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Background: Thirst is the body's natural urge to replenish fluids in response to a deficiency in hydration. Patients at the end of life gradually lose their independence and reach a point where they become unable to express their needs and can no longer drink on their own. In palliative care, the main advice is to provide regular oral care to relieve symptoms such as dry mouth and thirst. However, according to previous studies the prevalence of thirst and dry mouth remains. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe palliative care, nurses' views and experiences of thirst in end-of-life care in specialist palliative care units. Methods: A qualitative interview study with an inductive approach was conducted. Eighteen nurses working in six different specialist palliative care units in different hospitals in Sweden were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and analysed with a content analysis approach according to Graneheim and Lundman. Results: When nurses discuss thirst, they perceive thirst as a problem for the patient. This is attributable to various factors, including the patient breathing with an open mouth, a reduced level of awareness, and negligence on the part of the nursing staff. Signs of thirst are dry mouth, and frequently and intense sucking on the oral care stick during oral care. It also emerged that not all nurses perceived that dying patients experienced thirst. They believe that thirst is something that is reduced in the dying patient in the same way as hunger. The most important thing to them is to relieve the dry mouth by providing good oral care. Several issues, such as a lack of guidelines paired with the patient's reduced consciousness and hence his/her lack of communication, make assessing thirst problematic. Conclusion: Nurses have different thoughts and experiences about thirst, where some perceive patients as thirsty while others perceive them as having a dry mouth. Nurses expressed that both evidence and guidelines are lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To describe nurses' experiences of ethical challenges in relation to thirst in terminally ill patients in specialist palliative care units. Research design: A qualitative, reflexive thematic design with an inductive analysis was used. Participants and research context: Eighteen qualitative interviews with nurses working in six different specialist palliative care units in different hospitals in Sweden were conducted. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed with a reflexive thematic analysis. Results: This study identified four themes that reflect ethical challenges experienced by nurses in the palliative care regarding thirst: Harmful infusions interfere with peaceful dying; conflict between tradition and personal experience; What is the right intervention to quench thirst? and; Lack of standard procedures, competence and interest among team members. Conclusion: Palliative care nurses experience a number ethical challenges in relation to thirst in dying patients. The main challenge is the provision of fluids to dying patients via artificial infusions, which nurses struggle with, as they do not want to interfere with a peaceful dying process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurses have a great responsibility in the daily care of arteriovenous fistulae, which entails the potential to affect patency. However, good cannulation technique involves more than placing a needle in the vessel and relies on different skills to facilitate needling. Objectives: To describe the preconditions for cannulation in arteriovenous fistulas. Design: Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis were used in a mixed‐methods design. Participants: Haemodialysis units in Sweden. Measurements: Local guidelines regarding arteriovenous fistula cannulation were analysed in parallel with responses to a questionnaire that contained open‐ended and closed‐ended questions on cannulation technique. Results: Preconditions that facilitate cannulation fall into five stages, each with relevant factors in relation to the cannulation, as follows: planning cannulation—maturation and planning the cannulation, patient record, education and experience, and patient information; precannulation—physical examination, hygiene routines, arm position, tourniquet, choosing the cannulation site, and preventing pain; during cannulation—how to needle, type of needle, angle during cannulation, fixation, and adjusting; evaluating cannulation—blood flow rate and arterial and venous pressure; and postcannulation—needle withdrawal and haemostasis. The majority of dialysis units identified implementation of most of these preconditions, but the units handle several practical aspects differently. Conclusions: Tracing the chain of cannulation led to identification of necessary preconditions for facilitating good cannulation technique. The findings also show the need for a better understanding of how different preconditions affect arteriovenous fistula and patency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conveying information to parents is a core part of pediatric oncology nursing; however, most published interventions do not tailor information to individual parental needs. Objective: To evaluate the effect on parental illness-related stress of person-centered information provided to parents of children with cancer. Methods: A multicenter, unblinded randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms recruiting parents of children diagnosed within the past two months from two tertiary children's cancer centers in Sweden. Parents were randomized using sealed envelopes prepared and opened by an independent person. Parents in the intervention arm met four times with experienced nurses trained in the intervention, whereas controls received standard care. The effect of the intervention was measured five times regarding parents' illness-related stress. Secondary outcomes were psychosocial states, experiences with healthcare providers, and received information. Further, we collected process data on the intervention's content and fidelity. Results: Of the 32 parents included and analyzed in the study, 16 were randomized to the intervention, which addressed a broad variety of topics. The intervention increased parents' knowledge about the biophysiological and functional aspects of their child's illness, but it had no measurable effect on their distress. Discussion: Although fidelity to the intervention protocol was sufficient, the study was flawed by recruitment difficulties, primarily due to organizational factors, which may have prevented us from observing any possible effects on psychosocial distress. Having a person-centered perspective could be promising for future studies aimed at parents of children with cancer. (Registered at Clinicaltrials.gov, number NCT02332226.