Prioritization decision-making of care in nursing homes: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Prioritization decision-making arises when nurses encounter intricate situations that demand ethically challenging judgments about care. This phenomenon has rarely been studied in nursing homes. Prioritization decision-making may lead to instances where individuals in social and healthcare may not receive all services they need. Making prioritization decisions and awareness of their consequences can increase nurses' workload. AIM: To describe prioritization decision-making regarding unfinished nursing care in nursing homes. RESEARCH DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive study conducted through individual theme interviews. Participants were recruited through social media. The data was analyzed using inductive content analysis. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: Nurses (n = 23) working in nursing homes for the elderly people in Finland. Data were collected between June 2022 and February 2023. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: Finnish legislation does not mandate an ethical review or research permits, as the participants took part as private individuals. [ask authors to make reference here to informed consent process and anonymity]. FINDINGS: Nurses stated that the need for prioritization decision-making arises from challenges associated with nurses' engagement with person-centered care, the culture of the work community, the burden due to workload and challenges associated with the leadership. Prioritization decision-making was based on the interests of residents, striving for an efficient workflow and nurse's personal interests. Nurses did not receive support for decision-making regarding unfinished care, and protocols for prioritization had not been established in their work communities. Prioritization decision-making and unfinished care were concealed and left unspoken. CONCLUSION: Nursing leaders should address this hidden phenomenon, making it visible through discussions with nurses and by involving them in the development of protocols. The findings can be utilized for developing new approaches to support nurses and reduce their workload and for enhancing the quality and person-centeredness of nursing care in nursing homes.

Structural and Psychological Empowerment of Learners Enrolled in Continuing Nursing Leadership Education in Finland: A Quasi-Experimental Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to assess structural and psychological empowerment among learners enrolled in a continuing leadership education program. Although the number of nurse leadership development interventions has increased, there is little evidence on how they influence leaders' empowerment. METHOD: A longitudinal study was employed, with learners (N = 85) enrolled in a continuing leadership education program as the participants. Data were collected in the beginning, at the end, and 8 months after the completion of the program using internationally validated instruments. Data were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: A total of 25 learners (29%) responded to the questionnaire at all three data collection points. The education significantly increased psychological and structural empowerment across all dimensions except formal power. These increased levels of empowerment were partially sustained at the 8-month follow-up time point. CONCLUSION: Continuing education seems to benefit nurse leaders, and the continuing nursing leadership education program was positively associated with learners' perceived empowerment. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2023;54(10):462-471.].

Health and social care workers' professional values: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Professional values create a basis for successful collaboration and person-centred care in integrated care and services. Little is known about how different health and social care workers assess their professional values. RESEARCH AIM: To describe and compare professional value orientation among different health and social care workers in Finland. RESEARCH DESIGN: A quantitative cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: We carried out an online survey of health and social care workers from 8 March to 31 May 2022, using the Finnish version of the Nurses' Professional Values Scale-3. The data were analysed using descriptive and advanced statistics. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: Permission was received from all participating organizations and those who completed the survey provided informed consent. RESULTS: A total of 1823 health and social care workers, representing seven professional groups and students, took part. The overall level of professional values among the participants was relatively high. Commitment to providing patients and clients with equal care was more important than engaging with society and professional responsibilities in the work environment. Professional values were strongest among professionals with higher educational degrees and training in professional ethics. The same was true for workers who received organizational support for ethical practice, were satisfied with their work and had shorter work experience. DISCUSSION: Our results showed shared professional values among different health and social care workers and students. These results are meaningful for integrated care and services. At the same time, a clear need for strengthening engagement with society and professional responsibilities for developing work environments were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Health and social care workers and students need training in professional ethics and organizational support for ethical practice and work satisfaction to maintain their professional values at different stages of their career.

Relationships between nursing leadership and organizational, staff and patient outcomes: A systematic review of reviews.

