Contemporary Nursing Practice Research Articles

Exploring Research Trends on Digital Health in Nursing Science in Korea: A Topic Modeling Approach.

Digital health technology is utilized in contemporary nursing practice and education. This review explored the scope of digital health applications and major trends in nursing research involving digital health in Korea using topic modeling. Our analysis of data using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation model identified four distinct research topics: nursing education using digital technologies (35.17%), hospital-based nursing practice using digital technologies (19.88%), digital technologies for health education (25.75%), and development of digital technologies to support self-management of chronic conditions (19.20%). Our findings reveal trends, current issues, and gaps in digital health nursing research.

Teaching Sensitive Subjects Online: Lessons Learnt From the Pandemic and the Implications for Contemporary Nurse Education

BackgroundCovid 19 and the associated restrictions necessitated for an abrupt change to the way education was provided to nursing students . AimsThis study aims to explore the views/opinions of third year children's nursing students and nurse educators of an online learning approach regarding children's palliative care during a global pandemic. MethodsData were collected via an online questionnaire with nursing students and a reflective diary with nurse educators. FindingsCovid-19 and the associated restrictions had a significant impact on students and academics learning and teaching experiences. This small scale study gave insights into practices when teaching sensitive subjects to students on line. Whilst more blended teaching is likely to be used in the future, we highlight the range of support that can be offered to students which has implications for contemporary nursing practice. ConclusionWhilst students and academics prefer face-to-face delivery for sensitive topics such as children's palliative care, achieving a true ‘blend’ through asynchronous and synchronous learning can enable a quality learning experience. Consideration needs to be given to provision of emotional and practical support for students and academics.

Public perceptions of the brand image of nursing: Cross-cultural differences between the United States and China

BackgroundMeasures of public opinion regarding nursing’s brand image are needed to identify and correct perceptions that are incongruent with the breadth and scope of contemporary nursing practice. Misperceptions of nursing’s influence may serve to minimize or disregard nursing’s unique contributions to addressing the Social Determinants of Health which are foundational for improving the health of global populations. PurposeTo compare public perceptions of the brand image of nursing between China and the US and determine whether sociodemographic variables influenced factors between the two countries. MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was distributed among members of the Chinese and US public. Perceptions of nursing’s brand image were assessed through the original Nursing Brand Image Scale-Public Version in the US (NBIS-P©) and when translated to Chinese (NBIS-P-C©). Descriptive statistics and multi-group confirmatory factor analyses were used to compare perceptions of the brand image of nursing and to examine the influence of demographics. FindingsThe reliability of the Chinese version of the NBIS-P-C© was confirmed by this study. Age and gender did not influence public perceptions of nursing’s brand image in either China or the US. Instead, educational attainment was the significant demographic variable and positively correlated with the public’s perceptions of nursing in both countries (p<.05). Public respondents with lower educational attainment scored both the traditional nursing factor “Caregiver Virtues/Attributes” (eg. Trusted, Caring, Nurturing/Mothering) and the factor “Lack Authority/Identity” (eg. White Cap/Uniform, Subservient, Female) higher, while scoring the factor for “Leadership” (eg. Decision Makers, Influential, Leaders) significantly lower than those with higher educational levels. ImplicationsA disparity exists between nursing’s contemporary contributions to healthcare and the public’s limited understanding of the diverse leadership roles all nurses provide, across a variety of settings, and in global public health initiatives. The virtuous traits of the nurse are perceived most directly and immediately by the public while their roles as autonomous decision makers and leaders are less (or not at all) visible. Enhancing the accuracy and visibility of a strong brand image could advance public perceptions of nurses as experts and leaders in nursing science, thus paving the way for nurses to more effectively direct and influence the health of the public, particularly those with lower educational attainment who represent some of the most vulnerable populations. Targeted interventions that incorporate the educational level of the public offer a foundational opportunity for the nursing profession to correct inaccurate and outdated stereotypes that prevent nurses from achieving their desired brand image as influential leaders. Such campaigns could also be used to inform policy, guide strategic planning, and transform the future direction of the nursing profession.

