Patient-reported outcome measures for the assessment of stress in neurological patients: An integrative review.

Background: Patient stress is often overlooked in the care of patients with neurological problems. Nursing theorists have previously heralded stress assessment through conceptual clarification, while clinical nurses in the health care system hold an ideal position for implementation of assessment and coordination of support. Integrated with a hospital assessment and support scheme, recognition of stress as a target of systematic assessment can lead to improved clinical outcomes. Objective: The aim of the study was to describe and compare patient-reported outcome measures suitable for assessment of the stress response as symptoms in neurological patients. Design: This study is an integrative review and concept development of patient stress based on qualitative and quantitative analysis of available self-reporting instruments. Methods: Instruments were retreived with a systematic search from PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO and Web of Science reference databases on August 2, 2021. Search terms associated with the concept of stress symptoms were used. Instrument inclusion was done with the guidance of authoritative symptom inventories, with partial confirmation by a second author to mitigate bias. In the analysis, the instruments included in the review were quantitatively described and compared. Insights from the instrument composition led to clarification of our concept of stress response to further refine the list of instruments suitable for self-assessment of the stress status. This study was not registered. Results: Based on the inclusion criteria, 23 patient-reported outcome measures extending over a variety of stress concepts were included. The similarity of items among the instruments implied a symptom cluster delineated by 59 common symptom subclasses that were grouped together in a re-classification of instrument items. A comparative quantitative analysis prompted us to distinguish the concept of stress response from antecedent, consequent, and related concepts as a manifestation of mental, somatic, and behavioral domains. Ten instruments with items covering the three domains, each with unique qualities regarding number of items, measured spread, and letter count were described. Conclusions: Within an organizational framework, effective allotment among types of support can be founded on the patient's stress status and the stressors. The stress status manifests itself as a set of measurable symptoms. Optimal instruments for use in systematic clinical assessment of neurological patients' stress status should satisfy the suggested specification of the stress response with a minimal number of items and concise wording. Finding and including the relevant instruments for analysis were the main limitation of the study. Tweetable abstract: Stress of neurological patients needs to be assessed and addressed. We ranked 10 suitable instruments that can be useful in the assessment.

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.

Perceptions of foot health services from the perspective of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Finland.

BACKGROUND: Foot health services for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are an important part of their comprehensive care. However, little is known about the perceptions of people with RA have about foot health services. This study aimed to explore how people with RA perceive foot health services. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was applied. The electronic survey data were collected in April 2023 from people with RA through a national patients' association (N = 2400, response rate 24%, n = 565). The statistical data were analysed using descriptive statistics and textual data with thematic analysis. RESULTS: Most of the respondents (n = 322, 59%) had used foot health services provided by chiropodist or podiatrist. Those who had used services were mostly satisfied but considered patient education about foot health insufficient. One third reported no visits to foot health services at all because of personal and health service system-related factors. CONCLUSIONS: Those people with RA who have access to foot health services value and appreciate the services. However, many people with RA do not use foot health services because they perceive availability of such services limited and thus unequal and hard to access. There is a need to develop foot health services for people with RA so that they are easy to access, correspond to their foot health needs and have seamless care paths at different levels of the health care system.

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.

Improved professional competencies and leadership in PhD-prepared nurses and doctoral students after participating in the cross-national and web-based Nurse-Lead program.

BACKGROUND: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)-prepared nurses are expected to exercise leadership in their various roles. Therefore, European nurse scholars developed a cross-national web-based Nursing Leadership and Mentoring Educational (Nurse-Lead) program. PURPOSE: To evaluate changes in leadership practices, professional and research competencies as well as career development of PhD-prepared nurses and doctoral nursing students after participation in the Nurse-Lead program. METHODS: A pre-post-test evaluation was conducted. Surveys addressed leadership, professional and research competencies, and career development. Quantitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and paired sample t-tests. Content analysis was used for qualitative data. DISCUSSION: The 30 participants showed significant improvements in all leadership practices, professional competencies, and most research competencies. Participants reported increased confidence in decision-making, taking on new responsibilities, and becoming more visible within research teams. CONCLUSION: Web-based, international leadership and mentoring programs are promising tools for the leadership and professional development of PhD-prepared nurses and doctoral nursing students.

