Aim: To explore frail older adults' preferences and needs regarding mobile health (mHealth) exercise interventions in China. Additionally, it sought to identify the nudge strategies necessary for initiating and sustaining exercise behaviours among frail older adults.
Design: A qualitative study.
Method: The semi-structured interviews were conducted between April and May 2024 from two communities in Changsha, China. The data were analysed using a deductive framework analysis aligned to nudge theory, and an inductive thematic analysis to gather relevant needs and preferences.
Results: This study involved 14 participants with pre-frailty or frailty, aged 60-82 years (median age of 64 years). While participants were generally receptive to new technologies, lower levels of health literacy and competing priorities often hindered their participation. Three primary functionality requirements were as follows. (1) Profession engagement: tailored exercise prescription, professional and timely feedback and guidance; (2) personalised knowledge encompassing pain management, successful cases and inspiration; (3) beneficial, tailored, dynamic, fragmented, challenging exercise courses. Participants showed positive attitudes towards simplification nudges, gamification nudges, social nudges, trustworthy nudges, reminder nudges, economic nudges, feedback nudges and pre-commitment nudges. Addressing privacy concerns was essential to build trust and acceptance among older adults.
Conclusion: These findings emphasised the importance of designing mHealth interventions that address frail older adults' specific needs and preferences while incorporating effective nudge strategies to promote engagement and adherence. Future researchers should explore wearables, ChatGPT language models, virtual coaching assistants, exercise snack to further optimise the experience and analyse the effects of nudges in mHealth exercise interventions among older adults.
Implication for the profession and/or patient care: Exercise systems or app development for frail older adults should meet three basic functionality and essential nudge strategies.
Reporting method: The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) guidelines were used for reporting.
Patient or public contribution: Older adults' engagement and interview data contribute a lot.
Moral sensitivity, missed nursing care and moral distress among healthcare professionals have received considerable attention in recent years. These factors represent important healthcare challenges for new nurses (graduation to 2 years of work experience). However, studies on the relationships among these variables in the context of new nurses in China remain lacking.
Aims: To explore the relationships among moral sensitivity, missed nursing care and moral distress in the context of new nurses in China.
Research design: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted.
Participants and research context: A total of 228 new nurses were recruited from three tertiary hospitals in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China. Participants provided their sociodemographic and professional information and completed the Chinese Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire-Revised Version, the Chinese Missed Nursing Care Survey Version and the Chinese Moral Distress Scale-Revised Version. The data were analysed using Spearman's correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis.
Results: The means and standard errors of moral sensitivity, missed nursing care and moral distress were 40.71 (0.39), 9.82 (0.78) and 34.87 (2.41), respectively. The variable of missed nursing care exhibited a significant negative relationship with moral sensitivity and a significant positive relationship with moral distress. Regression analysis revealed that the main factors influencing new nurses' moral distress were educational background, nature of job, current unit, frequency of night shifts and the dimensions of moral strength and responsibility. These factors can explain 14.9% of the total variation.
Conclusion: The findings revealed that higher rates of missed nursing care were associated with lower moral sensitivity and greater moral distress among new nurses. Therefore, developing interventions to reduce missed nursing care may be a promising strategy for improving moral sensitivity and preventing moral distress among new nurses.
Implications for the profession and/or patient care: In hospitals, moral distress can be improved by focusing on modifiable factors such as staffing resources, leading to better promoting new nurses' health and improving the quality of care. This study can highlight practices accounting for moral sensitivity and missed nursing care in nursing research and training programmes.
Reporting method: Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) statement.
Patient or public contribution: No patient or public contribution.
Aim: To explore registered nurses' beliefs regarding pain assessment in people living with dementia.
Design: A descriptive exploratory qualitative study informed by the Theory of Planned Behaviour.
Methods: Online semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted from January to April 2023 with a purposive sample of 15 registered nurses caring for people with dementia. Following transcription, data were analysed using direct content analysis.
Findings: Registered nurses believe pain assessment improves the well-being of people with dementia and informs and evaluates practice. However, there is a possibility of misdiagnosing pain as agitation or behavioural problems, leading to inaccurate pain management. Interpersonal factors, such as registered nurses' knowledge and experience, beliefs and motivation to improve care provision, were the primary facilitators of pain assessment. Physical and behavioural dimensions of the pain of the dementia syndrome were the most reported barriers to pain assessment. Registered nurses reported that multidisciplinary team members expect them to do pain assessments. Most did not experience disapproval when performing pain assessments.
Conclusion: Registered nurses hold beliefs about pain assessment benefits, consequences, enablers, barriers, approvals and disapprovals regarding dementia. The findings could inform interventions to enhance pain assessment practices.
Implications for the profession and/or patient care: Policymakers should provide education opportunities for registered nurses to improve their knowledge, skills and beliefs about pain assessment in dementia. Future research should develop and implement multidisciplinary, multifaceted pain assessment protocols to enhance the accuracy of pain assessment practices.
Impact: Pain is underassessed in dementia, and this could stem from registered nurses' beliefs about pain assessment in dementia. The findings could inform interventions to enhance pain assessment beliefs and practices.
Reporting method: This study adhered to the COREQ criteria.
Patient or public contribution: Registered nurses caring for people living with dementia participated as interview respondents.
Aim and objectives: To provide an in-depth insight into the barriers, facilitators and needs of district nurses and nurse assistants on using patient outcomes in district nursing care.
Background: As healthcare demands grow, particularly in district nursing, there is a significant need to understand how to systematically measure and improve patient outcomes in this setting. Further investigation is needed to identify the barriers and facilitators for effective implementation.
Design: A multi-method qualitative study.
Methods: Open-ended questions of a survey study (N = 132) were supplemented with in-depth online focus group interviews involving district nurses and nurse assistants (N = 26) in the Netherlands. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Results: Different barriers, facilitators and needs were identified and compiled into 16 preconditions for using outcomes in district nursing care. These preconditions were summarised into six overarching themes: follow the steps of a learning healthcare system; provide patient-centred care; promote the professional's autonomy, attitude, knowledge and skills; enhance shared responsibility and collaborations within and outside organisational boundaries; prioritise and invest in the use of outcomes; and boost the unity and appreciation for district nursing care.
Conclusions: The preconditions identified in this study are crucial for nurses, care providers, policymakers and payers in implementing the use of patient outcomes in district nursing practice. Further exploration of appropriate strategies is necessary for a successful implementation.
Relevance to clinical practice: This study represents a significant step towards implementing the use of patient outcomes in district nursing care. While most research has focused on hospitals and general practitioner settings, this study focuses on the needs for district nursing care. By identifying 16 key preconditions across themes such as patient-centred care, professional autonomy and unity, the findings offer valuable guidance for integrating a learning healthcare system that prioritises the measurement and continuous improvement of patient outcomes in district nursing.
Reporting method: Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines.
Patient of public contribution: No patient or public contribution.