Patients' and nurses' experiences of fundamental nursing care: A systematic review and qualitative synthesis.
Claire Pentecost, Julia Frost, Holly V R Sugg and 3 others
PMID 31661591WHAT IT FOUND
Nurses and patients described clear leadership, involving patients in choices, and organisational support as central to fundamental care for hygiene, mobility, toileting and eating.
Key findings
01The synthesis identified three themes about high-quality fundamental care: nurse leadership, partnerships with patients and organisational practices.
02The synthesis found support for involving patients in their own care and offering assistance only when needed.
03Only 16 of 47 included qualitative studies were rated high quality enough to contribute to the synthesis.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review synthesised experiences and implementation reports, so it cannot show that any nursing behaviour improves patient outcomes. Most included papers were rated low quality, and only a subset was used for the synthesis. The studies were collected in specific hospital and care-home settings, and many patients had particular conditions, so the themes may not fit all patients. Few primary studies examined how specific nursing behaviours affected patients' experiences, and no evidence was reported about usual toileting preferences. No included study reported patient and public involvement.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that leadership, patient partnership or organisational changes improve patient outcomes. The review synthesised experiences and implementation reports, not tested interventions.