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.

Career development of doctorally prepared nurses.

AIM: To integrate research literature regarding careers, career development and factors influencing the career development of doctorally prepared nurses. DESIGN: An integrative review. DATA SOURCES: Medline, CINAHL and Embase were searched in June 2022 without time restrictions. METHODS: Peer-reviewed empirical publications written in English with different types of study designs were included. Two researchers independently applied eligibility criteria, selected studies and conducted quality appraisals using Joanna Briggs checklists. Data were extracted and analysed using a convergent integrated approach with thematic analysis. Themes were established within three categories based on the research questions: career, career development and factors influencing career development. RESULTS: Twenty-two studies were included. Nine themes were identified. One theme regarding careers describes that doctorally prepared nurses need to prioritize work within different positions. The two themes focusing on career development described the need to determine career goals after the doctorate and further develop competencies. Six themes described factors influencing career development: 'Intrinsic motivation to improve health care and nursing education', 'Available support sources', 'Professional development programmes', 'Work-life balance', 'Organizational infrastructures for career advancement' and 'Competition and hostile treatment among colleagues'. CONCLUSION: Limited knowledge of the careers and career development of doctorally prepared nurses was found. Doctorally prepared nurses need to balance work with various part-time positions. Careers and career development could be supported by the development of structures for career advancement as well as supportive working environments. IMPACT: Doctorally prepared nurses with strong careers are important to health care and nursing as they generate and implement new knowledge into clinical practice and thereby support the improvement of (nursing) care and patient outcomes. This study provides considerations towards strengthening the careers of doctorally prepared nurses. REPORTING METHOD: PRISMA. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or Public Contribution.

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.

Quality of interaction between the nursing personnel and the informal caregivers of people with memory disorders: A systematic review and metasummary of qualitative studies.

AIM: To explore the factors that affect the quality of interactions between nursing personnel and the informal caregivers of people with memory disorders. DESIGN: Systematic review and metasummary of qualitative empirical research. METHODS: The literature search targeted studies concerning the professional care interactions between nursing personnel and the informal caregivers of people with progressive memory disorders. The search in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Scopus covered records from the earliest possible date up to December 2020. The data were summarised using a qualitative metasummary method. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist was used to validate the reporting process. RESULTS: Ten articles were included. As presented in 33 statements, the factors affecting the quality of interactions were related to (1) expectations, (2) memory disorders, (3) interaction strategies, (4) time and place of interactions and (5) organisational aspects. Meeting the individual interactional needs of informal caregivers is recommended. The results provide guidance for improving the quality of interactions between nursing personnel and informal caregivers.

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).

Exploring unfinished nursing care among nursing students: a discussion paper.

BACKGROUND: In line with the impetus traceable among the nursing staff, studies regarding the perception of Unfinished Care among students have increased in recent years as also recommended by some policy documents in the consideration that, as future members of the staff, they are expected to raise concerns about failures in the standards of care. However, no discussion of their methodological requirements has been provided to date. The aim of this study is to debate Unfinished Care explorations among nursing students and developing recommendations. METHODS: A Rapid Review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, followed by a scientific discussion based on empirical evidence that emerged from the review combined with expert knowledge. Medline, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Scopus databases were searched up to May 2022. RESULTS: In the last five years, seven studies have been conducted by researchers affiliated at the university level, involving from 18 to 737 undergraduate students across Europe. By critically analysing their key aspects, there are derived some recommendations in conducting investigations in this field as, (a) the hidden meaning of Unfinished Care investigations among students by also deciding which concept is mostly appropriate to investigate; (b) the need of establishing alliances with the clinical settings in order to involve them in such explorations; (c) more complex research methods capable of exploring this issue among students by promoting learning outcomes and not only a simple data collection; and (e) the influences of these explorations on students' wellbeing, as well as on ethical implications and that regarding the relationship between the healthcare services and the universities. CONCLUSION: Policymakers consider students to be key informants of the quality of nursing care issues witnessed during their clinical placements. The related emerging line of research is intriguing because of the underlying methodological, ethical and system complexities that need to be addressed according to some considerations.

