Högskolan i Skövde

Introduction: Health-promoting telephone counselling is a growing but underexplored area of nursing, where district nurses (telenurses) play a key role in supporting patients' health and autonomy without physical presence. While this form of care is widespread, time constraints, emotional strain, and system limitations may challenge telenurses' ability to create meaningful, person-centred encounters. Gaining insight into how telenurses experience health-promoting interactions is essential for improving care quality and support systems. This study contributes new knowledge by exploring the lived experiences of telenurses in such encounters, offering perspectives that can inform education, policy, and practice development.

Aim: The study aim was to describe health-promoting encounters with patients in telephone counselling as experienced by telenurses.

Methods: A qualitative, phenomenological interview study, grounded in a Reflective Lifeworld Research approach, was conducted with 12 participants in western Sweden.

Findings: The findings comprise one key essence with three constituents. The essence of the phenomenon of health-promoting encounters with patients in telephone counselling as experienced by telenurses involves a moment of confirmation and the creation of a sense of security for the patient. The phenomenon is further described with all its variations and nuances through its three constituents: creation of mutual understanding and meaningfulness, attentiveness to patients in their context, and a calm conversation without stress.

Conclusion: The results in this study reveal that telenurses have an intention to create mutual understanding and a sense of security to achieve meaningfulness in the encounter with patients. Confirming the patient through attentive listening and being present in the encounter facilitates a holistic perspective based on the patient as a whole, which is in accordance with a person-centred approach. The results in this study contribute to knowledge in the area of health-promoting encounters with patients in telephone counselling, a topic with limited research.

Background: Young transgender persons who attend school are especially exposed to harassment, bullying, discrimination and violence in the school environment, experiencing an increased sense of mental and physical ill-health. School nurses work health promoting in schools and therefore have a unique opportunity to promote health among transgender students. There is however limited research on school nurses’ experiences of working with transgender students.

Aim: To illuminate school nurses’ experiences of interacting with and supporting students with transgender experiences.

Method: An inductive qualitative study with data collected through eight semi-structured interviews, analyzed through an inductive qualitative content analysis according to Graneheim and Lundman. The analysis was on the manifest level, where the steps were conducted in discussion within the research group to reach consensus through each step to ensure their connection to the aim. The analysis resulted in the findings, which is presented in two main categories with three sub-categories each.

Findings: The school nurses supported the students with trans experiences through conversations during the health dialogues, building a trusting relationship with the students, and by being a spokesperson and for the students, with other students, teachers and parents. The school nurses also experienced uncertainty in which was the proper actions to support the students with transgender experiences and feared acting wrongly and therefore not supporting the students adequately or even harming students.

Conclusions: The school nurses’ role in meeting these students is complex, where the school nurse work to build relationships with the students, but lack knowledge and tools. The lack of support and knowledge creates an ambivalence in how to best support these students, placing the school nurse before ethical dilemmas. The school nurses found support in the collaboration with the school counselor, as were the youth health clinics. School nurses should therefore, besides added education, be provided with arenas to discuss ethical dilemmas surrounding gender identity with other professionals who work in the school environment, or with adolescents.

SYFTE Att beskriva skolsköterskors erfarenhet av att möta elever med transerfarenhet.

BAKGRUND Allt fler barn och ungdomar upplever könsdysfori och osäkerhet över sin könsidentitet. Skolan är en betydelsefull arena där barn och unga spenderar stor del av sin vardag. Elever med transerfarenhet är i högre grad utsatta för mobbing och har högre risk för psykisk och fysisk ohälsa. Skolsköterskor har en central roll i att stödja elever med transerfarenhet.  

METOD Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med åtta skolsköterskor på högstadium och gymnasium. Intervjuerna analyserades enligt kvalitativ innehållsanalys.

RESULTAT Skolsköterskorna betonade betydelsen av tillit i mötet mellan elev och skolsköterska, för att skapa en trygg dialog kring trans- och könsidentitet. Det finns en stark vilja stödja elever med transerfarenhet samtidigt som utmaningar som bristande kunskap och ambivalens kring det stöd och vård som erbjuds till barn och unga. Skolsköterskorna uttryckte en oro över att eleven i framtiden skulle ångra sina beslut. En genomgående känsla av osäkerhet och rädsla för att göra fel beskrevs av skolsköterskorna, vilket kunde leda till att elever med transerfarenhet inte alltid fick stöd. 

