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.

Nurses' intention to leave, nurse workload and in-hospital patient mortality in Italy: A descriptive and regression study.

Higher nurse-to-patient ratios are associated with poor patient care and adverse nurse outcomes, including emotional exhaustion and intention to leave. We examined the effect of nurses' intention to leave and nurse-patient workload on in-hospital patient mortality in Italy. A multicentered descriptive and regression study using clinical data of patients aged 50 years or older with a hospital stay of at least two days admitted to surgical wards linked with nurse variables including workload and education levels, work environment, job satisfaction, intention to leave, nurses' perception of quality and safety of care, and emotional exhaustion. The final dataset included 15 hospitals, 1046 nurses, and 37,494 patients. A 10 % increase in intention to leave and an increase of one unit in nurse-patient workload increased likelihood of inpatient hospital mortality by 14 % (odds ratio 1.14; 1.02-1.27 95 % CI) and 3.4 % (odds ratio 1.03; 1.00-1.06 95 % CI), respectively. No other studies have reported a significant association between intention to leave and patient mortality. To improve patient outcomes, the healthcare system in Italy needs to implement policies on safe human resources policy stewardship, leadership, and governance to ensure nurse wellbeing, higher levels of safety, and quality nursing care.

The effectiveness of continuing professional development for the residential long-term care workforce: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effectiveness of continuing professional development in residential long-term care. DESIGN: Systematic review. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health (CINAHL), and Web of Science. REVIEW METHODS: Empirical studies published between 2003 and 2023 describing the effectiveness of continuing professional development in long-term care were selected according to PRISMA guidelines. The type, topic, and effectiveness of continuing professional development activities in long-term care were analysed, in addition to facilitators and barriers. The protocol of this review is registered in PROSPERO. RESULTS: A total of 155 studies were selected, including over 17,000 participants the majority of whom were nurses. The most common topics were 'dementia care' (n = 22; 14.2 %), and restraint use (n = 14; 9 %). The impact of continuing professional development was mainly evaluated in terms of 'participant satisfaction with continuing professional development' (n = 5; 3 %), 'staff knowledge' (n = 57; 37 %), 'staff competencies and skills' (n = 35; 23 %), 'resident outcomes' (n = 45; 29 %), and 'staff wellbeing' (n = 12; 8 %). A total of 64 (41 %) studies evaluated if impact of continuing professional development was sustained over time. 'Good organisation', 'a supportive learning environment', 'expressing personal preferences', and 'management support' were described as facilitators of continuing professional development. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing numbers of long-term care residents with complex health conditions require nurses with advanced skills, such as dementia care. To improve the effectiveness of continuing professional development, support from managers, who adopt relational leadership styles, is instrumental to integrate new knowledge and skills into practice. This needs to be linked to career progression, and consequently increase the attractiveness of working in the long-term care sector. This could meet the dual goal of improving outcomes for residents and nurses' job satisfaction.

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.

The effectiveness of learning strategies for the development of Emotional Intelligence in undergraduate nursing students: A systematic review protocol.

AIM: This protocol proposes a systematic review to identify and disclose learning strategies and evaluation tools to improve Emotion Intelligence (EI) in undergraduate nursing students. BACKGROUND: EI improves the ability to manage emotions and their consequences. Management of emotions is fundamental in nursing both at inter- and intra-professional levels, and with the patients and their family carers. DESIGN: Systematic review protocol of effectiveness based on the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines. REVIEW METHODS: All articles based on educational programmes and/or activities to develop EI in nursing curricula will be included in the review. It will analyse the principle EI attributes and outcomes such as burnout, intention to leave and problem-solving skills. Based on the review question, seven databases will be searched: MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, SCOPUS, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO and ERIC. Also, grey literature (Google Scholar and Open Gray) will be searched. Since no similar systematic reviews are present in the literature, no time limits will be set. To establish the quality of studies JBI tools will be used. When appropriate, we will meta-analyse prevalence and incidence estimates or we will meta-synthesize themes and findings. EXPECTED RESULTS: This systematic review is expected to provide an overview of educational and training methods, pedagogical strategies and evaluation tools to address EI in nursing and provide high-quality care to patients and their families. Results of the review will support nursing educators and leaders in implementing teaching and learning strategies to improve the Emotional Intelligence of undergraduate nursing students. CONCLUSIONS: Mastering emotions is fundamental for nurses. Implementing education courses based on EI according to the best training methods and pedagogical strategies could become key for nursing curricula. Moreover, after the review, it will be possible to identify the best training methods and pedagogical strategies for implementing continuing professional development (CPD) courses in EI in the courses of following graduation.