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Sweden, units managed by nurses specialised in counselling and telephone triage, have been developed within the Child and Adolescent Mental Health services (CAMHS). This study has a qualitative design and illuminates the nurses' perceptions of what helps or hinders their assessments and telephone triage. The Enhanced Critical Incident Technique was utilised, eight nurses were interviewed in depth, to identify factors influencing triage. The study is the first to provide a comprehensive description of helpful and hindering factors while performing telephone triage. It illuminates telephone triage in Swedish CAMHS settings and provides insights how to enhance and implement this practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Domestic violence is a prevalent public health issue. While clinical guidelines and care programs for its identification and handling have been formulated in all administrative regions of Sweden, their degree of implementation is largely unknown. This study aims to assess the implementation of one administrative region's care program, including how it is seen to align with and function in clinical practice, and any perceived barriers to or facilitators of its use. Methods: A survey was distributed to first‐line managers for healthcare units with patient contact in the region (n = 807). The responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. Open responses were analysed thematically. Group interviews (n = 5) were held with caregivers (n = 15) working primarily with young patients and analysed thematically. Results: 73% of the survey respondents reported previous awareness of the care program, and 27% reported knowledge of its content. The extent to which their staff knew about and followed the care program was assessed to be relatively low. The survey response rate was 19%. Among interview participants, knowledge of the care program was generally quite low. Survey responses and interview discussions pointed to the importance of developing routines, of collegial and managerial support and of training on domestic violence and the care program. Conclusion: This study indicates that the knowledge and use of the regional care program is limited among healthcare staff, including among those working with young patients. This underscores the importance of information and training for furthering the implementation of clinical guidelines on domestic violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Pressure ulcers cause suffering, prolong care periods, and increase mortality. The aim was to describe and analyze the documentation of pressure ulcers and focused on the medical records from an internal medicine ward in a university hospital in western Sweden. Methods: A quantitative, retrospective review of medical records was conducted for all care events (n = 1,458) with descriptive statistics. Results: Documentation of the pressure ulcers in care plans was 2.1% (n = 31) compared to 6.7 % (n = 46) within final notes written by registered nurses (RN), a lower result compared to PPM (n = 3/14, 21.4%). Risk assessments were carried out in 68 (4.7%) care events, and 31 care plans included pressure ulcers. Moreover, 198 cases of tissue damage were documented, 43 (21.7%) defined as pressure ulcers, the other 147 (74.2%) lacked definition. Conclusions: Differences (2.1%–21.4%) highlight improvements; knowledge and communication of pressure ulcers ensure reliable documentation in medical records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose -- Data on incidence and on trends in treatment of hamstring injuries, including proximal hamstring tendon avulsions (PHA), is limited. We aimed to investigate the incidence, trends in operative treatment, age, and sex distribution of hamstring injuries in Sweden between 2001 and 2020. Patients and methods -- We obtained data recorded in the National Patient Register between 2001 and 2020 on patients between 18 and 90 years of age, with the ICD-10 code S76.3, to calculate the incidence of patients treated operatively for hamstring injuries in Sweden. Patients with the NOMESCO classification NFL49 were considered as having been treated operatively. Data on quadriceps and Achilles tendon injuries were obtained for comparison. To calculate incidences, adult population data for every year were obtained from the Statistics Sweden website. Results -- The incidence of patients diagnosed with hamstring injuries increased from 2.2 to 7.3 per 100,000 person-years. There was a rising trend of surgical treatment per diagnosed case from 3.0% to 14.2%. Patients diagnosed in units with the highest experience of surgical treatment of hamstring injuries tended to be operated on more often (22.2%) than patients diagnosed in units with limited experience (5.1%), although the fraction of operated patients was increasing in both groups. Conclusion -- Between 2001 and 2020 there was an increase in the proportion of operatively treated hamstring injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ward rounds are crucial for the exchange of information among healthcare professionals to achieve joint planning and shared decision-making in healthcare to enhance patient safety. The aim of this study was to describe the content and structure of ward rounds focusing on interprofessional collaboration on an internal medicine ward at a university hospital in Western Sweden. An inductive qualitative approach was used to explore 13 participatory observations of ward rounds (sitting/team rounds). Qualitative content analysis was used. The analysis revealed one category, titled interprofessional teamwork, that utilises all available resources, which consisted of three subcategories: usefulness of specialist competencies, collaboration for patient safety, and leading healthcare to achieve goal fulfilment. It was also found that the participating specialists' competencies were not being optimally used before patients were discharged from the hospital. Therefore, communication and leadership skills were revealed as ways to improve interprofessional teamwork to achieve goal fulfilment and patient safety regarding care and treatment issues on the ward. We found that reversing the order of ward rounds to start with the sitting round followed by the team round (i.e. hybrid distance participation methods), with the same ward round leader who has skills in leadership and interprofessional teamwork, could eliminate the need for healthcare providers to repeat questions and tasks (i.e. double work) on their ward rounds. Second, patient involvement is grounded in collaboration, and can be emphasised through person-centred care to facilitate patient safety during hospital stays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Involving service users in inpatient care and recovery planning has gained interest worldwide. Our purpose was to evaluate the