Transgender people's experiences of hospitalization: A qualitative metasynthesis.

AIM: To identify, synthesize, and interpret the scientific literature on the experience, perspectives, and feelings of transgender people during hospitalization. DESIGN: A qualitative metasynthesis. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, CINAHL and PSYCHINFO were consulted in March 2024. METHODS: A literature review was conducted following Sandelowski and Barroso's four-step metasynthesis methodology. The article selection process was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were selected based on the objectives of the review, pre-established criteria and quality appraisal. A thematic analysis was conducted after extracting relevant quotations and a metasynthesis table was created to compare quotations and analyse overarching themes. RESULTS: Twenty-two studies were included after screening titles and abstracts, full texts, and references. Three themes were identified: 'Perception of self-identity'; 'Misgendering' and 'Lack of staff training and awareness'. CONCLUSION: Transgender people's healthcare experiences during hospitalization were mainly negative, delayed or uncomfortable. Misgendering and lack of awareness of transgender issues among healthcare workers generated anxiety and frustration. Key aspects of care for transgender people need to be included in all training programs for health professionals. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: There is a need to increase education and awareness among healthcare professionals towards transgender people's needs during hospitalization ensure high quality care. IMPACT: This study addressed the negative experience, perspectives and feelings of transgender people during hospitalization. Misgendering and unawareness of transgender peoples' issues create anxiety and frustration among nurses. Elements to improve care for transgender people need to be integrated into all nursing curricula and training programs. REPORTING METHOD: The authors adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP). PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Since this was a metasynthesis, no patient or public contribution was required.

Nurses' attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines: A qualitative study (PROACTIVE-study).

AIM: To explore the attitudes of healthcare workers towards COVID-19 vaccines. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive design was used. METHODS: Five focus groups were conducted between October and November 2021, with a total of 30 nurses from different contexts in Northern Italy. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcripts. RESULTS: Three main themes were identified: 'favourable', 'unsure' and 'contrary to' COVID-19 vaccines. The favourable position was underpinned by trust in science, research and vaccination; protection for themselves, their families, patients and the population; duty as professionals; necessity to set an example for others. Participants who were unsure had doubts about the composition, safety and efficacy of the vaccine and were sometimes afraid that media provided incomplete information. The main reason why nurses were against was the feeling that being forced to vaccinate perceived as blackmail. Favourable or unsure nurses struggled to deal with those who were against and developed a series of emotions that ranged from respect and attempt to rationalize, to frustration and defeat. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying the areas of hesitation is essential to understand what affects the choices of acceptance, delay or refusal of vaccination. The issues that emerged regarding proper communication within the vaccination campaign highlights the key importance of adequate vaccination strategies. IMPLICATION FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Understanding attitudes towards vaccine and related motivations among healthcare workers could help develop more specific and targeted vaccination campaigns that can ensure proper vaccination coverage rates and avoid hesitancy or refusal. IMPACT: Healthcare workers experiences of COVID-19 vaccines, their views and know how they feel during COVID-19 vaccinations. Healthcare workers had three different positions in COVID-19 vaccination. This research will guide and target future vaccination campaigns. REPORTING METHOD: The study is reported using the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR). PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or Public Contribution.

