Digital competence of faculty members in health sciences measured self-reflection: current status and contextual aspects.

This descriptive study aims to determine the digital competence level of faculty members who teach in the health sciences, empirically considering possible contextual aspects. Two data collection instruments were used: a self-reflection questionnaire to assess digital competence, and a survey querying demographics and aspects of teaching and learning context. In total, 306 health sciences faculty members from six universities voluntarily participated the study.

Perceptions of Stress and Engagement in High-Intensity Caregiving: A Cross-Sectional Study in Lithuania.

The aging population and overstretched healthcare systems are increasing demand for home nursing by informal caregivers, significantly affecting their mental health. This study aimed to examine the level of population's engagement in caregiving and the association between high-intensity caregiving and perceived caregiving stress in the general population of Lithuania. A nationally representative sample (N = 1000) of Lithuanian residents aged 18 years and older (mean age 53.

Nursing students' attitudes and beliefs towards addressing sexual health: A multicentre study and latent class analysis.

Background: To provide competent and respectful sexual health care, a critical and comprehensive assessment of students' attitudes towards sexuality is needed, which implies using reliable and valid questionnaires.

Aim: To assess whether the extended version of the Students Attitude Towards Addressing Sexual Health (SA-SH-Ext) provides different, additional information about students' attitudes towards providing sexual healthcare compared to the Sexual Attitude and Beliefs Survey (SABS), to explore SA-SH-Ext potential response patterns through latent class analysis and to assess students' attitudes towards providing sexual healthcare and evaluate the differences in their attitudes to the cultural background and sociodemographic characteristics.

Design: Multicentre, descriptive, analytical, comparative, and correlational cross-sectional study at three nursing faculties.

Health workforce forecast in the university hospital: evidence from Lithuania.

Background: The increasing shortage of staff in healthcare facilities worldwide calls for a human resource planning strategy in order to ensure safe, timely and patient-centred care. The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis and supply and demand projections of nurses, midwives, and radiographers within the labor market of the largest university hospital in the Baltic States by 2030.

Methods: The staff supply was calculated on the intake and outflow of persons in the labour market annually for various factors.

Older people's experience and related factors while receiving home-based long-term care services: a qualitative study.

Background: Home-based care may cover anything from 24-hour support for people with a disability, to short-term post-discharge care, or to periodic assistance with simple tasks such as domestic aid for frail older people. The process can be complex and time-consuming and requires coordination between the individual, their family caregivers, and healthcare providers. Receiving care at home can also lead to social isolation as older people may have limited opportunities for social interaction.

Perception and Experience of Independent Consultations in Primary Healthcare among Registered Nurses in Kazakhstan: A Qualitative Study.

(1) Background: The nursing profession has undergone a significant transformation not only in a formal context but also in terms of the increased educational competencies required of nurses and their preparedness to adapt to evolving roles and statuses. The aim of our study was to examine the experience of advanced practice nurses who conduct independent consultations on patients and to identify the main challenges they face in their practice. (2) Methods: We carried out 22 semi-structured interviews with nurses responsible for conducting independent consultations across three urban polyclinics located in Aktobe, Almaty, and Astana.

"Being in the digital box". Academic staff experiences in online practical teaching: A qualitative study from six universities and countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused radical changes in education, as in everything else, bringing many challenges. Despite all the difficulties, the COVID-19 pandemic has enormous opportunities for online teaching and the use of digital technologies. A comprehensive understanding of this period is needed to investigate these opportunities.

The Relationship between Clinical Environment and Adverse Events Reporting: Evidence from Lithuania.

Background: The clinical environment plays a crucial role in patient safety, as it encompasses the physical, organizational, and cultural aspects of healthcare delivery. Adverse events, such as active errors, can often be attributed to systemic issues within the clinical environment. Addressing and improving environmental factors is essential for minimizing adverse events and enhancing overall patient care quality.

Woman-Centered Care: Standardized Outcomes Measure.

: Patient- or woman-centered care, prioritizing women's perspectives, needs, and preferences, is a widely recommended approach to enhance the quality of maternity care services. It aligns with the broader principles of patient-centered care, emphasizing the importance of a collaborative and respectful relationship between healthcare providers and women. This study evaluates low-risk pregnancies managed by midwives and obstetrician-gynecologists in Lithuania using patient-reported outcome measures and patient-reported experience measures.

A comparative review of advanced practice nurse programmes in the Nordic and Baltic countries.

Background: Advanced practice nurses (APNs) programs are career-development opportunities significant for nursing workforce retention as well as for the quality of patient care. Inconsistency regarding policy, education, titles, scope of practice, skills and competencies have been identified as major challenges in developing advanced practice nursing in Europe. APN roles and education are under development in the Nordic and Baltic countries.

Exploring the activities and outcomes of digital teaching and learning of practical skills in higher education for the social and health care professions: a scoping review.

Higher education for health care professionals faces numerous challenges. It is important to develop and apply methods supporting education, especially the practical skills. This scoping review aimed to explore the activities and learning outcomes of digital technology in practical skills teaching and learning in higher education for the social and health professions.

Cultural competencies in Polish and Lithuanian nurses: A cross-sectional comparative study.

Background: Cultural competencies are known as a multidimensionalconstruct; however, they usually refer to an individual's sensitivity orcultural attitudes, cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills.

Aim: The aim of the study was to compare the cultural competences of nurses in Poland and Lithuania based on an adaptation of the Nurse Cultural Competence Scale (NCCS).

