Nursing education prepares students for both academia and practice; however, the contribution of writing a bachelor’s thesis in learning nursing is overlooked. The aim of the present study was to explore the role of a bachelor thesis as a learning tool in nursing. A total of 15 nursing students were individually interviewed using semi-structured questions. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, and the activity theoretical concept of a tool was subsequently applied. The results were reported in accordance with COREQ for qualitative research. The findings identified writing a bachelor’s thesis as a ‘Personal tool’ and a ‘Systemic tool for learning nursing’. The personal tool was related to ‘Preparation for patient encounters in working life’ and ‘Discovering bodily mechanisms of disease or health’. The systemic tool was related to ‘Enabling to impact on the organization of work and stakeholders’ and ‘Facilitating knowledge of the links between patient groups and common diseases’. The study discusses and concludes that a bachelor’s thesis represents both a personal and a systemic tool that embodies nursing knowledge, preparing students for their future work as registered nurses. An implication for contemporary nursing is that a bachelor’s thesis may serve as a boundary-crossing tool that transcends the school, workplace, and even society.

A bachelor’s thesis can be characterized as a proof of basic research and a trajectory of academic writing. This study addresses students’ ways of experiencing the writing process at the halfway stage, astage that has been ignored in research. In a phenomenographic interview-study design, semi-structured interviews with 15 nursing students were carried out. A phenomenographic analysisof the data represents an outcome space with four categories ofways of experiencing writing: A. Structure, B. Comparison, C. Shift, and D. Relation. The categories of ways of experiencing thewriting of a bachelor’s thesis constitute a range of foci, fromsolitary writing and assurance of the textual structure to a shared understanding, discussion, and transformation. This study confirms that sharing the preparation of texts in groups at the halfway stage can promote academic and relational  skills.Conclusions address the nature of academic writing at the halfway stage and discuss potential pedagogical implications ofthe transformation from writing for oneself to writing for others, across disciplines and beyond academic levels.

Adherence to continuous positive airway pressure treatment for obstructive sleep apnea tends to be poor. Communication influences adherence but has not previously been investigated from a practitioner perspective, although shared decision-making is known to be of great importance. The aim was to describe how practitioners experience communication with patients with obstructive sleep apnea during the initial visit at a continuous positive airway pressure treatment clinic, with focus on facilitators and barriers related to the 4 Habits Model, a communication model comprised of four types of interrelated skills to make encounters more patient-centred: investing in the beginning; exploring the patient perspective; showing empathy; and investing in the end. A descriptive design with qualitative content analysis was used. A deductive analysis was carried out based on interviews with 24 strategically selected practitioners from seven continuous positive airway pressure treatment clinics. The 4 Habits Model was used as a framework for identifying facilitators and barriers to communication. Investments in the beginning was described as creating contact, showing the agenda and being adaptive, while explore the patient perspective included showing awareness, being explorative and creating a participating climate. Show empathy consisted of showing openness, being confirmative and creating acceptance, while showing a structured follow-up plan, being open minded and invitational and creating motivation to build on were descriptions of invest in the end. Awareness of potential facilitators and barriers for patient-centred communication during the beginning, middle and end of a continuous positive airway pressure treatment consultation can be used to improve contextual conditions and personal communication competences among practitioners working with continuous positive airway pressure treatment initiation.

AIM: To describe older persons' experiences of a cognitive assessment and possible neuropsychiatric symptoms [NPS] related to a neurocognitive diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: A cognitive assessment in primary care is offered to persons with suspected dementia with subsequent referral to a specialist clinic if required. The assessment process, with the likelihood of receiving a dementia diagnosis, is surrounded by uncertainty with long waiting times. Although NPS are common among persons with cognitive impairment persons are not routinely asked about these symptoms during a cognitive assessment.

METHOD: Interviews were held with 18 participants who had completed a cognitive assessment. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory [NPI] was incorporated into one of the interview questions enabling participants to self-report NPS, if present. Interview data were analysed using Interpretive Description.

RESULTS: Two main themes were identified: a matter of trust and making sense of a cognitive diagnosis. Experiences of the assessment process ranged from feeling valued to abandoned with variations of trust in the process. A diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment was experienced as an abstract diagnosis devoid of follow-up support. A lack of preparedness for the assessment existed among participants. Some experienced the process as standardised. One half of participants self-reported the presence of one to four NPS, regardless of neurocognitive diagnosis. Irritability and depression were most common NPS identified.

CONCLUSIONS: Experiences of a cognitive assessment varied from feeling valued by society to abandoned in the absence of follow-up support. The assessment was viewed as a standardised procedure failing to see the person behind the testing. Diagnosis disclosure conversations were experienced as diffuse with participants unprepared for a dementia diagnosis. The NPI enabled participants to identify and report the presence of NPS which otherwise could go undetected during the cognitive assessment, impacting on the person's well-being and daily life.

While performing various academic work, such as writing a bachelor's thesis, are known to be challenging for university students, less is known about students' expectations in this regard.

AIM: The aim was to describe students' expectations of the upcoming process of writing a bachelor's thesis.

DESIGN: The study employed an explorative, qualitative approach with a single, written open-ended question design.

