How are the educational needs of arthroplasty patient’ significant others fulfilled?

Efst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinnAðstandendur gegna mikilvægu hlutverki í bataferli sjúklinga sem fá gerviliði. Með styttri legutíma á sjúkrahúsum er meiri ábyrgð lögð á sjúklinga og aðstandendur hvað varðar umönnun sem heilbrigðisstarfsfólk sinnti áður. Til að sinna þessu hlutverki vel þurfa aðstandendur fræðslu en lítið hefur verið rannsakað hverjar fræðsluþarfir þeirra eru. Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar var að kanna hvernig fræðsluþarfir aðstandenda gerviliðasjúklinga eru uppfylltar á Íslandi og bera niðurstöður saman við sambærilegar niðurstöður frá sjúklingum. Rannsóknin var framvirk, lýsandi samanburðarrannsókn með úrtaki sjúklinga (n=279) sem fóru í skipulagðar gerviliðaaðgerðir á mjöðm eða hné frá nóvember 2009 til júní 2011 og aðstandenda þeirra (n=212) á þeim þremur sjúkrahúsum á Íslandi sem framkvæma slíkar aðgerðir. Mælipunktar voru þrír: tími 1 (T1) fyrir aðgerð og fyrir formlega fræðslu um aðgerðina; tími 2 (T2) við útskrift eftir aðgerð á sjúkrahúsinu, eftir útskriftarfræðslu, og tími 3 (T3) 6 mánuðum eftir aðgerð. Notuð voru stöðluð matstæki sem mæla væntingar sjúklinga og aðstandenda til fræðslu. Fengin fræðsla og aðgengi aðstandenda að upplýsingum frá heilbrigðisstarfsfólki var metið með fjórum spurningum úr Good Care Scale. Á T1 svöruðu 212 aðstandendur, á T2 svöruðu 141 og á T3 svöruðu 144 spurningalistum. Meðalaldur var 58 ár (sf 13,5) og spönn frá 19 til 89 ára, flestir voru makar eða 72%. Niðurstöður sýndu að bæði aðstandendur og sjúklingar höfðu meiri væntingar til fræðslu fyrir aðgerðina en þeir töldu sig hafa fengið bæði þegar spurt var strax eftir aðgerð sjúklings og sex mánuðum síðar. Eftir því sem aðstandendur höfðu betra aðgengi að upplýsingum frá hjúkrunarfræðingum, sjúkraliðum og læknum var væntingum um fræðslu betur sinnt. Álykta má að þörf sé á að meta fræðsluþarfir aðstandenda markvisst og nýta betur tímann til fræðslu meðan sjúklingur dvelur á sjúkrahúsinu. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Significant others play an important role in the recovery of arthroplasty patients. Shorter hospital stay puts a greater responsibility for care on both patients and their significant others, care which previously was provided by professionals. To be able to fulfill that role significant others need knowledge but few studies have been conducted on their educational needs. Aims of this study were to examine what knowledge significant others of elective arthroplasty surgery patients in Iceland expect, how those expectations are being met and to compare the results with results from patients. The method was a prospective descriptive comparative follow up design with three measurement points: time 1 (T1) before surgery and any formal education, time 2 (T2) at discharge from hospital, after formal discharge education, and time 3 (T3) 6 months after discharge. The convenience sample consisted of significant others (n=212) of patients (n=279) undergoing elective arthroplastic surgeries of hip or knee from January to November 2010, in all three Icelandic hospitals which perform those surgeries. The instruments used measure expected and received knowledge of patients and their significant others and access to knowledge from nurses and doctors was measured with four items from the Good Care Scale. On T1, T2 and T3, 212, 141 and 144 significant others participated, respectively, most of them were spouses or 72%. Their average age was 58 years (sd 13.5) and ranged from 19 to 89 years. The results showed that significant others had high expectations for knowledge before surgery but perceived that they received less knowledge than they expected, both when asked right after patient’s surgery and, even less so, 6 months later. Better access to information from doctors and nurses was related to how well knowledge expectations were met. It is concluded that nurses need to assess information needs of significant others more systematically and make skillful use of the time when the patient is in hospital for educatio

