Background

In Sweden, becoming a registered nurse with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing requires three years of full-time study, including an independent 15-credit thesis. Nursing undergraduates have limited access to ongoing research projects and clinical settings, which often prioritize master’s students and faculty-led studies. Thus, many nursing programs default to a literature-review norm, which reduces methodological diversity. This study focuses solely on non-traditional approaches, such as blog analyses, autobiographical analyses, and other innovative designs. The study seeks to disclose how these methods contribute to understanding patient experiences and advancing nursing education and research.

Aim

The aim of the study was to systematically map and critically analyze the methodological and theoretical diversity within Swedish bachelor’s theses in nursing that employ alternative research methods.

MethodA scoping review was conducted. Searches were performed in the DiVA portal (title-only list of 22 145 records) and in three university repositories (2 861 records), followed by an abstract-inclusive DiVA search (491 records). Screening and full-text review yielded 380 final inclusions. The national digital science archive was used to access theses completed between 2013 and 2023. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze the data.

Results

Autobiographical works were the most frequently used sources (n = 220), followed by blogs (n = 126). Dictionaries, internet forums, and combined sources were rare. Few theses used dictionaries, social media or internet forums. A descriptive research design was employed in most of the theses, and the majority focused on adults, primarily women. The theoretical content mainly covered themes related to existential issues and suffering, but several bachelor’s theses lacked a formal theoretical framework.

Conclusion

Descriptive designs predominated, while exploratory and theory-integrated approaches were rare. Addressing these gaps requires pedagogical reforms that support use of diverse data sources and encourage inclusive research.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into healthcare, particularly through generative AI models like ChatGPT, presents both transformative opportunities and significant challenges. This discussion article explores the systemic impacts of generative AI, highlighting the ethical concerns, particularly around biases, and the shifts in patient-provider dynamics that could disrupt traditional healthcare. Democratising medical knowledge through ChatGPT tools offers new avenues for patient engagement, yet it may affect existing health disparities and erode trust if not responsibly implemented. As generative AI increasingly influences healthcare, it is critical to recognise the intricate feedback loops and dependencies within these complex adaptive systems so that innovations augment rather than destabilise the overall structure. This article advocates an ‘embrace with caution’ stance, calling for reflexive governance, heightened ethical oversight, and a nuanced appreciation of systemic complexity to harness generative AI’s benefits while preserving the integrity of healthcare delivery.

Interprofessional communication is fundamental in healthcare, particularly where patient needs demand coordination and shared understanding. It fosters role clarity, care coordination, and team cohesion. However, unclear hierarchies, heavy workloads, and interpersonal conflicts can disrupt collaboration, affecting professional relationships and patient outcomes. This study explores experiences of and reflections on prerequisites for and barriers to interprofessional communication in psychiatric outpatient settings. While previous research has described barriers, few studies have examined how communication itself constitutes professional roles, boundaries, and collaborative practices. To address this gap, the study applies the Four Flows framework—membership negotiation, self-structuring, activity coordination, and institutional positioning—as an interpretive lens. Using vignettes and semi-structured interviews with 11 clinicians in psychiatric outpatient units, the study analyzed how communication shapes and is shaped by interprofessional collaboration. Analysis identified four key categories: systemic barriers and organizational challenges; social dynamics and interprofessional relationships; supportive leadership and team culture; and patient focus and involvement. These categories intersect across the Four Flows, illustrating how communication acts as a structuring process rather than a neutral tool. The overarching theme,” From Separate Paths to Shared Care,” highlights how clinicians enact person-centered collaboration through communicative practice in psychiatric outpatient settings.

Background

Higher-order thinking is a central objective in nursing education, particularly within thesis courses where students are expected to demonstrate analytical reasoning and scholarly autonomy.

Aim

The aim of this study is to examine the structure, cognitive complexity, and knowledge domain classification of learning outcomes in degree project courses within Swedish undergraduate nursing education.

Methods

This national cross-sectional study examined the cognitive structure of 236 intended learning outcomes derived from 23 universities and university colleagues offering undergraduate nursing thesis courses across all Swedish higher education institutions (N = 25). Active verbs were extracted and analyzed using manifest content analysis, descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U tests, and Spearman’s rank correlation.

Results

Using Bloom’s revised taxonomy as the analytical framework, we identified 58 unique active verbs. All institutions included outcomes at multiple taxonomic levels, with “Analyzing” and “Applying” most frequently used. In contrast, “Understanding” was rarely represented, despite its foundational role in cognitive progression. Lexical diversity and alignment with higher-order thinking varied significantly across institutions. One-third of the verbs were not included in Bloom’s taxonomy, highlighting the interpretive challenges in applying taxonomic models to curriculum analysis.

Conclusion

These findings suggest divergent pedagogical assumptions underlying outcome design and underscore the need for more coherent, epistemologically informed approaches to ensure thesis courses truly support academic development. The results may inform quality assurance practices and contribute to ongoing debates about the role of research training in undergraduate nursing education.

