Complexity science education for clinical nurse researchers

Exploring the impact of evaluation on learning and health innovation sustainability: protocol for a realist synthesis

BACKGROUND

Within the Learning Health System (LHS) model, learning routines, including evaluation, allow for continuous incremental change to take place. Within these learning routines, evaluation assists in problem identification, data collection, and data transformation into contextualized information, which is then re-applied to the LHS environment. Evaluation that catalyzes learning and improvement may also contribute to health innovation sustainability. However, there is little consensus as to why certain evaluations seem to support learning and sustainability, while others impede it. This realist synthesis seeks to understand the contextual factors and underlying mechanisms or drivers that best support health systems learning and sustainable innovation.

METHODS

This synthesis will be guided by Pawson and colleagues' 2005 and Emmel and colleagues' 2018 guidelines for conducting realist syntheses. The review process will encompass five steps: (1) scoping the review, (2) building theories, (3) identifying the evidence, (4) evidence selection and appraisal, and (5) data extraction and synthesis. An Expert Committee comprised of leaders in evaluation, innovation, sustainability, and realist methodology will guide this synthesis. Review findings will be reported using the RAMESES guidelines.

DISCUSSION

The use of a realist review will allow for exploration and theorizing about the contextual factors and underlying mechanisms that make evaluations 'work' (or 'not work') to support learning and sustainability. Depending on results, we will attempt to synthesize findings into a series of recommendations for evaluations with the intention to support health systems learning and sustainability. Finalized results will be presented at national and international conferences, as well as disseminated via a peer-reviewed publication.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

This realist synthesis protocol has been registered with PROSPERO ( https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/  ID 382690).

Mapping Health Professions Education: Using Complexity Science to Make Sense of Learning Through Electronic Consultations

Phenomena studied within health professions education are often complex and multifaceted. This article describes a complexity science-informed theoretical framework that was developed for exploring how electronic consultations support learning among primary care providers, as well as within the larger organizations or systems in which they practice. This framework enables researchers to investigate learning occurring simultaneously at multiple levels (including individuals and social groups), without simplistically conflating levels or theories. The various levels of learning and associated theories are illustrated using examples from electronic consultations. This complexity science-inspired framework can be used for studying learning in complex, multilayered systems.

A scoping review of the literature of interventions for enhancing nurses' resilience in acute care settings

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to identify and evaluate interventions shown to improve nurse resilience in the acute care settings.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The study was a systematically conducted scoping review of the literature. Databases including MEDLINE/PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Emerald insight and Google Scholar were searched and this complemented by reviews of the reference lists.

FINDINGS

In total, 13 papers were included in the review but there was limited evidence of the effectiveness of individual programs. The authors found that resilience training programs for individuals reviewed provided some evidence for the effectiveness of the training. However, the context of job design, work risks and leadership require attention.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

Resilience is an important requirement for nursing staff that helps to mitigate the stress of the working environment, particularly in the acute care setting. However, the managerial strategies required to build resilience are not well known or applied. The findings of this research may help to design cohesive and comprehensive management programs to promote and preserve nursing resilience in acute care settings. Any such program needs to reflect the four key themes that appear to underpin resilience: relationships, motivation, emotions and well-being.

Approaches of the systematization of nursing care, complexity and ontology in the professional practice of nurses

OBJECTIVE

To reflect on the approaches of the Systematization of Nursing Care, ontology and complex thinking in professional nursing practice.

METHOD

A reflective theoretical study grounded on the Complexity Theory of Edgar Morin and on the ontological principles of computational application which enables representing nursing concepts.

RESULTS

The paradigm of complexity breaks the linearity and expands the meaning of Systematization of Nursing Care, supporting a conceptualization of new entities and objectives, moving away from reductionism in work practice. Ontology is considered as a potential technology for creating a standardized language capable of representing the Systematization of Nursing Care from the perspective of complex thinking.

CONCLUSION

Ontology furthers the formal representation of Systematization of Nursing Care knowledge, creating strength in its identity, organization, and sharing its knowledge and information. Supporting the dissemination of common nursing vocabulary contributes to nurses' daily experience and decisions.

Newtonian science, complexity science and suicide-critically analysing the philosophical basis for suicide research: A discussion paper

AIM

A critical discussion comparing Newtonian science and complexity science as the philosophical basis for suicide research and its impact on suicide knowledge development and clinical practice.

DESIGN

Discussion paper.

DATA SOURCES

A review of literature on suicide research and complexity science ranging from 2000 to 2022.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

Suicide research based on a Newtonian worldview can have negative consequences for suicide knowledge development and can permeate nursing practice in ways that take away from addressing the complex needs of patients, their families and healthcare teams.

CONCLUSION

A Newtonian worldview as a philosophical basis for research is insufficient for the study of a phenomenon as complex as suicide. A complexity science approach is better suited to the study of suicide given the multiple, interrelated, emerging factors that can contribute to a person's decision to end their own life.

IMPACT

Suggestions are provided as to how a complexity science approach to the research of suicide can inform useful knowledge development that better meets the needs of individuals facing suicidality and their families. Researchers, healthcare administrators and nurses providing care to those struggling with suicidality can benefit from adopting a complexity science worldview in addressing this multifaceted phenomenon.

Aproximações entre sistematização da assistência de enfermagem, complexidade e ontologia na prática profissional do enfermeiro

RESUMO Objetivo: Refletir sobre as aproximações entre Sistematização da Assistência de Enfermagem, ontologia e pensamento complexo na prática profissional do enfermeiro. Método: Estudo teórico reflexivo fundamentado na Teoria da Complexidade de Edgar Morin e nos princípios ontológicos com aplicação computacional possíveis de representações conceituais na enfermagem. Resultados: O paradigma da complexidade rompe com a linearidade e amplia o significado da Sistematização da Assistência de Enfermagem, favorecendo a conceituação de novas entidades e objetivos, distanciando-se do reducionismo na prática laboral. Considera-se a ontologia como potencial tecnologia para criação de linguagem padronizada capaz de representar a Sistematização da Assistência de Enfermagem na perspectiva do pensamento complexo. Conclusão: A ontologia facilita a representação formal do conhecimento da Sistematização da Assistência de Enfermagem, gerando fortalecimento da sua identidade, organização, compartilhamento do conhecimento e informação. Aliada ao pensamento complexo, favorece a difusão de vocabulário comum à enfermagem, contribuindo na experiência e decisões dos enfermeiros.