Restraint in somatic healthcare: how should it be regulated?

Restraint is regularly used in somatic healthcare settings, and countries have chosen different paths to regulate restraint in somatic healthcare. One overarching problem when regulating restraint is to ensure that patients with reduced decision-making capacity receive the care they need and at the same time ensure that patients with a sufficient degree of decision-making capacity are not forced into care that they do not want. Here, arguments of justice, trust in the healthcare system, minimising harm and respecting autonomy are contrasted with different national regulations. We conclude that a regulation that incorporates an assessment of patients' decision-making capacity and considers the patient's best interests is preferable, in contrast to regulations based on psychiatric diagnoses or regulations where there are no legal possibilities to exercise restraint at all in somatic care.

Dysphagia, health-related quality of life, and return to work after occipitocervical fixation.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) on dysphagia, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and return to work after occipitocervical fixation (OCF). Postoperative radiographic measurements were evaluated to identify possible predictors of dysphagia. METHODS: All individuals (≥ 18 years) who underwent an OCF at the study center or were registered in the Swedish spine registry (Swespine) between 2005 and 2019, and were still alive when the study was conducted, were eligible for inclusion. There was no overlap between the cohorts. Prospectively collected data on dysphagia (Dysphagia Short Questionnaire DSQ), HRQoL (EQ5D-3L) and return to work were used. Radiological and baseline patient data were retrospectively collected. In addition, HRQoL data of a matched sample of individuals was elicited from the Stockholm Public Health Survey 2006. RESULTS: In total, 54 individuals were included. At long-term follow-up, 26 individuals (51%) had no dysphagia, and 25 (49%) reported some degree of dysphagia: 11 (22%) had mild dysphagia, and 14 (27%) had moderate to severe dysphagia. On a group level, the OCF sample scored significantly lower EQVAS and EQ-5Dindex values compared to the general population (60.0 vs. 80.0, p = 0.016; 0.43 vs. 0.80, p < 0.001). Individuals working preoperatively returned to work after surgery. Of those responding, 88% stated that they would undergo the OCF operation if it was offered today. No predictors of dysphagia based on radiographic measurements were identified. CONCLUSION: Occipitocervical fixation results in a high frequency of long-term dysphagia. The HRQoL of OCF patients is significantly reduced compared to matched controls. However, most patients are satisfied with their surgery. No radiographic predictors of long-term dysphagia could be identified. Future prospective and systematic studies with larger samples and more objective outcome measures are needed to elucidate the causes of dysphagia in OCF.

The impact of previous health on the mortality after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: analysis of a prospective Swedish multicenter study.

PURPOSE: There is an an increasing awareness of the importance of health and lifestyle for stroke diseases like spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, the importance of pre-existing medical conditions for clinical course and mortality after SAH has not been studied. The aim of the present study was to identify pre-existing conditions contributing to mortality after SAH. METHODS: Data were extracted from a Swedish national prospective study on patients with SAH. Variables were defined for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), clinical condition at admission, and for 10 pre-existing medical conditions. Models predicting mortality in three time intervals with all possible subsets of these variables were generated, compared and selected using Akaike's information criterion. RESULTS: 1155 patients with ruptured aneurysms were included. The mortality within 1 week was 7.6%, 1 month 14.3%, and 1 year 18.7%. The most common pre-existing medical conditions were smoking (57.6%) and hypertension (38.7%). The model's best predicting mortality within 1 week and from 1 week to 1 month included only the level of consciousness at admission and age, and these two variables were present in all the models among the top 200 in Akaike score for each time period. The most predictive model for mortality between 1 month and 1 year added previous stroke, diabetes, psychiatric disease, and BMI as predictors. CONCLUSION: Mortality within the first month was best predicted simply by initial level of consciousness and age, while mortality within from 1 month to 1 year was significantly influenced by pre-existing medical conditions.

Differences between Registered Nurses and nurse assistants around missed nursing care-An observational, comparative study.

