Angela Boškin Faculty of Health Care

To protect older adults and their rights, social distancing, isolation and quarantine were the key measures put in place to slow down the spread of COVID-19. Yet several studies have highlighted the importance of contact and emotional support from families for residents of long-term care facilities. The purpose of the study was to elicit the experiences and perceptions on the COVID-19 epidemic preventive measures and gain insights into the perspective of people who had family members in Slovenian nursing homes during the pandemic. A qualitative descriptive research paradigm with social constructivist approach was employed. Due to COVID-related restrictions, the method of formal natural group interview was used to conduct a single group interview. The interview guide comprised five open-ended questions with prompts. A purposive sample of relatives was invited to participate, with 25 out of 34 invited relatives confirming participation. Participants were 50–85 years old and had relatives in nursing homes—most often their parents or, alternatively, their spouses/partners. Three experts facilitated the group interview which was recorded. Transcripts were coded using thematic analysis. Ethical approval was obtained by the lead investigator’s home institution. Data synthesis yielded seven sub-themes and three themes: “Paternalism of authorities and health professionals” (medicine, nursing) towards residents and their relatives; “Negative impact on the health of residents and relatives”; and “The ethics of triage in relation to residents’ hospital access”. Overall, the approaches of those in charge of long-term care facilities were perceived as paternalistic and detrimental to the health and quality of life of nursing home residents during the pandemic. Our findings corroborate other international studies on the issues experienced in long-term care facilities for older adults during the pandemic. Relatives should not be a burden for the nursing home residents and should not feel like a controlling authority, but should be an important factor for the vitality and quality of residents’ lives. Our findings highlight the key role of health professionals in nursing care homes, particularly in terms of taking responsibility for protecting the autonomy and rights of residents and their relatives. Not applicable.

Background/Objectives: Clinical instruction and mentorship are essential components of nursing education and early professional development. In Greece, while nursing curricula align with EU directives mandating both theoretical and clinical training, significant gaps persist in the quality, coordination, and legislative support of mentorship. This work aims to (i) synthesise evidence on clinical instruction and mentorship in Greece and draw on selected European examples to provide contextual insight, and (ii) integrate national stakeholder perspectives to generate actionable recommendations for a Greek clinical mentorship framework. Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted, identifying 19 eligible articles examining mentorship, clinical instruction and preceptorship in European and Greek contexts. In addition, a national stakeholder focus group with 25 participants, including representatives from academia, healthcare institutions, regulatory bodies, and nursing associations, was held in Athens in 2024. Data from both sources were thematically analysed and integrated to identify gaps, best practices, and context-specific recommendations. Results: Findings revealed inconsistent collaboration between universities and clinical institutions, limited training and recognition for clinical instructors, and the absence of a unified national framework. Stakeholders highlighted structural barriers to clinical mentoring such as understaffing and lack of policy support and expressed strong interest in a mentorship reform. Comparative analysis with European models demonstrated feasible pathways for Greece, including structured training, certification, and non-financial incentives. During the national stakeholder focus group, a dual-pathway mentorship system tailored for nursing students and newly hired nurses was most recommended to ensure both continuity and quality in professional development of nurses. Conclusions: Despite alignment with EU directives, Greece lacks an integrated national mentorship framework that ensures consistent clinical learning and supports workforce development. Two priority policy actions emerge from this work: (1) establishing a legally supported national certification and training system for clinical mentorship, and (2) educational structures in the clinical setting to improve educational quality, workforce retention and patient care outcomes.

BackgroundHealthcare professionals are a fundamental component of the digital health transformation in all healthcare systems. However, the barriers still affecting the digital transformation in the healthcare sector suggest that the processes used to develop policies, mainly top-down, require some innovation.ObjectiveDevelopment and validation of recommendations to support healthcare professionals in the digital transformation of their daily practice, involving multisectoral and international stakeholders.MethodsA consensus development method covering the years 2021 to 2023, combining top-down and bottom-up approaches, was employed by the Digital EducationaL programme InvolVing hEalth pRofessionals (DELIVER) consortium. Policy, literature and needs analyses were conducted at national level and then combined at international level to develop recommendations. Subsequently, experts in the field of digital health, healthcare professionals, managers and others were involved in the final DELIVER Transnational Consensus Development Conference to validate the recommendations developed.ResultsTen recommendations classified into three main domains were validated: (a) encouraging healthcare professionals to welcome the digitalization of the workplace (three recommendations); (b) ensuring basic/advanced and general/specific competencies (four recommendations); and (c) offering technical and organizational support (three recommendations).ConclusionsThe recommendations should be considered by multi-sectoral stakeholders, particularly policymakers and healthcare managers, to address the still-present critical issues preventing the digital health transformation in the clinical practice.

