Experiences of Families, Staff, Volunteers, and Administrators With Namaste Care for Persons With Advanced Dementia in Canadian Long-Term Care Homes.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences of the Namaste Care intervention for persons with advanced dementia (ie, moderate and late-stage) in long-term care (LTC). DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive design was used. Staff Carers (eg, personal support worker, nurse, or activity aide) delivered Namaste Care with the support of volunteers in a small group. Activities provided during the Namaste Care sessions to enhance quality of life included massages, aromatherapy, music, and snacks/beverages. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Family carers of residents with advanced dementia, LTC staff, administrators, and volunteers from 2 Canadian LTC homes, located in a midsize metropolitan area, were included. METHODS: Experiences and acceptability of Namaste Care was assessed through semistructured interviews ranging from 30 to 60 minutes following the 6-month study duration period with family carers, LTC staff, administrators, and volunteers. Thematic analysis was used for interview transcripts. RESULTS: A total of 16 family carers and 21 LTC staff, administrators, and volunteers participated in the study. Namaste Care was found to be acceptable and successful in enhancing the quality of life of residents due to collaborative efforts of all group of participants. Families, volunteers, and staff noted positive responses in residents, such as smiling and laughing. The program environment supported the development of relationships within the LTC community, which included families, residents, staff, and volunteers. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Namaste Care was perceived by the LTC community as an acceptable intervention for persons with advanced dementia. It was perceived as offering multiple benefits for residents with advanced dementia such as improved communication and mood.

Feasibility and Effects of Namaste Care for Persons with Advanced Dementia in Canadian Long-Term Care Homes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility and effects of the Namaste Care intervention for persons with advanced dementia (ie, moderate and late-stage) in long-term care (LTC) and their family carers. DESIGN: A pre-posttest study design. Staff carers delivered Namaste Care for residents with the support of volunteers in a small group setting. Activities provided included aromatherapy, music, and snacks/beverages. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Residents with advanced dementia and family carers from 2 Canadian LTC homes, located in a midsize metropolitan area, were included. METHODS: Feasibility was evaluated using a research activity log. Outcome data for residents (ie, quality of life, neuropsychiatric symptoms, pain) and family carers (ie, role stress, quality of family visits) were collected at baseline and 3 and 6 months of the intervention. Descriptive analyses and generalized estimating equations were used for quantitative data. RESULTS: A total of 53 residents with advanced dementia and 42 family carers participated in the study. Mixed findings were found for feasibility as not all intervention targets were met. There was a significant improvement in resident neuropsychiatric symptoms at the 3-month time point only (95% CI -9.39, -0.39; P = .033) and family carer role stress at both time points (3-month 95% CI -37.40, -1.80; P = .031; 6-month 95% CI -48.90, -2.09; P = .033). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Namaste Care is an intervention with preliminary evidence of impact. Feasibility findings revealed that not all targets were met as the intended number of sessions were not delivered. Future research should explore how many sessions per week are required to lead to an impact. It is important to assess outcomes for both residents and family carers, and to consider enhancing family engagement in delivering the intervention. Given the promise of this intervention, a large-scale randomized controlled trial with a longer follow-up should be conducted to further evaluate its outcomes.

Inclusivity in Graduate Nursing Education: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Advancing inclusivity in graduate nursing education is paramount for preparing diverse nursing leaders to mobilize change within health care and educational systems. This scoping review examined inclusivity in graduate nursing education. METHOD: CINAHL, Medline, and ERIC databases were searched for studies published in English since 2011. Key journals and reference lists of included studies were hand searched. Included studies focused on inclusivity in the context of graduate nursing education. RESULTS: Data from 31 included studies are presented. Most of the studies (n = 22) aimed to cultivate inclusivity among students, primarily through cultural competence training. A few studies enacted inclusivity through program-level strategies (n = 4) or explored the lived experiences of diverse students (n = 5). CONCLUSION: Future research and education initiatives should advance a more holistic, intersectional approach to cultivating inclusivity, as well as emphasize enacting inclusivity through strategies to transform the learning environment. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(12):679-692.].

A Novel Hospital-to-Home System for Children With Medical Complexities: Usability Testing Study.

BACKGROUND: Children with medical complexity (CMC) are a group of young people who have severe complex chronic conditions, substantial family-identified service needs, functional limitations, and high health care resource use. Technology-enabled hospital-to-home interventions designed to deliver comprehensive care in the home setting are needed to ease CMC family stress, provide proactive and comprehensive care to this fragile population, and avoid hospital admissions, where possible. OBJECTIVE: In this usability testing study, we aimed to assess areas of strength and opportunity within the DigiComp Kids system, a hospital-to-home intervention for CMC and their families and care providers. METHODS: Hospital-based clinicians, family members of medically complex children, and home-based clinicians participated in DigiComp Kids usability testing. Participants were recorded and tasked to think aloud while completing usability testing tasks. Participants were scored on the metrics of effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction, and the total usability score was calculated using the Single Usability Metric. Participants also provided insights into user experiences during the postusability testing interviews. RESULTS: A total of 15 participants (5 hospital-based clinicians, 6 family members, and 4 home-based clinicians) participated in DigiComp Kids usability testing. The participants were able to complete all assigned tasks independently. Error-free rates for tasks ranged from 58% to 100%; the average satisfaction rating across groups was ≥80%, as measured by the Single Ease Question. Task times of participants were variable compared with the task times of an expert DigiComp Kids user. Single Usability Metric scores ranged from 80.5% to 89.5%. In qualitative interviews, participants stressed the need to find the right fit between user needs and the effort required to use the system. Interviews also revealed that the value of the DigiComp Kids system was in its ability to create a digital bridge between hospital and home, enabling participants to foster and maintain connections across boundaries. CONCLUSIONS: Usability testing revealed strong scores across the groups. Insights gained include the importance of tailoring the implementation of the system to match individual user needs, streamlining key system features, and consideration of the meaning attached to system use by participants to allow for insight into system adoption and sustainment.