Protective and risk factors of workplace violence against nurses: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS: To describe how workplace violence (WPV) is experienced by nurses in hospitals and community services and identify protective and risk factors. METHODS: An online cross-sectional national study was conducted from January to April 2021 in Italy. Hospitals and community services were involved in the study. The survey combined the adapted and validated Italian version of the Violence in Emergency Nursing and Triage (VENT) questionnaire, which explores the episodes of WPV experienced during the previous 12 months, the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) and some additional questions about staffing levels extracted from a previous RN4CAST study. Nurses working in all clinical settings and community services were invited to participate in the survey. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. We adhered to the STROBE reporting guidelines. RESULTS: A total of 6079 nurses completed the survey, 32.4% (n = 1969) had experienced WPV in the previous 12 months, and 46% (n = 920) reported WPV only in the previous week. The most significant protective factors were nurses' age, patients' use of illegal substances, attitude of individual nurses and considering effective the organization's procedures for preventing and managing episodes of violence. The most significant risk factors included workload, recognizing violence as an inevitable part of the job, patients' cultural aspects and patients' agitated behaviour. The frequency of WPV was significantly higher in certain areas, such as the emergency department and in mental health wards. CONCLUSION: Workplace violence (WPV) against nurses is a very frequent and concerning issue, especially in hospitals and community services. Based on our findings, integrated and multimodal programmes for prevention and management of WPV are recommended. More attention and resources need to be allocated to reduce WPV by improving the quality of nurses' workplace environment and implementing violence-free policies for hospitals. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Impact Workplace verbal and physical violence is a widespread phenomenon, both in hospital and community settings, and even during COVID-19 pandemic. This problem is exacerbated by the lack of effective reporting systems, fear of retaliation and the tendency to consider violence as an inevitable part of the job. The characteristics of professionals, patients, work environment and organizational factors are involved in the spread of workplace violence, determining its multifactorial nature. Integrated and multimodal programmes to prevent and manage of workplace violence are probably the only way to effectively counteract workplace violence against nurses. Healthcare policymakers, managers of hospital and community services need to proactively prevent and effectively manage and monitor episodes of violence. Nurses need to feel protected and safeguarded against any form of verbal or physical violence, to provide high-quality care in a totally safe environment. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

Informal carers' experiences with their children's care during hospitalization in Italy: Child HCAHPS results from RN4CAST@IT-Ped cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: To examine informal carers' experiences during their child's hospitalization and evaluate the associations with care received and care context. DESIGN AND METHODS: What is described in this article is only a part of the larger study, RN4CAST@IT-Ped, a multicenter cross-sectional study, with multi-level data collection through convenience sampling, the Child Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey was used to collect data from informal carers of pediatric patients, applying the "top box" approach. RESULTS: Nine hospitals, 1472 nurses, and 635 children's parents were involved. A correlation was found between patient safety and satisfaction outcomes and nursing staff characteristics. Adequate workloads for nurses improved carers' assessment of their experience in the hospital. CONCLUSION: Adequate staffing management could significantly improve informal carers' satisfaction with the care provided to their children during hospitalization. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Children's informal carers greatly value the care they receive in pediatric hospitals. Adequate workloads for nurses improve carers' overall evaluation of the care their children receive during hospitalization. Nursing management should consider improving these aspects to ensure high-quality care in children's hospitals.

Working conditions, missed care and patient experience in home care nursing in Italy: An observational study.

INTRODUCTION: The aging of the population requires an appropriate knowledge of the type of care that needs to be provided to inform healthcare policies. In Italy, neither home care nursing, nor the patient experiences have ever been described. OBJECTIVES: To describe the characteristics of nurses and care recipients involved in home care. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in 18 Italian Regions. Between April and October 2023, data from nurses and patients involved in home care were collected through two surveys. Psychosocial conditions in workplaces, missed care, and care experiences were assessed using validated tools. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlations were performed. RESULTS: A total of 46 local healthcare units were included in this study, with a total of 2549 nurses and 4709 care recipients. Nurses (mean age 46.60; 79.48% female; 44.68% regional nursing diploma as the highest qualification) reported good working conditions (42.37; SD = 12.25; range = 0-100) and a high mean number of missed care activities (5.11; SD = 3.19; range 0-9). Most nurses (83.41%) reported high levels of job satisfaction, while 20.28% intended to leave their job. Patients (mean age 75.18; 57.57% female; 36.95% primary school), on the other hand, rated positively the care they had received (8.23; range = 0-10). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the perception of critical issues at work and some missed care, satisfaction in nurses and patients was high. These data constitute a preliminary snapshot of the studied phenomena, which will be investigated through more in-depth analyses.