Confinement of People with Mental Disorders from the Perspective of Spiritual Leaders of Banggai Culture, Indonesia: An Ethnosemantic Approach

The practice of confinement of people with mental disorders not only infringes upon individuals’ fundamental rights but also contravenes established health legislation, including in Indonesia, the setting for this study. In this country, confinement may be practiced by isolation or seclusion in a room or a small hut built in the family’s garden or rice field, some ten-minute walk from the house to the hut. Leg restraints or shackles may also be used. This study delved into the significance of confining individuals with mental disorders by analyzing the linguistic expressions of spiritual leaders from the Banggai culture in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Engaging with cultural and spiritual leaders within a community is imperative to gain insights into the underlying perspectives that influence family decisionmaking processes. This exploration involved a detailed examination of the linguistic expressions these leaders conducted within the cultural context of the Banggai community from March to June 2023. This study employed an ethnosemantic approach and in-depth interviews according to the framework outlined in Spradley’s Developmental Research Sequence model. The participants were 13 cultural and spiritual leaders in the Banggai region, commonly referred to as Talapu. They were chosen using snowball sampling techniques.The data-gathering process was facilitated through in-depth interviews structured to incorporate descriptive queries, structured inquiries, and contrasting questions. The data processing involved the analysis of interview transcripts utilizing domain analysis, taxonomic analysis, and component analysis techniques. This analytical approach yielded 11 domains, six taxonomies, and six paradigms, contributing to identifying three distinct cultural themes. These themes were utilizing spiritual rituals as an intervention for the treatment of individuals with mental disorders, the multifaceted roles played by Talapu in managing individuals with mental disorders, and the association between Talapu and the practice of confining individuals with mental disorders. The use of physical restraint and confinement by the Talapu in treating individuals with mental disorders raises ethical concerns, particularly regarding autonomy, non-maleficence, and adherence to international human rights standards in contemporary nursing practice. Nurses in Indonesia should engage in collaborative education with the Talapu, emphasizing the careful and strategic implementation of Indonesia’s health legislation to prohibit human rights infringements, ensuring effective treatment and psychosocial support for individuals with mental disorders, and promoting their seamless integration into family and society.

Dear Diary — Shining a light on the work of 200 nurses

BackgroundTo celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the World Health Assembly designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. AimTo celebrate this event, we aimed to collect and analyse 200 nurses’ personal accounts of a time when they made a meaningful difference to patient care and to compare the contemporary perspectives that emerged with those evident in Nightingale’s historical writings. MethodsThis project employed a narrative inquiry design with diary entries collected from nurses employed at one metropolitan hospital in Australia thematically analysed. FindingsIn total, 209 nurses from 46 clinical units representing a diverse range of roles and clinical specialties contributed to the project. Five overarching themes emerged from analysis: (1) compassionate practice; (2) person-centred care; (3) human connection; (4) patient safety; and (5) teamwork and collaborative practice. Discussion and conclusionThis project provided nurses with an opportunity to meaningfully reflect on their practice and to consider what matters most to them as they deliver care to patients and families. By mapping contemporary nursing practice to Nightingale’s writings, the findings highlight the historical legacy of nursing practice, provide a rich commentary on modern-day nursing, and illuminate nurses’ experiences of providing safe, high-quality, and compassionate patient care.

Nurses and patients, a key interaction for efficient care from a human perspective

The humanization of care is undoubtedly a fundamental element in contemporary nursing practice. Nursing professionals must use clear and understandable language that facilitates patients' comprehension of their health status, medical procedures, and care instructions. Understanding how humanized care is implemented in health institutions in Ecuador allows for the improvement of the quality of life for both patients and healthcare personnel. The objective of this study is to diagnose the Gynecology service at San Vicente De Paul Hospital in Ibarra, Ecuador, considering the category of humanized care. The research was qualitative, utilizing interviews as the technique. The study population consisted of 48 nurses from the Gynecology service and 10 patients from the ward who met the inclusion criteria. Difficulties were detected regarding the analyzed categories related to the humanized care proposed by Jean Watson. Training actions were proposed for nursing professionals, as they play an essential role in patient care in health centers. Their training and technical skills will improve care, humanizing it for comprehensive and coordinated attention benefiting users

