Background: Contact Nurses in Cancer Care (CNCCs) are well-positioned to address patients' concerns regarding sexual health, but many lack the tools and confidence to initiate such conversations. Aim: To explore how CNCCs perceive the use of the BETTER model as a new practice for integrating discussions of sexuality into cancer care. Methods: Data were collected from 37 CNCCs through video-recorded educational seminars, written reflections, and focus group interviews. A directed qualitative content analysis was conducted, guided by the four constructs of the Normalization Process Theory: coherence, cognitive participation, collective action, and reflexive monitoring. Results: The BETTER model was perceived as a valuable tool for initiating conversations about sexuality. The CNCCs highlighted the importance of personal reflection, peer support, and managerial backing. Time constraints and structural barriers were identified as key challenges to implementation. Many CNCCs viewed themselves as clinical champions, advocating for the sustained integration of the model into practice. Conclusion: Communication tools such as the BETTER model can enhance CNCCs' confidence and competence in addressing sexual health. Successful implementation requires organizational support and recognition of CNCCs' roles as facilitators of change. The Normalization Process Theory proved useful in understanding the implementation process, even across diverse clinical settings.

Background Fundamental care—encompassing relational, psychosocial, and physical needs as outlined in the Fundamentals of Care Framework—is a multifaceted yet essential component of nurses’ scope of practice. Despite its significance, fundamental care remains underrepresented in research within home-based care. Consequently, limited knowledge exists regarding how nurses address older people's fundamental care needs, the practical applicability of the Framework, and the influence of contextual modulators. Aim To explore nurses’ scope of practice, fundamental care, and contextual modulators in relation to older people with complex health care needs in home-based care. Design Exploratory design. Setting Four home-care sites in Western Sweden. Methods Structured direct observations were conducted using a protocol informed by the Fundamentals of Care Framework and concepts relevant to nurses’ scope of practice. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and contextualised by qualitative field notes. Result A total of 3042 care activities were recorded across 230 observations involving 46 nurses (registered and non-registered). On average, participants performed 13.23 activities per observation, often addressing multiple dimensions of the Fundamentals of Care Framework. Physical needs typically served as the entry point for care, which frequently expanded to include relational and psychosocial aspects. Registered nurses’ involvement in clinical decision-making—structured around the five phases of the nursing process—was primarily concentrated on assessment and implementation. Non-registered nurses also engaged in decision-making and independently initiated activities. Nurses’ scope of practice appeared to be related to several contextual modulators, including interruptions and a lack of supportive work environments. Conclusion and implications We are among the first to explore nurses’ scope of practice in home-based care using the Fundamentals of Care Framework as a conceptual foundation. We have underscored the complexity and multifaceted nature of nurses’ scope of practice, including clinical decision-making, the activities’ functional and performance levels, and the presence of contextual modulators. Task-shifting from registered nurses to non-registered nurses was evident in clinical decision-making. We suggest that future Models of Care grounded in the Framework and tailored to the specific contextual conditions of home-based care may support nurses in delivering high-quality fundamental care.

Peer learning supports bachelor nursing students’ professional development, yet its usefulness across clinical contexts and educational levels remains underexplored. This cross-sectional survey study used quantitative and qualitative data (n = 1264; 50.3% response rate) collected between May 2020 and June 2022 to examine bachelor nursing students’ perceptions of their learning environment and professional development, during different clinical placements and educational levels, when supervised within peer learning. Reporting followed STROBE and COREQ guidelines. Most students reported that peer learning significantly enhanced learning (67.7%), professional development (65.7%), autonomy (59.1%) and understanding of the nursing process (57.5%). Students favoured regular changes of peers. Peer learning environments were scored significantly higher than traditional one-to-one supervision. However, peer learning benefits appear to decline in later semesters and at certain clinical settings. Structured reflection based on the profession's role and function, as well as context-sensitive implementation, may enhance the relevance of peer learning for more advanced students.

Background

A nurse’s scope of practice includes the full range of roles, functions, responsibilities, and decision-making authority. However, how this scope—particularly in relation to the fundamentals of care—is experienced by registered nurses and non-registered nurses in nursing homes remains underexplored. This study aimed to explore the experiences of nurses regarding their mutual general scope of practice, the differences in their individual scope of practice, and their respective scopes in relation to the fundamentals of care in the context of nursing homes.

Methods

This qualitative study included eight nursing dyads (n = 16) from four nursing homes in south-east Norway. Data were collected through individual, focused interviews, i.e., non-dyadic data, and analysed using the framework method for dyadic analysis. The study followed the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR).

Results

Registered nurses described emotional strain due to a gap between professional ideals and the realities of high-pressure, understaffed environments. The contrast between being perceived as “too posh to wash” and “too busy” highlighted how systemic factors, rather than personal attitudes, shaped role perceptions. These constraints influenced care delivery and undermined their professional identity. Registered nurses tended to focus on indirect care and physical needs, while non-registered nurses took on more direct care, particularly the fundamentals of care—physical, relational, and psychosocial. Although the registered nurses valued holistic care, frequent delegation to the non-registered nurses raised concerns about care quality and role clarity.

Conclusion

Registered nurses’ scope of practice was shaped more by workload demands than by reluctance to engage in the fundamentals of care. The dyadic approach provided new insights into how professional responsibilities and activities are co-constructed in complex care settings. Findings highlight the need for organisational and clinical strategies to clarify role boundaries, strengthen registered nurses’ professional identity, reinforce the delivery of the fundamentals of care, and support effective and safe delegation practices.