SLUTSATS Det förekommer en brist på både kunskap och stödjande verktyg samt riktlinjer för skolsköterskor. Vilket medför att skolsköterskor känner osäkerhet i mötet och i att stödja elever med transerfarenhet. Trots detta framhålls det som avgörande att erbjuda ett respektfullt och bekräftande bemötande för att skapa en trygg miljö för dessa elever.

Background

Newly graduated healthcare and social work professionals can experience stress and a perceived lack of competence when transitioning from academia to clinical practice, which can lead to health problems or leaving the profession. Globally, creating healthy workplaces remains a challenge. The aim of this study, which had a salutogenic approach, was to explore health-promoting resources and workplace experiences among newly graduated healthcare and social work professionals.

Methods

This multicenter cross-sectional study included Swedish healthcare and social work professionals in their second year after graduation, recruited from six universities. Data were collected in March 2023 via a self-reported, web-based survey using validated instruments: the salutogenically oriented 13-item Sense of Coherence (SOC) Scale, the Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale (SHIS), and the 32-item Work Experience Measurement Scale (WEMS), along with questions on health, well-being, lifestyle and social factors at work, including three from the General Nordic Questionnaire (QPSNordic). Data were analyzed in SPSS 28 with nonparametric tests and Spearman correlations.

Results

A total of 115 newly graduated healthcare and social work professionals completed the questionnaire. The results indicated that those who expressed they were sure to stay in the profession reported a higher total WEMS score (p < 0.001), as well as higher scores in five out of six dimensions: supportive working conditions (p < 0.001), internal work experience (p < 0.001), autonomy (p < 0.001), time experience (p = 0.006), and management (p = 0.029). Participants who rated their well-being as good scored higher in supportive working conditions (p = 0.025) and the change process (p = 0.008). Those living with children reported higher internal work experience scores (p = 0.019).

The results revealed positive and medium-strong to strong correlations between WEMS, SHIS, and SOC total scores. Specifically, there were medium-strong correlations between SHIS and SOC and two dimensions of WEMS: supportive working conditions and time experience, and between SHIS and the change process dimension.

Conclusions

This study highlights the importance of salutogenic resources in supporting newly graduated professionals. Factors such as supportive working conditions, autonomy, and internal work experience were linked to well-being and intention to stay in the profession. Understanding these factors can inform workplace interventions to promote retention and health in early career stages.

Integrating an interactive learning module (ILM) focused on intimate partner violence (IPV) in nursing education positively influenced students' learning experiences. The ILM helped students recognize that caring for persons exposed to IPV requires understanding and knowing of the interpersonal nature of the subject IPV. Developing learning objectives anchored in knowledge objectives using a variation of learning didactic such as those in the ILM, is a feasible pedagogial approach for higher healthcare educators.

Background: Trait emotional intelligence (EI) is often assessed using the 30-item Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF). However, previous research using item response theory (IRT) modelling has identified several underperforming items. This study aimed to psychometrically evaluate, refine, and optimize the TEIQue-SF using IRT, with the goals of identifying and eliminating underperforming items, and examining whether items in the refined version function differently across sexes. Furthermore, the study sought to further validate the Swedish version of the TEIQue-SF.

Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed 845 first-year students aged 19–59 (87% women) from seven healthcare and social work programs across six universities in southern Sweden. Participants completed the TEIQue-SF and health-related measures for convergent validity. IRT modeling employed the Graded Response Model (GRM) using the 2-Parameter Logistic Model in IRT for Patient-Reported Outcomes (IRTPRO). Marginal reliability and differential item functioning (DIF) were assessed with IRT, internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha and mean inter-item correlations, and validity through evaluating Direct Discrepancy Dynamic fit index (DDDFI) and bivariate correlations.

Results: The IRT modeling identified underperforming items, leading to a refined 12-item TEIQue-SF that effectively captures trait EI with high-quality items. The item selection process is detailed and supplemented. The shortened measure showed a strong correlation with the original (r = .94), demonstrated good reliability, and exhibited uniform DIF for only one item (Item 15). A comparison of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model fit statistics using the DDDFI indicated a fair fit for the TEIQue-SF. Consistent with previous research on the TEIQue-SF, both 30-item and 12 item versions demonstrated strong convergent validity with health-related measures within the Swedish context.

Conclusions: The 12-item TEIQue-SF is a brief, precise, and valid measure for assessing trait EI while preserving its global conceptual structure. IRT modeling and validity testing against health-related measures confirm that 12-item TEIQue-SF effectively captures trait EI.