Research in action-developing and evaluating a student research placement experience

BackgroundEvidence based practice is essential in the provision of high-quality contemporary nursing practice. Yet nursing students often lack an understanding of the research process because applied research experience is rarely facilitated in undergraduate nursing programmes. Students research knowledge is mostly gained via classroom based theoretical teaching; however, it is a challenging subject to teach and is often evaluated poorly by students who find the subject uninteresting and difficult to apply to their clinical practice. AimThe aim of the study was to explore the experiences of student nurses after undertaking a nurse led primary research study placement. MethodsThe study explores the students' experiences of a research placement using a phenomenological approach with the data collection method of drawings and narration which were then subject to Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis as a data analysis method. SettingsThis study was undertaken with 18 nursing students who were enrolled in a United Kingdom university, who had recently participated in a nurse-led research study exploring the use of sensors to detect atrial fibrillation in members of the public in a supermarket. ResultsThe following themes were developed by the researchers: Practice makes perfect, Enhancing communication, Research attitude, Making a difference, Increased confidence, Enhanced skills, Researcher collaborations, The views of others. ConclusionsStudents valued the research placement; the experience provided insight into the conduct of research in primary health and allowed students to learn about research in an experiential way which proved to be more effective than usual classroom methods. Students' communication skills were enhanced, through interacting with the public in a different way, who were keen to engage with them because of their student status.

Healers and midwives accused of witchcraft (1563–1736) - What secondary analysis of the Scottish survey of witchcraft can contribute to the teaching of nursing and midwifery history

BackgroundNearly 4000 people were accused of witchcraft in Scotland between 1563 and 1736. Some of these were healers, midwives, and nurses. ObjectiveTo investigate Scotland's folk-healers and midwives accused of witchcraft and review their work from a nursing and midwifery perspective. DesignSecondary analysis of the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft. MethodsThose on the Survey with witchcraft accusations relating to folk-healing or midwifery were identified and their biographies were created from Survey data (2021). Individual biographical data were descriptively analysed. Healing/midwifery practice information was tabulated and thematically analysed. Results142 individuals were identified (85 % women), 51 % were found guilty, 90 % were executed. Most (98 %) were folk-healers with 10 accused for midwifery reasons. Mainly their work was accused of causing harm. Three themes emerged: their use of rituals; unorthodox religious practices and treatments. Rituals included actions carried out a certain number of times. Religious practices frequently referenced Catholicism. Many of their treatments for ingestion, application or bathing used items still recognised for their health properties. Approximately, 10 % of the 142, mainly in the 1500s/early 1600s, utilised expensive items and complex treatments which had more in common with ‘elite’ knowledge rather than simple folklore. ConclusionsAcross all 142 people, many aspects of their work are identifiable within more contemporary nursing and midwifery practice including their use of rituals, treatments, and holism. Mostly the accused were folk-practitioners, but a few (1500s/early 1600s) appear to have been healers working akin to physicians. Following the Protestant reformation (1560) their work, unlike that of physicians, was marginalised, considered unorthodox and harmful because they were women and/or their work reflected Catholicism. European hospital nursing originates in the monastic houses, but little is known about these early religious nurses. This study is novel in suggesting that whoever taught these accused witch/healers may have been connected to the monastic hospitals pre-Reformation.

A framework for transforming the professional identity and brand image of All Nurses as Leaders

BackgroundThe professional identity and brand image of nurses as leaders have not kept pace with the roles and scope of contemporary nursing practice. PurposeTo provide a framework to transform the professional identity and brand image of nursing from a caring discipline to one of leaders. MethodsA Consensus Development Workgroup (CDW) design was used between the International Society for Professional Identity in Nursing (ISPIN) and the Institute for Brand Image of Nursing (IBIN) to advance the concept of All Nurses as Leaders across all settings and the public domain. DiscussionThe goal is to occupy a position in the minds of all stakeholders that differentiates nursing in a manner that is positive, relevant, accurate, desirable, and consistent over time. ConclusionCurrent outcomes are endorsements, evidence-based strategies, and a framework to deconstruct the current brand image and align it with the desired brand image of All Nurses as Leaders.

