Annelie Johansson Sundler

Background: The relationship between work experiences, health, well-being, and job satisfaction is important, especially in high-stress professions like healthcare and social work. While work stress effects are well studied, less is known about how work experiences in early professional life impacts health, well-being, and intention to remain in the profession. Therefore, this study aimed to explore associations between work experiences, health, well-being, and the intention to remain in the profession among healthcare and social work professionals, three years after graduation. Methods: The study had a multicentre, cross-sectional design. As part of a larger longitudinal project on health-promoting factors during education and early careers, 165 of 1,751 invited graduates (from biomedical science, dental hygiene, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, radiology nursing, and social work) completed an online survey between December 2024 and January 2025. Instruments included the Work Experience Measurement Scale (WEMS), Sense of Coherence (SOC-13), and the Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale (SHIS), alongside questions on general health and well-being, physical activity, daily activity, sleep quality, and intention to remain in the profession. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests, and regression analyses. Results: Higher WEMS total scores were associated with better general health, better well-being, and a higher intention to remain in the profession. Supportive work conditions and internal work experiences were most strongly associated with intention to remain in the profession. Autonomy enhanced health and well-being but did not directly affect intention to remain in the profession. Participants aged 30-36 years reported a lower intention to remain in the profession than those in the younger and older age groups. Conclusions: Positive work experiences may be important for supporting health, well-being, and intention to remain in the profession among healthcare and social work professionals three years after graduation. Lower intention to remain in the profession among those aged 30-36 years suggests a potential need for targeted support during this specific stage of working life. The findings support the integration of early-career support, sustainable leadership, and supportive work conditions into workforce strategies across healthcare professions and social work.

Background: Internationally, interest in the expanding role of registered nurse–led consultations in primary care is increasing. This role requires effective communication to support triage and clinical decision-making. While physician‒patient communication has been extensively studied, research on registered nurse‒patient communication remains limited, particularly in primary care. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review was to map and describe how registered nurse–patient communication and decision-making in primary care consultations are characterised in the existing literature, based on observations of clinical practice. Methods: This scoping review included a systematic literature search conducted in March 2025 in the PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science and Scopus databases. A total of 12,066 records were identified and screened. The review followed the methodological framework of Arksey and O’Malley and adhered to the PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines. Results: A total of 16 studies were included. Registered nurse‒patient communication was observed using audio- and video-recorded observations and participant observations during telephone consultations ( n = 5), chronic disease management consultations ( n = 3), mental health consultations ( n = 1) and walk-in clinic consultations ( n = 7). Findings on communication and decision-making were organised into four themes related to the key characteristics of exploring patients’ concerns, observing and assessing patients’ health status, tailoring communication, and facilitating decision-making with patients. Conclusion: The findings indicate that registered nurses use various communication skills during different phases of consultations. However, comprehensive studies on registered nurse–patient communication and decision-making in primary care are lacking. This highlights the need for future in-depth and comprehensive studies on registered nurse–patient communication in primary care to inform both clinical practices and nursing education. Trial and protocol registration: Prospero registration: PROSPERO 06 June 2023 CRD42023425582. Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023425582 .

Background: The aging population is increasing due to advancements in medical research and public health, leading to a growing demand for healthcare services and special housing facilities (SHF). Welfare technology (WT) has been introduced to support older adults by enhancing safety, independence, and care efficiency. Despite its potential, WT adoption remains limited, and research on older adults' experiences, particularly in SHFs, is scarce. This study explores the experiences of older adults using a digital alarm system with a safety sensor and camera function (DASSCF) in SHFs. Methods: An inductive qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with older adults (3 men, 14 women, aged 67–98) in SHF equipped with DASSCF in a municipality in western Sweden. Data were collected between April and September 2024 and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Experiences of DASSCF resulted in balancing vulnerability, tolerance, and having peace of mind in daily life categorized into: emotional aspects, where DASSCF contributed to security in everyday life but also raised concerns about privacy; integrity aspects, highlighting the process of learning to live with surveillance and the tension between safety and autonomy; and technological aspects, which focused on usability challenges and the desire to have control over the system. Conclusions: When integrating DASSCF into SHF, WT should be as supportive as possible without being too intrusive, allowing older adults to feel strengthened while ensuring their safety and independence.

