This paper supports a higher proportion of registered nurses and an increased number of overall nursing staff working hours. Managers should consider the results of the patient needs categorization system and the workforce structure characteristics as predictors of patient satisfaction.

Uvod: Spanje je aktivni proces, ki pomembno vpliva na kakovost delovnega življenja. V ta namen je bila izvedena raziskava o odnosu med neprespanostjo in delazmožnostjo zaposlenih v zdravstveni negi.Metode: V kvantitativni opisni raziskavi so bili v letih 2014 in 2015 obravnavani zaposleni iz ene splošne bolnišnice in dveh domov upokojencev v Sloveniji. Z enostavnim slučajnostnim izborom je bilo v stratificiran vzorec vključenih 21,26 % (n = 81) v zdravstveni negi zaposlenih žensk iz teh treh zavodov. Podatki, pridobljeni z anketo (Cronbach α = 0,624), so bili analizirani z deskriptivno statistiko in s korelacijsko analizo.Rezultati: Večina anketirank opravlja od tri do sedem nočnih izmen mesečno (x = 3,76, s = 2,51). Vse anketiranke imajo težave z nespečnostjo (n = 81, 100 %), večina jih s težavo ostaja budnih na delovnem mestu (n = 52, 64,2 %). Težave z budnostjo na delovnem mestu se povezujejo s slabšim splošnim počutjem (r = 0,236, p = 0,034) in so pogostejše ob večjem številu nočnih izmen v mesecu (r = −0,322, p = 0,003). Anketiranke so mnenja, da neprespanost povečuje verjetnost napak pri delu (n = 60, 74,1 %), upočasnjuje hitrost odzivanja na nepričakovane urgentne situacije na delovnem mestu (n = 58, 71,6 %) ter slabo vpliva na njihovo komunikacijo s pacienti (n = 48, 59,2 %).Diskusija in zaključek: Podobno kot druge tuje raziskave o zaposlenih v zdravstveni negi tudi ta potrjuje, da se neprespanost zaradi nočnega dela povezuje s slabšim počutjem, utrujenostjo in zmanjšano delazmožnostjo.

Introduction: Kinesio Taping is rehabilitative technique used to facilitate the body's natural healing process while providing support and stability to muscles and joints, without restricting their range of motion. We conducted a thorough literature search and evaluation to clarify whether Kinesio Taping is effective in reducing lower back pain.

The evidence of nurse skill mix and job analysis is modest. Worldwide shortage of nurses and employing health care assistants (HCA) increases the need to develop a deep understanding of the impact of nurse skill mix on nurses' job characteristics. The growth in the employment of HCAs across the European Union Member States (EU) has occurred and identifying the mechanisms that can be affected by skill mix is of international interest.Nursing skill mix refers to the proportion of registered/general nurses (GN) to all nursing staff (Duffield et al., 2011). Besides three categories of nursing care personnel (GN, specialist nurse and advanced nurse practitioner), the European Federation of Nurses Associations describes the role of HCAs (EFN & EuropeanFederation of Nurses Association, 2017). HCAs provide direct personal care and assistance with activities of daily living to patients and residents in a variety of health care settings. HCAs generally work in implementation of established care plans and practices, and under the direct supervision of medical, nursing, or other health professionals or associate professionals (EFN, 2017;Schäfer et al., 2016). Their importance is growing as many countries face health workforce shortages (Fitzgerald et al., 2020). The premise is that fewer highly skilled professionals would result in lower costs of care (Aiken et al., 2017).

In recent years, due to several health care system reforms in different countries, an increased involuntary turnover rate of Chief Nurse Executives has been reported around the World. However, no data on their perceived experience of their dismissal have been documented up to now in the European context. Describing the experience of involuntarily dismissed Chief Nurse Executives was the main aim of this interpretative phenomenological study. Data were collected through face-to-face audiotaped interviews performed by involving a purposeful sample of 13 Chief Nurse Executives; data analysis was performed by using the QSR NVIVO 11 software. The Chief Nurse Executives’ experience of Being fired is characterized by three main themes: (1) “Health Care Institutions are places influenced by political turbulences”; (2) “My competence and presence in the arena is despised by a range of strategies”; and (3) “Transiting from darkness to light”. According to their experience, the reason for dismissal was due to changes in the political climate and the introduction of a new chief executive officer; moreover, Being fired caused a deep pain similar to that experienced during bereavement. In some socio-political contexts, the political climate can influence the role of a Chief Nurse Executive: political membership, whether implicit or explicit, is considered of great value. In other contexts, the Chief Nurse Executives’ value is based on professional competences and achieved outcomes. At times of changes in the political climate, the peculiarities of the specific socio-political context should be evaluated as to whether one should anticipate his/her resignation or not.

An integrative review of 21 studies found mixed results on the associations of work schedule and nurse fatigue. Suggestions for nurse leaders include monitoring fatigue in shift workers, ensuring supportive work design, promoting a healthy lifestyle, and implementing scheduling interventions.

Introduction: Obesity is associated with a number of chronic diseases. The research aimed to determine the effectiveness of nutrition assessment when using a comprehensive nutrition protocol at primary health service. Methods: A real life situation was analysed for the positive and negative factors in the newly formed comprehensive nutritional protocol. These factors were identified by a group decision-making and a SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Treats) and subsequently numerically evaluated with the Analytic Hierarchy Process method which included expert opinions. Results: According to experts, the most important factors justifying the introduction of the protocol in practice are "equal treatment for all subjects" and "precisely prepared manual", followed by "individual treatment" and "health status improvements". The two most important negative factors are "dependence on other professionals" and "subjects will not be able to follow the protocol". Discussion and conclusion: Expert opinions favour the introduction of nutrition protocol in clinical practice to ensure equal treatment of all subjects, and enhance obesity prevention with the accompanying detailed instructions. For this reason, further research should address the foundation of dietetic counselling services at the primary level of healthcare, so that physicians could refer obese people to individual nutritional therapy, which may reduce the prevalence of obesity.

Aims To identify the determinants of the quality of nursing care from the perceptions of nursing personnel. Background The quality of nursing care is often measured with standards, expectations, satisfaction and outcomes, but in developing countries, it relies mostly on negative indicators. Methods A descriptive qualitative study was used. Semi‐structured interviews based on the critical incident technique were conducted with a convenience sample of 136 nursing personnel who told 225 stories. Results Seven quality determinants of nursing care were identified as follows: standard of care, triage and assessment, emergency care, communication with the patient or family, communication with colleagues, multidisciplinary teamwork and helping colleagues. The most important one was the standard of care. Conclusion Quality nursing care is based on the degree of excellence nursing personnel show with regard to their competences in technical care, communication and teamwork. A key attribute of quality nursing care is defined by the related standards, and the focus is mostly on the nursing care process. Implications for nursing management These findings can increase awareness of the determinants of nursing quality and the qualities of the nursing personnel involved and can help managers to evaluate nursing practice, select new employees and organise teams.