Nettengt fjarnám um geðvernd eftir barnsburð : mat hjúkrunarfræðinga á nýrri leið til símenntunar

Hægt er að lesa greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn í Additional LinksRecent developments in informatics have made distant learning a feasible alternative in continuous education. Over the past few years, community health nurses in Iceland have been offered to take a seven weeks web based training course on postpartum emotional distress. The goal of the course is to teach supportive and evidence based interventions to impact positively on postpartum emotional distress (PED). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the participant’s experience of the course,focusing on education, learning use of technology, and pros and cons of content and context. A questionnaire, which was developed for the purpose of this study, was filled out by 36 of the 39 participants. The mean age of the community health nurses was 48.7 years. The results showed that most (94%) of the community health nurses found their knowledge on postpartum emotional distress increased; however 39% felt that they would have learned more in a traditional lecture setting. Everyone but one found the web based bulletin board discussions with fellow participants helpful. Majority of the community health nurses (58%) thought they had increased their computer skills during the course, and most were ready to recommend it to colleagues. It is concluded that most participants find the course on postpartum emotional distress successful, and a web based course is a realistic continuous education option for practicing nurses in Iceland. Keywords: Nursing, continuing education, mental health, postpartum, evaluation studies.Mikil þróun í upplýsingatækni hefur leitt til breytinga á möguleikum til náms og endurmenntunar. Heilsugæsluhjúkrunarfræðingum hefur undanfarin ár verið boðið að taka sjö vikna netnámskeið sem nefnist „Geðvernd eftir barnsburð“. Markmið þess er að dýpka þekkingu þeirra á vanlíðan kvenna eftir barnsburð og kynna gagnreyndar aðferðir til að draga úr vanlíðaninni. Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar var að meta ánægju þátttakenda á netnámskeiðinu með námið, notkun á tækni og kosti námskeiðsins og galla. Spurningalisti var saminn og alls svöruðu 36 heilsugæsluhjúkrunarfræðingar af 39 sem voru á námskeiðinu. Meðalaldur þeirra var 48,7 ár. Niðurstöður sýndu að flestir (94%) heilsugæsluhjúkrunarfræðinganna töldu að þeir hefðu aukið þekkingu sína á andlegri vanlíðan eftir barnsburð en 39% töldu að þeir hefðu lært meira ef námskeiðið hefði verið með hefðbundnu sniði. Allir nema einn töldu sig læra af netumræðum við samnemendur. Meirihluta (58%) fannst tölvuþekking þeirra aukast við þátttöku í netnámskeiðinu og flestir myndu ráðleggja öðrum hjúkrunarfræðingum að taka það. Ályktað er að flestir þátttakenda telji netnámskeiðið „Geðvernd eftir barnsburð“ árangursríkt og að miðlun námsefnis með aðstoð netsins geti verið raunhæf símenntunarleið fyrir starfandi hjúkrunarfræðinga á Íslandi. Taka þarf tillit til ýmissa annmarka við skipulagningu starfstengdra netnámskeiða í framtíðinni

Knowledge expectations, received knowledge and health related quality of life among patients undergoing arthroplastic surgery.