Workload of home care nurses: Italian adaptation, validity, and reliability of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index questionnaire.

The aim of this study was to adapt the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) to the home care setting and translate and validate it in Italian. An online questionnaire containing the Italian version of the NASA-TLX adapted to the home care setting was administered to home care nurses to measure workload. Content Validity Index, Exploratory, and Confirmatory Factor Analyses were used to measure the psychometric characteristics of the modified NASA-TLX. The modified Italian version of NASA-TLX_HC-IT showed good psychometric characteristics in measuring the workload of home care nurses, with excellent fit indices. The reliability, calculated with Cronbach's alpha, was 0.73, indicating adequate reliability. A negative correlation between workload and job satisfaction among home care nurses, as well as a positive association between high workload and intention to leave the workplace, was verified. The modified Italian version of the NASA-TLX_HC-IT was confirmed to be a valid and reliable instrument to measure workload in home care nursing. Furthermore, the correlation between workload and the intention to leave the workplace among home care nurses was an important result that community nursing managers should consider preventing the shortage of home care nurses.

Community health services in European literature: A systematic review of their features, outcomes, and nursing contribution to care.

BACKGROUND: To meet the population's needs, community care should be customized and continuous, adequately equipped, and monitored. INTRODUCTION: Considering their fragmented and heterogeneous nature, a summary of community healthcare services described in European literature is needed. The aim of this study was to summarize their organizational models, outcomes, nursing contribution to care, and nursing-related determinants of outcomes. METHODS: A systematic review was performed by searching PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Embase in October 2022 and October 2023 (for updated results). Quantitative studies investigating the effects of community care, including nursing contribution, on patient outcomes were included and summarized. Reporting followed the PRISMA checklist. The review protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022383856). RESULTS: Twenty-three studies describing six types of community care services were included, which are heterogeneous in terms of target population, country, interventions, organizational characteristics, and investigated outcomes. Heterogeneous services' effects were observed for access to emergency services, satisfaction, and compliance with treatment. Services revealed a potential to reduce rehospitalizations of people with long-term conditions, frail or older persons, children, and heart failure patients. Models are mainly multidisciplinary and, although staffing and workload may also have an impact on provided care, this was not enough investigated. DISCUSSION: Community health services described in European literature in the last decade are in line with population needs and suggest different suitable models and settings according to different care needs. Community care should be strengthened in health systems, although the influence of staffing, workload, and work environment on nursing care should be investigated by developing new management models. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH POLICY: Community care models are heterogeneous across Europe, and the optimum organizational structure is not clear yet. Future policies should consider the impact of community care on both health and economic outcomes and enhance nursing contributions to care.

Surviving cancer following total laryngectomy: a phenomenological study.

PURPOSE: Total laryngectomy followed by radiotherapy is a life-preserving treatment for patients with locally advanced laryngeal cancer. This study explored how persons who had undergone total laryngectomy perceived themselves as cancer survivors in the follow-up phase. METHODS: A descriptive phenomenological approach was adopted. We employed a purposive sampling strategy to collect data through interviews at the otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinics of two research hospitals in northern Italy. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed, following the seven analytical steps of Colaizzi's descriptive analysis. RESULTS: The final sample included 19 patients. The following main themes were identified: (i) accepting a life with the "without" to survive; (ii) feeling unpleasant emotions; (iii) getting the hang of communication again; and (iv) reclaiming one's role. Together, they highlight the lived experiences of laryngectomised patients during the follow-up phase and how they perceived themselves as cancer survivors. CONCLUSION: Laryngectomised patients are a uniquely vulnerable population. This study provides insights into how surgical procedures change and affect their lives over time to improve care models, patient education, and support systems. Survivors must be adequately prepared to transition from treatment and return to the community. This preparation should begin before treatment is started. Functional education, accurate information, and psychological support must be arranged and provided before surgery. Regarding the post-treatment phase, it is essential to support voice rehabilitation and peer support, and improve the family network, to ensure these patients' reintegration into society and social recognition.