BACKGROUND: From a nursing perspective, tasks that are not carried out, and the consequences of this, have been studied for over a decade. The difference between Registered Nurses (RNs) and nurse assistants (NAs) regarding qualifications and work tasks, and the profound knowledge around RN-to-patient ratios, warrants investigating missed nursing care (MNC) for each group rather than as one (nursing staff). AIM: To describe and compare RNs and NAs ratings of and reasons for MNC at in-hospital wards. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with a comparative approach. RNs and NAs at in-hospital medical and surgical wards for adults were invited to answer the MISSCARE Survey-Swedish version, including questions on patient safety and quality of care. RESULTS: A total of 205 RNs and 219 NAs answered the questionnaire. Quality of care and patient safety was rated as good by both RNs and NAs. Compared to NAs, RNs reported more MNC, for example, in the item 'Turning patient every 2 h' (p < 0.001), 'Ambulation three times per day or as ordered' (p = 0.018), and 'Mouth care' (p < 0.001). NAs reported more MNC in the items 'Medications administered within 30 min before or after scheduled time' (p = 0.005), and 'Patient medication requests acted on within 15 min' (p < 0.001). No significant differences were found between the samples concerning reasons for MNC. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that RNs' and NAs' ratings of MNC to a large extent differed between the groups. RNs and NAs should be viewed as separate groups based on their different knowledge levels and roles when caring for patients. Thus, viewing all nursing staff as a homogenous group in MNC research may mask important differences between the groups. These differences are important to address when taking actions to reduce MNC in the clinical setting.

Understanding nurses' justification of restraint in a neurosurgical setting: A qualitative interview study.

BACKGROUND: Despite its negative impact on patients and nurses, the use of restraint in somatic health care continues in many settings. Understanding the reasons and justifications for the use of restraint among nurses is crucial in order to manage this challenge. AIM: To understand nurses' justifications for restraint use in neurosurgical care. RESEARCH DESIGN: A qualitative, descriptive design was used. Data were analysed with inductive qualitative content analysis. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: Semi-structured interviews with 15 nurses working in three neurosurgical departments in Sweden. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: Approved by The Regional Ethics Committee, Stockholm, Sweden. FINDINGS: The analysis resulted in three categories. The category Patient factors influencing restraint use describes patient factors that trigger restraint, such as a diminished decision-making competence, restlessness, and need for invasive devices. The category Specific reasons for justifying restraint describes reasons for restraining patients, such as restraint being used for the sake of the patient or for the sake of others. The category General reasoning in justifying restraint describes how nurses reason when using restraint, and the decision to use restraint was often based on a consequentialist approach where the nurses' weighed the pros and cons of different alternatives. DISCUSSION: Nurses with experience of restraint use were engaged in a constant process of justifying and balancing different options and actions. Restraint was considered legitimate if the benefit exceeded the suffering, but decisions on which restraint measures to use and when to use them depended on the values of the individual nurse. CONCLUSION: How nurses reason when justifying restraint, why they use restraint, and who they use restraint on must be considered when creating programs and guidelines to reduce the use of restraint and to ensure that when it is used it is used carefully, appropriately, and with respect.

Swedish translation, cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the pressure ulcer knowledge assessment tool for use in the operating room.

The aim of this study was to psychometrically evaluate the Swedish operating room version of PUKAT 2.0. In total, 284 Swedish operating room nurses completed the survey of whom 50 completed the retest. The item difficulty P-value of 14 items ranged between 0.38 and 0.96 (median 0.65). Three items were found to be too easy (0.90-0.96). The D-value of 14 items ranged between 0.00 and 0.42 (median 0.46). Three items had a D-value lower than 0.20 (0.11-0.16) and eight items scored higher than 0.40 (0.45-0.61). The quality of the response alternatives (a-value) ranged between 0.00 and 0.42. This showed that nurses with a master's degree had a higher knowledge than nurses with a professional degree (respectively 9.4/14 versus 8.6/14; t = -2.4, df = 199, P = 0.02). The ICC was 0.65 (95% CI 0.45-0.78). The ICCs for the domains varied from 0.12 (95% CI = -0.16-0.39) to 0.59 (95% CI = 0.38-0.75). Results indicated that 11 of the original items contributed to the overall validity. However, the low participation in the test-retest made the reliability of the instrument low. An extended evaluation with a larger sample should be considered in order to confirm aspects of the psychometric properties of this instrument.