The nurses' touch: An irreplaceable component of caring.

Touch is an integral part of human interaction. Health care makes significant use of touch, and for most healthcare professionals, it is indispensable to their practice. An essential and inevitable facet of the nursing profession is the touching of patients during the provision of care. Unfortunately, touch is seldom considered in the nursing framework today. To emphasize the importance of touch in contemporary nursing practice in a highly technological environment. A search was conducted on February-May 2022. The initial search identified 84 articles and the final analysis included 38 articles that met the inclusion criteria (touch; touch in health care; touch and nursing; touch and technology; nursing and technology; nursing and caring; touch and caring). The nurses' touch will always be an irreplaceable component of caring in nursing. There can be no substitute to the expressive touch of a nurse. As the technological revolution in nursing is inevitable, it is imperative that nurses consider how much these technologies impact the nurse-patient relationships. The study emphasized the importance of touch in contemporary nursing practice. The study found that the nurses' touch will always be an irreplaceable component of caring in nursing. The finding will have an impact on nurses and patients situated in highly technological healthcare environments.

Telehealth and Transformation of Nursing Care in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review.

Introduction Technological advancements have transformed nursing care, quality, and education across the globe. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the inventions and adoption of mobile technologies such as an e-health application (app) called SEHA continue to revolutionize the healthcare system in the country. Purpose The present systematic review is aimed at examining the technological impact on nursing in Saudi Arabia. The study provides a comprehensive analysis of telehealth and its role in nursing quality, nursing practice, and education. Methods The present study adopted a literature review methodology by deriving data from journal articles from different databases, for example, Web Science, Google Scholar, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PubMed databases. Inclusive years for the search ranged from 2016 to 2022. A total of eight articles were found dovetailing to meet the research objectives and answer research questions. Result After appraising and analyzing the research, the present review found that (Abolfotouh et al., 2019) telehealth in nursing is loosely researched; (Ahmed et al., 2021) telehealth impacts nursing practice and quality by fostering nurse-patient communication promoting positive outcomes, seamless nursing care, and positive experiences; and (Albahri et al., 2021) telehealth and telemedicine is a central tenet of contemporary nursing education and practice. Conclusion From these findings, this analysis informed three key recommendations: the need to integrate telehealth into the nursing curriculum, telehealth training, and reskilling among healthcare workers (HCWs) in KSA and further primary studies focusing predominantly on telenursing. Overall, telehealth remains a fundamental transformation of nursing practice that forms a central ideology in the contemporary nursing process.

Testing Content Validity of Nursing Stress Scales: Do They Reflect Current Practice?

Nurses are subject to considerable stress, arising from the physical, psychological, and social aspects of their work. Widely used nursing occupational stress measures were developed decades ago and may not adequately capture contemporary sources of stress. The study purpose was to evaluate the content validity of items from existing measures and newly developed items to identify a nursing stress scale that can be used to measure occupational stress in current practice. A three-phase approach for development and evaluation of occupational stress items was conducted. Phase 1: item generation; Phase 2: ( N = 11) content expert evaluation of content validity of occupational stress items; Phase 3: subsample ( n = 4) of experts reviewing select items. The total item pool was reduced from 73 to 66 items. Expert reviews indicated acceptable content validity of the Revised Nursing Stress Scale. The Revised Nursing Stress Scale is an updated measure of occupational stress in contemporary nursing practice.

Physical assessment competencies for nurses: A quality improvement initiative.