Background: Enhancing communication in everyday nursing conversations is essential for promoting person-centred care and preserving the dignity of older persons. This qualitative study was performed to gain an in-depth understanding of the nursing assistants’ person-centred communication skills and their communication style. The aim was to explore the communication styles of nursing assistants during home care visits to older persons. Methods: This deductive qualitative study was based on observational data gathered with audio recordings of naturally occurring communication between nursing assistants and older persons during home care visits. Data collection was part of an educational intervention study for in-home nursing assistants and took place from March to December 2022. Data were analysed with a method for deductive qualitative content analysis. The deductive analysis was guided by the framework developed by Bottorff and Morse, and the communication styles identified in the current study, doing more , doing with , doing for , and doing tasks. Findings: A total of 70 audio recording home care visits, including 39 nursing assistants and 37 older persons were included. Based on conversations during these visits, four distinct communication styles employed by NAs in their everyday interactions with older persons were described in depth with focus on communication patterns observed. The different styles included nuances of communication ranging from being more relational and collaborative to more task-oriented interactions. A pattern of doing too much was also observed. Conclusions: The communication styles used influenced the degree of person-centredness. Nurse assistants’ communication styles can vary during conversations and appear to reflect individual traits. The emotional demands of home care work may require more recognition and support from policymakers and managers. Strengthening person-centred communication and care for older persons requires both training and organizational support.

Introduction: Communication between older persons and nursing assistants is important in providing high‐quality, person‐centred home care. While previous research has reported on older persons' emotional concerns during home care conversations, there is a need to gain an in‐depth understanding of emotional concerns' role in such conversations and how to support the older persons' comfort and well‐being. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the nature and focus of emotional communication between older persons and nursing assistants in home care.Methods: A descriptive qualitative design using observational data from 83 audio‐recorded home care visits was used to identify and analyse sequences of distressing emotional communication, analysed through thematic analysis.Results: In this study, four themes were described illustrating how emotional communication between older persons and nursing assistants during home care visits creates opportunities for empathy: (1) recognising empathic opportunities, (2) identifying subtle and vague signs of emotional distress, (3) expressing needs for emotional support, and (4) striving to restore comfort in challenging conversations.Conclusions: Conversations about older persons' emotions and worries can be complex. The findings indicate a fine line between meaningfulness and discomfort in emotional sequences. Expressions of emotional distress provide empathic opportunities that call for attentiveness and sensitivity from nursing assistants, implying a need for education and training in person‐centred communication.Implications for Practice: Emotional communication acknowledging empathic opportunities enhances person‐centred care by promoting trust, comfort, and well‐being. Ultimately, emotional communication reinforces the importance of empathy in home care and creates space for emotional interactions, leading to more supportive relationships.

Background: Trait emotional intelligence (EI) is often assessed using the 30-item Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF). However, previous research using item response theory (IRT) modelling has identified several underperforming items. This study aimed to psychometrically evaluate, refine, and optimize the TEIQue-SF using IRT, with the goals of identifying and eliminating underperforming items, and examining whether items in the refined version function differently across sexes. Furthermore, the study sought to further validate the Swedish version of the TEIQue-SF. Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed 845 first-year students aged 19–59 (87% women) from seven healthcare and social work programs across six universities in southern Sweden. Participants completed the TEIQue-SF and health-related measures for convergent validity. IRT modeling employed the Graded Response Model (GRM) using the 2-Parameter Logistic Model in IRT for Patient-Reported Outcomes (IRTPRO). Marginal reliability and differential item functioning (DIF) were assessed with IRT, internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha and mean inter-item correlations, and validity through evaluating Direct Discrepancy Dynamic fit index (DDDFI) and bivariate correlations. Results: The IRT modeling identified underperforming items, leading to a refined 12-item TEIQue-SF that effectively captures trait EI with high-quality items. The item selection process is detailed and supplemented. The shortened measure showed a strong correlation with the original (r = .94), demonstrated good reliability, and exhibited uniform DIF for only one item (Item 15). A comparison of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model fit statistics using the DDDFI indicated a fair fit for the TEIQue-SF. Consistent with previous research on the TEIQue-SF, both 30-item and 12 item versions demonstrated strong convergent validity with health-related measures within the Swedish context. Conclusions: The 12-item TEIQue-SF is a brief, precise, and valid measure for assessing trait EI while preserving its global conceptual structure. IRT modeling and validity testing against health-related measures confirm that 12-item TEIQue-SF effectively captures trait EI.