Background: Adolescence represents a critical developmental stage with significant implications for long-term health and wellbeing. As this period increasingly takes place within digital environments, concerns regarding adolescent mental health have intensified. Students enrolled in the Introductory Programs (IM) in upper secondary school constitute a particularly vulnerable population, exhibiting heightened risks for mental health challenges and potential future social exclusion. These factors make IM students a key population for targeted mental health promotion efforts, yet little is known about how they perceive such initiatives or what they hope to gain from participation. Accordingly, this study aimed to describe the expectations of IM students regarding the implementation of On the Inside in relation to their mental health.

Methods: This study employed a qualitative design guided by reflexive thematic analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured individual and focus group interviews with 17 students enrolled in IM programs. The interviews were conducted at the outset of the mental health interactive program On the Inside.

Results: Analysis yielded four themes: Establishing a balanced lifestyle as a foundation for growth; Finding focus and connection beyond the screen; Seeing yourself and others more clearly; and Building self-esteem through awareness and agency. These themes illustrate participants' perceptions of On the Inside as a valuable opportunity for personal reflection, emotional development, and intentional behavioral change aimed at enhancing mental wellbeing.

Conclusion: The findings highlight students' aspirations for increased self-awareness and alignment between their inner experiences and external lives, including their emotional needs, personal values, and life goals. Moreover, the study underscores the relevance of fostering healthier digital habits among adolescents to support mental wellbeing and positive development. These insights may inform the development and implementation of future mental health interventions targeting vulnerable youth populations.

School health services (SHSs) and school nurses play a crucial role in identifying and supporting students with mental illness. The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) can facilitate interorganizational collaboration in this context. Due to the limited research in this area, a scoping review was conducted to explore SHSs’ use of ICT in interorganization collaboration regarding students with mental illness. Six articles were reviewed, revealing three key themes: “types of ICT employed by SHSs in interorganizational collaboration,” “constellation of SHSs in interorganizational collaboration,” and “opportunities and challenges for SHSs using ICT in interorganizational collaboration.” Notably, two of the six articles highlighted the absence of school nurses in interorganizational collaboration. Even though ICT plays a crucial role in interorganizational collaboration, no comprehensive solution was found. This scoping review confirms that there are challenges with operability and regulations that govern the exchange of private information between organizations.

Background and Aim

The transition to motherhood is a life-changing period with dilemmas relating to meaning and relationships. These experiences are described as individual and can be related to existential questions and relationships with family and others, as well as whether healthcare professionals, when meeting with becoming mothers, miss promoting existential aspects. This study aimed to illuminate the meaning of becoming a mother during the transition to motherhood.

Methodological Design

The study used an explorative design with a phenomenological hermeneutic approach. Data were collected through open-ended interviews with 22 mothers, eight of whom were pregnant at the time of the interview.

Results

The meaning of becoming a mother was experienced as being profoundly touched and changed. By a sense of belonging and being present in the moment, mothers open up to the possibility of being profoundly emotionally affected, which is understood as essential to their meaning of becoming a mother.

Conclusion

This study reveals that mothers experience intense emotions that can make them vulnerable and open to change, which seems to promote their development of themselves.

Background: Multiple studies have shown that healthcare professionals often feel uncertain about when to inquire about intimate partner violence (IPV), the appropriate methods for doing so, and how to respond to the answers. Virtual patient (VP) cases are an interactive educational tool that can be effective for learning and training clinical reasoning skills. However, there is a lack of research on the use of VP in psychiatry education. This study aimed to investigate nursing students' experiences of using a VP as part of an educational module, integrated into their foundational training on IPV during their nursing education.

Methods: The study employed a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative data. Participants (N = 62) completed an interactive educational module on IPV, in three consecutive parts: (a) a web-based education on IPV, (b) training with a VP, and (c) a seminar for follow-up discussions.

Results: The VP platform was considered user-friendly and easy to navigate, although some participants found the instructions challenging. Participants perceived the VP as beneficial for learning about IPV and for practicing interactive patient dialogues. They appreciated the rich set of questions and the feedback provided, both by the experts in the field of IVP and by the VP itself. However, some participants noted that interacting with a VP on a screen was less emotional compared to real human interactions.

Conclusion: The interactive educational module, integrated into the regular nursing program, was positively received by the students. Overall, the VP was considered beneficial for learning about IPV, easy to navigate, and provided a valuable opportunity for practice.