'Nurses' self-management support to hospitalised patients: A scoping review

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To review the current literature to map and explore the interventions that have been considered or used by nurses to support adult patients' self-management during hospitalisation.

BACKGROUND: Nurses can play an important role in supporting patients' self-management. Currently, however, it is unclear how nurses perform this task during a patient's stay in hospital. Traditionally, nurses take the primary role in managing patients' care during hospitalisation. Ideally, patients should have the opportunity to continue applying strategies to manage their health conditions as much as possible while in the hospital. This can increase patients' self-efficacy and decrease unnecessary readmissions.

DESIGN: Scoping review informed by the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.

METHODS: A database search was undertaken using Pubmed, CINAHL, PsycInfo, Cochrane, Embase and grey literature sources. Data from the included studies were mapped and summarised in a narrative summary. To synthesise the information that was given about each intervention, we conducted a qualitative inductive content analysis. Results are reported in accordance with the guidelines for reporting Items for systematic review and meta-analyses extension for scoping review (PRISMA-ScR) (Supplementary File 1).

RESULTS: 83 documents were included in this review. Based on the information about the interventions, three themes were identified: 'self-management support activities', 'focus of self-management support' and the 'intervention procedure'. Five self-management support activities can be distinguished: 'giving education', 'counselling and coaching', 'enhancing responsibility', 'engaging family-caregivers' and 'supporting transition from hospital to home'. The interventions focused on improving disease-related knowledge and on strengthening several self-management skills. Information about the procedure, development and the theoretical underpinning of the intervention was often limited.

CONCLUSIONS: Most activities within the nursing interventions to support adult patients' self-management during hospitalisation are the part of regular nursing care. However, the transfer of responsibility for care task to the patient is relatively new. Further research could focus on developing interventions addressing all aspects of self-management and that are embedded in the patient's care pathway across settings.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Clinical nurses may improve nursing care by supporting all aspects of patients' self-management and facilitate patients as much as possible for taking responsibility for self-management tasks during hospitalisation.