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Aims To report a systematic review of the psychometric properties of self-report instruments to identify the symptoms of anxiety in pregnancy to help clinicians and researchers select the most suitable instrument. Background Excessive anxiety in pregnancy is associated with adverse birth outcomes, developmental and behavioural problems in infants and postnatal depression. Despite recommendations for routine psychological assessment in pregnancy, the optimal methods to identify anxiety in pregnancy have not been confirmed. Design Psychometric systematic review. Data sources A systematic literature search of the multiple databases (1990-September 2014). Review methods Identification of self-report instruments to measure anxiety in pregnancy using COSMIN guidelines to assess studies reporting a psychometric evaluation of validity and reliability. Results Thirty-two studies were included. Studies took place in the UK, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, Spain and the Netherlands. Seventeen different instruments were identified. Measures of validity were reported in 19 papers and reliability in 16. The overall quality of the papers was rated as fair to excellent using the COSMIN checklist. Only one paper scored excellent in more than one category. Conclusion Many instruments have been adapted for use in different populations to those for which they were designed. The State Trait Anxiety Inventory, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale have been tested more frequently than other instruments, yet require further assessment to confirm their value for use in pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ockhuijsen h.d.l., gamel c.j., van den hoogen a. & macklon n.s. (2011) Integrating preconceptional care into an IVF programme. Journal of Advanced Nursing 68(5), 1156-1165. Abstract Aim. This paper is a report of a mixed method study of the outcomes of integrating preconceptional care into an in-vitro fertilization programme on nurses' and patients' attitudes and patients' weight and smoking behaviour. Background. Increasing evidence points to the significant effect of lifestyle factors on in-vitro fertilization outcomes. Optimizing the health of couples before they commence in-vitro fertilization may improve the chance of achieving success. Method. In 2007, 130 couples attending a university hospital in-vitro fertilization unit and seven nurses were invited to participate in the study. Questionnaires were developed to assess the attitudes of both patients and nurses. Furthermore, the impact of interventions on body mass index and smoking patterns were evaluated. Results. All nurses ( n = 7) and 101 patients (77·7%) returned completed questionnaires. Analysis revealed a considerable degree of scepticism among the nurses at the outset as to the value of the programme and their ability to perform their new role effectively. Patients valued positively the increased attention to adjusting lifestyle factors with the goal to improve fertility outcomes. Of those participants who smoked or had a body mass index >30, 30% ( n = 7/23) of the patients quit smoking and 50% lost weight ( n = 15/30), mean loss: 6·1 kg. Conclusion. Fertility nurses can play a key role in the provision of preconceptional care. Patients with a fertility problem can be motivated to address lifestyle issues before embarking on in-vitro fertilization treatment. The integration of preconceptional care and lifestyle interventions was shown to be feasible in our clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims The aims of this study were: (1) To examine whether working in a self-directed team is related to home-care nursing staff's job satisfaction; (2) To assess the mediating effect of self-perceived autonomy over patient care; (3) To investigate the moderating effect of educational level on the association between autonomy over patient care and job satisfaction. Background Self-directed teams are being introduced in home care in several countries. It is unknown whether working in a self-directed team is related to nursing staff's job satisfaction. It is important to gain insight into this association since self-directed teams may help in retaining nursing staff. Design A cross-sectional study based on two questionnaire surveys in 2014 and 2015. Methods The study involved 191 certified nursing assistants and registered nurses employed in Dutch home-care organizations (mean age of 50). These were members of the Dutch Nursing Staff Panel, a nationwide panel of nursing staff working in various healthcare settings. Results Self-direction is positively related to nursing staff's job satisfaction. This relationship is partly mediated by autonomy over patient care. For certified nursing assistants and registered nurses with a bachelor's degree, a greater sense of autonomy over patient care in self-directed teams is positively related to job satisfaction. No significant association was found between autonomy over patient care and job satisfaction for registered nurses with an associate degree. Conclusions This study suggests that home-care organizations should consider the use of self-directed teams as this increases nursing staff's job satisfaction and may therefore help to retain nursing staff in home care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The aim of this article was to describe the design of an international audit of the prevalence of care problems in different healthcare sectors using identical methodologies. Background Audits, defined as a monitor of quality of health care, are increasingly applied in many countries as a strategy to improve professional practice and quality and safety of care. A prerequisite to enable a reliable comparison of quality of care audits is the use of identical instruments and methodology. Design Annual cross-sectional multi-centre point prevalence survey. Method This international prevalence measurement of care problems in hospitals, care homes and home care is performed in the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and New Zealand. This study is based on a prevalence measurement of care problems originally performed in the Netherlands. For each care problem (pressure ulcer, incontinence, malnutrition, falls and restraints) at patient level, next to patient characteristics, data are gathered about the prevalence, prevention and treatment of each care problem. In addition, at ward/department and institution level, specific quality indicators are measured related to the care problems. After the measurement, institutions enter their data into a web-based data-entry program. Institutions receive an overview of their own results and results at national level to enable a process of benchmarking. Discussion A uniform way of measuring the prevalence of care problems internationally is a significant step forward in gaining insight into the quality of basic care in different healthcare settings in different countries and may lead to more awareness and improvement programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]