process of implementation of a coproduced Recovery Guide (RG) intervention in 22 inpatient wards in Sweden, in terms of context, implementation process and mechanisms of impact over 12 months. Methods: A mixed method design and a process evaluation framework were used to guide data collection and to deductively analyze perspectives and descriptive statistics of delivery from three stakeholder groups. Results: Results showed that although initial contextual barriers were present (e.g., lack of resources, and interest, uncertainty in the organization, a dominant illness perspective), it was possible to implement the RG in 14 wards, where 53% of admitted service users received the intervention. Legitimacy of the intervention, engaged managers and staff, capacity of staff and ward organization, coproduction and continuous support from user organization were critical mediators. Mechanisms of impact concerned (1) a new perspective on mental health, well‐being and recovery, (2) capacity building of a recovery approach in inpatient settings and (3) a meaningful outlet for users' thoughts and feelings on recovery, sharing narratives and influencing care and goals. Conclusions: The RG intervention has the potential to promote a recovery approach in inpatient mental health services (MHSs). Coproduction among stakeholders created trust and a sustainable implementation that made it possible for wards to resume implementation when contextual barriers had been resolved. Patient and Public Contribution: The current study involved stakeholders including a service user organization, the public, first‐line managers and staff (including peer support workers) in inpatient and community MHS and researchers, who greatly contributed to the implementation programme, including codesign of the RG intervention as well as coproduction of the implementation in inpatient MHS. All authors have their own lived experiences of mental health problems as a service user or as a relative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To investigate healthcare personnel's working conditions in relation to risk behaviours for organism transmission. Background: Healthcare personnel's behaviour is often influenced by working conditions that in turn can impact the development of healthcare‐associated infections. Observational studies are scarce, and further understanding of working conditions in relation to behaviour is essential for the benefit of the healthcare personnel and the safety of the patients. Design: A mixed‐methods convergent design. Methods: Data were collected during 104 h of observation at eight hospital units. All 79 observed healthcare personnel were interviewed. Structured interviews covering aspects of working conditions were performed with the respective first‐line manager. The qualitative and quantitative data were collected concurrently and given equal priority. Data were analysed separately and then merged. The study follows the GRAMMS guidelines for reporting mixed‐methods research. Results: Regardless of measurable and perceived working conditions, risk behaviours frequently occurred especially missed hand disinfection. Healthcare personnel described staffing levels, patient‐level workload, physical factors and interruptions as important conditions that influence infection prevention behaviours. The statistical analyses confirmed that interruptions increase the frequency of risk behaviours. Significantly higher frequencies of risk behaviours also occurred in activities where healthcare personnel worked together, which in the interviews was described as a consequence of caring for high‐need patients. Conclusions: These mixed‐methods findings illustrate that healthcare personnel's perceptions do not always correspond to the observed results since risk behaviours frequently occurred regardless of the observed and perceived working conditions. Facilitating the possibility for healthcare personnel to work undisturbed when needed is essential for their benefit and for patient safety. Relevance for Clinical Practice: The results can be used to enlighten healthcare personnel and managers and when designing future infection prevention work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a challenge to ensure high-quality palliative care. The aim was to investigate the perceptions of health care professionals (HCPs) working in a combined acute oncology-palliative care unit regarding the quality of the palliative care received by the patients and how important the care was to the patients. A Swedish total-survey cross-sectional study including 41 HCPs (54% response rate) was conducted with the 52 items Quality from the Patient's Perspective – Palliative Care instrument, answered in two different ways: as actual care received and subjective importance. The STROBE-checklist was used. The areas for improvements were related to symptom relief, spiritual and existential needs, information, patient participation, continuity of care, care planning, cooperation and coordination of care, as subjective importance scores were higher than corresponding scores for care received (p ≤.025). Providing high-quality palliative care alongside curative treatments for cancer patients is known to be challenging and could explain the results in this study. Implementation of a person-centred palliative care model based on the hospice philosophy could be a solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While increasingly discussed in somatic care, the concept of patient participation remains unsettled in psychiatric care, potentially impeding person‐centred experiences. Objective: To describe outpatient psychiatric care patients' conceptualization of patient participation. Design: An exploratory survey. Setting and participants: Patients in four psychiatric outpatient care units. Variables: Patients conceptualized patient participation by completing a semi‐structured questionnaire, including optional attributes and free text. Data were analysed using statistics for ordinal data and content analysis for free text. Results: In total, 137 patients (69% of potential respondents) completed the questionnaire. The discrete items were favoured for conceptualizing patient participation, indicating a primary connotation that participation means being listened to, being in a reciprocal dialogue, learning about one's health care and managing one's symptoms. Additional free‐text responses acknowledged the attributes previously recognized, and provided supplementary notions, including that patient participation is about mutual respect and shared trust. Discussion: What patient participation is and how it can be facilitated needs to be agreed in order to enable preference‐based patient participation. Patients in outpatient psychiatric care conceptualize participation in terms of both sharing of and sharing in, including taking part in joint and solo activities, such as a reciprocal