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Aim: To generate, test and refine programme theories that emerged from a rapid realist review investigating practising UK Nurses' and Midwives' experiences of effective leadership strategies during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Background: The realist review of literature generated six tentative theories of healthful leadership practices reflecting, working with people's beliefs and values; being facilitative; multiple means of communication and; practical support. The review yielded little insight into the actual impact of the leadership approaches advocated. Methods: A realist study, informed by person‐centredness using mixed‐methods. Online survey (n = 328) and semi‐structured interviews (n = 14) of nurses and midwives across the UK in different career positions/specialities. Quantitative data analysed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. Framework analysis for qualitative data using context (C), mechanism (M), outcome (O) configurations of the tentative theories. Results: Three refined theories were identified concerning: Visibility and availability; embodying values and; knowing self. Healthful leadership practices are only achievable within organisational cultures that privilege well‐being. Conclusions: Leaders should intentionally adopt practices that promote well‐being. 'Knowing self' as a leader, coaching and mentoring practice development is important for leadership development. Implications for Clinical Practice: Nurses who feel valued, heard, cared for and safe are more likely to remain in clinical practice. Job satisfaction and being motivated to practice with confidence and competence will impact positively on patient outcomes. Impact: The study addresses the role of leadership in developing healthful workplace cultures. The main findings were six leadership practices that promote healthful cultures. The research will have an impact on strategic and clinical leaders, nurses and midwives. Reporting Method: This study used EQUATOR checklist, RAMASES II as reporting standards for realist evaluations. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Falls efficacy posits an understanding of the perceived ability to prevent and manage falls. There have been no validated self-reported instruments to measure the perceived ability to recover balance in response to destabilizing perturbations. To develop a scale of balance recovery confidence. Stage one had candidate items generated by 12 community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older using the nominal group technique. Stage two had the scale's name, instructions, response options, recall period and the items validated for appropriateness with 28 healthcare professionals and 10 older adults using an e-Delphi technique. Stage three had the scale's psychometric properties evaluated with 84 older adults who had completed self-reported and performance measures. Factor analysis was applied to confirm unidimensionality. The internal structure, reliability and validity of the scale were evaluated using the classical test theory and Rasch measurement theory. The 19-item scale was developed and validated with experts' consensus. The scale is unidimensional with excellent internal structure (Cronbach's α = 0.975) and test-retest reliability with Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC3,1) = 0.944. Construct validity of the scale was supported by its relationships with the other measures (Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale, Falls Efficacy Scale-International, Late-Life Function and Disability International-Function, handgrip strength dynamometry, 30-second chair stand test, and mini-BESTest). The balance recovery confidence scale is a distinct instrument that measures perceived reactive balance recovery. The scale has good psychometric properties and can be used to complement other measurement instruments to help older adults cope with challenges to balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess neuromuscular performance capabilities over an in-season mesocycle in early-career professional soccer players and examine the relationship with training workload. Methods: Neuromuscular performance capabilities (isometric knee extensor: peak force, rate of force development, and peak twitch force) of 12 professional soccer players were assessed weekly over a 6-week period. Training and match workload were also recorded over the same period for each player (high-intensity running distance). Changes in neuromuscular performance and workload variables were analyzed. Results: There was evidence of fluctuations in neuromuscular performance capability over the mesocycle that reached statistical (P <.05) and practical (13.3% [peak-to-peak]) significance alongside interweek heterogeneity in training and match workload (∼17.5% [coefficient of variation], P <.05). Congruence among fluctuating patterns of intramesocycle training load and concomitant neuromuscular performance responses was noted over time for acute training load and acute:chronic workload ratio with peak force and rate of force development. Conclusion: Neuromuscular performance capabilities fluctuate over an in-season mesocycle and are influenced by high-intensity running workload, emphasizing the need for acute monitoring in elite soccer players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Long-term conditioning programs for enhanced sensorimotor performance have been causally linked to reduced risk of serious ligamentous injury. However, the efficacy of brief, short-term conditioning interventions has not been established. Objective: To assess the effects of short-term sensorimotor conditioning on the knee flexors. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: University research laboratory. Participants: 23 males randomly assigned to conditioning (n = 12; age: 20.5 ±1.8 y; height: 1.80 ± 0.05 m; body mass: 74.3 ±6.0 kg [mean±SD]) and no-conditioning control (n = 11; age: 20.6 ±1.9 y; height: 1.79 ±0.05 m; body mass: 73.6 ±6.3 kg) groups. Intervention: Sensorimotor conditioning of the nondominant leg (4 sessions/wk; 3 wk). Main Outcome Measures: Sensorimotor (blind force and limb-position-replication errors) and neuromuscular (peak force, electromechanical delay [volitional and magnetically evoked]) performance of the knee flexors of both legs were assessed. The contralateral limb and an antecedent period of no conditioning were controls. Results: The conditioned leg showed decreased force error to 3.8% (3.8 ± 6.9% vs 6.3 ± 3.7% [mean ± SD], post- vs preconditioning, respectively; F1,21 = 5.4; P = .04) and a trend toward decreased positional error to 2.0% (2.0 ± 6.9% vs 4.7 ± 7.7%, post- vs preconditioning; F1,21 = 2.7; P = .06). Performances were not altered in the control conditions. Modest improvements were noted for volitional electromechanical delay following conditioning (39.8 ± 4.3 ms vs 42.3 ± 5.2 ms [F1,21 = 7.2; P = .01]), but peak force (overall, 202 ± 78 N) and magnetically evoked electromechanical delay (24.7 ± 4.2 ms) were not influenced. Conclusion: Short-term conditioning offered improved sensorimotor performance and positively affected neuromuscular determinants of knee flexor performance in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]