Using technology to support the social and emotional well-being of nurses: A scoping review protocol

Natalie Webster, Jan Oyebode, Catharine Jenkins, Analisa Smythe

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Aims. (1) To review the published literature on the use of technology to provide social or emotional support to nurses, (2) to evaluate and identify gaps in the research, (3) to assess whether a systematic review would be valuable, (4) to make recommendations for future developments. Design. The protocol for the scoping review has been developed in accordance with recommendations from several methodological frameworks, as no standardised protocol currently exists for this purpose. Methods. Our protocol incorporates information about the aims and objectives of the scoping review, inclusion criteria, search strategy, data extraction, quality appraisal, data synthesis and plans for dissemination. Funding for this project was approved by Burdett Trust for Nursing in December 2016. Discussion. Technology to support patient emotional and social wellbeing has seen a rapid growth in recent years and is offered in a variety of formats. However, similar support for nursing staff remains under-researched with no literature review undertaken on this topic to date. This is despite nurses working in emotionally demanding environments which can be socially isolating. The scoping review will map current evidence on the use of technology to support nursing staff and explore the range, extent and nature of this activity. It will also provide a basis for deciding if a full systematic review would be desirable. Impact: It is important that the psychological well-being of nurses is seriously addressed as more nurses are now leaving than joining the profession. This is an international concern. High staff turnover has an interpersonal cost and is associated with reduced quality of patient care. Financial implications are also important to consider as healthcare providers employ costly agency staff to address the workforce deficit. Online technology may offer a sustainable and accessible means of providing support for nurses who find it difficult to communicate in person due to time pressures at work.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1-7
    Number of pages7
    JournalJournal of Advanced Nursing
    Publication statusPublished (VoR) - 31 Dec 2018

    Keywords

    • nurses
    • nursing
    • midwifery
    • technology
    • online
    • smartphone
    • emotional and social support
    • app
    • protocol
    • scoping review

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Using technology to support the social and emotional well-being of nurses: A scoping review protocol'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this