Introduction: Primary care is the first point of contact for patients in most Western healthcare systems, addressing acute, chronic and preventive health needs. Registered nurse‐led first visits (new episode) consultations have shown promise in improving accessibility and meeting the growing demand for timely care. Understanding how patients evaluate their interactions with registered nurses is a crucial first step towards identifying communication needs and promoting person‐centred care. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore patients' expectations and experiences with registered nurse communication in primary care consultations. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted. The QUOTE‐COMM (Quality Of communication Through the patient's Eyes) questionnaire, with three scales (affect‐oriented, task‐oriented and therapy‐oriented), was completed by patients before and after RN‐led consultations to assess their expectations and experiences. Results: A total of 138 patients participated in the study. Patients reported high expectations and positive experiences regarding registered nurses' communication during consultations. The highest scores were observed on the affect‐oriented scale. No significant differences were found between patient expectations and experiences in relation to patient age, sex and educational level. However, patients whose native language was not Swedish rated the affect‐oriented scale less positively. Additionally, longer consultations were associated with higher satisfaction at 2 weeks follow‐up. Discussion: This study highlights patients' high expectations and positive experiences in connection with communication in registered nurse consultations. The findings underscore the need for further research into various aspects of communication with patients in primary care, aiming to better understand and enhance the quality of care in this setting. Conclusion: Patients appear to have high expectations in connection with registered nurse communication in primary care, and it seems that registered nurses overall succeed in meeting these expectations. Patient or Public Contribution: The study was conducted within Swedish primary care, where patient and public involvement in research is considered essential. Registered nurses assisted with patient recruitment, and a total of 138 patients shared their experiences with researchers, and the results have been discussed with a reference group comprising representatives of patients and registered nurses. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06067672.

Aim: This paper examines a theory and practice developed framework aimed at guiding person‐centred communication in registered nurse–patient encounters. The primary objective is to refine and present a data‐ and theory‐driven framework tailored to the demands of nursing practice and those receiving care. To achieve this, the COMCARE model is introduced, providing practical guidance for understanding and implementing strategies for nurses' communication and caring behaviours. Design: This theoretical paper addresses theory and research on communication strategies during registered nurse–patient encounters based on the principles of caring and person‐centredness. Results: The COMCARE model outlines communication strategies to guide registered nurses to ensure caring and supportive interactions, aligning with the principles of person‐centred care. COMCARE builds on the necessary communication skills for person‐centred registered nurses–patient encounters and clarifies key components of such communication, with related goals. The key components proposed are related to empathic listening and asking questions, responding and acknowledging, guiding and using clear communication, supportive communication, and appraising and confirming communication. Person‐centred communication requires a broad repertoire of skills to be applied and tailored to individuals in various situations and practices. Conclusion: The COMCARE model provides an overview of the communication skills essential for person‐centred care, emphasising guidance for nursing practice to support patients' optimal well‐being and health. This framework highlights the importance of communication skills in shaping patient experiences and outcomes and underscores the need for their application and implementation in caring and nursing practice. Effective communication by registered nurses and other healthcare professionals is vital for delivering high‐quality care. The COMCARE framework offers practical guidance and serves as a foundation for future training and education for nursing students, as well as informing policy and research in this area. Further research is needed to test and validate the COMCARE model in clinical settings.