Fundamental care: An evolutionary concept analysis.

AIM: To report an analysis of the concept of fundamental care in the literature. DESIGN: An evolutionary concept analysis. DATA SOURCES: PubMed and CINAHL Complete databases were consulted using the key terms: fundamental care, fundamentals of care, essential care, basic nursing care and basic care revised. Articles published from 2008 to 2022, in English and Italian, in scholarly/peer-reviewed nursing journals were included. METHODS: Rodgers's Evolutionary Method of concept analysis was used. Our thematic analysis yielded common themes related to the concept, antecedents, attributes and consequences of fundamental care. RESULTS: A total of 50 articles were analysed. Thirty-eight attributes were identified, such as integration of care, patient and family centred care and trusting relationship; eight antecedents including nursing care, nursing practice and care context; and 17 consequences including the safety, quality and consistency of care. CONCLUSION: This review of literature reveals that there is no consistent definition of the concept of 'fundamental care'. Findings from this exploration of the literature emphasized the importance of communication, the contextual environment, leadership influence and nurse-patient relationship in providing effective and high-quality fundamental care. Our definition of this concept may help nurse leaders in practice, research, education, management and policy to promote and enhance the application of fundamental care. IMPACT: What problem did the study address? While numerous studies examine fundamental nursing care, various terms are used with no consensus on definitions emerging. Given the relevance of this topic, reaching a clear and agreed definition of fundamental care is essential. What were the main findings? Fundamental care encompasses the importance of communication, the contextual environment, leadership influence and nurse-patient relationship in providing effective and high-quality care. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? This definition of fundamental care will assist nurse leaders and researchers to promote and enhance the examination and application of fundamental care in clinical practice to ensure better care outcomes across all healthcare settings.

Nursing management of emergency department violence-Can we do more?

BACKGROUND: Emergency departments are the services with the highest risk of violence for nurses. Reports of violence in health care have increased exponentially in the last decade. Front line hospital services are more at risk, and worldwide there are attempts to quantify, manage and prevent episodes of violence, but no consistent solutions have yet been identified. AIMS: To stimulate reflection on causal factors of violence against nurses in emergency departments and discuss potential solutions and strategies for aspects that largely remain unresolved. DESIGN: A position paper underpinned by experiences and evidence reported in the literature. METHODS: A search of Scopus and CINAHL using the term 'violence' provided information concerning the prevalence of the term 'violence' in contemporary literature and enabled to capture a general overview of contributing factors of violence and current approaches to its management and prevention. CONCLUSIONS: However, while risk factors have been identified, there is a tendency to over accentuate the extent of their contribution. The main risk factors present conditions related to or accompanied by mental illness and the impact of overcrowding and long waiting times. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: More is needed in terms of implementation of more far-reaching, holistic, practical and effective management solutions to promote nurses' safety and adequately support vulnerable patients.

Does nursing have a contribution to make to the silver economy?

AIM: To discuss the possible contribution of nurses to the Silver Economy. BACKGROUND: Older people constitute a growing sector of the population of developed countries and there is increasing interest in the concept of the Silver Economy which is the contribution older people can and do make to the general economies of their communities and countries. SOURCES OF EVIDENCE: We obtained a range of relevant documents from international organisations and related academic literature. DISCUSSION: There is a range of interrelated health promotion aspects of ageing related to physical health, mental health and cognitive health. Promoting activities related to these could have both direct and indirect impact on the economy in addition to improving the health and well-being of older people. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses have a responsibility to understand the health promotion related aspects of ageing and the contribution they can make to improving the health and well-being of older people. Nurses could, specifically, promote activities amongst older people that will have an impact on health and on the economy. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Nurses need to integrate more health promotion related aspects of ageing into their practice and to be able to evaluate the health-related improvements they make and also to evaluate and indicate the contribution this makes to the health of older people and to the economy.