As the only healthcare providers caring for hospitalized patients every hour of every day, nurses have a responsibility to keep patients safe. Physical assessment is a basic but essential nursing skill that fosters patient safety. Assessing a patient's current status enables nurses to recognize early patient deterioration. Contemporary nursing practice relies on vital signs and technology to aid in the detection of patient deterioration. The aim is to describe the Methodist Proficient Assessment Competency (MPAC©) quality improvement initiative. Surveys and directly observed patient assessment data were used to evaluate attitudes and practices. One hundred and seventy‐nine pre‐MPAC audits were conducted, followed by 1391 post‐MPAC audits. Pre‐ compared with post‐MPAC audits showed significant improvements in complete physical assessments (78% vs. 94%; p < .001), timeliness (within 4 h; 64% vs. 91%; p < .001) and accuracy (67% vs. 95%; p < .001) of documentation. In conclusion, nurses have a responsibility to quickly identify changes in a patient's condition and intervene to prevent serious adverse events. Taking the needed time to perform a full physical assessment at the beginning of the shift along with timely and accurate documentation, allows nurses to acquire the knowledge they need to establish a patient's current clinical status and usual behaviors, thereby facilitating early recognition of subtle changes that could indicate deterioration.

The development and professionalization of nursing in Vietnam.

This article provides a snapshot of the development of nursing education and practice in Vietnam and the impact of historical and socioeconomic factors of the last few decades. The Vietnamese government has played an instrumental role in shaping the professionalization of nursing while also presenting challenges to the evolving profession with its sometimes-conflicting policies/strategies. To tackle these challenges, the increased involvement of nursing experts who have in-depth understanding of contemporary nursing practice is warranted.

Divinity in nursing: The complexities of adopting a spiritual basis for care.

In this paper, the historical alignment of nursing with divinity-based perspectives and modern New Age nursing theories are explored. The nature of divinity in nursing is examined, together with the complexities and issues that arise in adopting a spiritual basis for care. The work of the key theorists in this area (Rogers, Newman, Parse, Watson, Dossey) is reconsidered and fundamental epistemological problems inherent in this approach reviewed. Specific concerns with the interpretation of holistic care, adoption of doxastic logic, faith-based rationales, influence of Caucasian Judeo-Christian and New Age values, misappropriation of science, use of pseudoscience and development of divinity as social consumer product are discussed. Practical problems with using a spiritual basis in contemporary nursing practice are also explored and the alignment of divinity-based nursing theories with the modern antiscience movement is examined. Overall, the re-emergence of divinity-based nursing and spiritual basis for care may be problematic, and would seem to counter the development of an inclusive profession. Additionally, the alignment of nursing with antiscience movements rejecting biomedicine has significant public health implications. This is argued as a regressive step for the advancement of the profession.

Into the Grey Zone: Retired Nurses’ Reflections on Ethics in Canadian Nursing Practice

Context: Nurses are often hesitant to talk about ethical issues in their practice for many unique and valid reasons. What if the burden of risk was lifted upon retirement, even if just slightly? The purpose of this study was to explore retired nurses’ reflections on their experiences of ethical issues and decision making in various nursing practice settings throughout their careers and to glean recommendations for ethics in contemporary nursing practice. Methods: Data were collected via in-depth, individual, semi-structured interviews. Guided by an interpretive, descriptive approach, data were managed with NVivo v.11 and analyzed with an inductive, comparative, thematic approach. In northern Ontario, two nurse researchers co-interviewed eight retired nurses with decades of practice experience across diverse Canadian health care settings. Ethics approval was obtained through Lakehead University’s Research Ethics Board. Findings: Three themes emerged to address ethical issues in practice; these are creativity, resourcefulness, and a strong sense of community with other nurses. Further, the retired nurses’ collated reflections on ethics in practice are presented as the FIG model: Fellowship, Ingenuity, and Gumption. Conclusions: This study identifies ethical underpinnings that retired nurses have used to effectively respond to ethical issues in their practice. Those who are currently nursing, and nursing as a profession, may wish to recognize and retain these strategies in order to continue to deliver a high standard of quality, ethical care. Recommendations for practice, research, and education are offered.

Concept-Based Learning for Capstone Clinical Experiences in Hospital and Community Settings.