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinnGerviliðaaðgerðir á hné og mjöðm eru algeng og árangursrík meðferð við einkennum slitgigtar og geta bætt heilsutengd lífsgæði sjúklinga. Sjúklingafræðsla gegnir veigamiklu hlutverki í að hjálpa sjúklingum að gera sér raunhæfar vonir um árangur aðgerðar innar og aðgerðarferlisins og undirbúa þá fyrir þá sjálfs­ umönnun sem er nauð synleg eftir aðgerð. T ilgangur rannsóknar­ innar var að kanna hvernig væntingum sjúklinga, sem fara í gerviliða aðgerð á mjöðm og hné, til fræðslu er sinnt á íslenskum sjúkra húsum og tengslum þess við heilsutengd lífsgæði. Aðferðin var framvirk, lýsandi samanburðarrannsókn með þremur mæli punktum: tími 1 fyrir aðgerð og fyrir formlega fræðslu um aðgerðina; tími 2 við útskrift eftir aðgerð á sjúkra­ húsinu, eftir formlega útskriftarfræðslu; tími 3 6 7 mánuðum eftir aðgerð. Úrtakið var sjúklingar sem fóru í skipulagðar gerviliðaaðgerðir á mjöðm og hné frá janúar til nóvember 2010, á þeim þremur sjúkrahúsum á Íslandi sem framkvæma gerviliðaaðgerðir. Þrjú matstæki voru notuð: Hospital Patients’ Knowledge Expectations (HPKE), Hospital Patients’ Received Knowledge (HPRK), sem meta væntingar sjúklinga til fræðslu og fengna fræðslu, og EQ 5D sem metur heilsutengd lífsgæði. Á tíma 1 svöruðu 279 sjúklingar, á tíma 2 svöruðu 220 og á tíma 3 svöruðu 210 spurningalistunum. Meðalaldur var 65,4 ár og aldursbilið frá 37 til 87 ára. Meðallegutími var 6,6 dagar. Þátttakendur höfðu miklar væntingar til fræðslu en þeir töldu sig fá minni fræðslu en þeir væntu og jókst sá munur frá tíma 2 til tíma 3. Heilsutengd lífsgæði batna frá því fyrir aðgerð til 6 7 mánaða eftir aðgerð. Eftir því sem væntingar um fræðslu voru betur uppfylltar því betra var heilsufar metið á tíma 3 og var það samband marktækt. Það er ályktað að þörf sé á að endurskoða mat á fræðsluþörfum og innihaldi sjúklingafræðslu sjúklinga sem fara í gerviliðaaðgerðir á Íslandi.Hip and knee arthroplasties are a common and effective treatment for symptoms of arthritis and can improve patients’ health related quality of life. Patient education plays an important role in helping patients to create realistic expectations of the outcome of surgery and the perioperative process and to prepare them for the self care which is needed after surgery. The aim of the study was to examine how the knowledge expectations of arthroplastic patients are being met in Icelandic hospitals and the relationship between knowledge expectations and patients’ self reported health related quality of life. The method was a prospective, descriptive and comparative follow up design with three measurement points; time 1 before surgery and any formal education, time 2 at discharge from hospital and after formal discharge education and time 3 6 7 months after discharge. The sample consisted of patients undergoing elective hip or knee arthroplasty from January to November 2010 in all three Icelandic hospitals which perform this type of surgery. Three instruments were used: Hospital Patients ʼ Knowledge Expectations (HPKE) and Hospital Patients ʼ Received Knowledge (HPRK) measure expected knowledge and received knowledge, respectively, and EQ 5D measures health related quality of life. On time 1, 2 and 3, 279, 220 and 210 patients participated, respectively. Their average age was 65.4 years (range 37 to 87 years). The average hospital stay was 6.6 days. The participants reported high expectations for knowledge but they perceived that they received less knowledge than they expected and even less so when asked 6 months after surgery. Health related quality of life improved after the operation, as measured after 6 7 months. A significant relationship was detected between patients’ assessment of their health and how well their knowledge expectations were met. It is concluded that there is a need to reconsider how the knowledge expectations of patients are being assessed and the content of patient education for arthroplasty patients in Iceland.Vísindasjóður Félags íslenskra hjúkrunarfræðinga (Bhluta), Rannsóknasjóður Háskólans á Akureyri, KEA háskólasjóði, vísindasjóður Landspítala, vísindasjóður Sjúkrahússins á Akureyr

Symptoms of anxiety and depression in surgical patients at the hospital, 6 weeks and 6 months postsurgery : A questionnaire study

