Advanced practice nursing roles in Arab countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this review were to map and summarize evidence regarding advanced practice nursing roles in Arab countries located in the Eastern Mediterranean region. INTRODUCTION: Many countries have reported an increase in the number and types of advanced practice nursing roles as research demonstrating their positive impact on patient and health system outcomes continues to accumulate. There is international evidence that the achievement of these outcomes depends on the effective implementation of advanced practice nursing roles at the organizational and country levels. A comprehensive review of the status of advanced practice nursing role implementation in Arab countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region has not been conducted. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Eligible studies included advanced practice nursing roles (including, but not limited to, nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists) in Arab countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Studies were considered if they focused on role development, titles, entry-level education, regulation and scope of practice, and facilitators and barriers to role implementation. METHODS: A comprehensive systematic search was completed for both published and non-published literature. The databases searched included CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Nursing and Allied Health Database, and Scopus. Gray literature was searched using websites such as Google Scholar, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, International Council of Nurses, World Health Organization regional office for the Eastern Mediterranean region, and websites of nursing associations and Ministries of Health in Arab countries. The search included literature published in Arabic and English from the inception of the databases to August 2020. RESULTS: A total of 35 articles were included, the majority (n = 24) of which were published from 2010 onward. Ten of the included studies were empirical research papers that used qualitative and quantitative research designs. Advanced practice nursing role development is still in its infancy in most of the Arab countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region and can be described as slowly and steadily evolving. The main driving forces for the implementation of the roles in this region included a shortage of physicians both in number and specialties, the emergence of chronic diseases due to lifestyle changes, the desire to have more cost-effective primary care, and to advance nursing as a profession. Clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners are the most common titles for the advanced nursing roles practiced in the region. Some advanced practice nursing roles stipulated a master's degree as a minimum requirement, while others required a 12-month in-house training program. Oman is the only Arab country that authorizes nurse practitioners to prescribe pre-set medications. The common barriers to advanced practice nursing role implementation included a lack of recognition of roles at national levels, role ambiguity, lack of clear scope of practice, resistance from male physicians, low involvement of nurses in policy-making, and low status of nursing as a profession. CONCLUSION: The successful implementation and sustainment of advanced practice nursing roles in Arab countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region requires foundational work, including development of definitions, educational standards, regulations, and a clear scope of practice. SCOPING REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/wyj8a.

Assistive technologies that support social interaction in long-term care homes: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review was to chart the literature on assistive technologies (excluding robots) that support social interaction of older adults in long-term care homes, and to advance a definition of socially assistive technologies. INTRODUCTION: Loneliness and social isolation have adverse effects on the health and well-being of older adults. Many long-term care homes provide recreational programming intended to entertain or distract residents, yet the evidence of their effectiveness is limited. Absent from the literature are comprehensive reviews of assistive technologies (other than robots) that are used to support social interaction in long-term care homes. INCLUSION CRITERIA: The review considered research studies as well as gray literature that included older adults (≥65 years) living in long-term care homes. The concept of interest was the use of assistive technologies (excluding robots) that support social interaction in long-term care homes. METHODS: The databases were searched on June 26, 2019, and included CINAHL Full Text (EBSCO), MEDLINE (Ovid), PsycINFO (EBSCO), Sociological Abstracts (ProQuest), Embase (Elsevier), and Web of Science (Clarivate). The search for gray literature was conducted in ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Databases and across 11 websites during September and October 2019. The recommended JBI approach to study selection, data extraction, and data synthesis was used. RESULTS: Twenty-five articles were included in this review, with comparable numbers of quantitative (n = 6), qualitative (n = 9), and mixed methods (n = 7) studies, with the remaining articles employing non-empirical designs (n = 3). Technologies were categorized as low (easily recognizable to everyone), medium (more electronics), or high (involves internet). Two studies reported on low-assistive technologies, including videotapes and the telephone. Medium-assistive technologies were identified in nine studies and included videophones; Nintendo Wii; tablet-based games; picture- and video-viewing tools; and CRDL (pronounced "cradle"), a special instrument that translates touch into sound. More than half (n = 14) of the included articles utilized high-assistive technologies, such as computer labs/kiosks, tablet-based applications, social media (eg, Facebook), videoconferencing, and multi-functional systems. Five studies measured whether assistive technologies had an impact on the quantity of long-term care residents' social interaction levels. Qualitative themes were related to residents' social connections and experiences after using various technologies. Four studies systematically incorporated a framework/model, and Social Structuration Theory was considered the most comprehensive. In the absence of a definition of socially assistive technologies, the definition advanced from this review is as follows: Socially assistive technologies are user-appropriate devices and tools that enable real-time connectivity to enhance social interaction. CONCLUSIONS: Included literature reported the benefits of technology use, with considerable variability in engagement and no cost estimates. We recommend that future research continue to advance our definition of socially assistive technologies, make promising assistive technologies available in long-term care homes after studies are completed, report the costs of assistive technologies, and include participants with dementia and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Advanced practice nursing roles in Arab countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region: a scoping review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to explore and synthesize evidence regarding the advanced practice nursing roles in Arab countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region. INTRODUCTION: Many countries have witnessed an increase in the number and types of advanced practice nursing roles. The literature has documented many positive patient outcomes associated with care provided by advanced practice nurses. The International Council of Nurses claims that advanced practice nursing is country-sensitive. Despite the availability of international literature that explores advanced practice nursing roles globally, little attention has been given to advanced practice nursing roles in Arab countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region. INCLUSION CRITERIA: This review will consider studies related to advanced practice nursing roles, such as the historical development, role title, regulations, entry level education, role implementation, and outcomes, in Arab countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region. METHODS: A comprehensive systematic search will be completed for both published and non-published literature using CINAHL (EBSCO), PubMed (NLM), PsycINFO, Embase (Elsevier), Nursing and Allied Health (ProQuest), Scopus (Elsevier), and websites such as Google Scholar, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, International Council of Nurses' Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nursing Network, World Health Organization regional office for the Eastern Mediterranean, and nursing associations and ministries of health in Arab countries. The search will include literature published in Arabic and English, from the inception of databases to present.

