What Do Nurses Think of Their Role in the Hospital's Restorative Care and Rehabilitation Services for Older Patients?: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Abstract

AimsTo examine rehabilitation nurses' perspectives on their roles in caring for older patients in hospitals, emphasising how they fulfil these roles and their significance in geriatric rehabilitation (GR).BackgroundThe need for rehabilitation services was rising with an aging population. Rehabilitation nurses provided evidence‐based care to older patients and encouraged them to participate in their rehabilitation goals. Rehabilitation nurses were vital to recovery; their contributions needed to be appreciated and valued.DesignA qualitative systematic review.MethodsA systematic review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for qualitative evidence and a PROSPERO protocol CRD42023435728 published beforehand. From inception to 9 October, 2023, a comprehensive database search was developed using Medline and translated into five databases, including CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest and Ageline.ResultsThirty‐three studies were reviewed, identifying six key themes, including decision‐making, nursing role gaps, care coordination, communication, nursing skills and gender preference.ConclusionThis review examined rehabilitation nurses' experiences working with older patients in rehabilitation services. It highlighted gaps in their recognition and decision‐making involvement despite being care coordinators, caregivers and advocates who were undervalued as rehabilitation team members.Implications for the Profession and/or Patient CareThe review highlighted the importance of valuing nurses' contributions and re‐evaluating the rehabilitation model.Further Implications of This StudyInterviewing rehabilitation nurses can validate the findings, potentially improving rehabilitation nursing practices for older patients.Reporting MethodPreferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA).No Patient or Public ContributionNot applied since it was a systematic review.