The study was funded by the University of Iceland Science Fund, the Landspitali University Hospital Science Fund and the Icelandic Nurses Association Science Fund. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Authors. Nursing Open published by John Wiley & Sons LtdAims: To describe prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression in surgical patients at three time points: at hospital postsurgery (T1), 6 weeks (T2) and 6 months (T3) postdischarge from hospital; and detect situations and experiences that predict symptoms of anxiety and depression at T2 and T3. Design: Prospective, explorative two-site follow-up study. Methods: Patients having selected surgeries from January–July 2016 were invited to participate. Final participation was 390 patients. Participation involved answering questionnaires, including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). A stepwise multiple linear regression model was employed to calculate predictors of anxiety and depression. Results: The proportion of patients presenting with moderate-to-severe anxiety or depression ranged from 5.4%–20.2% at different times. Major predictors of anxiety at both times were not feeling rested upon awakening and higher scores on HADS-Anxiety at T1 and T2 and at T2 also experiencing more distressing postoperative symptoms. For depression, the major predictors were at both times higher scores on HADS-Depression at T2 and T3 and also at T2 not feeling rested upon awakening and at T3 reporting delayed or very delayed recovery. The four models explained from 43.9%–55.6% of the variance in symptoms of anxiety and depression. Our findings show that patients presenting with psychological distress at the hospital are in a vulnerable position. Also, that benefits of good sleep during the recovery should be emphasized during hospital stay.Peer reviewe

Translation and evaluation of the HeartQoL in patients with coronary heart disease in Iceland

Publisher Copyright: © 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) reflects an individual's own perception of their symptom burden, functional limitations, prognosis, overall health and changes associated with treatment. The HeartQoL is a validated heart disease-specific questionnaire with a physical and an emotional subscale that is used internationally to assess HRQoL in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). The aim of this study was to translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the HeartQoL in patients with CHD in Iceland. METHODS: Patients ≥ 18 years (n = 396; mean age 64.4 ± 8.8 years; 79.6% male) admitted with CHD were recruited from two hospitals in Iceland and completed the Icelandic versions of the HeartQoL, Short-Form 12v2 Health Survey (SF-12v2), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). A subsample of 47 patients completed the HeartQoL 14 days later. Confirmatory factor analysis for ordinal data was used to evaluate the measurement model with a physical and an emotional subscale. Convergent and divergent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were evaluated. RESULTS: Overall, the hypothesized two-factor structure of the Icelandic version of the HeartQoL was supported. However, problems with cross-loadings and correlated error variances were identified. Convergent and divergent validity were supported in correlational analyses between HeartQoL, SF-12v2, and HADS. Internal consistency reliability, measured by ordinal alpha, was good for the physical (α = 0.96) and emotional (α = 0.90) subscale. According to intraclass correlations (ICC), acceptable test-retest reliability was demonstrated (ICC = 0.79-0.86). CONCLUSION: With the two-factor structure confirmed, the Icelandic HeartQoL demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties in the sample of patients with CHD. Users of the instrument can use the original scoring.Peer reviewe

Supportive Digital Health Service During Cancer Chemotherapy : Single-Arm Before-and-After Feasibility Study