The structure of the Italian version of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index.

AIM: To investigate the factor structure of an Italian translation of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI). BACKGROUND: Italy suffers from high turnover rates, yet validated tools in Italian to study and manage the problem are lacking. The PES-NWI measures aspects of nurses' working environment. This study reports on the translation and investigation of the structure of the translated PES-NWI scale. METHODS: A survey was conducted with 3667 nurses from 182 hospitals across 13 Italian regions using the PES-NWI. The structure of this scale was investigated using principal components analysis and other properties, including internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha). Construct validity was investigated using logistic regression. RESULTS: The Italian translation of the PES-NWI showed a five-factor structure, and Cronbach's alpha of the factors ranged between 0.80 and 0.92. Logistic regression showed that the PES-NWI was positively related to job satisfaction (odds ratio = 10.3; CI 8.62-12.35) and negatively related to intention to leave (odds ratio = 0.14; CI 0.12-0.16). CONCLUSIONS: The original five-factor structure of the PES-NWI was evident in the present study, albeit with some different factor loadings. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The Italian version of the PES-NWI can be used by nurse managers to tackle the workforce issues related to nurses' work environments in a major European country.

Predictors of events of violence or aggression against nurses in the workplace: A scoping review.

AIM: To identify predictors and consequences of violence or aggression events against nurses and nursing students in different work contexts. BACKGROUND: Workplace violence against nurses and nursing students is a very common and widespread phenomenon. Actions to manage or prevent violent events could be implemented knowing the risk factors and consequences. However, there is a lack of systematic reviews that summarize knowledge on the predictors and consequences of workplace violence. EVALUATION: A scoping review was conducted using electronic databases including APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, Cochrane, Ovid Medline, PubMed and Scopus. KEY ISSUES: After full text analysis, 87 papers were included in the current scoping review. Risk factors of horizontal violence were grouped into 'personal' and 'Environmental and organizational', and for violence perpetrated by patients into 'personal', 'Environmental and organizational' and 'Characteristics of the perpetrators'. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this scoping review uncover problems that often remain unaddressed, especially where these episodes are very frequent. Workplace violence prevention and management programmes are essential to counter it. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The predictors and the consequents identified constitute the body of knowledge necessary for nurse managers to develop and implement policy and system actions to effectively manage or prevent violent events.

Remote monitoring heart failure patients with implanted heart devices: a descriptive exploratory qualitative study of nurses' experiences and competences in Italy. / Il monitoraggio in remoto nei pazienti con scompenso cardiaco impiantati di device cardiaco: uno studio qualitativo esplorativo descrittivo sulle esperienze e competenze degli infermieri in Italia.

INTRODUCTION: Heart failure has an enormous impact in terms of mortality, morbidity, and costs for healthcare organizations. Indications for implanted heart devices, such as pacemakers or implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are constantly increasing. With the arrival of the telemedicine, nurses play an important role in the remote management of chronic heart diseases. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of nurses who remotely monitor patients with an implanted heart device in Italy. METHODS: A qualitative study with a phenomenological approach was conducted. The sample consisted of 7 nurses dedicated to remote monitoring (RM), from three cardiology clinics in Northern Italy. We conducted semi-structured interviews to understand the experience and training nurses received to conduct RM. RESULTS: From the analysis of the interviews, six themes were identified: 'Specialized knowledge and skills', 'Learn through practice', 'Organization of work', 'Decision making', 'Trust', and 'Need for information'. The majority of our sample developed their competencies directly on the field, in absence of a certified recognized pathway, on RM in patients with heart failure implanted with cardiac devices. Therefore, nurses performing RM activities do not receive the same type of education and training. CONCLUSION: Currently, in Italy, there is no standardised training for nurses who perform RM activities for heart failure patients with implanted heart device, and yet it is instrumental to have appropriate knowledge and training to effectively perform this type of activity and care.

