Developing digital competencies of nursing professionals in continuing education and training - a scoping review.

Introduction: The German health and care system is transforming due to advancing digitalization. New technological applications in nursing, such as social and assistance robotics, artificial intelligence and legal framework conditions are increasingly focused in numerous research projects. However, the approaches to digitalization in nursing are very different. When integrating technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence into nursing, it is particularly important to ensure that ethical and human aspects are taken into account. A structured classification of the development of digitalization in nursing care is currently hardly possible. In order to be able to adequately deal with this digital transformation, the acquisition of digital competences in nursing education programs is pivotal. These include the confident, critical and creative use of information and communication technologies in a private and professional context. This paper focuses on the question which specific training offers already exist at national and international level for nursing professions to acquire digital competences. Methods: A scoping review according to the PRISMA scheme was conducted in the PubMed and CINAHL databases. The search period for the scoping review extended from 2017 to 2024. Results: The selection of the studies took place by inclusion and exclusion criteria and the content-related orientation of the publications. After reviewing the titles and abstracts, eight studies were included. Of these, four were published in German-speaking countries and another four in international English-language journals. Discussion: The topic of digitization of the nursing professions and the question of how nurses can acquire digital competences is gaining international attention. Nevertheless, the research on explicit continuing education programs for nursing professions is still undifferentiated. No specific continuing education offer for the development of digital competences of nursing professionals was identified. Many authors remained at the meta-level when developing methodological concepts for the acquisition of digital competences. The systematic integration of digitalization into higher education and continuing vocational training is mentioned in the publications. The development of theory- and research-based educational frameworks, which can be used as a basis for curricula in nursing studies and continuing education, is highly recommendable.

Sustainable integration of digitalisation in nursing education-an international scoping review.

Introduction: Trainees and teachers at nursing schools as well as nursing professionals are increasingly facing new challenges as a result of the digital transformation. Opportunities for the entire care system exist in the improvement of care quality and communication between those involved. However, this change also harbours risks, such as the use of immature digital applications in the care sector, data theft and industrial espionage. In order to be able to exploit the potential of digitalisation despite these risks, it is necessary to integrate relevant aspects such as digital skills into nursing training. The aim of this study is to investigate the extent to which the sustainable integration of digitalisation in nursing education is discussed. Methods: The methods of the systematic literature and database search were carried out in the form of a scoping review according to the PRISMA scheme. The PubMed and CINAHL databases were used for this purpose. The search period covered the years 2017-2023. Findings: After screening the titles and abstracts using inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 studies were included in the synthesis of findings. The international literature focuses on content areas that highlight trends in digitalisation-related training in nursing. These focal points include concept development, considering the heterogeneity of demand constellations, as well as the reflexive reorientation of existing competences, whereby the technological competence of teachers is not disregarded. Other focal points relate to the initiation of digital skills in training and maintaining the employability of older nursing staff through professional development. Discussion: The literature research shows that there is a rudimentary discussion about digitalisation and curricular developments in nursing training in an international context, while the discourse in the German-language literature is less advanced. Among the sustainability desiderata derived from the literature is the involvement of nursing professionals in the development, testing and implementation of digital technologies. Only through active cooperation between nursing professionals and nursing sciences can the topic of digitalisation be integrated into the education and training of professional nursing in a targeted and future-oriented manner, whereby the focus should always be on the ability to deal with digital technologies and the associated change.

[Digital care beds in long-term care-Support, relief for caregivers or just illusion? An ethnographic explorative study]. / Digitale Pflegebetten in der Langzeitpflege ­ Unterstützung, Entlastung für Pflegende oder nur Illusion? Eine ethnografisch-explorative Studie.

BACKGROUND: The digitalization of care items, in this case the care bed, is a logical consequence of the general shortage of personnel and resources in professional care and an increase in the number of very old people in need of long-term care. Sensors integrated into the nursing bed, interfaces for data transmission and connection to a monitoring system are generated for moments of support and relief for professional nurses and to increase the nursing outcome. Accompanying nursing research examines the implementation of 97 digital care beds in a long-term care facility for old people. METHOD: Mixed methods research approach over 24 months RESULTS: The lack or implementation of a consistent care process, unfavorable accompanying circumstances, interdependent contextual factors and an insufficient implementation management have a negative impact on the implementation and integration of the digital care beds into the care routines. CONCLUSION: For a successful implementation of digital assistance systems (dAS), they have to be considered in the care process besides a reliable technical connection. Furthermore, an implementation management as well as the review and adaptation of all relevant context factors are required.

[Compatibility of occupation with nursing relatives in small and medium-sized businesses : Results of an explorative study in a "rural urban" center in eastern Lower Saxony]. / Vereinbarkeit von Berufstätigkeit und Angehörigenpflege in kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen : Ergebnisse einer explorativen Studie in einem "rural-urbanen" Zentrum im Osten Niedersachsens.

In view of the increasing duties of employees as caregivers for relatives, questions arise concerning the compatibility of work and caregiving in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises. The aim of this exploratory study was to give first insights into this issue whereby the related perceptions and needs of this group were investigated. The research included semi-structured interviews with company executives and two workshops with employees according to the photovoice method. The results showed that the enterprises preferred informal in contrast to formal arrangements. Also, they did not have any knowledge concerning the care-related needs of their employees. The chief executive officers showed a highly superficial awareness of this problem. On the employees side the organizational efforts to maintain the care arrangement at home were articulated as a main issue, which could be supported by flexible working time regulations; however, in the current practice this was granted by the employers at the expense of their employees.