The experience and attitudes of long-term care workers with teaching and learning modalities for the delivery of continuing professional development activities: a mixed-methods study.

AIM: to develop a better understanding of the attitudes and experiences of healthcare workers and managers with face-to-face, online asynchronous (pre-recorded), and online synchronous (live) modalities for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) working in the Long-Term Care (LTC) sector. BACKGROUND: The recent global pandemic significantly interrupted the delivery and organisation of education and training for healthcare professionals internationally. As a result of the restrictions, healthcare professionals' access to CPD was limited, consequentially education and training activities were mostly delivered online. Research into the experiences of healthcare workers with the various teaching and learning modalities in the LTC setting is limited. DESIGN: An explanatory mixed methods study using an exploratory sequential design. METHODS: A two-phase study conducted from January 2022 to September 2022, in the Republic of Ireland. In phase one, researchers conducted four focus groups and in phase two 168 participants completed a survey to explore the results of phase one. RESULTS: From the focus groups interviews five themes emerged regarding participants' experiences, attitudes and preferences with the three modalities of CPD education and training in the field of LTC: 1) Flexibility, 2) Networking, 3) Resources and Support, 4) Engaging and meaningful learning, and 5) Balancing online and face-to-face learning through Blended Learning. Results from the survey found the preferred modality was face to face (n = 54, 32.1%), followed very closely by blended learning (n = 51, 30.4%). Most of the respondents reported that synchronous online CPD education was convenient, flexible, offers the opportunity to interact with peers, and that its quality depends on educators' skills. The majority of respondents (n = 155, 92.3%) declared that they would require support in the workplace to implement their new knowledge and skills. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the significance participants place on 'engagement' when taking part in education and training. Engagement was described as a key factor to improve the delivery of CPD in the LTC setting. In addition, regardless of the mode of delivery, participants reported that they need to be supported in the workplace to implement their new knowledge and skills. This requires the support and endorsement of employers and managers, who could ensure more protected time for learning, technical support and championing facilitators and mentors in the workplace to enhance the translation of new knowledge into clinical practice. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: In LTC settings, face-to-face CPD is the preferred mode of delivery. Although synchronous online CPD is very convenient, educators must be able to engage learners. LTC workers need support by managers to implement their new knowledge and skills in their workplace.

Teaching and learning modalities for continuing professional development in the long-term care: A rapid synthesis review.

AIM: To describe the various teaching and learning modalities for the delivery of Continuing Professional Development activities for health care professionals in the long-term care sector. BACKGROUND: Continuing Professional Development is a key activity that organisations undertake to achieve effective workforce planning, recruitment, retention and upskilling strategies in long-term care settings. During the Covid-19 pandemic there was a rapid move to online modalities of Continuous Professional Development, but there is a paucity of evidence in relation to their effectiveness compared with face-to-face, or in-class learning. DESIGN: A rapid synthesis review. METHODS: MEDLINE, CINAHL and HEALTH BUSINESS ELITE databases were used to identify relevant articles that were published between 2016 and 2022. Original studies of any design investigating Continuing Professional Development activities, with or without a comparison between interventions or activities were included. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was followed. The Kirkpatrick model was adopted as a globally recognised method for evaluating training programmes. RESULTS: After a full text analysis, 34 papers were included in the review. Face to face was the most common method of delivery followed by online, while blended (a mix of face-to-face and online delivery) was the least common method used. The teaching modalities were not associated with specific learning contents, but were used for a range of content. Most studies obtained positive outcomes following implementation of the educational interventions. Kirkpatrick Level 4 (results) was the most commonly measured outcome. CONCLUSIONS: While blended learning was the least common method of delivery, it was found to be more beneficial for learners than face-to-face or online exclusively. There are now new spaces to learn and new technologies that allow us to 'reimagine' where, when and how we teach. This requires Continuing Professional Development providers to design and tailor their courses according to health professionals' learning needs and the clinical contexts where they work. We recommend that Continuing Professional Development providers involve employers when designing teaching and learning activities for Long Term Care workers, to decide which modalities enable effective knowledge translation.

Development of a European Centre of Excellence (Coe) for Research in Continuing Professional Development (UPGRADE).