Missed nursing care in relation to registered nurses' level of education and self-reported evidence-based practice.

BACKGROUND: Patient safety is one of the cornerstones of high-quality healthcare systems. Evidence-based practice is one way to improve patient safety from the nursing perspective. Another aspect of care that directly influences patient safety is missed nursing care. However, research on possible associations between evidence-based practice and missed nursing care is lacking. AIM: The aim of this study was to examine associations between registered nurses' educational level, the capability beliefs and use of evidence-based practice, and missed nursing care. METHODS: This study had a cross-sectional design. A total of 228 registered nurses from adult inpatient wards at a university hospital participated. Data were collected with the MISSCARE Survey-Swedish version of Evidence-Based Practice Capabilities Beliefs Scale. RESULTS: Most missed nursing care was reported within the subscales Basic Care and Planning. Nurses holding a higher educational level and being low evidence-based practice users reported significantly more missed nursing care. They also scored significantly higher on the Evidence-based Practice Capabilities Beliefs Scale. The analyses showed a limited explanation of the variance of missed nursing care and revealed that being a high user of evidence-based practice indicated less reported missed nursing care, while a higher educational level meant more reported missed nursing care. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: Most missed nursing care was reported within the subscales Planning and Basic Care. Thus, nursing activities are deprioritized in comparison to medical activities. Nurses holding a higher education reported more missed nursing care, indicating that higher education entails deeper knowledge of the consequences when rationing nursing care. They also reported varied use of evidence-based practice, showing that higher education is not the only factor that matters. To decrease missed nursing care in clinical practice, and thereby increase the quality of care, educational level, use of evidence-based practice, and organizational factors must be considered.

Nurses' experiences of using restraint in neurosurgical care - A qualitative interview study.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To describe nurses' experiences of using restraint in neurosurgical care. BACKGROUND: Despite reports of negative consequences, and conflicts with key values in healthcare, restraint measures are still practised in somatic healthcare worldwide. When using restraint, basic principles of nursing collide, creating dilemmas known to be perceived as difficult for many nurses. Patients in neurosurgical care are at high risk of being subjected to restraint, but research on nurses' experiences of using restraint in neurosurgical care are scarce. DESIGN: A qualitative, descriptive design guided by a naturalistic inquiry was used. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews with 15 nurses working in three neurosurgical departments in Sweden were analysed with inductive qualitative content analysis. COREQ reporting guidelines were used as reporting checklist. RESULTS: The analysis resulted in one overarching theme, The struggling professional, and two categories. The category Internal struggle describes nurses' conflicting emotions and internal struggle when engaging in restraint. The category The struggle in clinical practice, describes how nurses struggle with handling restraint in clinical practice, and how the use of restraint is based on individual assessment rather than guidelines. CONCLUSION: Nurses' experience restraint in neurosurgical care as a multi-layered struggle, ranging from inner doubts to practical issues. In order to enhance patient safety, there is a need for policies and guidelines regarding the use of restraint, as well as structured discussions and reflections for nurses engaged in the practice. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The results highlight the importance of clear guidelines, openness, support and teamwork for nurses working with patients at risk to be subjected to restraint, in order to create a safer care for patients as well as healthcare personnel. When developing guidelines and policies concerning restraint in somatic care, both practical issues such as the decision-making process, and the emotional effect on nurses should be considered.

The Swedish version of the attitude towards pressure ulcer prevention instrument for use in an operating room context (APUP-OR): A nationwide psychometric evaluation.