©Nanna Fridriksdottir, Brynja Ingadottir, Kristin Skuladottir, Sigridur Zoëga, Sigridur Gunnarsdottir. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 22.12.2023.BACKGROUND: Digital supportive cancer care is recommended to improve patient outcomes. A portal was designed and embedded within the electronic medical record and public health portal of Iceland, consisting of symptom and needs monitoring, educational material, and messaging. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess (1) portal feasibility (adoption, engagement, usability, and acceptability), (2) potential predictors of usability and acceptability, and (3) the potential impact of the portal on patient-reported outcomes. METHODS: This was a single-arm, before-and-after feasibility study at a university hospital among patients with cancer who were undergoing chemotherapy. Participation included filling out the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-Revised (ESASr) weekly and the Distress Thermometer and Problem List (DT&PL) 3 times; reading educational material and messaging; and completing study questionnaires. Clinical and portal engagement data were collected from medical records. Data from patients were collected electronically at baseline and 7 to 10 days after the third chemotherapy round. Usability was assessed using the System Usability Scale (score 0-100), and acceptability was assessed using a 35-item survey (score 1-5). Patient-reported outcome measures included ESASr and DT&PL; a single-item scale for quality of life, family support, and quality of care; and multi-item scales for health literacy (Brief Health Literacy Screener), health engagement (Patient Health Engagement Scale), self-care self-efficacy (Self-Care Self-Efficacy scale), symptom interference (MD Anderson Symptom Inventory), knowledge expectations (Hospital Patients' Knowledge Expectations), and received knowledge (Hospital Patients' Received Knowledge). Health care professionals were interviewed regarding portal feasibility. RESULTS: The portal adoption rate was 72% (103/143), and the portal use rate was 76.7% (79/103) over a mean 8.6 (SD 2.7) weeks. The study completion rate was 67% (69/103). The combined completion rate of the ESASr and DT&PL was 78.4% (685/874). Patients received a mean 41 (SD 13) information leaflets; 33% (26/79) initiated messaging, 73% (58/79) received messages, and 85% (67/79) received follow-up phone calls. The mean System Usability Scale score was 72.3 (SD 14.7), indicating good usability. Usability was predicted by age (β=-.45), ESASr engagement (β=.5), symptom interference (β=.4), and received knowledge (β=.41). The mean acceptability score, 3.97 (SD 0.5), was above average and predicted by age (β=-.31), ESASr engagement (β=.37), symptom interference (β=.60), self-care self-efficacy (β=.37), and received knowledge (β=.41). ESASr scores improved for total symptom distress (P=.003; Cohen d=0.36), physical symptoms (P=.01; Cohen d=0.31), and emotional symptoms (P=.01; Cohen d=0.31). Daily symptom interference increased (P=.03; Cohen d=0.28), quality of life improved (P=.03; Cohen d=0.27) and health engagement (P=.006; Cohen d=0.35) improved, while knowledge expectations decreased (P≤.001; Cohen d=2.57). Health care professionals were positive toward the portal but called for clearer role delineation and follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the feasibility of a support portal and the results indicate the possibility of improving patient outcomes, but further developments are warranted.Peer reviewe

Preoperative fasting: Instructions to patients and length of fasting – a prospective, descriptive survey