METHODS: The data were collected consecutively 2013-2016 in class. A total of 93 final-year students volunteered and provided hand-written accounts which were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS: The students' accounts revealed three generic categories of expectations: Gaining professional knowledge and competency, Planning and organizing the work, and Taking stock of personal resources. Writing a bachelor's thesis was a new challenge for most of the students and the answers testify to mixed feelings about the upcoming work and its supervision.

CONCLUSIONS: The nursing students' expectations included present and future competencies, skills and abilities. In promoting development of transferable skills and knowledge, educators of future health-care professionals would be well advised to invite students to reflect on and discuss, their expectations prior to writing a bachelor's thesis and similar academic student papers. This study adds to the research on students' studying and learning in nursing education by bringing to the fore students' expectations of academic learning tasks as an important aspect to consider in higher education contexts, both nationally and internationally.

BACKGROUND: Infertility affects one in six couples. New digital resources exist which enable the study of lived experience of persons with infertility. Blogging represents a forum for sharing narratives and experiences. To provide high quality care for persons with a history of infertility, it is crucial to ascertain what they value as significant in their situation. Blogs with a focus on infertility may provide this information.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to gain insight into which infertility-related issues are discussed on Swedish infertility blogs.

METHODS: In total, 70 infertility blogs were identified on the Internet and 25 met the inclusion criteria. A quantitative-qualitative content analysis was performed with the support of the Gavagai Explorer text analysis software.

RESULTS: A total of 4508 postings were retrieved from the blogs, all of which were written by women. The outcome of the analysis resulted into the following topics: Emotions (16.8%), Relations (12.5%), Time and waiting (7.1%), Body (6.6%), Care and treatment (4.2%), Food and diet (1.4%) and Exercise (0.5%). For most topics, there was a balance between positive and negative statements, but the body topic stood out by having more negative than positive sentiment.

CONCLUSION: By considering the topics expressed in blogs, health care personnel are provided with an opportunity to better understand the situation of individuals affected by infertility.

The Swedish word, 'bemötande', has no direct equivalent in English but refers to contact, treatment and the relationship with a patient. 'Bemötande', in the context of care, concerns amongst other things how the session is conducted and takes place. The experience of a positive 'bemötande' is important for the patient and relatives to be able to feel trust and confidence, as well as to create a well-functioning working alliance. A respectful 'bemötande' is made more difficult by people's need to classify and see individuals as 'us' and 'them'. A positive 'bemötande' can reinforce patients' self-esteem and have an empowering effect. In this article, we discuss positive 'bemötande' in a transcultural psychiatric care context and focus, in particular, upon the vulnerable patient. We also give examples of how an organisation can contribute to good contact with the local community and facilitate the encounter with individual patients.

AIM: The aim of this study was to describe team leaders' experiences of facilitators and barriers of leadership in specialist palliative home care teams.

BACKGROUND: For effective teamwork in specialist palliative care, leadership is crucial; however, defining and agreeing on what leadership comprises may be challenging. In palliative care, teamwork is recognized as imperative for multiprofessional perspectives to meet dying patients' and families' needs.

METHODS: Qualitative interviews with 13 team leaders in specialist palliative home care were performed, using the Pettigrew and Whipp framework, and analysed with directed content analysis.

RESULTS: Team leaders' experiences of conditions influencing the organisation and delivery of specialist palliative home care is multifaceted and leaders seem conflicted in their approach to the multiple levels of leadership, vision and responsibilities.

CONCLUSION: Team leaders in specialist palliative home care described goals of care on differing levels and, for some, fiscal restraints and external pressures influenced their vision and leadership. Team leaders experienced challenges of leadership in relation to organisational issues, feeling burdened by responsibilities, budget restraints and team size.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Team leadership is demanding and complex. In specialist palliative home care, affirming values and enabling vision during times of fiscal strain and external pressures, is challenging. For successful leadership that develops both individuals and the health care team, leaders are recommended to adapt the leadership style to the present situation surrounding the team.

AIM: To describe family members' experiences of living with persons with neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) related to frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

BACKGROUND: The majority of persons with dementia during the disease trajectory develop NPS. Persons with FTD are likely to develop greater levels of NPS than persons with other types of dementias. Research-based knowledge regarding family members' experiences of living with persons with FTD and NPS is limited.

METHODS: Nine family members of persons with FTD were interviewed. Interviews commenced with completion of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Upon completion of the NPI, questions were posed from an interview guide where study participants provided in-depth information about NPS identified. Interview data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS: Interviewed family members highlighted that persons with FTD had developed between four and eight co-existing NPS. Irritability and disinhibition were the most common NPS, with variations in severity, frequency and distress. From the interview data, two themes emerged: Living with a well-known stranger and Coping and overstepping social norms.

CONCLUSIONS: Living with a well-known stranger depicted a new co-existence with a loved one with changes in personality and behaviour, which were not inherent to the person or predictable any more. The presence of NPS can threaten the safety of the person with FTD and their family in real world and on social media. Support offered should focus on the person's physical and psychological needs, not on a diagnosis.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: From a health care perspective it is important to see the person with FTD and their family as unique individuals with specific needs.