses were interviewed in six focus groups and one pair interview; the nurses worked on four palliative care wards in three Finnish hospitals and the interviews took place between May and November 2019. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis. The COREQ checklist was used as a guide for reporting this study. FINDINGS: Three main categories describing nurses' practices concerning palliative sedation were identified: participation in palliative sedation decision-making, sedation implementation and monitoring and information sharing and compassionate care for the patient and relatives. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses play a key role throughout palliative sedation on palliative care wards in hospitals. To develop the quality of care, it is recommended to specify the role of nurses in palliative sedation, increase cooperation between nurses and physicians, and enhance palliative sedation education for nurses.

Environment in institutional care settings as a promoting factor for older individuals' mobility: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Mobility is important for health and well-being; however, older individuals in institutional care settings are relatively sedentary. The environment has an increased influence on mobility in older age due to changes in individual functioning; thus, environmental mobility support solutions for this population are needed. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this systematic review was to identify elements of the environment that have been used in the content and delivery of interventions to promote mobility and to assess the effects of these interventions on mobility outcomes. DESIGN: A systematic literature search was conducted using CINAHL and MEDLINE from the earliest date through 30 September 2020 for randomised controlled trials, quasi-experimental and pre-post design studies. Inclusion and critical appraisal of articles were conducted by two independent researchers. Data were extracted and synthesised. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Studies were included if they had employed some element of the environment in the content and/or delivery of the intervention and had assessed mobility-related outcomes of older individuals in institutional long-term care settings providing full-time care. MEASURES: Studies were included if they reported data on mobility-related outcomes including aspects of physical activity, physical function, life space and functional autonomy. RESULTS: Eight studies were included. Physical, social and symbolic elements of the environment were utilised in the interventions. Positive effects on mobility outcomes were reported in exercise interventions utilising environmental elements mostly as supportive components. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Empirical evidence about effective mobility interventions employing elements of the environment as main intervention components is lacking. A serious dilemma exists about the need for older individuals' independence and mobile/active late life and the lack of support for such initiatives in long-term care. Given the emphasised relationship of the environment and mobility with age due to changes in functioning, environmental solutions require further examination.

Consistent Practices in Pressure Injury Prevention at Long-term Care Facilities.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the use of consistent practice in pressure injury (PI) prevention based on international guidelines at long-term care facilities in Finland. METHODS: A correlational cross-sectional design was used. The authors collected data from 84 contact persons within 62 participating long-term care facilities in Finland using the Pressure Ulcer Prevention Practice instrument. RESULTS: According to the respondents, the PI prevention strategies practiced most often were skin assessment and skin care; nutrition was the prevention used least often. Consistent practices relating to repositioning were most frequently agreed upon, whereas those relating to risk assessment were least frequently agreed upon. Some of the demographic factors of respondents, including knowledge level and reading of PI prevention guidelines and articles, were associated with the frequency of prevention practices. CONCLUSIONS: Although respondents reported a moderate level of PI prevention based on international guidelines, there were often no consistent practices in the units. Further education about PI prevention might improve the consistent practice of evidence-based PI prevention.

Consistent practices in pressure ulcer prevention based on international care guidelines: A cross-sectional study.

The use of consistent and evidence-based practices is essential in terms of patient safety and quality of care. The purpose of this study was to describe the use of consistent practices in PU prevention based on international care guidelines and to assess the validity and reliability of the pressure ulcer prevention practice (PUPreP) instrument. The data (n = 554) were collected between 2018 and 2019 from nursing professionals working at two hospital districts in Finland using the PUPreP instrument. The instrument consisted of 42 items assessing participants' perceptions of the frequencies of pressure ulcer prevention practices with the following scale: never, sometimes, often, always. The data were analysed using statistical analysis. According to the results, the use of pressure ulcer prevention practices was more frequently described as often. The most frequently used prevention practice was repositioning, and the least frequently used practice was nutrition. Factors related to nursing professionals' pressure ulcer prevention practices were the working sector, education and working frequency in pressure ulcer prevention, and early identification of pressure ulcers. The study results suggest that the evidence-based pressure ulcer prevention practices were followed at a moderate level by nurses. The PuPreP instrument demonstrated validity and reliability, but further development is needed.

Work empowerment among cancer care professionals: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing understanding that empowerment of interprofessional personnel is linked to job satisfaction levels and quality of care, but little is known about empowerment in the context of cancer care. This study describes how interprofessional cancer care personnel perceive their performance and factors that promote work empowerment. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 475 (45.2%) of the 1050 employees who work at a regional cancer centre. The participants used two self-administered questionnaires - the Performance of an Empowered Personnel (PEN) questionnaire and Work Empowerment Promoting Factors (WEP) questionnaire - to report perceptions of work empowerment. Both questionnaires' categories comprise moral principles, personal integrity, expertise, future orientation, and sociality. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics, Versions 24 and 25. RESULTS: Overall, the performance of work empowerment was evaluated as being rather high (overall sum score mean: 4.05; range: 3.51-4.41; scale: 1-5). The category that rated highest was moral principles (4.41), and the one rated lowest was the social category (3.51). The factors that promoted work empowerment also ranked high (3.93; range: 3.55-4.08; scale: 1-5), with personal integrity (4.08) the highest and future orientation (3.55) the lowest. Performance and factors that promoted work empowerment correlated positively, moderately, and highly statistically significantly (r = 0.531; p < 0.001). Statistically significant associations also were found between empowered performance of personnel and empowerment promoting factors (sex, education, leadership position, belonging to an interprofessional team, and time elapsed since training in interprofessional cooperation). CONCLUSION: The personnel rated their performance and the factors perceived to promote work empowerment rather highly. Personal empowerment can be promoted through teamwork training and supportive management in interprofessional cancer care.

