The nurse-patient relationship as a story of health enhancement in community care : A meta-ethnography

Author's accepted version (post-print).This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Strandås, M. & Bondas, T. (2017). The nurse-patient relationship as a story of health enhancement in community care: a meta-ethnography. Journal of Advanced Nursing, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jan.13389. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.acceptedVersio

Suffering as a Lifelong Companion: A Phenomenological-hermeneutic Study of Men living With Severe Psychiatric Illness

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A decade of metasynthesis research in health sciences : A meta-method study

The overall aim of this study was to analyze the methods applied in previous metasynthesis research and to inform future researchers of epistemological and methodological issues based on this analysis. Meta-method analysis was applied to a decade of 45 published metasynthesis studies that pertain to nursing and allied health studies. The findings show that the metasynthesis research can be classified into three areas: (1) health, illness and suffering, (2) care and support, and (3) parenting, newborn and childcare. Meta ethnography dominates the research area. Metastudy, metasummary, qualitative metasynthesis, and grounded formal theory are emerging methods. The metasynthesis studies suffer from modifications without explications, use of secondary method references, missing sample and search data and differences in the type of findings and the meta-concepts depicting the findings. The worth of metasynthesis research is questioned when the core ideas of qualitative meta studies, theoretical and/or methodological development (‘‘synthesis’’) combined with the potential of going beyond and behind the studies (‘‘meta’’), is missing. Metasynthesis research requires knowledge in both the substance and the various qualitative methods, and systematic attendance to the method accompanied by the openness and the creativity of a qualitative approach. Conclusions and recommendations are presented as epistemological reflections and a guide for future metasynthesis research in health sciences

Balancing preterm infants' developmental needs with parent's readiness for skin-to-skin care: a phenomenological study

The aim of this article is to articulate the essence and constituents of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses’ experiences in enacting skin-to-skin care (SSC) for preterm newborns and their parents. SSC is commonly employed in high-tech NICUs, which entails a movement from maternal–infant separation. Parents’ opportunities for performing the practice have been addressed to NICU staff, with attitude and environment having crucial influence. The study was carried out with a reflective lifeworld research approach. Data were collected in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by open-dialogue interviews with a purposive sample of 18 NICU nurses to achieve the essence of and variation within the phenomenon. NICU nurses experience balancing what they consider preterm newborns’ current and developmental needs, with readiness in both parents for SSC. They share an experience of a change in the history of NICU care to increased focus on the meaning of proximity and touch for the infants’ development. The phenomenon of enacting SSC is characterized by a double focus with steady attention to signals from both parents and newborns. Thereby, a challenge emerges from the threshold of getting started as the catalyst to SSC

Through the depths and heights of darkness ; mothers as patients in psychiatric care

Author's accepted version (post-print).This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Blegen, N., Eriksson, K. & Bondas, T. (2014). Through the depths and heights of darkness; mothers as patients in psychiatric care. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 28(4), 852-860, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/scs.1212

Relationships influencing caring in first‐line nursing leadership: A visual hermeneutic study

Aim To explore and interpret relationships that influence caring in nursing leadership, in the context of Nordic municipal health care, from first-line nurse managers’ perspectives. Design and method We chose a visual hermeneutic design. A three-stage interpretation process outlined by Drew and Guillemin, based on Rose, was used to analyse drawings and the following reflective dialogue from three focus groups, with a purposive sample of 11 first-line nurse managers. The study was conducted from February to May 2018. Results The findings demonstrated that first-line nurse managers struggled to balance their vision with administrative demands. Caring for patients implied caring for staff; however, they often felt as if they were drowning in contradictory demands. First-line nurse management could be a lonely position, where the first-line nurse managers longed for belonging based on increased self-awareness of their position within an organisation. Superiors’ support enabled first-line nurse managers’ in their primary aim of caring for patients. Conclusion First-line nurse managers showed deep roots to their identities as nurses. Caring for patients included caring for staff and was their main concern, despite demanding reforms and demographic changes affecting leadership. Superiors’ support was important for FLNMs’ self-confidence and independence in leadership, so the first-line nurse managers can enact their vision of the best possible patient care. This study adds knowledge of the significance of caring in nursing leadership and the caritative leadership theory. Impact In order to recognise FLNMs as vulnerable human beings and provide individual confirmation and support, a caring organisational culture is needed. FLNMs need knowledge based on caring and nursing sciences, administration and participation in formal leadership networks. These findings can serve as a foundation for developing educational programmes for nurse leaders at several organisational levels.publishedVersio

Multicultural doula care from the perspectives of immigrant women in Norway: A qualitative study

Objectives The aim of the study was to illuminate immigrant women’s experiences of multicultural doula care as part of the ‘Vulnerable, pregnant and new in Norway – Safe during childbirth with a multicultural doula’ project. Methods The qualitative design was based on Braun & Clarke’s thematic analysis. Semi-structured interviews were held, assisted by an interpreter, with seven immigrant women from three different countries. Results The overarching theme illuminated a significant caring relationship between the immigrant women and their multicultural doula. The relationship was important for the women’s positive childbirth experience. Furthermore, four themes emerged as follows: feeling alone and scared; needing to be looked after; not knowing the language; and giving birth in a new and unfamiliar culture. The results revealed that the women felt safeguarded by the multicultural doula. They felt cared for and understood when the doulas acted as guides, knowing the culture and language, in collaboration with the midwife in maternal care. Conclusions Multicultural doulas can contribute to optimizing the quality of care provided to immigrant women during pregnancy and childbirth, with focus on an equal quality of care for all women. The findings can raise awareness of cultural competence in midwifery practice. More research is needed to develop new models that incorporate multicultural doulas into healthcare policies.publishedVersio

Fallhendelser hos eldre i hjemmetjenesten i en norsk kommune - omfang og omstendigheter

Fagartikkelen rapporterer et prosjekt hvor hensikten var å registrere tilfeller og omstendigheter for fall hos brukere av hjemmetjenester og trygghetsalarm.Fall events in elder recipients of home care services in a Norwegian municipality- incidence and circumstances. Falls in institutional care are adverse events that have been well documented. Falls among elderly in home care services have not previously been studied in Norway. The aim of this study was to register the incidence and circumstances surrounding falls occurring in home-care services for elderly persons in a medium-sized Norwegian municipality. Descriptive statistics was applied in a three-month follow up study. Totally 440 homebound elderly aged 65 years or more and receiving home care services or safety alarm were included in this study. In total 101 falls, represented by 72 persons were documented. 66 % reported no injury related to the fall, but 34 % had injuries, ranging from bruises to fractures and hospitalization. In 24 % the circumstances were unknown, for the rest there was no particular cause documented. The findings will be used to study the development of care and prevention of falls with elder persons in home care services