AIM: To assess and describe reviews of nursing leadership styles associated with organizational, staff and patient outcomes. DESIGN: A systematic review of reviews. METHODS: Reviews describing a search strategy and quality assessment. The review followed the PRISMA statement. Nine databases were searched in February 2022. RESULTS: After screening 6992 records, 12 reviews were included reporting 85 outcomes for 17 relational, nine task-oriented, five passive and five destructive leadership styles. Transformational leadership, which is one of the relational styles, was the most studied among all the styles. Of the outcomes, staff outcomes were the most reported, notably job satisfaction, and patient outcomes were less reported. Also, mediating factors between relational leadership styles and staff and patient outcomes were identified. CONCLUSION: Extensive research shows the beneficial impacts of relational leadership; however, destructive leadership research is lacking. Relational leadership styles should be conceptually assessed. More research is needed on how nurse leadership affects patients and organizations.

Nurse leaders' experiences of remote leadership in health care.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to describe nurse leaders' experiences of remote leadership in health care sector. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Semistructured interviews were conducted among nurse leaders (N = 12) between January and March 2022. All of the interviewees had experiences of remote leadership and worked as immediate - (n = 5) or middle-level (n = 7) leaders in health care organizations across four provinces in Finland. The collected data were analyzed by inductive content analysis. FINDINGS: The leaders had experienced a rapid transition to remote leadership and highlighted the need for guidelines and joint discussions with different stakeholders. The interviewees felt that working life has changed in the last two years and that remote leadership will now be a key part of leadership in health care. The leaders' experiences highlighted how important trust is in remote leadership. Furthermore, the interviewees pointed out a need for face-to-face contact and described other good practices for remote leadership. Overseeing work-related well-being was also stressed as important in the remote context; however, the interviewees expressed a need for instructions and tools concerning the management of employee well-being. The sudden change to remote leadership was not only described as interesting but also challenging, which has affected the leaders' work-related well-being. Support - both from the organization and other employees - was found to be crucial to health care leaders' work-related well-being. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The current study complements the little-researched topic of remote leadership in the health care sector. The results provide insights that can be used to develop remote leadership and/or guide future research.

The multifaceted nature of risk behaviour among adolescents-A document analysis of patient and aftercare service providers' records.

AIM: The aim of this study was to describe the forms and the prevalence of risk behaviour among adolescents in aftercare services, as well as identify the associated factors and use of services by adolescents. BACKGROUND: Adolescents in aftercare services represent a vulnerable group that struggles with several aspects of life. The challenges they face are known to accumulate in certain individuals, and the problems that are relevant for this group tend to have an intergenerational nature. DESIGN: The research applied retrospective document analysis, with the analysed data comprising information on 698 adolescents in aftercare services in one large Finnish city from the fall of 2020. METHODS: The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariate methods. RESULTS: Risk behaviour was identified among 616 of the studied adolescents (88.3%), and manifested as substance abuse, reckless sexual behaviour and/or use of money, nicotine use, self-destructive behaviour, delinquency and functional dependencies. Regarding the associations between risk behaviour and background variables, an adolescents' child's clientship in child protection or the child's placement in foster care, adolescent's need for support in parenting, problems with daily rhythm and problems with studying were found to influence the prevalence of risk behaviour. Forms of risk behaviour were also found to be associated with each other. Adolescents displaying risk behaviour commonly did not use the social counsellor, psychiatric outpatient care and study counselling services, even if they would have needed them. CONCLUSIONS: The interconnections between different forms of risk behaviour mean that this issue should be prioritized when developing aftercare services. IMPACT: This is the first time that risk behaviour among adolescents in aftercare services has been comprehensively examined. Understanding this phenomenon is key to identifying future research topics, guiding decision-making and helping stakeholders truly understand the needs of these adolescents. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution as the study was based on a document analysis.

Humane and Comprehensive Management of Challenging Behaviour in Health and Social Care: Cross-Sectional Study Testing Newly Developed Instrument.

BACKGROUND: Management of challenging behaviour causes victimization and violates the human rights of service users in psychiatric and long-term settings for people having mental health issues and learning disabilities. The purpose of the research was to develop and test an instrument for measuring humane behaviour management (HCMCB). The research was guided by the following questions: (1) What is the structure and content of the Human and Comprehensive management of Challenging Behaviour (HCMCB) instrument, (2) What are the psychometric properties of the HCMCB instrument, and (3) How do Finnish health and social care professionals evaluate their humane and comprehensive management of challenging behaviour? METHODS: A cross-sectional study design and STROBE checklist were applied. A convenience sample of health and social care professionals (n = 233) studying at the University of Applied Sciences (n = 13) was recruited. RESULTS: The EFA revealed a 14-factor structure and included a total of 63 items. The Cronbach's alpha values for factors varied from 0.535 to 0.939. The participants rated their individual competence higher than leadership and organizational culture. CONCLUSIONS: HCMCB is a useful tool for evaluating competencies, leadership, and organizational practices in the context of challenging behaviour. HCMCB should be further tested in various international contexts involving challenging behaviour with large samples and longitudinal design.