Objective

Autoethnography combines personal experiences with cultural analysis, emerging as a response to the limitations of traditional ethnography. This review aimed to explore, describe, and delineate the utilization of autoethnography by nurses published in peer-reviewed journals.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted according to the Arksey and O’Malley framework. On October 12, 2023, autoethnographic studies in nursing were identified through searches of CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus. Peer-reviewed articles published in English language were retrieved. We applied no date restriction. Data were extracted on nursing, epiphany, results, style of writing, implications for nursing, and ethical considerations.

Results

Twenty-six articles met the inclusion criteria. Mental health nursing, covered by nine articles, elucidated experiences of stigma, ethical dilemmas, and professional identity. Nursing education, represented by seven articles, highlighted identity struggles, systemic biases, and evolving pedagogies. Palliative care, addressed by three articles, provided insights into communication challenges and emotional complexities in end-of-life care. The remaining articles explored rehabilitation, cultural competence, and chronic pain management. A conceptual framework integrating ontological, epistemological, ethical, and practical dimensions was developed, emphasizing the interplay between personal and professional roles.

Conclusions

This review underscores autoethnography’s value in uncovering the cultural and ethical dimensions of nursing. This framework advocates for a reflective, culturally attuned approach to healthcare, fostering transformative changes in nursing. Further research should explore underrepresented nursing specialties to harness autoethnography’s potential fully.

Communication in healthcare extends beyond patient care, impacting the work environment and job satisfaction. Interprofessional communication is essential for fostering collaboration, but challenges arise from differences in training, roles, and hierarchies. The study aimed to explore psychiatric outpatient clinicians’ experiences of interprofessional communication and their perceptions of how the communication intersects the organizational and social work environment of healthcare. Qualitative research involved focus group interviews with clinicians from five psychiatric outpatient units in Central Sweden, representing diverse professions. The authors analyzed semi-structured interview data thematically to uncover clinicians’ perspectives on interprofessional communication. An overarching theme, “Adjustment of communication,” with subthemes “Synchronized communication” and “Dislocated communication,” emerged. Clinicians adapted communication strategies based on situations and needs, with synchronized communication promoting collaboration and dislocated communication hindering it. Communicating with each other was highly valued, as it contributed to a positive work environment. The study underscores the importance of an open, supportive environment that fosters trust, and respect among healthcare clinicians. Consistent with prior research, collaboration gaps underscore the urgent need to improve interprofessional communication.

We present an interdisciplinary exploration of technostress in knowledge-intensive organizations, including both business and healthcare settings, and its impact on a healthy working life. Technostress, a contemporary form of stress induced by information and communication technology, is associated with reduced job satisfaction, diminished organizational commitment, and adverse patient care outcomes. This article aims to construct an innovative framework, called The Integrated Technostress Resilience Framework, designed to mitigate technostress and promote continuous learning within dynamic organizational contexts. In this perspective article we incorporate a socio-technical systems approach to emphasize the complex interplay between technological and social factors in organizational settings. The proposed framework is expected to provide valuable insights into the role of transparency in digital technology utilization, with the aim of mitigating technostress. Furthermore, it seeks to extend information systems theory, particularly the Technology Acceptance Model, by offering a more nuanced understanding of technology adoption and use. Our conclusion includes considerations for the design and implementation of information systems aimed at fostering resilience and adaptability in organizations undergoing rapid technological change.

Background

This article is part of a larger study exploring the collaborative dynamics between key stakeholders in providing care to youths suffering from alcohol or substance use and their families in formulating policies and operational practices for county and country-wide application in similar settings. The focus of this article is to describe the collaborative processes between two stakeholders, a municipality, and a county council, in establishing a MiniMaria treatment center. While collaborative efforts between municipalities and county councils in health service provision are often acknowledged, little is known about how communication and decision-making processes between these entities shape the success of such initiatives. This study aims to fill this gap by providing insights into the communicative processes that foster organizational cohesion, agility, and innovation. The guiding research question is: What communicative processes occur between the county council and municipal stakeholders during the planning phase of the MiniMaria treatment center?

Methods

The municipality and county council were selected based on purposive sampling, owing to the proximity and accessibility of the field. An exploratory and descriptive design, incorporating a participatory research approach, was employed for this qualitative investigation.

Results

Two central themes, each underpinned by specific subthemes sum up the essence of our findings. The first theme underscores the collaborative dynamics and shared objectives that have emerged through the project, thus showing the importance of a unified vision and mutual understanding in driving the initiative forward. The second theme points to the practical aspects of implementing the project, including recruitment strategies, and the significance of interpersonal communication.

Conclusions

This article sheds light on the establishment of a MiniMaria treatment center through collaboration between a municipality and county council, using the Four Flows Model to interpret communicative processes. Membership negotiation was crucial for defining roles and building a unified team identity, while activity coordination ensured aligned stakeholder efforts. Self-structuring facilitated internal organization and operational clarity, and institutional positioning aligned the initiative with broader healthcare norms, enhancing its credibility and impact. These communicative practices were central to get a grip on inter-organizational complexities, emphasizing communication’s constitutive role in organizational development and innovation.