Design: The design was a comparative cross-sectional study.

Patients' health literacy and health behaviour assessment in primary health care: evidence from a cross-sectional survey.

Background: Health literacy is defined as a person's ability to find, understand, and use health-related information when making health-related decisions. Patients with lower health literacy more frequently face difficulties when they have health issues or need medical help. Such patients are less likely to visit health care facilities and receive less help, which subsequently leads to higher hospitalization and mortality rates.

Factors Relating to a Safety Culture in the University Perinatal Center: The Nurses' and Midwives' Perspective.

Background: According to The Joint Commission, a culture of safety is a key component for achieving sustainable and safe health care services, and hospitals must measure and monitor this achievement. Promoting a patient safety culture in health services optimally includes midwifery and nursing. The first aim of this study is to assess the University Perinatal Center’s staff members’ perceptions of safety culture.

Strengthening global midwifery education to improve quality maternity care: Co-designing the World Health Organization Midwifery Assessment Tool for Education (MATE).

Aims: To describe a three-phase co-designed project to develop a culturally appropriate and relevant education assessment tool, and report on pilot and field-testing phases.

Background: High-quality midwifery education is essential for high-quality maternity care (WHO 2019); however midwifery education and maternity care vary in quality throughout Europe. To support countries in strengthening their midwifery education, World Health Organization (WHO) European Region commissioned development of the Midwifery Assessment Tool for Education (MATE).

Nurse's Role from Medical Students' Perspective during Their Interprofessional Clinical Practice: Evidence from Lithuania.

Attitudes towards interprofessional education are key factors that shape students' behaviour during interprofessional practice. An interprofessional approach to training and practice is "unique", important, and challenging. Interprofessional education allows for a deeper understanding and analysis of problems from perspectives different to those of "us".

The prevalence of burnout, depression, anxiety and stress in the Lithuanian midwifery workforce and correlation with sociodemographic factors.

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of burnout, depression, anxiety and stress of Lithuanian midwives.

Design: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design.

Methods: The Work Health and Emotional Wellbeing of Midwives (WHELM) survey instrument developed within the Australian maternity context was adapted and used in this research.

Partnership between Primary Health and Social Care Services in the Long-Term Care of Older People with Dementia: A Vignette Study.

Dementia is considered to be a significant cause of disability and dependency for older people worldwide and it raises difficulties in providing adequate formal and informal assistance. Research on the experience of long-term care (LTC)services for older people with dementia is scarce in Eastern European countries. This study aimed to understand the system of care for older people with dementia from the perspective of health and social care workers providing LTC services in Lithuania.

Qualitative research of informal caregivers' personal experiences caring for older adults with dementia in Lithuania.

Background: In many communities around the world, informal caregivers of older adults with dementia represent an essential, yet often underappreciated, source of long-term care. The present study aimed to determine the personal experiences of such caregivers, which could be instrumental for developing means of improving the quality of care for both care receivers and their informal caregivers.

Methods: Five semi-structured focus-group discussions were held.

Attitudes of registered nurses about the end - of - life care in multi-profile hospitals: a cross sectional survey.

Background: End-of-life care is provided in a variety of healthcare settings, not just palliative care hospitals. This is one reason why it is very important to assess all barriers to end-of-life care and to provide safe and quality services to patients. This study was aimed at describing nurses' attitudes in providing end-of-life care and exploring barriers and facilitating behaviors of nurses in multi-profile hospitals in Eastern Europe.

Moral Distress and Intention to Leave the Profession: Lithuanian Nurses in Municipal Hospitals.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the level of moral distress experienced by nurses, situations that most often caused moral distress, and the intentions of the nurses to leave the profession.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational design was applied in this study. Registered nurses were recruited from five large, urban Lithuanian municipal hospitals representing the five administrative regions in Lithuania.

Challenges and needs of informal caregivers in elderly care: Qualitative research in four European countries, the TRACE project.

Background: Providing informal care may affects caregivers' life in different ways. Determining the needs of caregivers and supporting them can improve both the quality of life of the caregivers, as well as the elderly they take care of.

Objective: To explore the experiences and needs of the informal caregivers in four countries.

Is training for informal caregivers and their older persons helpful? A systematic review.

Background: The steady increase in the number of people suffering from chronic diseases and increasing life expectancy raises new demands on health care. At the same time, the need for informal caregivers is increasing. This study aims to perform a systematic review of the methodologies used to identify effect of different types of training on informal caregivers and their older persons.

Patient safety culture in obstetrics and gynecology and neonatology units: the nurses' and the midwives' opinion.

Patients treated in health care facilities that provide services in the fields of obstetrics, gynecology, and neonatology are especially vulnerable. Large multidisciplinary teams of physicians, multiple invasive and noninvasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and the use of advanced technologies increase the probability of adverse events. The evaluation of knowledge about patient safety culture among nurses and midwives working in such units and the identification of critical areas at a health care institution would reduce the number of adverse events and improve patient safety.

Oncology nurses' perceptions of obstacles and role at the end-of-life care: cross sectional survey.

Background: Major obstacles exist in the care of patients at the end of life: lack of time, poor or inadequate communication, and lack of knowledge in providing care. Three possible nursing roles in care decision-making were investigated: Information Broker, Supporter, and Advocate. The purpose of this study was to examine obstacles faced by oncology nurses in providing end-of-life (EOL) care and to examine roles of nurses in providing care.