Unfinished nursing care in nursing homes.

This study aimed to describe unfinished nursing care activities in nursing homes. The study was conducted as a cross-sectional survey and employed the BERNCA-NH-instrument and one open-ended question. The participants were care workers (n=486) in nursing homes. The results showed that an average of 7.3 nursing care activities out of 20 were unfinished. A large share of the unfinished activities were related to residents' social care and the documentation of care. Female gender, age, and the amount of professional experience were found to increase the likelihood of unfinished nursing care. The unfinished care was the result of insufficient resources, residents' characteristics, unexpected situations, non-nursing activities, and challenges in organizing and leading care. The results indicate that all of the necessary care activities are not performed in nursing homes. Unfinished nursing activities might affect residents' quality of life and diminish the visibility of nursing care. Nursing home leaders have a significant role to play in decreasing unfinished care. Future research should address how to reduce and prevent unfinished nursing care.

Nurses' substance use disorder in disciplinary procedures: A retrospective document analysis.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To describe nurses with substance use disorder (SUD) in authority disciplinary actions. BACKGROUND: Nurses with SUD risk patient safety. Research evidence on the identification of nurses' SUD and related management procedures is currently sparse. DESIGN: Retrospective document analysis of decisions related to SUD in nurses' disciplinary actions. METHOD: Decisions on nurses (N = 171) made by the Finnish National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health in Finland during 2007-2016 were used as data. An electronic extraction sheet was developed for data collection including variables (N = 34), of which 18 were analysed in this study with descriptive statistical methods and chi-squared statistics. The study reported in accordance with the STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies. RESULTS: The mean age of the nurses was 43 years (SD 8.7). The most mentioned reasons for notifications leading to disciplinary actions were substance abuse with working while intoxicated and drug theft. The most mentioned intoxicants used were medicines and alcohol. On average, the first disciplinary decision was given at 6.4 months (SD 3.9) and the final decision was given at 17.9 months (SD 13.1). The most common decision was restriction of the right to practice. CONCLUSION: The results supported findings from previous decades and different continents, showing similar trends are prevalent globally and continue today. In future studies, countries' registers of nurses with SUD could be used to clarify the profile of nurses and develop appropriate procedures. Qualitative studies could be conducted to investigate to shed light on concealment of the phenomenon. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: There is a need for early identification, intervention and referral to treatment as well as effective protocols for reducing nurses' risks of disciplinary actions related to SUD. It is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of SUD and training for this is needed.

Violence by clients and patients against social and healthcare staff - An integrative review of staff's well-being at work, implementation of work and leaders' activities.

AIM: The aim of this study was to compile, assess and synthesise empirical research on violence by social and healthcare clients or patients against staff and its connections to staff's well-being at work, implementation of work and activities of leaders related to it. BACKGROUND: Workplace violence against social and healthcare staff is a global and daily problem. One in three employees encounters violence from patients or clients and the risk of this is 16 times higher compared to other professions. None of the recent reviews on this topic were focused on the well-being at work, implementation of work or leaders' role in the cases of violence of clients or patients against the staff. DESIGN: An integrative review reported according to PRISMA Checklist. METHODS: The search was conducted to CINAHL, PubMed, PsychINFO and Scopus databases resulting in 21 articles. The quality of the articles was evaluated, and the data were analysed narratively. RESULTS: The workplace violence committed by clients and patients was negatively connected to staff's psychological, emotional and physical well-being at work and to their work performance and commitment. The leaders found this form of workplace violence challenging and ethically conflicted and felt that they were left alone without training and support. The employees expressed disappointment with their leaders' activities and suggested many measures to make environment safer to staff and patients. CONCLUSIONS: In future, intervention studies are needed for prevention of workplace violence by patients and clients against staff and for supporting the well-being at work of staff in relation to violent incidents. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Workplaces should introduce uniform protocols for reporting, preventing and processing workplace violence committed by clients and patients. An open dialogue with leaders and co-workers of the cases is of high importance. Leaders and staff need training that ensure patient and work safety.

