Background

Nurse migration impacts global healthcare, which has a shortage of nurses, as many nurses move from lower-income to higher-income countries for better opportunities, working conditions, and salaries. Internationally educated nurses (IENs) have often been seen as a crucial solution to this issue. However, policies and regulations have been set in place to protect the public, including the recertification process and training to ensure educational comparability and competence. IENs’ contributions to the nursing workforce are significant, underscoring the importance of these policies and regulations.

Aim

The aim was to describe the demographic and social characteristics of IENs who had completed recertification for nurses’ licenses in Sweden and to compare these characteristics among those who completed recertification through the National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) or bridging programs.

Methods

A cross-sectional design using a survey and 818 questionnaires was sent to IENs with an identified postal address who had undergone the recertification process in Sweden. Of them, 296 (38%) were completed. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Fischer's exact tests, and independent sample t-tests.

Results

Most IENs who had participated in a bridging program were women, commonly aged between 31 and 40 years of age who had immigrated mainly from Asian or Middle Eastern countries for family-related reasons. The average time to obtain a nursing license was 5.9 years, starting from the year they immigrated until recertification. IENs who received recertification by the NBHW were significantly younger (p < .001), had been in Sweden for a shorter time (p < .001), and the time to license was shorter (p < .001). Significant differences were also shown for origin (p < .001) and reason for immigration (p < .001).

Conclusions

The findings can be used by decision-makers and authorities when developing higher education strategies for legalization and immigration policy to contribute to IENs’ career advancement opportunities.

This research projects study an ecosystem comprising public and private actors, along with supporting and regulating organization offering nature-based services to overcome health related issues such as mental illness, burnout and stress. These offerings are studied in a so-called quasi-market, where quality is not established by a public system but through a complex procurement process. The research project follows Eisenhardt (1989) theory development, model focusing on three dimensions: context (where), project governance processes (how), and the nature of project goals (what). The aim is to explore inter-organizational collaborative efforts to understand how goals and governance for procurement in quasi-markets could be specified. Our model verifies the movement of goals and governance processes within this ecosystem. Our paper offer evidence to distinguish between certainty and uncertainty, thereby contributing to development of more reliable estimates for future standards that can be used for estimating price and value of such services. Furthermore, we contribute with insights of health-based projects. The research question is: how inter-organizational collaborative efforts are fundamentally designed to handle dynamic (moving) goals and governance in the context of procurement within quasi-markets.

Despite overall improvements in general health, the prevalence of mental illness continues to rise, underscoring the need for innovative approaches to health promotion. This study examines how purpose-driven small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) design and develop nature-based interventions (NBIs) as social innovations to promote mental health. Using a case study approach, the research draws on data from workshops, semi-structured interviews, and expert stakeholder discussions involving 28 SME practitioners, eight public actors from social and healthcare sectors, nine entrepreneurs, and four experienced stakeholders. The analysis reveals that the successful development of NBIs depends on five core dimensions: accessibility, acceptance, affordability, meaningfulness, and knowledge. In addition, the study identifies a range of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that SMEs encounter when navigating the complex landscape of NBI implementation. The findings highlight the potential of NBIs to complement traditional healthcare by fostering empowerment and supporting tailored recovery, while also offering strategic insights into the collaboration required for sustainable social innovation.

Aims and Objectives

With the expanding older population, the demand for home-based aged care is increasing. While home care presents challenges, it also offers opportunities to transform aged care practices. This study, grounded in caring science and lifeworld philosophy, explores the meaning of the relationship between older women and registered nurses.

Methods

Individual interviews were conducted with 11 women receiving home care, and a focus group was held with registered nurses working in the same setting. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

The relationship between older women and registered nurses resembles a tapestry of emotional and physical connections, shaped by the women's vulnerability due to their dependence on care. Despite this, the women strove to be recognised as resilient and capable individuals.

Conclusion

This study highlights the evolving relationship between older women and registered nurses in home care, shaped by the interplay of vulnerability and resilience. It offers insights into the relational dynamics in home-based aged care and emphasises the importance of presence, attentiveness, and the recognition of the home as integral to the caring relationship.

Background

To aid in the recertification and integration process of internationally educated nurses (IENs), many countries have organized bridging programs to provide support and education and align their knowledge and competence with local requirements. The importance and relevance of these programs for IENs are highlighted in related research. However, the experiences of university teachers, supervisors in clinical placement, and administrators organizing these programs are scarcely explored. The aim of this article is to explore the experiences of professional educators engaged in bridging programs at two universities in Sweden.

Methods

A descriptive qualitative approach was employed. The data were collected between December 2021 and March 2023 through semi-structured interviews with 15 educators involved in bridging programs at two universities in Sweden. The participants included university teachers, administrators, and supervisors in clinical placement. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Findings

The thematic analysis identified two main themes: (1) teaching a heterogeneous group of students and (2) organizational constraints of bridging programs. In relation to the first main theme, three subthemes were identified: educational and professional heterogeneity of IENs, varying language competencies of IENs and finding new approaches to teaching IENs. For the second main theme, three sub-themes were identified: compressed time in bridging programs, lack of resources for a time-consuming education and bridging programs as competition for resources.