Nursing competence in continuous renal replacement therapy: development and validation of a measurement tool.

BACKGROUND: Acute Renal Failure is an essential condition frequently encountered in intensive care units and requires targeted treatment. The critical care nursing team must be adequately trained to manage patients undergoing Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy. OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate the Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy - Measurement Competency Tool, aimed at measuring nursing competence in managing patients undergoing renal replacement techniques. METHODS: A cross-sectional tool validation study with a test-retest.A total of 30 critical care nurses participated in this study. The study examined content and face validity. Test-retest reliability with Pearson's r correlation and internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach's α. Current guidelines for Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy techniques were used to develop an instrument to measure nursing competence through an online survey. A pool of 10 experts evaluated this tool. RESULTS: The Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy - Measurement Competency Tool achieved good content and face validity (S-CVI= 0.97; I-CVI=87%-100%), and good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α= 0.799). Pilot testing and test-retesting was conducted with 30 critical care nurses. The intraclass correlation for the test-retest analysis indicates excellent test-retest reliability, confirming the stability of the tool. ConclUSION: The tool assesses nursing competence concerning Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy techniques in the intensive care unit, which proved to be valid and reliable. This new tool will make it possible to measure the competence of nurses with respect to Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy techniques.

"Tutor and student dyadic interactions in relation to Interprofessional education and clinical care: A constructivist grounded theory study".

AIM: The aim of this study was to explore and understand the interprofessional collaboration preparation processes implemented by clinical tutors and students, in various professions, involved in interprofessional education experiences. DESIGN: A constructivist grounded theory approach. The study was carried out between 2015-#2017. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of ten undergraduate students and the seven clinical tutors who supervised them from three undergraduate courses in a university of applied sciences and arts in Switzerland. Students were sampled during their clinical placement. Data were analysed and coded using constant comparative analysis with the support of Nvivo 10 software. RESULTS: A substantive theory "Practicing contextual models of interprofessional care" was generated. It explains how the whole process takes place, the tutor-student interactions, and how together they gradually build models of interprofessional care, linked to their clinical context and to the patients/families who are part of it. CONCLUSION: The process describes a journey to comprehensively explain the roles played by the two main actors (student and tutor) who build a relationship of interaction. IMPACT: This theory provides an understanding of the complex process set up by students and how they are prepared for collaboration with other professionals. Its importance is mainly expressed in the educational field because it reveals a different vision from the one present so far and enables a thorough reflection from the pedagogical point of view. Teachers will be able to observe and approach the students' training curricula from a different point of view by evaluating any changes to favour it and rethink the organizational and training models of current programs.

Caring for patients at home after acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A phenomenological study of family caregivers' experiences.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To understand the experiences and support needs of informal caregivers of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who return home following an acute exacerbation. BACKGROUND: The presence of an informal caregiver is important to provide practical and emotional support after an episode of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, caregiving in such circumstances can be challenging and stressful. DESIGN: Phenomenology. METHODS: This is a phenomenological study based on semi-structured interviews with sixteen primary caregivers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. Interview data were analysed using Colaizzi's descriptive analysis framework, to identify significant themes and sub-themes. Data were collected between April-December 2017 in a Teaching Hospital in Italy. The study was designed and reported following the COREQ guidelines and checklist. RESULTS: Analysis elicited five themes embracing various aspects of the caregivers' lived experiences: (a) a home disrupted, (b) living with constant vigilance and anxiety, (c) feeling the need to escape (d) self-justifications for caregiving role/duty, and (e) feeling abandoned by professionals. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that carers experience a range of difficulties when caring for their relative at home with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Some of these are linked to the physical disruption of their home but many are linked to feelings of inability to cope and the psycho-social impact of the caring role. The study also shows how participants felt unsupported by professionals. Focused support for carers is required to enable them to meet these challenges. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Healthcare professionals should be trained to provide technical and psychological support to caregivers especially during the phases of disease that may involve episodes of exacerbation. Home care and continuity of care can work if there is excellent communication and collaboration between healthcare professionals and caregivers. Developing appropriate support for family caregivers is essential to address the problems they can face.