Access and use of sexual and reproductive health services among resettled refugee and refugee-claimant women in high-income countries: a scoping review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review is to understand access to and use of sexual and reproductive health services among resettled refugees and refugee-claimant women in high-income countries. INTRODUCTION: Sexual and reproductive health is a critical component of women's well-being and quality of life. Refugee and refugee-claimant women have demonstrated a lower level of sexual health knowledge and reduced usage of sexual and reproductive health services after resettling in high-income countries. This has led to negative outcomes among resettled refugee populations, including unwanted pregnancies and abortion, lower than recommended rates of cervical cancer screening, high rates of sexually transmitted infections, and non-consensual sex. Despite these negative outcomes, no review has been conducted to understand access to and use of sexual and reproductive health services among resettled refugee women in high-income countries. INCLUSION CRITERIA: This scoping review will seek to identify studies that describe access to and use of sexual and reproductive health services among refugee and refugee-claimant women who have resettled in a high-income country. Evidence from qualitative, quantitative, mixed method studies, and gray literature will be included. METHODS: This review will be conducted in accordance with JBI methodology for scoping reviews. A comprehensive search strategy, developed with a librarian scientist, will be used to identify relevant sources. Titles, abstracts, and full texts will be evaluated against inclusion criteria. Information will be extracted by two independent reviewers using a screening tool. Data will be synthesized and presented narratively, with tables and figures where appropriate.

Assistive technologies that support social interaction in long-term care homes: a scoping review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this scoping review is to chart the literature on assistive technologies that support social interaction (excluding robots) used with older adults in long-term care (LTC). INTRODUCTION: The need for LTC in institutional settings is in high demand. Loneliness and social isolation are common in these settings. Technology holds potential to contribute to mitigation of loneliness. As there are no systematic reviews examining forms of assistive technologies to support social interaction other than robots, used within LTC settings, there is a need to categorize the current research regarding such technologies to inform practice, policy and any need for further research. INCLUSION CRITERIA: The review will consider studies based in LTC institutional settings with participants (≥65 years), institutional staff and visiting family members METHODS:: The JBI methodology for scoping reviews will be employed. This includes a three-step search strategy: i) identify keywords from CINAHL and PsycINFO, ii) conduct a second search using all identified keywords across select databases, and iii) screen the reference lists of all included articles and reports for additional studies. Titles and abstracts will be screened by two independent reviewers. Full text of selected citations will be assessed against inclusion criteria by two independent reviewers. A data extraction tool will be used, and extracted data will be presented in a narrative accompanied by diagrams or tables that reflect the objective of the review.

Embodying Caring Science as Islamic Philosophy of Care: Implications for Nursing Practice.

Despite the diversity and complexity of nursing theories, including those embedded with a philosophy of caring, few if any have aligned their assumptions with an Islamic philosophy of caring. To do so would call into question the compatibility of such caring for some Muslim scholars. The purpose of this article is to understand how and why an Islamic philosophy of care can be taken up through an application of Watson's caring science. In doing so, a broader understanding of caring is provided for nurses and other health care providers who work with Muslim communities in the context of care provision.