Assistive telecare systems (ATSs) have great potential to be beneficial for informal carers (ICs) providing long‐term care to older people (OP). However, little is known about ATS acceptance among ...ICs. This scoping study aims to investigate various factors that influence the ICs' acceptance of ATSs over time in the pre‐ and post‐implementation phases. A five‐stage scoping study was conducted. A systematic search of five bibliographic databases (Science Direct, Scopus, CINAHL, PubMED and Proquest Social Sciences Database) was conducted in September 2020, supplemented by a round of grey literature searches. Using the established selection criteria, 37 publications published between 2000 and September 2020 were included. The data were analysed with Atlas.ti 8 using content‐based analysis and a combination of deductive and inductive approaches. The results show that work on understanding acceptance of ATS only gained wider attention after 2010. Seven key factors of ATS acceptance were identified: benefits and concerns about ATS, care situation, the influence of the OP, carer characteristics, perceived need to use and social influence. Several subfactors were also found. The post‐intervention acceptance factors were found to be more nuanced than the pre‐implementation factors, indicating that first‐hand experience with ATSs enabled study participants to provide a more tangible, extensive and in‐depth overview of the various ATS acceptance factors. This scoping review is useful for ATS developers, providers, health and social care scholars and practitioners, policy makers and commissioners, all of whom seek to improve and facilitate the provision of long‐term care in the community.
Aim
To establish the connection between values, competencies, selected job characteristics and evidence‐based practice use.
Background
Nurses rarely apply evidence‐based practice in everyday work. A ...recent body of research has looked at various variables explaining the use of evidence‐based practice, but not values and competencies.
Design
A cross‐sectional, non‐experimental quantitative explorative research design.
Methods
Standardized instruments were used (Nurse Professional Values Scale‐R, Nurse Competence Scale, Evidence‐Based Practice Beliefs and Implementation Scale). The sample included 780 nurses from 20 Slovenian hospitals. The data were collected in 2015.
Results
The study identifies two new variables contributing to a better understanding of beliefs on and implementation of evidence‐based practice, thus broadening the existing research evidence. These are the values of activism and professionalism and competencies aimed at the development and professionalization of nursing. Values of caring, trust and justice and competencies expected in everyday practice do not influence the beliefs and implementation of evidence‐based practice. Respondents ascribed less importance to values connected with activism and professionalism and competencies connected with the development of professionalism. Nurses agree that evidence‐based practice is useful in their clinical work, but they lack the knowledge to implement it in practice. Evidence‐based practice implementation in nursing practice is low.
Conclusions
Study results stress the importance of increasing the knowledge and skills on professional values of activism and professionalism and competencies connected to nursing development. The study expands the current understanding of evidence‐based practice use and provides invaluable insight for nursing managers, higher education managers and the national nursing association.
Accidental falls and physical inactivity are important age-related issues for which smart technologies have demonstrated potential utility. This research aimed to explore the benefits of combining ...wearable activity monitors and telecare for older adults. A four-month interventional study was conducted between June 2021 and February 2022 in Slovenia. A purposive sample of 22 dyads of older adults aged 60 years and over and their relatives or family members used a wearable GoLiveClip device. The Pillar Integration Process was used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data. Seven pillars emerged: (1) the use of smart technologies as a motivator for physical activity; (2) factors related to smart technology use affecting physical activity levels; (3) increased usefulness of smart technologies for users who completed the study; (4) activity monitoring as the most useful functionality of the solution; (5) the influence of technical problems on usefulness; (6) the influence of age and previous experience with smart technologies on usefulness; and (7) moderate psychological effects of smart technology use. Activity trackers were found to effectively promote physical activity in older adults, and safety features were shown to be an important part of the solution, regardless of health status or physical activity level.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created and exacerbated emotional, financial, and technical challenges for informal caregivers of older people. The aim of this study was to explore the caregiving situation ...and subjective burden of informal caregivers of older family members during COVID-19, and to investigate how a caregiving situation's characteristics predict the subjective burden of care in times of COVID-19. The study was conducted in April and May 2021 via an online access panel. The sample (n = 612) was determined using a screening test that enabled us to focus on a Slovenian population of informal caregivers aged 40+ caring for a person aged 65+ for at least four hours/week on average. Our findings reveal that the subjective burden of care was high among informal caregivers during COVID-19. Multiple regression analysis showed that the provision of activities of daily living, care duration, average hours of care per week, formal care status, and recipients' health problems related to dementia or other memory problems significantly predicted the subjective burden of caregivers. These findings call for better recognition of the role of informal caregivers. The time and effort devoted to informal care should be supported by legislation and social security.