INTRODUCTION: To assess operating room (OR) nurses' attitudes towards pressure ulcer prevention, the Attitude towards Pressure Ulcer Prevention (APuP) instrument was developed. AIM: The aim of this study was to psychometrically evaluate the Attitude towards Pressure Ulcer Prevention (APuP) instrument in a Swedish OR context. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A psychometric evaluation study was conducted, using a convenience sample, between February and August 2020. Validity (content, construct, discriminatory power) and reliability (stability and internal consistency) were evaluated. RESULTS: The first survey (test) was completed by 284 Swedish OR nurses, of whom n = 50 (17.6%) completed the second survey (retest). A Principal Component Analysis was conducted for the 13-item instrument. The KMO value for this model was 0.62. Bartlett's test for sphericity was statistically significant (p 0.001). Five factors were identified which accounted for 56% of the variance in responses related to attitudes toward pressure ulcer prevention. The Cronbach's α for the instrument "attitude towards Pressure Ulcer Prevention" was 0.66. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.49 (95% CI = 0.25-0.67). CONCLUSION: This Swedish version of the APuP- OR is the first step in the development of an instrument to measure OR nurses' attitudes towards PU prevention in a Swedish OR context. The reliability of the instrument was low and the validity moderate. A larger sample and the revision or addition of items related to the context of the operating room should be considered in order to confirm aspects of the psychometric properties.

Missed nursing care during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comparative observational study.

AIM: To evaluate frequencies, types of and reasons for missed nursing care during the COVID-19 pandemic at inpatient wards in a highly specialized university hospital. BACKGROUND: Registered nurse/patient ratio and nursing competence are known to affect patient outcomes. The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic entailed novel ways for staffing to meet the expected increased acute care demand, which potentially could impact on quality of care. METHODS: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted, using the MISSCARE Survey. A sample of nursing staff during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 130) was compared with a reference sample (n = 157). RESULTS: Few differences between samples concerning elements of missed care and no significant differences concerning reasons for missed care were found. Most participants perceived the quality of care and the patient safety to be good. CONCLUSION: The results may be explained by three factors: maintained registered nurse/patient ratio, patients' dependency levels and that nursing managers could maintain the staffing needs with a sufficient skill mix. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nursing managers impact on the occurrence of MNC; to provide a sufficient registered nurse/patient ratio and skill mix when staffing. They play an important role in anticipatory planning and during infectious disease outbreaks.

Preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis regimen in brain tumour surgery in Sweden: a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: There has been varied clinical practice concerning antibiotic prophylaxis in patients undergoing craniotomy. In Sweden, both Cloxacillin and Cefuroxime have frequently been used. We aimed to study the clinical effectiveness of these two regimens. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design was used. The sample consisted of 580 adult (> 18 years) patients operated 2012-2015, of which 375 received Cloxacillin (pre-intervention group) and 205 received Cefuroxime (intervention group). Primary endpoint was the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) 12 months after surgery, while secondary endpoints were the need for reoperation due to SSI, the amount antibiotics used and the number of visits in the outpatient clinic related to SSI. A control group from another institution was reviewed to rule out clinical trial effects. RESULTS: When analysed by intention to treat, the pre-intervention group had a significant higher incidence of SSI, 13.3% (50/375) vs 5.4% (11/205) in the intervention group (p < 0.01). A treatment per protocol analysis confirmed the result. The number of reoperations due to SSI were significantly reduced in the intervention group, 3.4% (7/205) vs 8.3% (31/375) (p = 0.02), as was the total antibiotic use (p = 0.03) and the number of visits in the outpatient clinic (p < 0.01). In the control group, the reoperation rate as result of SSI was lower (p = 0.02) prior to the opposite change from Cefuroxime to Cloxacillin, 1.8% (27/1529) vs 3.1% (43/1378). CONCLUSION: In Sweden, Cefuroxime as prophylaxis in brain tumour surgery by craniotomy seems to be superior to Cloxacillin.

Translation, culture adaption and psychometric testing of the MISSCARE Survey-Swedish version.