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked Files. This article is open access.Inngangur: Fasta sjúklinga er mikilvæg öryggisráðstöfun fyrir skurðað- gerð. Rannsóknir sýna þó að sjúklingar fasta mun lengur en leiðbeiningar kveða á um. Ástæður þess, þar með talinn þáttur sjúklingafræðslu, eru ekki kunnar. Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar var að kanna hversu lengi sjúklingar fasta fyrir skurðaðgerð og hvaða leiðbeiningar þeir fengu varðandi föstu, þegar eitt ár var liðið frá innleiðingu nýrra leiðbeininga til starfsfólks og sjúklinga. Efniviður og aðferðir: Lýsandi rannsókn var gerð á Landspítala árið 2011. Gögnum var safnað úr sjúkraskrám og með spurningalista. Úrtakið náði yfir alla fullorðna sjúklinga sem gengust undir aðgerð í svæfingu eða slævingu á 5 daga tímabili. Niðurstöður: Þátttökuskilyrði uppfylltu 193 sjúklingar, þar af fóru 161 (83%) í valaðgerð. Útfylltir spurningalistar bárust frá 166 sjúklingum, eða 86% af þeim sem uppfylltu þátttökuskilyrði. Meðallengd föstu á mat var 13,6 (±3,0) klukkustundir og 8,8 (±4,5) klukkustundir á tæra drykki. Lið- lega fjórðungur sjúklinga (27%) fékk ráðleggingar um föstu í samræmi við leiðbeiningar og 45% var ráðlagt að fasta frá miðnætti. Upplýsingar voru veittar ýmist skriflega (18%), munnlega (37%) eða hvort tveggja (45%). Upplýsingar um tilgang föstu fengu 46% sjúklinga. Sjúklingar sem fóru í aðgerð að morgni föstuðu skemur en sjúklingar sem fóru í aðgerð eftir hádegi (p<0,05). Sjúklingar sem fengu bæði skriflegar og munnlegar upplýsingar föstuðu skemur á drykki en aðrir (p<0,001). Ályktanir: Skurðsjúklingar fasta mun lengur en nauðsynlegt er og fá mismunandi upplýsingar frá heilbrigðisstarfsfólki. Þörf er á að kanna frekar ástæðurnar fyrir þessu. Starfsfólk þarf að samræma starfshætti sína, virkja sjúklinga meira í eigin umönnun, veita samræmda og fullnægjandi sjúklingafræðslu og aðstoða sjúklinga við að stytta vökvaföstu eftir komu á sjúkrahúsiIntroduction: Fasting is an important safety precaution for patients before surgery but studies indicate that excessive fasting is common. Explanations for this, including patient education related factors, are not well known. The aim of this study was to explore how long patients fast before surgery and what instructions they received, one year after the introduction of new guidelines for patients and professionals. Material and methods: This descriptive study was undertaken in a national, 660-bed university hospital in 2011. Data was collected from patient records and with questionnaires. Included were adult surgical patients having anaesthesia during a 5day period. Results: The sample consisted of 193 patients: 83% were scheduled for elective surgery and 86% returned questionnaires. Average fasting time was 13,6 (±3.0) hours for solid food and 8,8 (±4.5) hours for clear fluids. A quarter (27%) had received instructions according to guidelines and 45% were instructed to fast from midnight. Information was either written (18%), verbal (37%) or both (45%) and 46% of patients received information on the importance of fasting. Patients scheduled for morning surgery fasted for a shorter time than afternoon patients (p<0.05). Patients who received both verbal and written information fasted shorter on clear fluids (p<0.001) than others. Conclusions: The fasting of surgical patients before their operation is unnecessarily long and they do not get uniform instructions. This warrants further exploration. There is a need for staff to coordinate instructional practices, to involve patients more in their own care with consistent information and comprehensive education and assist them in reducing fasting on clear fluids after hospital admission

Changes in disease-related knowledge and educational needs of patients with coronary heart disease over a six-month period between hospital discharge and follow-up

Funding Information: The study was supported by the Icelandic Regional Development Institute, Landspitali University Hospital Research Fund , Akureyri Hospital Research Fund , University of Akureyri Research Fund , Icelandic Nursing Association Research Fund , KEA Research Fund, and Akureyri Heart Association . Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The AuthorsObjective: To describe changes in the disease-related knowledge and educational needs of individuals with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods: Patients hospitalized for CHD answered questionnaires about disease-related knowledge (Coronary Artery Disease Education Questionnaire—short version (CADE-Q-SV), score 0–20), educational needs (investigator–designed questions), health literacy (Short version of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16)), self-care (Self-Care of Coronary Heart Disease Inventory version (SC-CHDI)), and physical activity (Leisure-time Physical Activity Questionnaire) at discharge (T1) and six months later (T2). Results: Participants’ (N = 308; mean [M] age=65.5 years [SD=8.7]; 81.5% male) knowledge scores increased from M= 13.8 (SD=3.2) to M= 14.8 (SD=2.8) (p < 0.001). At T1, educational level, age, health literacy, smoking, and self-care maintenance explained 14.5% of knowledge variability. At T2, these variables plus lack of awareness of CHD diagnosis explained 20.3% of the variability. Substantial educational needs were reported at both time points, although 89% received predischarge education. Conclusion: The patients’ educational needs were unfulfilled despite an increase in disease-related knowledge over time. Improved evidence-based patient education and follow-ups that address diagnosis, treatment, and self-care are needed. Practice Implications: Healthcare professionals can improve care of patients with CHD by providing focused patient education, prioritizing “need-to-know” topics and considering patients’ health literacy.Peer reviewe