dialogue and managing symptoms by yourself. Conclusion: While being a patient in psychiatric care has been associated with a lack of voice, an increased understanding of patient participation enables person‐centred care, with the benefits of collaboration, co‐production and enhanced quality of care. Patient contribution: Patients provided their conceptualization of patient participation in accordance with their lived experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores trade union strategies to protect wages in the face of EU migration after the enlargement of the European Union. We argue that unions have three instruments at their disposal to deal with the risks linked to downward wage pressure: closure through immigration control, equalisation through collective bargaining and minimum wages, and the organisation of migrant workers. Using comparative case studies of Sweden, Germany and the UK, we show how different types of power resources shape union strategies: unions with substantial organisational resources (in Sweden) relied on a large membership to pursue an equalisation strategy and expected to be able to 'afford' openness. German unions with low membership but access to the political system pushed for a mix of closure and equality drawing on political intervention (e.g. minimum wages). British unions, unable to pursue either, focused their efforts on organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the Pressure Ulcer Risk Primary or Secondary Evaluation Tool (PURPOSE T); reliability (inter‐rater and test–retest) and validity (convergent validity) in a Swedish context. Background: Pressure ulcers are considered as an adverse event and are a problem in healthcare worldwide. The first step in pressure ulcer prevention is to identify patients that are at risk. PURPOSE T is a new pressure ulcer risk assessment instrument that was developed in the UK using "golden standard" instrument method. Design: Observational, descriptive and comparative. Methods: A total of 235 patients and 28 registered nurses were recruited (May 2018–November 2018) from six hospital wards at a university hospital and two community nursing homes in Sweden. Blinded (ward/nursing home nurses and expert nurses) PURPOSE T assessments and follow‐up retests were undertaken. Cross‐tabulation and kappa statistics were used to examine the reliability, and phi correlation was used to test the convergent validity. The study followed the STROBE guideline. Results: The clinical evaluation showed "very good" (kappa) inter‐rater and test–retest reliability for PURPOSE T assessment decision overall. The agreement of "at risk"/"not at risk" for both inter‐rater and test–retest was also high, at least 95.5%. The convergent validity between PURPOSE T and other traditional assessment instruments was moderate. Conclusion: The evaluation of PURPOSE T demonstrated good psychometric characteristics. Further research is needed to evaluate PURPOSE T's usability among registered nurses. Relevance to clinical practice: There is a lack of evidence‐based validated pressure ulcer risk assessment instruments for use in health care. According to our findings, the Swedish version of PURPOSE T could be used in hospitals and nursing homes to identify patients in risk or with pressure ulcers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Surveillance of sepsis incidence is important for directing resources and evaluating quality-of-care interventions. The aim was to develop and validate a fully-automated Sepsis-3 based surveillance system in non-intensive care wards using electronic health record (EHR) data, and demonstrate utility by determining the burden of hospital-onset sepsis and variations between wards. Methods A rule-based algorithm was developed using EHR data from a cohort of all adult patients admitted at an academic centre between July 2012 and December 2013. Time in intensive care units was censored. To validate algorithm performance, a stratified random sample of 1000 hospital admissions (674 with and 326 without suspected infection) was classified according to the Sepsis-3 clinical criteria (suspected infection defined as having any culture taken and at least two doses of antimicrobials administered, and an increase in Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score by ≥2 points) and the likelihood of infection by physician medical record review. Results In total 82 653 hospital admissions were included. The Sepsis-3 clinical criteria determined by physician review were met in 343 of 1000 episodes. Among them, 313 (91%) had possible, probable or definite infection. Based on this reference, the algorithm achieved sensitivity 0.887 (95% CI: 0.799 to 0.964), specificity 0.985 (95% CI: 0.978 to 0.991), positive predictive value 0.881 (95% CI: 0.833 to 0.926) and negative predictive value 0.986 (95% CI: 0.973 to 0.996). When applied to the total cohort taking into account the sampling proportions of those with and without suspected infection, the algorithm identified 8599 (10.4%) sepsis episodes. The burden of hospital-onset sepsis (>48 hour after admission) and related in-hospital mortality varied between wards. Conclusions A fully-automated Sepsis-3 based surveillance algorithm using EHR data performed well compared with physician medical record review in non-intensive care wards, and exposed variations in hospital-onset sepsis incidence between wards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the everyday life experiences of people suffering from a symptomatic, malunited, distal radius fracture. Method: Qualitative interviews were conducted with twenty respondents, median age 59 [16–85] years. The interviews were subjected to qualitative content analysis. Results: The result, presented as one main theme with categories and subcategories, describes the impact of the injury. Everyday life was affected in all participants, very much in a few highly valued activities such as sports and work, whenever the hand was used, or even at rest. This study indicates that the injury has an impact on the ability to move around, other parts of the body, sleep, emotions, self-perception and relationships. It also shows that the patients used several strategies to manage the situation. Conclusion: The malunion of a distal radius fracture has a negative impact on a wide range of daily activities, as well as other aspects of daily life. There is a need for information between caregivers and patients, and clear routines, once a malunion has occurred. The symptomatic malunion of a distal radius fracture should be acknowledged as a complex condition requiring comprehensive interventions Technical equipment, braces and new solutions on practical problems was necessary to manage everyday life and should be a focus of intervention for this patient group The consequences of the injury was not only restricted activity performance but also affected social