Ethical issues in long-term care settings: Care workers' lived experiences.

BACKGROUND: Professional care workers face ethical issues in long-term care settings (LTCS) for older adults. They need to be independent and responsible, despite limited resources, a shortage of skilled professionals, global and societal changes, and the negative reputation of LTCS work. RESEARCH AIM: Our aim was to describe the care workers' lived experiences of ethical issues. The findings can be used to gain new perspectives and to guide decision-making to improve the quality of care, occupational well-being and nursing education. RESEARCH DESIGN: Focus group interviews were analyzed using a hermeneutic-phenomenological method. The analysis comprised three steps: naïve reading, structural analysis, and comprehensive understanding. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: We randomly sampled LTCS service providers in Finland and 53 care workers with different educational backgrounds from seven organizations participated in focus group interviews in 2021. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: This was a sensitive study, which was connected to the participants' individual views of the world, professional ethics and social and health care legislation. The participants' provided informed consent and their anonymity was guaranteed. FINDINGS: Care workers spoke about their lived experiences of ethical issues in an emotional way, using practical examples. They talked about how they were experts at caring and advocating for residents, balanced the responsibilities of their different roles, and defended their work to the wider society. The care workers said that ethical aspects of their work were too difficult to solve on their own. There were elements of their working environment and practices that caused unnecessary strain and they needed the commitment of managers, organizations, and society to solve ethical issues in LTCS. CONCLUSIONS: Ethical issues were related to the well-being of both residents and care workers and reflected both internal and external pressures. Some issues could not be resolved by individuals and needed input from managers, organizations, and society.

Self-reported competence level of occupational health care professionals in work ability risk management and analysis.

BACKGROUND: The management and analysis of work ability risks is important to support well-being at work and requires multidimensional competence. Competence evaluation in Occupational Health Care professionals' (OHCP) practice is essential for their professional development and promotion of quality of care. OBJECTIVE: To describe OHCPs' self-reported competence level to manage and analyze work ability risks. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was applied. The data were collected electronically from May to June 2018 using the Comp-WARMA instrument (scale 1 = poor - 4 = excellent) from Occupational Health Care professionals working in Finnish private medical centers (n = 169, response rate of 10%). The data were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: The levels of knowledge and skills of OHCP in work ability risk management and analysis were mainly at good level (3.22 on average), but some deficient were still identified. The knowledge and skills of the work ability risk management and analysis were associated with the number of customer organizations they worked with, their attendance of supplementary training regarding work ability risk management and analysis, their amount of work experience, their type of employment, age, and gender. CONCLUSION: OHCP self-reported competence levels in work ability risk management and analysis was at good level. There is a need for development in all areas of work ability risk management and analysis. OHCP could benefit from in-service education on work ability risk management and analysis. Further validation of the Comp-WARMA instrument in larger sample is needed.

