Embodied reflection in practice—‘Touching the core of caring’

Ranheim A, Kärner A, Arman M, Rehnsfeldt AW, Berterö C. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2010; 16 : 241–247
Embodied reflection in practice—‘Touching the core of caring’ A study was performed with the aim of clarifying the integration of the caring act of touch with reflection on caring theory. Seven participant nurses in elderly care volunteered as ‘coresearchers’ and performed a caring act called Rhythmical Embrocation, together with reflective dialogues on caring theory. The project lasted for 6 months and at the end qualitative interviews with participants were used to evaluate the study. The findings showed an opening of awareness, embodied moments of presence and an extended ability to act creatively in caring. In this study, the movement between theory and practice was the integration of the caring act with reflection on basic caring concepts. Implications for praxis development are that implementation and reflection by teams over certain caring acts might open the door to an expanded view of one's own caring ability that in the long run will benefit the patient.     

The use of psychiatry‐focused simulation in undergraduate nursing education: A systematic search and review

Evidence on the use of simulation to teach psychiatry and mental health (including addiction) content is emerging, yet no summary of the implementation processes or associated outcomes exists. The aim of this study was to systematically search and review empirical literature on the use of psychiatry‐focused simulation in undergraduate nursing education. Objectives were to (i) assess the methodological quality of existing evidence on the use of simulation to teach mental health content to undergraduate nursing students, (ii) describe the operationalization of the simulations, and (iii) summarize the associated quantitative and qualitative outcomes. We conducted online database (MEDLINE, Embase, ERIC, CINAHL, PsycINFO from January 2004 to October 2015) and grey literature searches. Thirty‐two simulation studies were identified describing and evaluating six types of simulations (standardized patients, audio simulations, high‐fidelity simulators, virtual world, multimodal, and tabletop). Overall, 2724 participants were included in the studies. Studies reflected a limited number of intervention designs, and outcomes were evaluated with qualitative and quantitative methods incorporating a variety of tools. Results indicated that simulation was effective in reducing student anxiety and improving their knowledge, empathy, communication, and confidence. The summarized qualitative findings all supported the benefit of simulation; however, more research is needed to assess the comparative effectiveness of the types of simulations. Recommendations from the findings include the development of guidelines for educators to deliver each simulation component (briefing, active simulation, debriefing). Finally, consensus around appropriate training of facilitators is needed, as is consistent and agreed upon simulation terminology.     

Nursing clinical practice changes to improve self‐management in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Aim

To propose nursing clinical practice changes to improve the development of patient self‐management.

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is one of the main causes of chronic morbidity, loss of quality of life and high mortality rates.

Introduction

Control of the disease's progression, the preservation of autonomy in self‐care and maintenance of quality of life are extremely challenging for patients to execute in their daily living. However, there is still little evidence to support nursing clinical practice changes to improve the development of self‐management.

Methods

A participatory action research study was performed in a medicine inpatient department and the outpatient unit of a Portuguese hospital. The sample comprised 52 nurses and 99 patients. For data collection, we used interviews, participant observation and content analysis.

Results

The main elements of nursing clinical practice that were identified as a focus for improvement measures were the healthcare model, the organization of healthcare and the documentation of a support decision‐making process. The specific guidelines, the provision of material to support decision‐making and the optimization of information sharing between professionals positively influenced the change process. This change improved the development of self‐management skills related to the awareness of the need for ‘change’, hope, involvement, knowledge and abilities.

Discussion

The implemented changes have improved health‐related behaviours and clinical outcomes.

Conclusion

To support self‐management development skills, an effective nursing clinical practice change is needed. This study has demonstrated the relevance of a portfolio of techniques and tools to help patients adopt healthy behaviours.

Implications for nursing and/or health policy

The involvement and participation of nurses and patients in the conceptualization, implementation and evaluation of policy change are fundamental issues to improve the quality of nursing care and clinical outcomes.     

Associated factors of different nutrition indicators in German nursing home residents

Background

Malnutrition is one of the most important care problems in the nursing home care sector. The subject of this analysis is the investigation of associative factors for different indicators of malnutrition of residents in nursing homes in Germany.

Methods

A secondary data analysis was conducted using data from 4,478 nursing home residents. Unintended weight loss or reduced intake and BMI?≤?20 were analysed as indicators for malnutrition. The influence of age, sex, co-morbidities and care dependency were investigated in logistic regression models.

Results

Residents with a high care dependency had a higher risk of suffering weight loss/reduced intake. With regard to BMI?≤?20, residents aged >?85?years, female gender, cancer, musculoskeletal disease as well as high care dependency had a higher risk.

Conclusion

In both models, care dependency plays a major role in explaining malnutrition. Associative factors for malnutrition must be interpreted according to the indicators used to define malnutrition.     

Supporting older patients in working on rehabilitation goals: A scoping review of nursing interventions

Background

Nurses are consistently present throughout the rehabilitation of older patients but are apprehensive about performing goal-centred care in the multidisciplinary team.

Objectives

The aim of this review was to explore working interventions on setting goals and working with goals designed for nurses in geriatric rehabilitation, and to describe their distinctive features.

Methods

We performed a scoping review. We searched MEDLINE and CINAHL through August 4, 2021. Search terms related to the following themes: nurses, rehabilitation, geriatric, goal and method. We used snowballing to find additional. From the selected studies, we systematically extracted data on means, materials and the nursing role and summarized them in a narrative synthesis, using intervention component analysis.

Results

The study includes 13 articles, describing 11 interventions which were developed for six different aims: improving multidisciplinary team care; increasing patient centredness; improving disease management by patients; improving the psychological, and emotional rehabilitation; increasing the nursing involvement in rehabilitation; or helping patients to achieve goals. The interventions appeal to four aspects of the nursing profession: assessing self-care skills incorporating patient's preferences; setting goals with patients, taking into account personal needs and what is medically advisable; linking the needs of the patient with multidisciplinary professional treatment and vice versa; and thus, playing an intermediate role and supporting goal achievement.

Conclusions

The interventions show that in goal-centred care, the nurse might play an important unifying role between patients and the multidisciplinary team. With the support of nurses, the patient may become more aware of the rehabilitation process and transfer of ownership of treatment goals from the multidisciplinary team to the patient might be achieved. Not many interventions were found meant to support the nursing role. This may indicate a blind spot in the rehabilitation community to the additional value of its contribution.