relationships and emotions Information about fracture healing and how a malunion can occur, as well as information on how much the wrist can be loaded at different time points, is important to reduce anxiety [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To describe staff's perceptions of a continuous pressure mapping system to prevent pressure injury in a hospital ward. Background: Pressure injury development is still a problem in hospitals. It is important to understand how new information and communication technologies can facilitate pressure injury prevention. Method: A descriptive design with qualitative focus group interviews was used. Results: Five categories were identified: “Need of information, training and coaching over a long period of time,” “Pressure mapping – a useful tool in the prevention of pressure injury in high risk patients,” “Easy to understand and use, but some practical issues were annoying,” “New way of working and thinking,” and “Future possibilities with the pressure mapping system.” Conclusion: The pressure mapping system was an eye‐opener for the importance of pressure injury prevention. Staff appreciated the real‐time feedback on pressure points, which alerted them to the time for repositioning, facilitated repositioning and provided feedback on the repositioning performed. Implications for Nursing Management: A continuous pressure mapping system can be used as a catalyst, increasing staff's competence, focus and awareness of prevention. For successful implementation, the nurse managers should have a shared agenda with the clinical nurse leaders, supporting the sustaining and spread of the innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives To describe what nursing and rehabilitation staff know and do with regard to urinary incontinence and risk of urinary incontinence in patients 65 years or older undergoing hip surgery. Background Urinary incontinence is a common but often neglected issue for older people. Despite the existence of evidence-based guidelines on how to assess, manage and prevent urinary incontinence, there are indications that these guidelines are not applied in hospital care. Design A qualitative study with descriptive design was conducted in two orthopaedic units. Methods Forty-six interviews and 36 observations of care were conducted from January-October 2014 and analysed with qualitative content analysis. Results Enrolled nurses performed most of the care related to bladder function, with focus on urinary catheterisation and preventing urinary tract infection and urinary retention. Registered nurses' role in urinary matters mainly comprised documentation, while the rehabilitation staff focused on making it possible for the patient to be independent in toileting. The nursing staff considered urinary incontinence a common condition for older people and that it was convenient for the patients to have an indwelling catheter or incontinence pad/pant, although they acknowledged some of the risks associated with these procedures. Conclusions Urinary incontinence is not a priority in orthopaedic care, and urinary incontinence guidelines are not applied. Further, attitudes and actions are mainly characterised by a lack of urinary incontinence knowledge and the nursing and rehabilitation staff do not take a team approach to preventing and managing urinary incontinence. Relevance to clinical practice An increased focus on knowledge on urinary incontinence and evidence-based guidelines is needed. To secure evidence-based practice, the team of nursing and rehabilitation staff and managers must be aligned and work actively together, also including the patient in the team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess whether comprehensive medication reviews conducted by clinical pharmacists as part of a healthcare team reduce drug-related hospital readmission rates among people with dementia or cognitive impairment. Methods: This randomized controlled trial was carried out between January 9, 2012, and December 2, 2014. Patients aged ≥65 years with dementia or cognitive impairment admitted to three wards at two hospitals located in Northern Sweden were included. Results: Of the 473 deemed eligible for participation, 230 were randomized to intervention and 230 to control group by block randomization. The primary outcome, risk of drug-related hospital readmissions, was assessed at 180 days of follow-up by intention-to-treat analysis. During the 180 days of follow-up, 18.9% (40/212) of patients in the intervention group and 23.0% (50/217) of those in the control group were readmitted for drug-related reasons (HR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.53-1.21, p = 0.28, univariable Cox regression). Heart failure was significantly more common in the intervention group. After adjustment for heart failure as a potential confounder and an interaction term, multiple Cox regression analysis indicated that pharmacist participation significantly reduced the risk of drug-related readmissions (HR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.27-0.90, p = 0.02). A post-hoc analysis showed a significantly reduced risk of 30-day readmissions due to drug-related problems in the total sample (without adjustment for heart failure). Conclusion: Participation of clinical pharmacists in healthcare team conducting comprehensive medication reviews did not significantly reduce the risk of drug-related readmissions in patients with dementia or cognitive impairment; however, post-hoc and subgroup analyses indicated significant effects favoring the intervention. More research is needed. Trial registration: Clinical trials NCT01504672. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An illness or injury sustained by a family member affects all family members. It is consequently important that a child's need to be involved in a family member's care is clearly recognized by healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to describe healthcare professionals' approaches to children as relatives of a parent being cared for in a clinical setting. A web-based study-specific questionnaire was sent and responded to by 1052 healthcare professionals in Sweden. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis. The results show that guidelines and routines are often lacking regarding involving children in the care of a parent. Compared to other areas, psychiatric units seem to have enacted routines and guidelines to a greater extent than other units. The results indicate that structured approaches based on an awareness of the children's needs as well as a child-friendly environment are vital in family-focused care. These aspects need to be prioritized by managers in order to support children's needs and promote health and wellbeing for the whole family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To evaluate an implementation project on patient participation. Background Patient participation is one of the cornerstones of person-centred care. A previous intervention study resulted in improved patient participation in a surgical department in a large university hospital in Sweden. A subsequent implementation project was guided by the PARi SH framework and included several strategies over 2 years. Method Patients ( n = 198) in five units completed a questionnaire and nurse managers ( n = 5) were interviewed. Results Although the long-term implementation project did not improve patient participation in the units, the nurse managers described a changing culture in which staff grew to accept patients' involvement in their own care. Several barriers to change and sustainability were acknowledged. Conclusions Improving patient participation in a busy environment is challenging. The framework was useful in the different steps of the project. In the future, the interrelationship of the core elements needs to be analysed in an ongoing and deeper way to allow both prediction and prevention of barriers to improvement. Implications for Nursing Management A dedicated leadership together with skilled facilitators should encourage and support staff to reflect on their attitudes and ways of working to increase person-centred care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale, aims and objectives Evidence-informed healthcare is the fundament for practice, whereby guidelines based on the best available evidence should assist health professionals in managing patients. Patients seeking care for acute abdominal pain form a common group in acute care settings worldwide, for whom decision-making and timely treatment are of paramount importance. There is ambiguity about the existence, use and content of guidelines for patients with acute abdomen. The objective was to describe and compare guidelines and management of patients with acute abdomen in different settings across the acute care delivery chain in Sweden. Method A national cross-sectional design was used. Twenty-nine ambulance stations, 17 emergency departments and 33 surgical wards covering all six Swedish health regions were included, and 23 guidelines were quality appraised using the validated Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II tool. Results There is a lack of guidelines in use for the management of this large group of patients between and within different healthcare areas across the acute care delivery chain. The quality appraisal identified that several guidelines were of poor quality, especially the in-hospital ones. Further, range orders for analgesics are common in the ambulance services and the surgical wards, but are seldom present in the emergency departments. Also, education in pain management is more common in the ambulance services. These findings are noteworthy as, hypothetically, the same patient could be treated in three different ways during the same care episode. Conclusions There is an urgent need to develop high-quality evidence-based clinical guidelines for this patient group, with the entire care process in focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients have become increasingly well informed with higher expectations to be involved in decisionmaking processes regarding their care and treatment. However, few studies have examined the impact of patient involvement on health care providers' partnership-building communication. The aim of this study was to measure and explore the self-reported effects of patient involvement on the work of physicians and nurses. A questionnaire survey was distributed among cardiology staff in 12 Swedish hospitals (N = 488, response rate 67%). The sample was comprised of registered nurses (RNs, n = 303), licensed practical nurses (LPNs, n = 132), and physicians (MDs, n = 53). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine seven questionnaire statements concerning implications of patient involvement for one's clinical work. Regression analyses were used to examine factors associated with staff's partnershipbuilding communication. Analysis confirmed two distinct factors accounting for 57% of the total variance, representing both negative--"Hassles"--and positive--"Uplifts"--aspects of patient involvement. Regression analyses revealed that only positive aspects (i.e., uplifts) of patient involvement predicted staff behavior aimed at involving patients. Working with actively involved patients may be a source of stress, both negative and positive, for health care professionals. By developing work routines for involving patients in their care, health care workplaces may help health care professionals to buffer the negative effects, and enhance the positive effects, of that stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Providing high quality nursing care for patients with malignancies is complex and driven by many factors. Many of the associations between nursing care quality, trust, health status and individualized care remain obscure. Objective To empirically test a model of association linking hospitalized cancer patients’ health status, nursing care quality, perceived individuality in care and trust in nurses. Design A cross-sectional, exploratory and correlational study design was used. Settings This multi-site study was conducted in cancer care clinics, in-patient wards of five tertiary care hospitals in Cyprus, Finland, Greece and Sweden. Sample Out of 876 hospitalized patients with a confirmed histopathological diagnosis of cancer approached to participate in the study in consecutive order, 599 (response rate 68%) agreed to participate and the data from 590 were used for path analysis. Methods Data were collected in 2012–2013 with the Individualized Care Scale-Patient (ICS-Patient), the Oncology Patients’ Perceptions of Quality Nursing Care Scale (OPPQNCS), the Euro-Qol (EQ-5D-3L) and the Trust in Nurses Scale. Data were analysed statistically using descriptive and inferential statistics. Mplus version 7.11 was used to determine the best Trust model with path analysis. Results Although the model fit indices suggested that the hypothesized model did not perfectly to the data, a slightly modified model which includes the reciprocal path between individualized care and nursing care quality demonstrated a good fit. Conclusion A model of trust in nurses was developed. Health status, individualized care, and nursing care quality were found to be associated with trust. The model highlights the complexity of caring for cancer patients. Trust in nurses is influenced by the provision of individualized care. Generating and promoting trust requires interventions, which promote nursing care quality, individuality and patients’ health status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Social capital can be an important resource to facilitate the needed improvements in quality of care and efficiency in hospitals. Objectives To assess the importance of social