The Norwegian Directorate of Health recommends malnutrition screening tool (MST) for all adults.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Malnutrition is underdiagnosed and undertreated in Norway. In a revision of a national guideline on malnutrition, the Norwegian Directorate of Health aimed for a harmonization and standardization of the malnutrition screening practice, including a recommendation of one malnutrition screening tool to be used among all adults in Norwegian health and care services. METHODS: A working group was appointed by the Norwegian Directorate of Health. Evidence-based practice, a pragmatic decision-making process based on a literature review, the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE), and the DECIDE decision-making model was used as a guidance in order to convert evidence into recommendations. RESULTS: The criteria and properties of the four most frequently validated malnutrition screening tools were identified and ranked by the working group. The tools were prioritized in the following order: 1: Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST), 2: Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), 3: Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002), and 4: Mini-Nutritional Assessment short form (MNA). CONCLUSIONS: The Norwegian Directorate of Health recommends use of MST for screening for malnutrition among all adults (≥18 years), across all health care settings, and diagnoses or conditions in Norway.

The art of preceptorship. A qualitative study.

In the clinical nursing practice preceptorship is a widespread method to improve patient care by assisting nurses in developing the right clinical skills. However, little is known about how preceptorship should be practiced to achieve a positive learning outcome. The aim of the study was to investigate how preceptorship can be used in clinical practice to create learning and facilitate competence development. A qualitative study guided by a hermeneutic phenomenological approach and inspired by ethnographic fieldwork included 28 participant observations and 58 interviews. Data were analysed according to Steinar Kvale's three interpretation contexts. The findings showed three themes: Being together: Preceptee and preceptor were physically present in the same room optimising the learning situation with focus on complexity, use of senses and patient safety. Doing together: Preceptee and preceptor performed nursing together to obtain skills focusing on independence, practical skills and communication. Getting along together: Preceptee and preceptor together focused on the patient, relation, comfort and managing how to keep the balance between a professional and a personal relation. Precepetorship is situated learning where knowledge and skills are generated through participation in clinical practice. In this way, nurses develop clinical judgement and independence.