Nurse leaders' work-related well-being-Relationships to a superior's transformational leadership style and structural empowerment.

AIMS: To describe how nurse leaders' work-related well-being is related to a superior's transformational leadership style and structural empowerment. BACKGROUND: The demanding role of nurse leader means that these professionals experience emotional exhaustion and challenges with work-life balance. They can also be influenced by the leadership style of their own superiors. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire using two internationally validated scales, namely, the Transformational Leadership Scale and Conditions For Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II, was used. Statistical methods were applied during data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 155 nurse leaders participated completed the questionnaire. The participants' work-related well-being scores ranged from 8 to 10. The participants felt that their superiors employ transformational leadership. The dimension of feedback and rewards received the lowest scores, whereas the nurse leaders reported moderate overall empowerment levels. A nurse leader's work-related well-being was positively correlated with structural empowerment and their superior's leadership style. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the fact that nurse leaders reported relatively high levels of work-related well-being, more attention should be paid on the feedback and rewards and on the support of superiors as they positively influence the work-related well-being. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Transformational leadership should be supported in organisations and through education as it strengthens work-related well-being and structural empowerment of nurse leaders.

Developing a Feasible and Credible Method for Analyzing Healthcare Documents as Written Data.

Healthcare provides a rich, and constantly increasing, number of written documents, which are underutilized in research data for health and nursing sciences, but previous literature has only provided limited guidance on the process of document analysis. The aim of this paper is to provide a methodological framework for analyzing health care documents as written data, based on a systematic methodological review and the research team's experience of the method. Based on the results, the methods consist of seven phases: (i) identify the purpose, (ii) determine the document selection strategy, (iii) select or design an extraction matrix, (iv) carry out pilot testing, (v) collect and analyze the data, (vi) consider the credibility, and (vii) ethics of the study. The framework that has been developed can be used to carry out document analysis studies that are both feasible and credible.

Structural and psychological empowerment of students obtaining continuing leadership education in Finland-a national survey.

BACKGROUND: In nursing, empowerment may be deemed one's potential to gain power, achieve goals and promote one's skills to advance positive changes in the working environment, or decentralization of authority. Empowerment is associated with nurses' and nurse leaders' satisfaction, performance and organizational commitment, as well as burnout, emotional exhaustion and intentions to leave the profession. Research on nurse empowerment in relation to continuing education is sparse. OBJECTIVES: This study describes the structural and psychological empowerment levels of students beginning a collaboratively implemented continuing leadership education program. DESIGN: Cross-sectional electronic survey. SETTINGS: National, continuing nursing leadership education program (37 ECT) organized by five universities that provide masters level education to nurse leaders in Finland. PARTICIPANTS: Students (N = 85) working at nine healthcare organizations across the service system as current or prospective nurse leaders and enrolled in the continuing leadership education program. METHODS: The Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire and the Work Empowerment Questionnaire were each used to measure structural and psychological empowerment, respectively. The data were collected between October 2019 and February 2020. RESULTS: A total of 69 students participated (response rate 81 %). Moderate levels of both structural and psychological empowerment were observed. In structural empowerment, the strongest dimension was access to opportunity (4.1, SD 0.7), whereas access to support was the weakest (2.7, SD 0.7). The strongest psychological empowerment dimension was verbal empowerment (8.5, SD 1.9) and the weakest was outcome empowerment (7.0, SD 1.6). CONCLUSIONS: Nurses and nurse leaders seem to lack the status and power required to impact their organizations, possibly causing them to apply for nursing leadership education. Nurse leaders should be given opportunities for continuing leadership education to improve empowerment and, as a result, staff outcomes.

A comprehensive evaluation of factors affecting nurse leaders' work-related well-being.