AIM: To translate the MISSCARE Survey into Swedish and establish its validity and reliability by evaluating its psychometric properties. BACKGROUND: Missed nursing care is defined as any aspect of required nursing care that is omitted or delayed. The consequence of missed nursing care is a threat to patient safety. The MISSCARE Survey is an American instrument measuring missed nursing care activities (part A) and its reasons (part B). METHODS: The translation was accomplished according to World Health Organization guidelines, focusing on a culture adaptation. Acceptability, construct validity, test-retest reliability and internal consistency were analysed. The Revised Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE 2.0) was used as reporting checklist. RESULTS: The translation and culture adaptation needed several revisions. A total of 126 nurses answered the test and retest which showed acceptability of missing data. The factor analysis revealed a lack of fit to data for the original factorial structure in part B, while further analysis provided results suggesting a modification based on omitting six items. The internal consistency for part B and its subscales showed good results. CONCLUSIONS: The MISSCARE Survey-Swedish version is a reliable and valid instrument, with good psychometric properties. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: More reliable language versions of the instrument enable national and international comparisons that could be valuable for nursing managers and/or directors of nursing who are responsible for quality of care and patient safety in the strategic care planning process.

Patient-reported extremity symptoms after robot-assisted laparoscopic cystectomy.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To describe patient-reported extremity symptoms after robot-assisted laparoscopic cystectomy in patients with bladder cancer. BACKGROUND: Preventive activities for remaining patient safety due to correct positioning play an important part in perioperative nursing care.Extremity injuries are well-known after prolonged surgery, especially in robot-assisted urologic surgery in the steep Trendelenburg position. The risk of injury increases due to patient-related and operative risk factors. METHODS: A quantitative prospective observational study was conducted. Patients were followed up with the QuickDASH (Disabilities in the Arm, Shoulder and Hand), Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and a study-specific questionnaire 7-10 days and monthly, up to six months after surgery in patients with extremity symptoms. The study adheres to STROBE (strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology) guidelines, see Supporting information File S1. RESULTS: Out of the 94 included participants, 46.8% (n = 44) experienced extremity symptoms 7-10 days after surgery. Pain, numbness and weakness were the most frequent symptoms. There was a discrepancy between the patients reported symptoms and the documentation in the patient records. Only 13.6% (n = 3) of the reported pain was documented, respectively 27.5% (n = 11) of other symptoms. CONCLUSION: A large proportion of the patients report postoperative extremity symptoms after robot-assisted laparoscopic cystectomy. Prevention of complications in the perioperative setting, are together with follow-ups, important nursing activities for maintaining patient safety and may both prevent and detect postoperative extremity symptoms and injuries. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study reveals the need of accurate documentation regarding extremity symptoms in digital patient records, as well as continuous follow-ups during the hospital stay and after hospital discharge to enable detection of treatable extremity injuries. The result of this study also indicates the importance of nursing activities such as evidence-based positioning guidelines in the operating theatre for optimal positioning.

The meaning of person-centred care in the perioperative nursing context from the patient's perspective - an integrative review.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To determine the meaning of person-centred care from the patient's perspective and in the context of perioperative nursing. BACKGROUND: Person-centred care is used, but not defined in the perioperative context. The concept indicates an interest in the patient's own experience of health, illness, needs and preferences. As with many terms that are frequently used, there is a tendency for person-centred care to mean different things to different people in different contexts. DESIGN: Integrative Review. METHODS: A two-part search strategy was employed: first, a computerised database search of PubMed and CINAHL, using Medical Subject Headings and free terms to search articles dating from 2004-2014, was performed, and second, a hand-search of those articles' reference lists was performed. Twenty-three articles were selected, and an integrative review was conducted. RESULTS: Four themes were discovered: 'being recognised as a unique entity and being allowed to be the person you are', 'being considered important by having one's personal wishes taken into account', 'the presence of a perioperative nurse is calming, prevents feelings of loneliness and promotes well-being, which may speed up recovery' and 'being close to and being touched by the perioperative nurse during surgery'. CONCLUSIONS: Person-centred care means respecting the patient as a unique individual, considering the patient's particularities and wishes and involving the patient in their own care. Person-centred care also implies having access to one's own nurse who is present both physically and emotionally through the entire perioperative process and who guides the patient and follows up postoperatively, guaranteeing that the patient is not alone. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: By having a common understanding of the concept of person-centred care, the nurse anaesthetists' and theatre nurses' caring actions or concerns will be directed towards the patient, resulting in personalisation of care rather than simply defining the concept.