Sense of security during COVID-19 isolation improved with better health literacy - A cross-sectional study

Funding Information: This work was supported by the University of Iceland Research Fund , the Icelandic Nurses’ Association Research Fund and Landspitali University Hospital Science Fund ( A-2022-051 ). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The AuthorsOBJECTIVE: To assess sense of security, health literacy, and the association between sense of security and health literacy during COVID-19 self-isolation. METHODS: In this cross-sectional survey all adults who caught COVID-19 from the onset of the pandemic until June 2020 in Iceland and received surveillance from a special COVID-19 outpatient clinic, were eligible. Participants retrospectively answered the Sense of Security in Care - Patients' Evaluation and the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire. Data were analysed with parametric and non-parametric tests. RESULTS: Participants' (N = 937, 57% female, median age 49 (IQR=23)) sense of security during isolation was Med 5.5 (IQR=1) and 90% had sufficient health literacy. The proposed regression model (R2 =.132) indicated that those with sufficient health literacy had, on average, higher sense of security than those with inadequate health literacy. CONCLUSION: Sense of security was high among individuals who received surveillance from an outpatient clinic during isolation and was associated with health literacy. The high health literacy rate may be an indication of a high COVID-19 specific health literacy rather than general health literacy. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Healthcare professionals can improve the sense of security of patients through measures to improve their health literacy, including their navigation health literacy, by practising good communication, and providing effective patient education.Peer reviewe

Confronting the unknown—Nursing surveillance of COVID-19-infected patients through remote telephone calls and in an on-site urgent clinic

Funding Information: University of Iceland Research Fund. We wish to thank Runólfur Pálsson, MD, Professor and Director of Internal Medicine and Rehabilitation Services, Sigríður Gunnarsdóttir, Chief Nursing Officer for support in conducting this study, Drífa Katrín Guðmundsdóttir Blöndal and Stefanía Bergsdóttir for transcribing the interviews and giving an insightful view on the data analysis and Ásvaldur Kristjánsson for assistance with conducting the focus group interviews. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Aim: To describe nursing surveillance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-infected patients through remote telephone calls and in an on-site urgent clinic during the first wave of the pandemic as experienced by nurses providing the care. Design: Qualitative descriptive study. Methods: Data were collected through seven semi-structured, audio-recorded, focus group interviews with 24 nurses. Interviews were conducted in May and June 2020, transcribed and analysed using deductive and inductive content analysis into an overarching category, main categories and subcategories. Reporting followed the COREQ guidelines. Results: Nurses relied on intensive listening when assessing and caring for COVID-19-infected patients. They realized that the patients had complex needs for nursing and healthcare which was beyond the scope of a tentatively prescribed assessment scheme. They designed their care to ensure holistic care, reflected in the overarching category, ‘Confronting an unfamiliar health condition in unprecedented circumstances’ and the categories: ‘Digging into the unknown’ and ‘Ensuring holistic nursing care’. The category ‘Contributing to averting catastrophe’ reflects the wealth of knowledge, support and experience that the nurses used to independently deliver care, albeit in interdisciplinary collaboration, working to their greatest potential. They were proud of the significance of their work. Conclusion: Novel nursing surveillance through remote telephone calls and in an on-site urgent care clinic delivered to COVID-19 patients self-managing at home resulted in holistic nursing care during the first wave of the pandemic. This has relevance for professionalism in nursing. Impact: Findings give a unique insight into nursing surveillance of COVID-19-infected patients provided through telephone calls and in on-site urgent care clinics. The potential of intensive listening as conducted in the study suggests that it may be feasible to assess and holistically take care of COVID-19-infected patients, and other patient groups as well, with this form of healthcare. This has relevance for healthcare beyond crisis management during pandemics. Patient or Public Contribution: There was no patient or public contribution as the study only concerned the providers of the service, i.e. the nurses themselves.Peer reviewe