PURPOSE: This study aims to describe nurse leaders' experiences of work-related well-being and its association with background variables, working conditions, work engagement, sense of coherence and burnout. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: An electronic survey design was used. Data was collected between December 2015 and May 2016 with an instrument that included demographic questions and four internationally validated scales: the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, QPS Nordic 34+, the shortened Sense of Coherence scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Data was analysed using statistical methods. FINDINGS: A total of 155 nurse leaders completed the questionnaire, giving a 44% response rate. Most of them worked as nurse managers (89%). Participants' work-related well-being scores ranged from 8 to 10. Statistically significant relationships were found between participants' work-related well-being and their leadership skills, current position, sense of coherence and levels of burnout. In addition, there were statistically significant relationships between work-related well-being and all dimensions of working conditions. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study underlines the fact that work-related well-being should not be evaluated based on a single factor. The participants' perceived work-related well-being was high, although almost half of them reported always or often experiencing stress. The results suggest that nurse leaders may have resources such as good leadership and problem-solving skills, supportive working conditions and a high sense of coherence that prevent the experienced stress from adversely affecting their work-related well-being.

Disciplinary processes for nurses, from organizational supervision to outcomes: A document analysis of a regulatory authority's decisions.

AIM: This study aims to explore the disciplinary processes for nurses, from organizational supervision to final decisions by the Finnish regulatory authority. BACKGROUND: Regulatory authorities are responsible for protecting the public, by ensuring that they receive safe, competent and ethical nursing care, but little is known about the disciplinary processes for nurses. METHODS: This is a retrospective document analysis of 296 disciplinary decisions by the Finnish regulatory authority from 2007 to 2016. The data were analysed using a quantitative design with descriptive statistics. RESULTS: We studied 204 disciplined nurses (81.4% female) with a mean age of 43.5 years. The disciplinary process comprised organizational supervision, complaints, investigations and decisions. Nurses with substance abuse issues were more likely to face criminal investigations and receive temporary decisions. The process lasted from under 1 month to years and could have profound effects on nurses, colleagues and nurse managers and compromise patient safety. CONCLUSION: This study identified key factors that could inform the disciplinary processes for nurses. More knowledge is needed about how organisations ensure patient safety when unprofessional conduct is suspected. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Retaining nursing professionals is vital due to global shortages, and more attention should be paid to organizational supervision and support for nurses during disciplinary processes.

A systematic review of the relationships between nurse leaders' leadership styles and nurses' work-related well-being.

AIM: This systematic review aimed to summarize current research knowledge about the relationships between nurse leaders' leadership styles and nurses' work-related well-being. BACKGROUND: Due to the global shortage of nurses, it is essential for nurse leaders to maximize staff retention and work-related well-being. METHODS: Following Cochrane Collaboration procedures, the PRISMA statement and PRISMA checklist, relevant quantitative studies published between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2020 were retrieved from the CINAHL, Scopus, PubMed and Medic databases and then systematically reviewed. Seventeen cross-sectional and follow-up studies with surveys were retained for inclusion and evaluated with the Critical Appraisal of a Survey instrument. The data were summarized narratively. RESULTS: Three core themes of leadership styles: destructive, supportive and relationally focused, were identified, with statistically significant direct and indirect connections between nurses' work-related well-being. Well-being was mainly assessed in terms of burnout. Effects of leadership styles on work-related well-being were reportedly mediated by trust in leader, trust in organization, empowerment, work-life conflict, relational social capital, emotional exhaustion, affectivity, job satisfaction and motivation. CONCLUSION: Nurse leaders' leadership styles affect nurses' work-related well-being. In developing intervention studies and providing training on work-related well-being, the impact of the indirect effects and the mediating factors of the leadership styles should be acknowledged.

An Integrative Review of Programs for Managing Nurses' Substance Use Disorder in the Workplace.

BACKGROUND: Nurses' substance use disorder (SUD) endangers patient safety and decreases nurses' work ability and health. To better understand the methods, treatments, and benefits of the programs used to monitor nurses with SUD and promote their recovery, a systematic review of international research is needed. AIM: The aim was to gather, evaluate, and summarize empirical research on programs for managing nurses with SUD. DESIGN: An integrative review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis instructions. METHOD: Systematic searches were conducted in the CINAHL, PsycInfo, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases between 2006 and 2020, complemented with manual searches. Articles were selected based on inclusion, exclusion, and method-specific evaluation criteria. The data were analyzed narratively. RESULTS: The review identified 12 studies of which nine focused on recovery and monitoring programs for nurses with SUD or other impairment and three concerned training programs for nurse supervisors or worksite monitors. The programs were described in terms of their target groups, goals, and theoretical basis. The programs' methods and benefits were described together with challenges in their implementation. CONCLUSION: There has been little research on programs for nurses with SUD, the programs that exist are heterogenous, and the evidence available in this field is weak. Further research and developmental work are needed on preventive and early detection programs as well as rehabilitative programs and programs supporting reentry to workplaces. In addition, programs should not be restricted to nurses and their supervisors; colleagues and work communities should also be involved.