Conclusions

This study contributes to the understanding of the challenges associated with the recertification process of IENs through bridging programs from the perspective of educators. The findings highlight that educating a heterogeneous group of students, such as internationally educated nurses with differences in professional experience, knowledge and local language competencies, is time-consuming. Educators need to learn about the level of knowledge of the student group and individual learning needs and adapt the instructions accordingly, which is constrained by the organization of the programs. The findings also indicate that educators can find ways to mitigate these challenges and adapt their instructions to meet the needs of students. Therefore, it is important to allocate time and resources to running bridging programs and to support the cooperation and exchange of information between universities and clinics. We also suggest the need to increase the competency level of educators on how to support learning through a second language and enhancing collaboration with language instructors to ensure high-quality education for IENs.

Aim: To elucidate the meaning of being a close relative of a critically ill person cared for in intensive care during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design: A narrative inquiry design following the COREQ guidelines.

Methods: Individual interviews with fifteen close relatives of patients critically ill with COVID-19 were analysed using phenomenological hermeneutics.

Results: The surreal existence of not being allowed to be near was emotionally difficult. While distancing due to restrictions was challenging, physicians' phone calls served as a connection to their relatives and brought a sense of security. Keeping notes helped them remember what happened and brought order to a chaotic situation.

Conclusion: Close relatives feel secure when they receive regular information about their critically ill relative, not just when their condition worsens. They wish to be physically near to their critically ill person; when this is impossible, digital technology can provide support, but further accessibility developments are needed.

Introduction: Studies of older women’s life transitions is rare but gains relevance as the aging population, with older women as the majority, expands.

Purpose: To explore the meaning of a good life for older widows with extensive home care needs.

Materials and methods: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with eleven women, aged 80 and over (82–95 years, mean 90) residing at home with extensive care needs (≥4 daily sessions, averaging 2.5–6 hours, mean 3). Data were analysed by reflexive thematic analysis.

Results: The theme “This Day in My Home, the frame of my life” reflects the women’s experience of a good life. A good day imbued them with hope, trust and security, carrying them forward with the assurance that night would usher in a new day. However, there were moments when life was merely about navigating daily challenges. During such days, the women felt trapped in time, unsafe and lonely.

Conclusion: A day at home may seem static, yet it mirrors life’s dynamism, evolving with shifting circumstances. Older widows navigate challenges while maintaining their sense of self, independence, and connection to home. These findings have implications for aged care, recognizing the multifaceted aspects of life and the centrality of home.

IntroductionBeing critically ill in need of intensive care, lead to a challenging way back after survival, so also for survivors of COVID-19. The process to recovery can be long.ObjectivesThe aim of our qualitative study was to elucidate meanings of recovery for people who were once critically ill with COVID-19.MethodWe conducted qualitative individual interviews with 13 individuals who had been critically ill with COVID-19, following a narrative approach. The data collected from the interviews, were analyzed according to phenomenological hermeneutic interpretation.ResultsThe participants, although feeling alone in the process of recovery, had willpower to return to normal life but struggled to keep pace with others. They strived for balance in everyday life and to regain strength despite being exhausted after having COVID-19. The participants were grateful for their survival but displayed a need to understand what had happened. They longed for social contact, expressed feelings of abandonment, and wished for follow-up dialogues with healthcare professionals to better understand their situation. However, because support from healthcare was insufficient, the participants ultimately needed to develop their own strategies to cope with their questions, fears, and weakness.ConclusionMeanings of recovery for people once critically ill with COVID-19, is to strive for balance in everyday life. In their recovery process, healthcare professionals should seek to understand what the illness means for the ill person, and in mutual understanding support them based on their needs.

Stress-related illness is a common and increasing cause for sick leave in Sweden. Spending time in nature reduces stress and promotes health and well-being. Accordingly, nature-based interventions (NBI) for people with stress-related illness have been developed and implemented in southern Scandinavia; however, such interventions are uncommon in the Circumpolar North. Previous studies have examined the effects and experiences of participating in NBI, but research about different stakeholders’ perspectives on NBI is lacking. The aim of this study was to explore different key stakeholders’ perceptions of the value of NBI in promoting health in people with stress-related illness. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 11 persons with stress-related illness experience, 14 healthcare professionals, and 11 entrepreneurs offering NBI. Qualitative content analysis resulted in four categories: Providing opportunity for recovery, Offering new perspectives and opportunity for reflection, Empowering balance and control in life, and Enabling one to overcome barriers. Although the study was conducted in a region where NBI is not widely implemented, the different stakeholders expressed similar perceptions of the value of NBI, indicating that NBI may be a valuable complement to health care which reaches people with stress-related illness needs and promotes their health.