Person-centred care competence and person-centred care climate described by nurses in older people's long-term care-A cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Person-centred care requires that nurses are competent in this approach to care. There may be an association between person-centred care competence and person-centred care climate, but it has not been demonstrated in the literature. This is the justification for the survey study to gain staff's perceptions of such a relationship. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyse the levels and associations between person-centred care competence and the person-centred care climate as assessed by professional nurses in long-term care settings for older people. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional survey design with cluster sampling was used to recruit professional nurses of different levels from six long-term care institutions for older people. Data were collected using the Patient-centred Care Competency scale (PCC) and the Person-centred Climate Questionnaire staff version (PCQ-S) in September 2021 and analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: The mean score on the PCC was rated at a good level of 3.80 (SD 0.45), and the PCQ-S was rated at a good level of 3.87 (SD 0.53). The correlation between PCC and PCQ-S total scores (r = .37, p < .001) indicated that person-centred care competence and person-centred care climate were associated. No associations were detected between nurses' educational levels and PCC (p = .19) or PCQ-S (p = .13) or in terms of age or work experience. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide insights into competence and climate levels of person-centred care and preliminary evidence of an association between nurses' assessed competence in person-centred care and the perceived person-centred care climate in long-term care. Nurses' individual characteristics did not appear to affect the level of person-centred care competence or climate. In the future professional nurses of different levels could benefit from effective continuing education in person-centred care. This study design serving for the future intervention study registered to the ClinicalTrials.goc NCT04833153.

Ethical challenges faced by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this scoping review is to describe the literature reporting on ethical challenges faced by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the contextual characteristics of ethical challenges, and the strategies to address these challenges. INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic presented many ethical challenges to nurses, ranging from allocating scarce resources, to balancing a duty of care with self-preservation, and implementing visitation restrictions. Internationally, there has been a range of reported issues, but few studies have described strategies to overcome these challenges. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Studies that report on ethical challenges faced by nurses while caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic will be included. Studies that report on strategies to address these challenges will also be considered for inclusion. METHODS: This scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the methods outlined by JBI and reported using PRISMA-ScR guidance. The following databases will be searched for eligible studies from November 2019 to present day: PubMed, CINAHL, Ovid, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library, and Scopus. No language restrictions will be applied. Studies will be reviewed for inclusion by 2 independent reviewers and a data extraction form developed specifically for this review will be used to extract data relevant to the review questions. Results will be analyzed and presented according to the concepts of interest, using tables, figures, images, and supporting narrative synthesis.

A caring and living environment that supports the spirituality of older people with dementia: A hermeneutic phenomenological study.

INTRODUCTION: Meeting spiritual needs is an important part of the quality of nursing for older people living with dementia. The spirituality-supportive caring and living environment has rarely been studied, even though the environment plays an important role in supporting the well-being of older people with dementia. AIM: To further understanding about the spirituality-supportive elements of a caring and living environment from the perspective of older people with dementia and their family members. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: We adapted hermeneutic phenomenology as a philosophical background and methodological approach in this study. After receiving the approval of the researcher's University Ethics Committee, a purposive sample of ten older people with dementia and their nine family members, in home care and long-term care settings in Southern Finland were recruited for interviews. METHODS: An interview-based study was conducted using photography to collect the data. The in-depth interviews were conducted in dyads between September 2017 and March 2020 and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. RESULTS: Spirituality was seen as a continuum within human life, manifested through the environment even if older people with dementia were unable to express themselves. The spirituality experiences of the participants within the caring and living environment were summarized into three themes: "Where do I belong?", "What remains of me in the world?" and "Where am I going?" The older people, their family members and other people involved in their care provided a caring and living environment that supported spirituality with opportunities to seek answers to these questions through to the meaning of their life. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: This hermeneutic phenomenological study provides a new insight into the environment that supports the spirituality of older people with dementia. The elements of caring and living environment can remind older people with dementia of what supports their own way of thinking about spirituality and brings meaning to their life. Therefore, spirituality is worth of considering when planning a caring and living environment that supports what is important to the personhood of older people with dementia. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Spirituality is worth of considering when planning a caring and living environment that supports what is important to the personhood of older people with dementia.

Supporting the spirituality of older people living with dementia in nursing care: A hermeneutic phenomenological inquiry into older people's and their family members' experiences.