Capstone clinical experiences provide opportunities for students to develop increasing competence and independence in nursing practice, as well as to focus on care that is fundamental to contemporary nursing practice. Increasingly in the United States, nursing practice is expanding to community settings, with enhanced focus on population health, whereas promoting safe practice within acute care settings remains an imperative. Student learning needs vary by the clinical setting as does delivery of clinical experiences and associated programmatic challenges. Yet, safe and effective practice is required in all environments. This article describes 2 concept-based approaches to promote deep understanding of key aspects of nursing care developed to manage specific challenges in hospital and community settings. Outcomes/Conclusions: Concept-based learning activities, used to promote deeper clinical thinking and integration of theory with practice, support students to develop increased competence in care of specific patient populations in both environments.

Florence Nightingale's Environmental Theory and its influence on contemporary infection control

BackgroundThe work of Florence Nightingale has laid the foundation for contemporary nursing practice, bringing the fundamental art and science of nursing into the 21st century. Her Environmental Theory was the beginning of a lifetime's work, being one of her many healthcare reforms which survive to this day as the practice of infection control. AimTo discuss the development of Nightingale's Environmental Theory in the 19th century and its application in contemporary 21st century nursing practice. MethodsA search of Nightingale's publications, biographers and theorists, selected journal articles and databases to build a picture of the origins, significance and practice of contemporary infection control. FindingsNightingale's Environmental Theory has changed the face of infection control exponentially. Today's guidelines are an integral part of nursing practice, to the extent that they continue to evolve, particularly as the coronavirus pandemic remains active around the world. DiscussionInvestigation of Nightingale's experiences in the Crimean War, of the disease, infection, death and dying that she encountered there and the subsequent development of her Environmental Theory and its application in 21st century nursing practice. ConclusionContemporary infection control is now an integral part of nursing and nursing practice the world over. It is an essential part of creating safe environments that help to promote good healing, good health and wellbeing and good patient outcomes, along with the opportunity for continued development to keep in step with changing patient and global need.

Using Mobile Technology in Continuing Nursing Education

Background : The development of technology after the industrial revolution, digital technology has brought changes in many aspects of life. Nurses as professionals who must always maintain and enhance their knowledge and skills are expected to be able to take advantage of the development of digital technology for the development of professionalism. This article presents a literature review that will explore the use of digital technology in Continuing Nursing Education. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to find out whether Continuing Professional Education can use digital technology. Method s : This type of research uses the PICO research tool (population, intervention, comparison, outcome) which is part of the literature review. The question used is whether the use of mobile technology by nurses can be applied in Continuing Professional Education activities. Results : Research with this literature review shows that the use of digital technology in Continuing Nursing Education is a transformation of the professional learning model that is very possible in professional nursing practice. Conclusion : The use of digital technology in contemporary nursing practice for the purpose of learning and teaching and expanding knowledge is made possible through the transformation of digital knowledge in real time at work. There needs to be readiness from individual nurses, systems, and organizations to be able to optimize the use of digital technology in Continuing Nursing Education.

Perception of Nursing Student about Integrating Standardized Nursing Language into the Nursing Curriculum at Two Nigerian Universities

Standardised nursing language is needed in contemporary nursing practice and education to plan, deliver and communicate the contribution of professional nursing practice to other nurses, health care providers, and health consumers. This study assessed the perception of the nursing students about integrating standardised nursing language (SNL) into the nursing curriculum; nursing students’ awareness of the SNL, differences between the institution of the participants and their perception; as well as differences between the institution of the participants and their level of awareness about SNL. A cross-sectional research design was adopted. The participants were recruited by using the convenience sampling technique. Data were collected via self-structured questionnaires whose validity and reliability had been previously ascertained. The data collected were analysed, using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 20.0. Results showed that the majority of the nursing students that participated in the study were female (86.7%). Also, the majority (74.2%) were aware of SNL. While 58% had a very good perception that SNL is important and should be offered as part of their course system in the institution, only 60.6%, 13.3%, and 11.0% believed it should be offered at undergraduate, postgraduate, and other courses respectively. Further, there was no significant difference in the respondents’ institution and their perception while the respondents and their level of awareness were statistically significant, respectively.