Extensive research reports caregiver burden and unmet needs when caring for a home-dwelling family member at the end of life. Interventions are often decided by professionals and are less focused on family carers. There remains a gap in understanding family carers' preferences for support in their caregiving role. This integrative review summarises family carers' preferences for support when caring for a home-dwelling family member at the end of life. We examined what helps family carers cope and the impact of the organisation of end-of-life care on their experiences. Seven databases were searched between January 2011 and March 2024. Thirty-seven articles were included in this review. Data were thematically analysed. 'Care continuity' at the end-of-life features prominently and underpins four themes: (1) Family carers see themselves as a partner in care to ensure their loved one's needs were prioritised; (2) balancing the needs of their loved one alongside their caregiving responsibilities and attending to their own psychosocial needs was challenging; (3) timeliness of access to information, knowledge and appropriate services through the illness trajectory and shared decision-making were important in helping them cope; and (4) preparedness when death was imminent in terms of dealing with the dying process and support beyond bereavement. 'Care continuity' can be conceptualised as personal and relational continuity (at microlevel, it is about individuals building relationships with healthcare professionals through recognising their carer's role, access to contactable and knowledgeable staff and agreed care plan), informational continuity (micro- and mesolevel refer to effective transfer of information and knowledge between individuals and between services) and organisational continuity (mesolevel is about organised and coordinated care, early involvement of specialist palliative care and bereavement support). Health professionals should recognise that meeting the needs of family carers is inextricably linked to addressing the needs of their loved ones.

BackgroundEvidence about rehabilitation of post COVID-19 condition is scarce. Yoga has been found beneficial in other chronic conditions and can be delivered in a digital format at home. The aim of the study was to explore the feasibility of teleyoga in persons with post COVID-19 condition by assessing adherence, safety, limited efficacy and experiences.MethodsPre-post mixed-method design. Participants were recruited from a post COVID-19 rehabilitation clinic. The intervention included standardised live-streamed teleyoga sessions twice/week for 7 weeks and individual yoga using a digital application during 12 weeks. Adherence to the teleyoga intervention was measured by registration of participation and by analysing the log in the application. Safety was measured by registration of serious adverse events. Limited efficacy examined trends in the predicted direction for better outcome in patients with a post-COVID condition in the 6-minute walk test, gait speed, cognition, health-related quality-of-life, mental distress, sleep and exercise motivation. We also assessed patients' experiences after the intervention.ResultsNine women and 2 men were enrolled, aged between 27 and 61 years, and duration of post COVID-19 3-12 months. Adherence: Half of the participants participated in more than 50% of the online yoga sessions. They enjoyed the digital format and the social aspect of the online yoga sessions. Some participants experienced that the yoga sessions of 60 min were too long. People with post COVID-19 felt motivated to participate, however they felt conflicted when other commitments took time away from yoga. Adherence to the yoga application varied, 6 patients used it less than 50% of the recommended time. Safety: Persons with post COVID-19 experienced symptoms due to their disease, which could increase during the yoga sessions that made it harder to participate. There were no reported serious adverse events. Limited efficacy: Participants expressed that they breathed more consciously and experienced relaxation and reduction of stress and anxiety. After 7 weeks of teleyoga there was a significant improvement in cognitive function (p-value = 0.048). No differences were found in the physical tests, health-related quality-of-life, anxiety and depression, sleep or in exercise motivation.ConclusionAdherence to the online yoga sessions was quite low and might be improved with shorter yoga sessions. Online yoga was safe, but some participants experienced an increase in symptoms. Teleyoga was associated with improved cognition, breathing and relaxation. The results show that online yoga could be feasible for people post COVID-19, but adaptation of the yoga-program may be required, especially as many patients experience an increase of symptoms. Furthermore, the teleyoga should be more flexible with regards to the duration and the number of sessions. As few participants were adherent to the application, the relevance and usefulness of this needs to be further explored.

Background: Nursing practice addressing the physical, psychosocial, and relational needs of older people – the three core dimensions of the fundamentals of care framework along with its overarching dimension, commitment to care – is a complex yet vital aspect of nurses’ scope of practice. However, it is underrepresented in the clinical context of facility-based care, such as nursing homes. Consequently, there is limited understanding of to what extent nurses engage in activities targeting older people’s fundamentals of care needs, the applicability of the framework in practice, and what acts as contextual modulators. Furthermore, contextual modulators of practice require greater attention, especially within increasingly complex healthcare systems, where nursing practice should be studied as a part of a larger system. Objective: To explore nursing practice, its contextual modulators, and the clinical decision-making processes, as aligned with the nursing process of nurses targeting older people’s fundamentals of care needs in nursing homes. Design: An exploratory study. Setting: Four nursing homes across three Norwegian municipalities. Methods: Structured direct observations were conducted. Thus, observations was supported by a protocol developed from established theoretical frameworks and concepts identified in the nursing literature as relevant to practice or as modulators of practice. Data analysis incorporated both textual and numerical analyses in a multimethod approach. Results: A total of 4351 framework activities were observed during 411 sessions (189 hours). On average, nurses engaged in 10.58 activities per observation, often addressing multiple dimensions of the framework simultaneously. Activities related to the dimension commitment to care were less frequently observed than those in the other three dimensions. We found that most observations showed nurses initiating care with activities targeting physical needs, which often expanded to include psychosocial and relational dimensions. Registered nurses primarily focused on the assessment phase of the nursing process. Nursing practice was found to be influenced by a lack of risk management, an unsupportive working environment, and unclear leadership and management of care. Conclusion and implications: This is one of the first studies exploring nursing practice targeting the fundamentals of care framework in this context. We have highlighted the intricate nature of nursing practice, its relationship with clinical decision-making processes, and the functional and performance levels of nursing activities. Contextual modulators were found to negatively influence nursing practice, suggesting the need for improved risk management, a supportive work environment, and clear nursing leadership.