Professional governance in Finnish nursing - measured by the Index of Professional Nursing Governance.

AIM: To translate and validate the Index of Professional Nursing Governance (IPNG) 2.0 and assess the state of professional nursing governance in Finland. BACKGROUND: Raising and maintaining quality of care while retaining staff are common problems in healthcare globally. Professional governance is a modern way to tackle them, but a reliable instrument is needed to measure the state of nursing governance in Finland, and elsewhere. METHODS: The IPNG that was translated into Finnish by forward-backward translation, culturally adapted and pilot tested with 20 nurses. A sample of 419 nurses was utilised in a cross-sectional study to assess the state of professional governance in Finland 2018. RESULTS: Principal component analysis yielded six components with good Cronbach's α values. The results clearly indicate that the IPNG version developed and evaluated in this study has suitable psychometric properties for use in Finnish healthcare settings. The validated IPNG scores indicate that nursing governance in Finland is in the professional governance range. The staff have some input in the governance of Finnish healthcare organisations. However, this perception is strongest among the nurse leaders and experts; other groups do not perceive much change yet. CONCLUSION: Participants, particularly nurse leaders in Finland, had self-reported impact in decision-making. The translated IPNG has acceptable internal consistency and can be used to assess healthcare organisations' governance models in Finland and broader in Nordic countries and Europe.

The value that social workers' competencies add to health care: An integrative review.

Health and social care professionals' competencies have traditionally been separated because of the different aims of the two professions. These competencies need to be integrated, to make sure that seamless services are provided that meet the often complex needs of patients and clients in a coordinated and timely way. The aim of this integrative review was to identify, describe and synthetise previous studies on integrated competencies in health and social care. Electronic literature searches were carried out on the CINAHL, ProQuest, PsycInfo, PubMed, Scopus and SocIndex databases for peer-reviewed scientific papers that were published in English between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2019. This identified 3,231 papers, after duplicates were removed, and 18 focused on the integration of social workers' competencies with health care. Other types of integration were not found. The value added by integrating social workers' competencies with health care focused on engaging working orientation, improving communication with family members, increasing understanding of service resources and mastering successful discharge procedures so that they met comprehensive, complex health and well-being needs. Social workers added value when they worked with multi-professional teams, but there were challenges to integrating competencies and these were related to professional collaboration and fragmented leadership. In future, more attention needs to be paid to diversifying and optimising the integration of professional health and social care competencies that meet clients' and patients' care and service needs. It is also vital to focus on developing the professional and leadership strategies that are needed to combine those competencies.

Ethical issues identified in nurses´ interprofessional collaboration in clinical practice: a meta-synthesis.

The aim of this study was to synthesize previous knowledge about ethics in nurses' interprofessional collaboration in clinical practice. Although healthcare professionals have common goals and shared values, ethical conflicts still arise during patient care. We carried out a meta-synthesis of peer-reviewed papers published in any language from 2013-2019, using both electronic searches, with the CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, and SocINDEX databases, and manual searches. We identified 4,763 papers and selected six qualitative papers, and three theoretical papers, based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria and quality appraisal. The studies came from the USA, Canada, Sweden, Australia, Botswana, and the Netherlands. We found that in ethics studies on nurses' interprofessional collaboration in clinical practice the focus has been on factors that affect how patients receive care. These factors were patients' wishes, whether they were told the truth about their condition, and how different professionals recognized and treated their pain. The focus in the papers we reviewed was on the roles of different professionals during the care process, including ethical conflicts with regard to their aims, commitment, and the balance of power among them and other professions. More research is needed to raise the visibility of how nurses and other professionals recognize, and evaluate, their professional and interprofessional ethics.