Transitional care interventions aim to improve care transitions from hospital to home and to reduce hospital readmissions for chronically ill patients. The objective of our study was to examine if these interventions were associated with a reduction of readmission rates in the short (30 days or less), intermediate (31-180 days), and long terms (181-365 days). We systematically reviewed twenty-six randomized controlled trials conducted in a variety of countries whose results were published in the period January 1, 1980-May 29, 2013. Our analysis showed that transitional care was effective in reducing all-cause intermediate-term and long-term readmissions. Only high-intensity interventions seemed to be effective in reducing short-term readmissions. Our findings suggest that to reduce short-term readmissions, transitional care should consist of high-intensity interventions that include care coordination by a nurse, communication between the primary care provider and the hospital, and a home visit within three days after discharge.

Patients and professionals rated the PPDL positively. Key success factors for implementation were: education of interns, residents and staff, standardization of the content of the PPDL, integrating the PPDL into the electronic medical record and hospital-wide policy.

The global shortages of nurses require a closer look at why nursing students stop in the later years of their degree programme. The purpose of this study is to explore nursing students' experiences and reasons that lead to this late dropout. Semi-structured interviews were held in 2017 with eleven former nursing students who dropped out in the third year of their Bachelor's Nursing degree programme in the Netherlands. Data was collected and analysed iteratively, following the principles of Thematic Analysis. Two core themes were identified: 'ending up in a downward spiral of physical, psychological and social problems' and 'experiencing an increasing mismatch between expectations and reality'. Reasons for late dropout from nursing education are diverse and interlinked. In contrast with studies on early dropout, academic difficulties did not play a major role in late dropout. Negative experiences during clinical placements led to This is a Nivel certified Post Print, more info at nivel.nl 2 dropout in both groups. One group lacked a safe learning environment in clinical placements, study coaching and psychological support. The other group missed realistic information provision about nursing education and the broad range of career opportunities in nursing.

Background Increasing attention to palliative care for the general population has led to the development of various evidence-based or consensus-based tools and interventions. However, specific tools and interventions are needed for people with severe mental illness (SMI) who have a life-threatening illness. The aim of this systematic review is to summarize the scientific evidence on tools and interventions in palliative care for this group. Methods Systematic searches were done in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Embase databases, supplemented by reference tracking, searches on the internet with free text terms, and consultations with experts to identify relevant literature. Empirical studies with qualitative, quantitative or mixed-methods designs concerning tools and interventions for use in palliative care for people with SMI were included. Methodological quality was assessed using a critical appraisal instrument for heterogeneous study designs. Stepwise study selection and the assessment of methodological quality were done independently by two review authors. Results Four studies were included, reporting on a total of two tools and one multi-component intervention. One study concerned a tool to identify the palliative phase in patients with SMI. This tool appeared to be usable only in people with SMI with a cancer diagnosis. Furthermore, two related studies focused on a tool to involve people with SMI in discussions about medical decisions at the end of life. This tool was assessed as feasible and usable in the target group. One other study concerned the Dutch national Care Standard for palliative care, including a multi-component intervention. The Palliative Care Standard also appeared to be feasible and usable in a mental healthcare setting, but required further tailoring to suit this specific setting. None of the included studies investigated the effects of the tools and interventions on quality of life or quality of care. Conclusions Studies of palliative care tools and interventions for people with SMI are scarce. The existent tools and intervention need further development and should be tailored to the care needs and settings of these people. Further research is needed on the feasibility, usability and effects of tools and interventions for palliative care for people with SMI. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12888-019-2078-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Interprofessional communication and collaboration during hospitalisation is critically important to provide safe and effective care. Clinical rounds are an essential interprofessional process in which the clinical problems of patients are discussed on a daily basis. The objective of this exploratory study was to identify healthcare professionals' perspectives on the "ideal" interprofessional round for patients in a university teaching hospital. Three focus groups with medical residents, registered nurses, medical specialists, and quality improvement officers were held. We used a descriptive method of content analysis. The findings indicate that it is important for professionals to consider how team members and patients are involved in the decision-making process during the clinical round and how current social and spatial structures can affect communication and collaboration between the healthcare team and the patient. Specific aspects of communication and collaboration are identified for improving effective interprofessional communication and collaboration during rounds. ARTICLE HISTORY