The European Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Research in Continuing Professional Development (UPGRADE) is a pan-European network of researchers, clinicians, regulators, educators, and professional bodies, established in 2020 through a consensus group of experts, who defined its mission, vision, values, aims and objectives. The Centre's aim is to advance the science of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for healthcare professionals through research and dissemination of best practices for CPD. Debate among UPGRADE partners and interchange of research data will yield best practices across countries to optimise quality CPD programmes. Collaboration, information exchange and communication among CPD experts will be facilitated through UPGRADE via an online Community of Inquiry (CoI). UPGRADE aims to evolve as a driving force network of academics and health professional leaders in research, education, professional regulation, and clinical practice whose collaborative work ensures quality and safe person-centred care. UPGRADE members are from 22 European countries, represented by strategic leaders in diverse sectors of health, policy, academia, and professional organisations. Three research-working groups constitute the pillars of UPGRADE, which addresses gaps in research, collect and create critical databases, and solidify the effectiveness of CPD.

Examining family and community nurses' core competencies in continuing education programs offered in primary health care settings: An integrative literature review.

AIM: To identify gaps in existing family and community nurse (FCN) continuing education programs and to investigate whether FCN core competencies are covered in continuing education programs offered in primary health care settings. BACKGROUND: In global pandemics such as COVID-19, there is an urgent need for staff development using transformative learning and help registered nurses build up their competencies and form a new professional identity as family and community nurses (FCNs). Therefore, FCN education programs become of high importance to enhance nurses' core competencies through continuing education. METHODS: An integrative review of the literature was conducted applying the Whittemore and Knafl methodological strategy for studies published between 2015- June 2021. RESULTS: FCN core competencies, including the "decision-making process, navigation as care coordinator and patient advocate and promoting individual and family health to support the quality of nursing care," were poorly covered in the FCN programs. Specifically, e-health played a very limited role in FCN continuing education, while ethics, managing change, managing disparity and diversity and leadership skills, did not emerge at all. CONCLUSION: The identified gaps can be incorporated into future FCN continuing education programs and may help improve nurses' competence and health care delivery and support new integrated models of care, namely, person-centered and community-based models.

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.

A qualitative exploration of undergraduate nursing students' experience of emotional safety for learning during their clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: During their clinical practice, nursing students learn to manage patient safety through their experiences, emotions, and interpersonal relationships. OBJECTIVES: To explore contextual and mechanistic factors that facilitate a sense of emotional safety for learning in nursing students, particularly regarding patient safety events experienced during their placements. DESIGN: A descriptive qualitative study using narratives and thematic analysis. SETTINGS: A university in Northern Italy. PARTICIPANTS: Undergraduate nursing students recruited through purposive sampling. METHODS: Twenty cases relevant to the present study were selected from the "Sharing LearnIng from Practice for Patient Safety" (SLIPPS) project database containing 100 narratives collected using the patient safety learning Event Recording Tool. The data were analysed using thematic analysis according to Braun & Clarke's methodology. The themes that emerged from the thematic analysis were rearranged in Context-Mechanism-Outcomes. RESULTS: Students identified clinical practice experiences as important occasions for their personal and professional development. Emotional safety and tutoring were the elements that effectively "govern" the students' learning and development process. CONCLUSIONS: Emotional safety is key for nursing students because it enables them to constructively overcome any relational and emotional tensions that may develop during their clinical placements.

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.

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.

How do undergraduate nursing students learn about the fundamentals of care? A pilot cross-sectional attitudinal study.

Introduction: Despite the growing importance of nursing fundamentals of care, nurses often overlook these aspects of care. In this study, we explored why this happens precisely where nursing education is initially provided. In fact, little is known about how undergraduate nursing students perceive the teaching of fundamentals of care and how they value them. Methods: This pilot cross-sectional study used a questionnaire adapted and validated in Italian to assess the perceptions of first, second, and third-year undergraduate nursing students (n=150) in an Italian university about the teaching of fundamentals of care during theoretical lessons and clinical practice. Results: In the first section of the tool, on general fundamentals of care (nutrition, hygiene, mobility, rest and sleep, the expression of sexuality, safety, etc), students reported high levels of agreement for all items: range between 61.2% (95% CI: 57.1-65.3) and 100%.In the section on nutrition, divided into nutrition, oral intake of fluids, and malnutrition high percentages of agreement from 53.1% (95% CI: 46.0-60.2) to 91.8% (95% CI: 87.9-95.7%) were obtained, but for questions regarding 'learning how to document food and fluid intake', first-year students reported low levels of agreement.With regard to the 'Communication Section', the item about 'learning how to inform minor patients' presented low percentages of agreement throughout the three-year programOf the first-year students, between 71.4% (95% CI: 64.9-77.9) and 77.6% (95% CI: 71.6-83.6) declared they had not received instructions about this. Conclusions: Understanding how nursing students perceive the importance of learning of fundamentals of care during their curriculum and how their multidimensional nature is highlighted by teachers and clinical supervisors, will enable educators to address the gaps in the way they taught and prioritized within the curriculum.

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.