Predictive factors for decompressive hemicraniectomy in malignant middle cerebral artery infarction.

BACKGROUND: The mortality rate of patients with brain oedema after malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction approaches 80 % without surgical intervention. Surgical treatment with ipsilateral decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) has been shown to dramatically improve survival rates. DHC currently lacks established inclusion criteria and additional research is needed to assess the impact of prognostic factors on functional outcome. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of prognostic factors on functional outcome. METHOD: A retrospective cohort study was carried out including 46 patients who underwent DHC at the Karolinska University Hospital between 2004 and 2014. The maximum time to surgery was 5 days after symptom debut. The primary endpoint was a dichotomised score on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 3 months after surgery, with favourable outcome defined as mRS ≤ 4. RESULTS: When the study population was dichotomised according to the primary endpoint, a significant difference between the groups was seen in preoperative Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), blood glucose levels and the infarction's involvement of the basal ganglia (p < 0.05). In a logistic regression model, preoperative GCS contributed significantly with a 59.6 % increase in the probability of favourable outcome for each point gained in preoperative GCS (p = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that preoperative GCS, blood glucose and the infarction's involvement of the basal ganglia are strong predictors of clinical outcome. These factors should be considered when assessing the probable outcome of DHC, and additional research based on these factors may contribute to improved inclusion criteria for DHC.

'Wouldn't it be easier if you continued to be a guy?' - a qualitative interview study of transsexual persons' experiences of encounters with healthcare professionals.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To describe transsexual persons' experiences of encounters with healthcare professionals during the sex reassignment process. BACKGROUND: Transsexual persons are individuals who use varying means to alter their natal sex via hormones and/or surgery. Transsexual persons may experience stigma, which increases the risk of psychological distress. Mistreatments by healthcare professionals are common. Qualitative studies addressing transsexual persons' experiences of healthcare are scarce. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive design. METHODS: A Swedish non-clinical convenience sample was used, consisting of six persons who had been diagnosed as transsexual, gone through sex reassignment surgery or were at the time of the interview awaiting surgery. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken, and data were analysed using manifest qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Three categories and 15 subcategories were identified. The encounters were perceived as good when healthcare professionals showed respect and preserved the transsexual person's integrity, acted in a professional manner and were responsive and built trust and confidence. However, the participants experienced that healthcare professionals varied in their level of knowledge, exploited their position of power, withheld information, expressed gender stereotypical attitudes and often used the wrong name. They felt vulnerable by having a condescending view of themselves, and they could not choose not to be transsexual. They felt dependent on healthcare professionals, and that the external demands were high. CONCLUSIONS: Transsexual persons are in a vulnerable position during the sex reassignment surgery process. The encounters in healthcare could be negatively affected if healthcare professionals show inadequate knowledge, exploit their position of power or express gender stereotypical attitudes. A good encounter is characterised by preserved integrity, respect, responsiveness and trust. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Improved education on transgender issues in nursing and medical education is warranted. Healthcare professionals should be aware of how their attitudes and their level of knowledge affect the care given during the sex reassignment surgery process.

