The rising global demand for district nursing care necessitates effective strategies to support evidence-based decision-making. Despite the extensive development of nursing guidelines, adherence by district nursing teams remains suboptimal, revealing a gap between guideline development and daily practice. The Learning And Reflection for Nurses (LEARN) programme aims to bridge this gap by enhancing guideline use and fostering a learning attitude among district nursing teams. This protocol outlines the programme’s development, components and evaluation approach.
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Objectives To determine nurse-sensitive outcomes in district nursing care for community-living older people. Nurse-sensitive outcomes are defined as patient outcomes that are relevant based on nurses’ scope and domain of practice and that are influenced by nursing inputs and interventions. Design A Delphi study following the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method with two rounds of data collection. Setting District nursing care in the community care setting in the Netherlands. Participants Experts with current or recent clinical experience as district nurses as well as expertise in research, teaching, practice, or policy in the area of district nursing. Main outcome measures Experts assessed potential nurse-sensitive outcomes for their sensitivity to nursing care by scoring the relevance of each outcome and the ability of the outcome to be influenced by nursing care (influenceability). The relevance and influenceability of each outcome were scored on a nine-point Likert scale. A group median of 7 to 9 indicated that the outcome was assessed as relevant and/or influenceable. To measure agreement among experts, the disagreement index was used, with a score of <1 indicating agreement. Results In Delphi round two, 11 experts assessed 46 outcomes. In total, 26 outcomes (56.5%) were assessed as nurse-sensitive. The nurse-sensitive outcomes with the highest median scores for both relevance and influenceability were the patient’s autonomy, the patient’s ability to make decisions regarding the provision of care, the patient’s satisfaction with delivered district nursing care, the quality of dying and death, and the compliance of the patient with needed care. Conclusions This study determined 26 nurse-sensitive outcomes for district nursing care for community-living older people based on the collective opinion of experts in district nursing care. This insight could guide the development of quality indicators for district nursing care. Further research is needed to operationalise the outcomes and to determine which outcomes are relevant for specific subgroups.
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Nationwide and across the globe, the quality, affordability, and accessibility of home-based healthcare are under pressure. This issue stems from two main factors: the rapidly growing ageing population and the concurrent scarcity of healthcare professionals. Older people aspire to live independently in their homes for as long as possible. Additionally, governments worldwide have embraced policies promoting “ageing in place,” reallocating resources from institutions to homes and prioritising home-based services to honour the desire of older people to continue living at home while simultaneously addressing the rising costs associated with traditional institutional care.Considering the vital role of district nursing care and the fact that the population of older people in need of assistance at home is growing, it becomes clear that district nursing care plays a crucial role in primary care. The aim of this thesis is twofold: 1) to strengthen the evidence base for district nursing care; and 2) to explore the use of outcomes for learning and improving in district nursing care. The first part of this thesis examines the current delivery of district nursing care and explores its challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen the evidence base and get a better understanding of district nursing care. Alongside the goal of strengthening the evidence for district nursing care, the second part of this thesis explores the use of patient outcomes for learning and improving district nursing care. It focuses on nurse-sensitive patient outcomes relevant to district nursing care, their current measurement in practice, and what is needed to use outcomes for learning and improving district nursing practice.
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Objective To explore predictors of district nursing care utilisation for community-living (older) people in the Netherlands using claims data. To cope with growing demands in district nursing care, knowledge about the current utilisation of district nursing care is important. Setting District nursing care as a part of primary care. Participants In this nationwide study, claims data were used from the Dutch risk adjustment system and national information system of health insurers. Samples were drawn of 5500 pairs of community-living people using district nursing care (cases) and people not using district nursing care (controls) for two groups: all ages and aged 75+ years (total N=22 000). Outcome measures The outcome was district nursing care utilisation and the 114 potential predictors included predisposing factors (eg, age), enabling factors (eg, socioeconomic status) and need factors (various healthcare costs). The random forest algorithm was used to predict district nursing care utilisation. The performance of the models and importance of predictors were calculated. Results For the population of people aged 75+ years, most important predictors were older age, and high costs for general practitioner consultations, aid devices, pharmaceutical care, ambulance transportation and occupational therapy. For the total population, older age, and high costs for pharmaceutical care and aid devices were the most important predictors. Conclusions People in need of district nursing care are older, visit the general practitioner more often, and use more and/or expensive medications and aid devices. Therefore, close collaboration between the district nurse, general practitioner and the community pharmacist is important. Additional analyses including data regarding health status are recommended. Further research is needed to provide an evidence base for district nursing care to optimise the care for those with high care needs, and guide practice and policymakers’ decision-making.
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Little is known about how COVID-19 affects older patients living at home or how it affects district nursing teams providing care to these patients. This study aims to (1) explore, from the perspectives of Dutch district nurses, COVID-19′s impact on patients receiving district nursing care, district nursing teams, and their organisations during the first outbreak in March 2020 as well as one year later; and (2) identify the needs of district nurses regarding future outbreaks. A mixed-methods, two-phase, sequential exploratory design was followed. In total, 36 district nurses were interviewed during the first outbreak (March 2020), of which 18 participated in the follow-up questionnaire in April 2021. Thirteen themes emerged, which showed that the COVID pandemic has substantially impacted patient care and district nursing teams. During the first outbreak, nurses played a crucial role in organising care differently and worked under high pressure, leading to exhaustion, tiredness, and psychosocial problems, including fear of infection. A year later, nurses were better prepared to provide COVID care, but problems regarding work pressure and mental complaints remained. The identified needs focus on a sustainable implementation of leadership roles for district nurses. At the organisational and national levels, more support and appreciation are needed in terms of trust and appropriate policies.