The WeanCare nutritional intervention in institutionalized dysphagic older people and its impact on nursing workload and costs: A quasi-experimental study.

AIM: The aim of this study is to explore how a nutritional intervention that improves the biochemical and functional profile of dysphagic older people impacts on nursing workload and costs for nursing homes. BACKGROUND: Dysphagic institutionalized older people particularly at risk of malnutrition require more intensive support from nursing staff and higher costs for nursing homes. METHOD: This is an open pre-post longitudinal multicentre quasi-experimental study without a control group. RESULTS: There is a significant reduction in the number of enemas (from 3.51 to 1.11 enemas), with an average nursing workload reduction from 52 to 16 min per patient every month. Each nurse also spent 20 h less per patient every month spoon-feeding. This resulted in nursing staff cost savings. CONCLUSIONS: The nutritional intervention led to a significantly better quality of life for the patients manifested through increased independence and social engagement. This reduced workload for nursing staff and costs for nursing home administrators. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Sensitive, targeted nutritional interventions have the potential to improve nursing home residents' quality of life and enable a more efficient use of resources. This study revealed reduced workload and cost savings due to less time spent administering enemas and spoon-feeding, in addition to reduced malnutritional consequences.

Lessons from Italian front-line nurses' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative descriptive study.

AIM: To explore nursing management issues within COVID-19 narratives of Italian front-line nurses. BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected health systems and professionals worldwide. Italian nurses have key messages for nursing leaders following their acute experiences in the pandemic. METHOD: A descriptive qualitative study with thematic analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-three testimonies from clinical nurses were analysed. Six macrothemes were identified as follows: organisational and logistic change; leadership models adopted to manage the emergency; changes in nursing approaches; personal protective equipment issues; physical and psychological impact on nurses; and team value/spirit. CONCLUSIONS: Our testimonies highlighted the huge impact of COVID-19 on the Italian nursing workforce, especially in terms of the high risks associated with caring for COVID-19 patients, exacerbated by the shortage of appropriate personal protective equipment. Nurses had to care for their colleagues and live separately from their families to avoid infecting them, revealing nurses' resilience and the important role of effective and sensitive management. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers must be prepared for the impact of pandemics on staff and need to ensure availability and replacement of quality personal protective equipment, rehearse strategies for communicating with patients while wearing personal protective equipment and establish protocols for communicating with relatives.

[COVID 19: Nursing Leadership and innovations on the field to face the pandemic]. / COVID 19: Leadership infermieristica e innovazioni sul campo per affrontare la pandemia.

INTRODUCTION: In the Italian and European literature there are still few studies describing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the organization of nursing care in hospitals, on the actions taken by nursing leaders to contain it, and on the outcomes of these interventions. AIM: To describe nursing leaders' experiences with reorganizing healthcare pathways, through management data and personal accounts. METHODS: A retrospective quali-quantitative observational study was conducted at the Mauriziano Hospital in Turin, with 484 beds and over 1,700 workers. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistical indices and integrated with qualitative data collected through semi-structured telephone interviews. The analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data provided an objective and experiential representation of the implemented interventions. RESULTS: We described the impact of interventions introduced by the nursing leadership during the pandemic on hospital services. In particular, the reorganization of the emergency department and of the prevention and psychological support services for the hospital's health workers. In addition, specific initiatives to support the discharge of COVID-19 positive patients, and to support and manage contacts with family members both during the hospitalization of their loved ones and following death are described. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study contributes to the discussion on some crucial issues: the increasingly clear relationship between adequate staffing and safety of patients and professionals, the importance of a good working environment and a solid leadership, the importance of continuing education for professionals and adequate skill mixes; all highlighted by the pandemic.