Bolečina v križu je pogost problem, ki omejuje tekače pri teku. Fizioterapija, ki temelji na konzervativnem zdravljenju, kratkoročno in dolgoročno pripomore k odpravi težav. Namen prispevka je preučiti vzroke za nastanek bolečine v križu pri tekačih in raziskati učinkovite fizioterapevtske pristope. Uporabili smo pregled strokovne ter znanstvene literature, objavljene v podatkovnih zbirkah Pedro, COBISS, ProQuest in Pubmed. Zadetke smo omejili z vključitvenimi kriteriji: vsebinsko ustrezni članki, objavljeni v celotnem besedilu in v obdobju zadnjih 10 let ter v slovenskem in angleškem jeziku. Izmed 978 zadetkov smo za končno analizo uporabili 15 člankov. Oblikovali smo 47 kod, ki smo jih razdelili v tri vsebinske kategorije. Fizioterapevtska obravnava vključuje kombinacijo različnih terapevtskih vadb (za aktivacijo trupa, raztezanje, ravnotežje, koordinacijo in moč), manualne terapije (sklepnih mobilizacijskih in mehko tkivnih tehnik) in fizikalnih energij (ultrazvok, termo terapija in elektroterapija), ki so najučinkovitejši konzervativni postopki za zmanjšanje bolečine v križu.

BackgroundQuality clinical care is supported by effective patient-centered communication. Health care professionals can improve their communication skills through simulation-based training, but our knowledge about virtual simulation and its effectiveness and use in training health professionals and students is still growing rapidly.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to review the current academic literature to identify and evaluate the virtual simulation tools used to train communication skills in health care students and professionals.MethodsThis review was carried out in June 2023 by collecting data from the MEDLINE/PubMed and Web of Science electronic databases. Once applicable studies were identified, we recorded data related to type of technology used, learning objectives, degree of learning autonomy, outcomes, and other details.ResultsWe found 35 articles that had developed and/or applied a virtual environment for training communication skills aimed at patients, in which 24 different learning tools were identified. Most had been developed to independently train communication skills in English, either generally or in the specific context of medical history (anamnesis) interviews. Many of these tools used a virtual patient that looked like a person and had the ability to vocally respond. Almost half of the tools analyzed allowed the person being trained to respond orally using natural language. Of note, not all these studies described the technology they had used in detail.ConclusionsMany different learning tools with very heterogeneous characteristics are being used for the purposes of communication skills training. Continued research will still be required to develop virtual tools that include the most advanced features to achieve high-fidelity simulation training.

Objectives: Breastfeeding intention is associated with breastfeeding initiation and exclusivity. This study, grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior, aimed to characterize breastfeeding intentions and their behavioral antecedents (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control) among Latina women in a rural U.S.-Mexico border county.

Objectives: Gestational micronutrient deficiencies are common in Palestine refugees. Multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) can reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes. UNRWA provides antenatal care (ANC) to ∼90,000 refugee women annually. Since 2020, UNWRA has conducted implementation research to align with WHO guidelines for replacing iron-folic acid (IFA) with MMS as standard of ANC. Starting in Jordan, we compared MMS vs IFA program acceptability, adherence and effectiveness in preventing anemia.

Uvod: Med oblike odločitev za prenehanje aktivnega zdravljenja spada vodilo »Ne oživljaj.«. Raziskave navajajo, da vloga medicinske sestre pri upoštevanju vodila vključuje pomoč pacientom, družinam, članom zdravstvenega tima pri sprejemanju informiranih odločitev. Namen pregleda literature je raziskati izkušnje in stališča medicinskih sester do upoštevanja vodila.Metode: Uporabljen je bil integrativni pregled literature v obdobju od leta 2012 do leta 2022 v podatkovnih bazah COBIB, CINAHL in PubMed s ključnimi besedami: »vodilo Ne oživljaj.«, »medicinske sestre«, »do not resuscitate orders« in »nurses«. Potek pregleda literature prikazuje diagram PRISMA. V integrativni pregled je bilo vključenih osemnajst raziskav. Uporabljena je bila metoda vsebinskega združevanja in primerjava spoznanj vključenih raziskav.Rezultati: Na podlagi analize člankov smo oblikovali tri kategorije: (1) dejavniki v povezavi z etiko zdravstvene nege, (2) demografski in poklicni dejavniki medicinskih sester in (3) dejavniki medsebojnih odnosov (družina, družba).Diskusija in zaključek: : Rezultati so pokazali, da na vprašanja, povezana z življenjem in smrtjo, vplivajo kultura, verska prepričanja družbe in pogled na avtonomijo. Medicinske sestre izražajo pomen upoštevanja pravic pacientov, pomen izobraževanja in dodatnega usposabljanja. Pojavljajo se tudi različne interpretacije o upoštevanju vodila »Ne oživljaj.«. Izražajo tudi potrebo po razpravi znotraj interdisciplinarnih timov, s pacienti in njihovimi družinami.