capital (recognition, vertical trust, horizontal trust and reciprocity) for job satisfaction, work engagement and engagement in clinical improvements. Design A prospective cohort design was used. Settings Intensive care units and emergency, surgical and medical units at five Swedish hospitals with ongoing development of their processes of care. Participants Healthcare professionals (physicians, registered nurses, assistant nurses) at five Swedish midsize hospitals. Methods The participants answered a questionnaire at two occasions, NN = 1602 at baseline and NN = 1548 at one-year follow-up. Mean hospital response rate was 53% at baseline and 59% at follow-up. Univariate, multivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed, and the prospective analysis was based on 477 respondents. Results Social capital was associated with healthcare professionals’ general work engagement and job satisfaction. Analysis showed positive associations between all measured aspects of social capital and engagement in clinical improvements of patient safety and quality of care. The prospective analysis showed that increased social capital predicted increased job satisfaction, work engagement and engagement in clinical improvements of patient safety. Conclusion Social capital is strongly related to job satisfaction and active engagement with clinical improvements. The findings contribute to a deeper knowledge of social capital as a predictive factor that influences patient safety and health among healthcare staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous research studies have found that the better the quality of practice environments in hospitals, the better the outcomes for nurses and patients. Practice environment may influence nurses' ability to individualize care but the detailed relationship between individualized care and the professional practice environment has not been investigated widely. Some evidence exists about the association of practice environments with the level of individualization of nursing care, but this evidence is based on single national studies. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether nurses' views of their professional practice environment associate with their views of the level of care individualization in seven countries. Design: This study had an international, multisite, prospective, cross-sectional, exploratory survey design. Settings: The study involved acute orthopedic and trauma surgical inpatient wards (n = 91) in acute care hospitals (n = 34) in seven countries, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, the State of Kansas, USA, Portugal, Sweden, and Turkey. Participants: Nurses (n= 1163), registered or licensed practical, working in direct patient care, in orthopedic and trauma inpatient units in acute care hospitals in seven countries participated in the study. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires, including two instruments, the Revised Professional Practice Environment and the Individualized Care Scale-Nurse (Individualized Care Scale-Nurse A and B) were used for data collection. Data were analyzed statistically using descriptive statistics, simultaneous multiple regression analysis, and generalized linear model. Results: Two regression models were applied to assess the predictive validity of the Revised Professional Practice Environment on the Individualized Care Scale-Nurse-A and B. The results showed that elements of the professional practice environment were associated with care individualization. Internal work motivation, cultural sensitivity, control over practice, teamwork, and staff relationship with physicians were predictors of support (Individualized Care Scale-A) for and the delivery (Individualized Care Scale-B) of individualized care. Conclusions: The results of this study provide evidence that environment aspect could explain variations in care individualization. These findings support the assertion that individualized care needs to be understood in a broader context than the immediate nurse-patient relationship and that careful development of the care environment may be an effective way to improve care quality and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in many European countries is expected to continue and worsen, which poses a substantial threat to the maintenance of healthcare in this region. Work-family conflict is a known risk factor for turnover and sickness absence. Objective: This paper empirically examines whether the nurse practice environment is associated with experienced work-family conflict. Design: A multilevel model was fit with the individual RN at the 1st, and the hospital department at the 2nd level using cross-sectional RN survey data from the Swedish part of RN4CAST, an EU 7th framework project. The data analyzed here is based on a national sample of 8356 female and 592 male RNs from 369 hospital departments. Results: We found that 6% of the variability in work-family conflict experienced by RNs was at the department level. Organizational level factors significantly accounted for most of the variability at this level with two of the work practice environment factors examined, staffing adequacy and nurse involvement in hospital affairs, significantly related to work- family conflict. Due to the design of the study, factors on ward and work group levels could not be analyzed, but are likely to account for additional variance which in the present analysis appears to be on the individual level, with private life factors likely explaining another major part. Conclusion: These results suggest that higher level organizational factors in health care have a significant impact on the risk of work-family conflict among RNs through their impact on the nurse practice environment. Lower level organizational factors should be investigated in future studies using hierarchical multilevel sampling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hip surgery is associated with the risk of postoperative urinary retention. To avoid urinary retention hip surgery patients undergo urinary catheterisation. Urinary catheterisation, however, is associated with increased risk for urinary tract infection (UTI). At present, there is limited evidence for whether intermittent or indwelling urinary catheterisation is the preferred choice for short-term bladder drainage in patients undergoing hip surgery. Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate differences between intermittent and indwelling urinary catheterisation in hip surgery patients in relation to nosocomial UTI and cost-effectiveness. Design: Randomised controlled trial with cost-effectiveness analysis. Setting: The study was carried out at an orthopaedic department at a Swedish University Hospital. Methods: One hundred and seventy hip surgery patients (patients with fractures or with osteoarthritis) were randomly allocated to either intermittent or indwelling urinary catheterisation. Data collection took place at four time points: during stay in hospital, at discharge and at 4 weeks and 4 months after discharge. Results: Eighteen patients contracted nosocomial UTIs, 8 in the intermittent catheterisation group and 10 in the indwelling catheterisation group (absolute difference 2.4%, 95% CI -6.9-11.6%) The patients in the intermittent catheterisation group were more often catheterised (p<0.001) and required more bladder scans (p<0.001) but regained normal bladder function sooner than the patients in the indwelling catheterisation group (p<0.001). Fourteen percent of the patients in the intermittent group did not need any catheterisation. Cost-effectiveness was similar between the indwelling and intermittent urinary catheterisation methods. Conclusions: Both indwelling and intermittent methods could be appropriate in clinical practice. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages but by not using routine indwelling catheterisation, unnecessary catheterisations might be avoided in this patient group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

udo c., danielson e. & melin-johansson c. (2013) Existential issues among nurses in surgical care - a hermeneutical study of critical incidents. Journal of Advanced Nursing 69(3), 569-577. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2012.06032.x Abstract Aims. To report a qualitative study conducted to gain a deeper understanding of surgical nurses' experiences of existential care situations. Background. Existential issues are common for all humans irrespective of culture or religion and constitute man's ultimate concerns of life. Nurses often lack the strategies to deal with patients' existential issues even if they are aware of them. Design. This is a qualitative study where critical incidents were collected and analysed hermeneutically. Methods. During June 2010, ten surgical nurses presented 41 critical incidents, which were collected for the study. The nurses were first asked to describe existential care incidents in writing, including their own emotions, thoughts, and reactions. After 1-2 weeks, individual interviews were conducted with the same nurses, in which they reflected on their written incidents. A hermeneutic analysis was used. Findings. The majority of incidents concerned nurses' experiences of caring for patients' dying of cancer. In the analysis, three themes were identified, emphasizing the impact of integration between nurses' personal self and professional role in existential care situations: inner dialogues for meaningful caring, searching for the right path in caring, and barriers in accompanying patients beyond medical care. Conclusion. Findings are interpreted and discussed in the framework of Buber's philosophy of the relationships I-Thou and I-It, emphasizing nurses' different relationships with patients during the process of caring. Some nurses integrate their personal self into caring whereas others do not. The most important finding and new knowledge are that some nurses felt insecure and were caught somewhere in between I-Thou and I-It. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scand J Caring Sci; 2013; 27; 123-130 The unexpected force of acute stroke leading to patients' sudden death as described by nurses Stroke occurs suddenly and unexpectedly and its consequences can mean the difference between life and death. Research into stroke is extensive but largely focused on patients who survive. The aim of the study was to describe how nurses experience the patient's death and dying, when patients are afflicted by acute stroke and whose lives cannot be saved. The study had a descriptive design with a hermeneutical approach. Interviews were carried out with ten nurses in stroke units at three hospitals. Data were interpreted using hermeneutic textual interpretation based on Gadamer's philosophy. The study shows that sudden death, when unexpected forces intervene in the lives of patients afflicted by acute stroke, was described by the main theme sudden death - the unexpected force and the following three sub-themes: death comes unexpectedly and without warning to the patient; the relatives are at the mercy of the unexpected and the nurses find themselves in demanding situations. The new understanding emphasizes that the unexpected and demanding situations the nurses are put in can be understood as ethical dilemmas and value conflicts because they are not free to give their time to preserving the dying patient's dignity and are not able to give the good care they wish to. A more flexible organization could support the nurses in making use of the creative forces in the unexpected event which an acute stroke that leads to death constitutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To describe how registered nurses perform, document and reflect on pressure ulcer prevention in a specific nurse-patient care situation, as well as generally, on hospital wards. Background. Registered nurses should provide safe and qualified pressure ulcer prevention, but pressure ulcers remain a problem. Compliance with evidence-based guidelines impedes pressure ulcer formation. Design. A descriptive design with a multimethods approach. Method. Nine registered nurses at three wards and hospitals participated. The registered nurses were observed in a specific nurse-patient care situation with patients at risk for pressure ulcers. Interviews followed and patients' records were reviewed. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods were used. Results. Pressure ulcer prevention performed by the registered nurses was dependent on the cultural care, which ranged from planned to unplanned prevention. Diversity was found in compliance with evidence-based guidelines across the wards. Although all patients involved were at risk and the nurses described pressure ulcer prevention as basic care, the nurses' attention to prevention was lacking. Few prevention activities and no structured risk assessments using risk assessment tools were observed, and few care plans were identified. The lack of attention was explained by registered nurses' trust in assistant nurses' knowledge, and prevention was seen as an assistant nurse task. Conclusion. Registered nurses paid little attention to pressure ulcer prevention among patients at risk. The planned and unplanned care structures affected the prevention. The nurses trusted and largely delegated their responsibility to the assistant nurses. Relevance to clinical practice. Evidence-based pressure ulcer prevention is fundamental to patient safety. Care quality is created in situations where patients and care providers meet. How registered nurses work with pressure ulcer prevention, their role and communication, particularly with assistant nurses, should be of major concern to them as well as to healthcare managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]