Transitional experiences in patients following intracranial aneurysm rupture.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To describe changes and transitions in everyday life in the first two years following an intracranial aneurysm rupture. BACKGROUND: An intracranial aneurysm rupture causes a haemorrhagic stroke, and the physical and mental consequences of this condition are numerous and complex. In Sweden, some, but not all, patients receive rehabilitation for this condition. Patients with this type of stroke are not included in the national stroke registry; thus, information on the recovery period for these particular patients is lacking. DESIGN: A longitudinal mixed methods study design was used. METHODS: The sample was consecutive and consisted of 88 patients (84·6% of 104 eligible), acutely admitted to a neurosurgical clinic in Stockholm for intracranial aneurysm rupture. Data were collected through a postal study-specific questionnaire at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years postaneurysm rupture. Intramethod mixing was used in the data collection, and quantitative and qualitative data were analysed parallel with statistical and qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: A majority of participants perceived changes in their everyday lives during the first two years following aneurysm rupture, and the changes were ongoing with little differences reported between 6 months and 2 years after the onset. Internal changes, or transitions, were revealed within changes in personality, changed social roles and relationships and changed abilities and behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: Recovering from an intracranial aneurysm rupture involves a period of intense changes and transitions, a vulnerable period for many people that may be made easier to manage by the intervention of nurses. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Patients experiencing transitions in the recovery period after intracranial aneurysm rupture may benefit from nursing interventions that support them through the transitional process. Nurse-led follow-up care by a specialist nurse from the neurosurgical clinic may be a possible way to provide support.

Health-Related Quality of Life and Return to Work after Surgery for Spinal Schwannoma: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Spinal schwannomas are the second most common primary intradural spinal tumor. This study aimed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the frequency of return to work after the surgical treatment of spinal schwannomas. HRQoL was compared to a sample of the general population. Patients operated for spinal schwannomas between 2006 and 2020 were identified in a previous study and those alive at follow-up (171 of 180) were asked to participate. Ninety-four (56%) responded and were included in this study. Data were compared to the Stockholm Public Health Survey 2006, a cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of the general population. An analysis for any potential non-response bias was performed and showed no significant differences between the groups. HRQoL was equal between the spinal schwannoma sample and the general population sample in all but one dimension; men in the spinal schwannoma sample reported more moderate problems in the usual activities dimension than men in the general population (p = 0.020). In the schwannoma sample, there were no significant differences between men and women in either of the dimensions EQ-5Dindex or EQVAS. Before surgery, a total of 71 (76%) were working full-time and after surgery almost all (94%) returned to work, most of them within 3 months of surgery. Eighty-nine (95%) of the patients responded that they would accept the surgery for their spinal schwannoma if asked again today. To conclude, surgical treatment of spinal schwannomas is associated with good HRQoL and with a high frequency of return to work.

"I've never experienced this before, I don't know what I need"- a qualitative study on social support and self-care during the first year after an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

PURPOSE: To describe perceived support, support needs and self-care among individuals during the first year after an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study had a qualitative descriptive design with a deductive approach using the concepts of social support and self-care. The informants (n = 16) had been treated for aSAH at a university hospital in Sweden and were interviewed one year after the event. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and a manifest directed content analysis was performed. RESULTS: The findings revealed great variation in the narratives, both regarding the support received and the support desired, as well as the described self-care abilities. All codes were covered by the predefined categories and subcategories: social support (including esteem/emotional support, informational support, social companionship, instrumental support) and self-care (including self-management, self-monitoring, symptom management, self-efficacy). CONCLUSIONS: Not being offered the support needed aggravated the possibility to manage the new life after aSAH. The confidence in self-care abilities was influenced by symptom control and how much life had changed in comparison to before the aSAH. Educational efforts are suggested to facilitate the transition from hospital discharge and to promote specialized rehabilitation at home and self-care abilities.

Early supported discharge can be beneficial for aneurysmal subarachnoid (aSAH) patients, including a discharge plan with documented responsibility for continuing rehabilitation and information on follow-ups.Generic rehabilitation programs need to be adapted to a person-centered approach due to the large variation in aSAH patients' support needs and self-care abilities.When planning educational efforts for aSAH patients, the use of a workshop format in the company of others affected is suggested, to share experiences and increase the sense of self-efficacy.