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District nurses have a crucial position in healthcare provision and are expected to use leadership practices to ensure optimal quality patient care. To better equip them, a leadership program named the ambassador project was developed to support the development of a liaison role between policy and district nursing practice. This research aims to evaluate from different perspectives the impact of this nationwide, five-year leadership program for district nurses at the organizational, regional, and societal levels. A mixed-methods study was conducted using two focus groups based on peer-to-peer shadowing (n =14), semistructured interviews (n =13), and an online questionnaire (n =45). The analysis shows that the impact of a nationwide leadership program for district nurses was perceived as predominantly positive, and nurses experienced an increase in courage, assertiveness, professional pride, and leadership skills. They obtained confidence in representing the group of district nurses at the organizational, regional, and societal levels when speaking with various key stakeholders from the healthcare system. They were able to bridge the gaps among daily practice, policymaking, and politics by using translations and shaping actions and information into terms suiting the needs of those involved.
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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.
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Abstract: Nurses come into frequent contact with frail older people in all healthcare settings. However, few studies have specifically asked nurses about their views on frailty. The main aim of this study was to explore the opinions of nurses working with older people on the concept of frailty, regardless of the care setting. In addition, the associations between the background characteristics of nurses and their opinions about frailty were examined. In 2021, members of professional association of nurses and nursing assistants in the Netherlands (V&VN) received a digital questionnaire asking their opinions on frailty, and 251 individuals completed the questionnaire (response rate of 32.1%). The questionnaire contained seven topics: keywords of frailty, frailty domains, causes of frailty, consequences of frailty, reversing frailty, the prevention of frailty, and addressing frailty. Regarding frailty, nurses especially thought of physical deterioration and dementia. However, other domains of human functioning, such as the social and psychological domains, were often mentioned, pointing to a holistic approach to frailty. It also appears that nurses can identify many causes and consequences of frailty. They see opportunities to reverse frailty and an important role for themselves in this process.
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There is a lack of evidence to guide district nurses in using nurse-sensitive patient outcomes as it is unclear how these outcomes are currently used in daily district nursing practice. Therefore, we aimed to explore (1) which nurse-sensitive patient outcomes are measured and how these outcomes are measured, (2) how district nurses use the outcomes to learn from and improve current practice and (3) the barriers and facilitators to using outcomes in current district nursing practice. An exploratory cross-sectional survey study was conducted. The survey was distributed online among nurses working for various district nursing care organisations across the Netherlands. The responses from 132 nurses were analysed, demonstrating that different instruments or questionnaires are available and used in district nursing care as outcome measures. The nurse-sensitive patient outcomes most often measured with validated instruments are pain using the Numeric Rating Scale or Visual Analogue Scale, delirium using the Delirium Observation Scale, weight loss using the Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire and caregiver burden using the Caregiver Strain Index or a Dutch equivalent. Falls and client satisfaction with delivered care are most often measured using unvalidated outcome measures. The other nurse-sensitive outcomes are measured in different ways. Outcomes are measured, reported and fed back to the nursing team multiple times and in various ways to learn from and improve current practice. In general, nurses have a positive attitude towards using nurse-sensitive outcomes in practice, but there is a lack of facilitation to support them. Because insight into how nurses can and should be supported is still lacking, exploring their needs in further research is desirable. Additionally, due to the high variation in the utilisation of outcomes in current practice, it is recommended to create more uniformity by developing (inter)national guidelines on using nurse-sensitive patient outcomes in district nursing care.
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Background Measuring nursing interventions and nurse-sensitive outcomes in a standardized manner is essential because it provides insight into the quality of delivered care. However, there is currently no systematic overview of the interventions conducted by district nurses, the evidence for the effects of these interventions, or what nurse-sensitive outcomes should be measured. Objective 1) To provide an overview of interventions for community-living older people evaluated in district nursing care and evidence for the effects of these interventions and 2) to identify the nurse-sensitive outcomes that are used to evaluate these district nursing care interventions, how these outcomes are measured, and in which patient groups they are applied. Design A systematic review of the literature. Setting District nursing care. Data sources MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and EMBASE. Methods Only experimental studies evaluating district nursing care interventions for communkity-living older people were included. A data extraction form was developed to extract the study characteristics and evaluate interventions and nurse-sensitive outcomes. The methodological quality of the included studies was reviewed using the 13-item critical appraisal tool for randomized controlled trials by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Results A total of 22 studies were included. The methodological quality of the studies varied, with scores ranging from 6 to 11 on a scale of 0–13. The 22 interventions identified were heterogeneous with respect to intervention components, intervention delivery, and target population. The 44 outcomes identified were grouped into categories following the Nursing Outcome Classification and were measured in various ways and at various times. Conclusion This is the first systematic review summarizing the evidence for the effectiveness of nurse-led interventions conducted by district nurses on community-living older people. It is unclear what interventions are effective and what outcomes should be used to substantiate district nursing care effectiveness. Because only studies with experimental designs were included, this analysis may provide an incomplete assessment of the effectiveness of interventions in district nursing care. Therefore, it is highly necessary to produce methodologically strong evidence through research programs focusing on district nursing care.
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