Uvod: Nagel tehnološki razvoj v zdravstvu neposredno vpliva na zdravstveno nego in na poklic medicinske sestre in zdravstvenika. Manko znanja med medicinskimi sestrami o raznolikih novih ...tehnologijah v zdravstvu predstavlja izziv na področju zdravstvene nege in kakovostne oskrbe pacientov. Namen raziskave je bil ugotoviti, v kolikšni meri so vsebine s področja pametnih tehnologij vključene v visokošolsko izobraževanje bodočih diplomiranih medicinskih sester v Sloveniji.Metode: Zbiranje učnih načrtov prek spletnih strani osmih visokošolskih institucij in osebnega stika s fakultetami in nosilci posameznih predmetov je potekalo v januarju in februarju 2023. Analizirali smo dvajset učnih predmetov, ki so ustrezali vključitvenim kriterijem. Uporabili smo kvalitativni raziskovalni način z eksplorativno metodo, ki smo jo združevali z elementi vsebinske analize in vizualizacijske metode.Rezultati: V učnih načrtih predmetov s področja informatike in informacijsko komunikacijskih tehnologij (IKT) smo prepoznali šest vsebinskih sestavnih delov: pametne tehnologije, osnove IKT in informatike, IKT v zdravstvenem izobraževanju, IKT v zdravstvu, e-zdravje in druge vsebine s področja IKT. Pametne tehnologije so redko vključene v predmete na prvi in na drugi stopnji izobraževanja v zdravstveni negi.Diskusija in zaključek: V učnih programih slovenskih visokošolskih zavodov s področja zdravstvene nege močno primanjkuje vsebin s področja pametnih tehnologij. Glede na naglo širjenje digitalizacije v zdravstvu in pomembno vlogo medicinskih sester pri uvajanju in uporabi te vrste tehnologij v praksi bi bilo v prihodnje treba narediti korak naprej in v učne načrte visokošolskih institucij na področju zdravstvene nege ter v dodatna usposabljanja za medicinske sestre vključiti več poglobljenih vsebin s tega področja in jih tako obogatiti z naprednimi znanji in spretnostmi.
Background: Self-efficacy (SE) can be used to explain informal caregivers’ ability to cope with the challenges of caregiving. Although SE impacts informal caregivers’ subjective well-being, its ...effects have not yet been studied from the perspective of telecare use. This study aimed to explore informal caregivers’ perceptions of and associations between SE and subjective well-being when using different telecare functionalities. Methods: A four-month intervention study using a qualitative research design was conducted. In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 informal caregivers of older people who tested one of two telecare devices in their homes. Results: Five task-specific dimensions of caregiver SE were identified that were shaped by telecare use: controlling upsetting thoughts about the care recipient, managing protective vigilance, obtaining support in emergency situations, managing caregiving, work, family life, and responding in a timely manner to changes in the care recipient’s daily routine. These SE dimensions were associated with caregivers’ subjective well-being. Conclusions: Telecare use may contribute to greater caregiver SE and higher subjective well-being. Therefore, future studies should pay more attention to these potential benefits of telecare. Additional dimensions of caregiver SE should be included in existing caregiver SE scales when examining caregiver SE related to telecare use.
Internationalization of practical training in health and social care study programs is an important aspect of higher education. However, field mentors' and classroom teachers' competence in guiding ...culturally diverse students varies widely in European countries, and the majority does not have enough training in guiding foreign students.
This study aimed to examine which factors enhance the efficacy of international practical placement experiences in health and social care study programs.
A qualitative descriptive case study design was used.
The study was conducted at six higher education institutions—two in Finland and one in Croatia, Estonia, the Netherlands and Slovenia.
A convenience sample of 14 mentors, 15 teachers and 14 students with international experiences from six higher education institutions which are part of the Bologna Process was recruited.
The data were collected from six focus groups using a semi-structured questionnaire based on a literature review. Each higher education institution conducted one group interview that was tape-recorded, transcribed and analysed for themes.
Participants made several recommendations for enhancing the practical placement experience of students, teachers, and mentors. Most recommendations dealt with practical supervision of students. Three major themes noted were: ‘Attitudes towards internationalization of practical placements’, ‘Factors impacting the international placement experience’, and ‘Pedagogical methods used and structural support available for internationalization.’