BACKGROUND: Supporting spirituality is an essential aspect of the holistic nursing care of older people living with dementia. Spirituality is defined as a search for answers to questions about the meaning and purpose of life and the individual's relationship with the sacred or transcendent. This relationship may or may not involve an affiliation with a specific religion. OBJECTIVE: To understand how older people living with dementia and their family members experience spirituality and its support in nursing care. DESIGN: A qualitative study informed by the principles of Ricoeurian hermeneutic phenomenology. SETTINGS: We conducted the study in home care and long-term care settings in Southern Finland. PARTICIPANTS: We collected data between 2017-2020 from a purposive sample of 10 older people living with dementia and their 9 family members (n = 19). METHODS: We used interviews to collect data and adapted and used Ricoeur's theory of interpretation as a method for analysis. RESULTS: The findings of this study show that older people living with dementia need spiritual support in nursing care based on their personal understanding of spirituality. The four elements of this spirituality that emerged were: religion, meaningful relationships, nature, and art. The participants addressed some challenges to spiritual support in the nursing care of older people living with dementia including: the competence and abilities of nursing, time available, presence and experience. CONCLUSIONS: Older people living with dementia and their family members consider spiritual support an important aspect of nursing care. To support the spirituality of these older people, the elements of spirituality need to be understood as these are central to each person's spiritual position. Additionally, spiritual support requires understanding knowledge, experience, time and presence, to manage all four elements with individuals.

Reasoning for whistleblowing in health care.

BACKGROUND: Whistleblowing is recognised as part of solving wrongdoing. It requires individual reasoning as it is a potentially complicated process with a risk of possible negative consequences for oneself. Knowledge on how individuals reason for whistleblowing in healthcare context is lacking. AIM: This study aimed to create a theoretical construct to describe individual reasoning for whistleblowing. METHODS: The methodology was grounded theory, with 244 nurses as informants. The data consisted of nurses' written narratives in response to a wrongdoing situation presented in a video vignette. To ensure the heterogeneity of the population and variation in nurses' professional expertise, experiences and geographical locations in health care to capture the multidimensionality of the responses, nurses were invited to participate, and data were collected electronically from the membership register of the Finnish Nurses' Association on a national level. Constant comparison was used to analyse the open data. RESULTS: The core category of the theoretical construct, 'The formation of morally courageous intervening', was discovered, reflecting individual's values and beliefs. It forms mentally as an integration of cognition and emotion for recognising one's own strengths and limits to act to do the right thing despite the risk of negative consequences for oneself. The core category consists of three dimensions of reasoning: (1) Reasoning Actors, (2) Reasoning Justifications and (3) Reasoning Activities, their categories and three patterns of reasoning connecting the dimensions and their categories with each other: (I) Individual Reasoning, (II) Collaborative Reasoning and (III) Collective Reasoning. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The theoretical construct indicate that reasoning is a multidimensional phenomenon. In future, a theoretical construct could be further developed. In health care, managers could use the theoretical construct to support employees in their whistleblowing.

Ethical competence - exploring situations in physiotherapy practice.

INTRODUCTION: Ethical competence is a key area of professional expertise in physiotherapy. It is needed for successful interaction and rehabilitation - most physiotherapists encounter ethical situations weekly, but the ability to recognize and meet these situations varies. OBJECTIVE: This study describes physiotherapists' ethical competence in situations in which they experience they have succeeded to act ethically competently. The study also seeks to verify an existing conceptual frame, developed through a concept analysis of ethical competence. METHOD: All together 164 physiotherapists responded to open-ended questions by writing short narratives of an ethically challenging situation. The narratives which were analyzed using deductive-inductive content analysis to discover meaningful underlying categories under the existing analysis frame's themes. RESULTS: Responses were related to advocating and supporting patients, identifying barriers in own knowledge and implementing physiotherapy according to the patient's needs, even if the treatment wasn't in line with the actual goals or organization's guidelines. Ethical awareness as an attribute of ethical competence was emphasized in physiotherapists' responses. CONCLUSION: This study provided new knowledge about ethically challenging situations that physiotherapists encounter and their abilities to work within these. As all the attributes of ethical competence were present in the situations described, it can be stated that the analysis frame at this point is adequate. Further testing of the frame should be done to gain data-driven trustworthiness and credibility.

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.