Nurse-to-nurse collaboration between nurses caring for older people in hospital and primary health care: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the level of nurse-to-nurse collaboration during the transfer of older people between hospital and primary health care and to evaluate the psychometric properties of the newly developed Nurse-to-Nurse Collaboration Between Sectors Instrument. BACKGROUND: Nurse-to-nurse collaboration is required when older people transfer between hospital and primary health care to enhance the safety and continuity of care to patients. There is a lack of evidence about the nature and level of this collaboration. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey design was used. This study adhered to the STROBE checklist. METHODS: A sample of 443 nurses (university hospital n = 240, primary health care n = 203) participated in the study from October 2017 to June 2018. Nurses completed the Nurse-to-Nurse Collaboration Between Sectors Instrument (86 items, 7-point Likert-type scale), the Nurse-Nurse Collaboration Scale and the Patient-Centred Competency Scale. RESULTS: Nurses rated the overall level of nurse-to-nurse collaboration moderately high (mean=4.49, standard deviation=0.83, maximum 7.00). Nurses considered collaboration an important and confidential process, gaining older people's trust in their care. Lower scores were given to the agreement of mutual objectives, policies and guidelines in collaboration, opportunities for job rotation and interacting and networking during the collaboration process. The internal consistency reliability of the newly developed instrument was acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses collaborate with competence and confidentiality during the transfer of older people between care settings. However, there is a need for more opportunities to collaborate, to obtain mutual agreement about objectives, policies and practices, and better understand other nurse's roles and responsibilities in collaboration. The reliability and validity of the Nurse-to-Nurse Collaboration Between Sectors Instrument were acceptable though the number and wording of items will be reviewed and further tested. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nurses need opportunities to collaborate, and there is a need to develop agreed objectives, practices, roles and responsibilities in this collaboration.

A Rasch analysis of the self-administered Foot Health Assessment Instrument (S-FHAI).

BACKGROUND: Reliable and valid measurement is the foundation of evidence-based practice. The self-administered Foot Health Assessment Instrument (S-FHAI) was recently developed to measure patients' evaluations of their own foot health. Evidence regarding the psychometric properties of the S-FHAI is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate those properties by using a Rasch analysis. METHODS: This methodological study analysed secondary data that was collected from nurses (n = 411) in 2015. The psychometric properties of the S-FHAI were evaluated using the Rasch model. Unidimensionality was analysed first, followed by item functioning, person misfit and differential item functioning (DIF). RESULTS: The S-FHAI demonstrated evidence of unidimensionality, with an acceptable item fit according to the Rasch model. Person fit and person separation were low, however, indicating restricted separation among different respondents. Item separation was high, demonstrating clear discrimination between the items. No DIF was detected in relation to gender, but significant DIF was demonstrated in relation to age for 6 of the 25 items. CONCLUSIONS: The S-FHAI has potential for use in investigating self-reported foot health. The Rasch analysis revealed that the psychometric properties of the instrument were acceptable, although some issues should be addressed to improve the scale. In future, it may be beneficial to analyse the sensitivity of the items and to test the S-FHAI in more diverse patient populations.

Continuing education interventions about person-centered care targeted for nurses in older people long-term care: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Person-Centered Care is often seen as an indicator of quality of care. However, it is not known whether and to what extent person-centered care can be enhanced by continuing education interventions in older people's long-term care settings. This systematic review aimed to analyze and synthesize the existing research literature about person-centered care-based continuing educational interventions for nurses working in long-term care settings for older people. METHODS: Five databases were searched 6/2019 and updated 7/2020; PubMed (Medline), CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane and Eric using the keywords person-centered car* OR person-centred car * OR patient-centered car* OR client-centered car* OR tailored car* OR resident-centered car* OR individualized car* AND older* OR elder* OR old person* AND Long-Term Care OR Nursing home OR 24-h treatment OR long-term treatment. Twenty-seven full texts from 2587 initially retrieved citations were included. RESULTS: The continuing educational interventions found were divided into five themes: person-centered interventions focusing on medication; interaction and caring culture; nurses' job satisfaction; nursing activities; and older people's quality of life. The perspective of older people and their next of kin about the influence of continuing education interventions were largely absent. The background theories about interventions, the measurements taken, and the clarity around the building blocks of the continuing-care interventions need further empirical verification. The pedagogical methods used were mainly quite behavioristic mostly lectures and seminars. CONCLUSION: Most of person-centered care continuing education interventions are effective. Still more empirical research-based continuing education interventions are needed that include learner-centered pedagogical methods, with measurable outcomes that consider the opinions of older people and their next of kin. Continuing educational interventions for nurses need to be further developed to strengthen nurse's competence in person-centered care, job satisfaction and for better quality of care.