The study highlights the need for strengthening the multicultural knowledge and skills of mentors and teachers. The findings provide practical guidelines for improving the international placement experience across health and social care fields.
•Mentors and teachers perceive the internationalization of practical placements as a rewarding and challenging experience.•Various factors influence the nature and outcome of the international placement experience.•Variation existed in the level of formal structure of pedagogical methods supporting multicultural placements.
The importance of evidence-based practice (EBP) and research within nursing has been acknowledged since the 1970s. Research proficiencies for nurses include the abilities to search for and evaluate ...evidence, disseminate findings and apply findings to practice within the context of caring. However, there is a lack of information on how new undergraduate nursing curriculums have impacted on student nurses' perceptions on and importance of EBP and research.
The study aimed to explore student nurses' perceptions on and importance of EBP and research.
Data were collected via focus groups in 2013 with undergraduate student nurses from the University of Greenwich, England (n=7) and the Faculty of Health Care Jesenice, Slovenia (n=3). Cross-sectional sampling included focus groups with 1st year nursing students (4, n=22), 2nd year (4, n=38) and 3rd year (2, n=10). Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
Four emergent themes regarding students' perceptions of EBP and research were ‘provided confidence, knowledge and empowerment in clinical practice’, ‘vital for improvements in patient care and safety’, students' ‘responsibility to develop nursing as a profession’ and ‘realities of research in clinical practice’.
Student nurses found EBP and research daunting and difficult to understand, although perceived EBP and research as necessary for their current and future practice. However, student nurses highlighted the lack of clinical nurses' involvement in research and therefore struggled to conceptualise how they could maintain their EBP and research skills on leaving the academic setting.
The importance of EBP and research was realised by student nurses across the two institutions. However, further development and involvement of clinical nurses with EBP and research is required to enable students to develop a clear understanding of how to take these skills forward in their future careers.
Informal carers’ telecare acceptance decisions
depend on how their care recipients perceive telecare,
yet this relationship has not been researched very much.
This article draws on qualitative data ...gathered from
informal carers to explore reciprocity in telecare perceptions
within dyads of informal carers and care receivers.
A 4-month intervention study was conducted from
2018 to 2019 in the Central Slovenia region. A purposive
sample of 22 older adults and their informal carers
tested two telecare solutions. Thematic analysis was
conducted using Atlas.ti 8, with four themes emerging:
1. the benefits of telecare use for older adults; 2. reluctance,
rejection or negative perceptions of telecare; 3.
the potential violation of older adults’ privacy; and 4.
the importance of external and internal information
for effective telecare use. This study confirms that that
telecare perception is dyadically interdependent.
Keywords: assistive technologies, informal care, ageing
in place, dyads, older adults
The World Health Organization has identified developing the knowledge and skills of healthcare professionals who are involved in dementia care as a priority. Most healthcare professionals lack the ...necessary knowledge, skills and understanding to provide high quality dementia care. While dementia education amongst most UK university health and social care programmes is inconsistent, we know little about the provision of dementia education in European universities.
To examine the provision of accredited higher education on dementia in European countries, to illustrate that it is highly variable despite universities being the major provider of education for healthcare professionals internationally.
An exploratory research design was used.
The providers of higher education undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the Czech Republic, Portugal, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
Higher Education Institutions who provide undergraduate and postgraduate education in the fields of nursing, medicine, psychology, social work, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and gerontology in six European countries.
The data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Researchers in each country conducted an internet-based search using the websites of Higher Education Institutions to identify existing accredited dementia education.
These searches revealed a lack of dementia education in undergraduate health and social care study programmes. Three of the six countries offered postgraduate study programmes on dementia. There was a significant variation amongst the countries in relation to the provision of dementia education at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels.
Dementia is a global challenge and educating and upskilling the workforce is a policy imperative. To deliver the best dementia care, investment in interprofessional evidence-based education is required if we are to respond effectively and compassionately to the needs of people living with dementia and their families. Higher Education Institutions have an important role to play in equipping health and social care professionals with the knowledge, skills and understanding to respond to this imperative.
•Provision of accredited higher education on dementia varies in the six countries.•Master's programmes on dementia in the six European countries are scarce.•There is variation in the content and duration of master's programmes on dementia.•There is a dearth of education on advanced dementia.
PDF
