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. 2020 Aug;76(8):1961-1976.
doi: 10.1111/jan.14382. Epub 2020 May 11.

A scoping review of complexity science in nursing

Annakarin Olsson  1 , Charlotta Thunborg  2   3 , Annica Björkman  1   4 , Anneli Blom  5 , Fredric Sjöberg  6 , Martin Salzmann-Erikson  1
Affiliations

A scoping review of complexity science in nursing

Annakarin Olsson et al. J Adv Nurs. 2020 Aug.

Abstract
in English, Chinese

Aim: To describe how complexity science has been integrated into nursing.

Design: A scoping review.

Data source/review method: Academic Search Elite, Scopus, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PubMed and Web of Science were searched November 2016, updated in October 2017 and January 2020. The working process included: problem identification, literature search, data evaluation, synthesizing and presentation.

Results: Four categories were found in the included 89 articles: (a) how complexity science is integrated into the nursing literature in relation to nursing education and teaching; (b) patients' symptoms, illness outcome and safety as characteristics of complexity science in nursing; (c) that leaders and managers should see organizations as complex and adaptive systems, rather than as linear machines; and (d) the need for a novel approach to studying complex phenomena such as healthcare organizations. Lastly, the literature explains how complexity science has been incorporated into the discourse in nursing and its development.

Conclusion: The review provided strong support for use in complexity science in the contemporary nursing literature. Complexity science is also highly applicable and relevant to clinical nursing practice and nursing management from an organizational perspective. The application of complexity science as a tool in the analysis of complex nursing systems could improve our understanding of effective interactions among patients, families, physicians and hospital and skilled nursing facility staff as well as of education.

Impact: Understanding complexity science in relation to the key role of nurses in the healthcare environment can improve nursing work and nursing theory development. The use of complexity science provides nurses with a language that liberates them from the reductionist view on nursing education, practice and management.

目的: 描述复杂性科学如何融入护理学。 设计: 范围评估。 数据来源/评估方法: 于2016年11月检索学术期刊全文数据库、Scopus、PsycINFO、护理和联合卫生文献累积索引、PubMed和科学引文索引数据库,并分别于2017年10月和2020年1月更新检索。工作流程包括:问题识别、文献检索、数据评估、综合汇总与呈现展示。 结果: 纳入的89篇文章可分为四类:(1)复杂性科学在护理教育教学中如何融入护理学文献;(2)护理学中以病人症状、疾病结局和安全性为特征的复杂性科学;(c)领导者和管理者应将组织视为复杂适应性系统,而非线性机器;以及(d)需要一种新型方法来研究诸如医疗保健组织等的复杂现象。最后,文献还对复杂性科学是如何被纳入护理学话语及其发展进行了解释说明。 结论: 本项评估工作为当代护理学文献中复杂性科学的应用提供了有力的支持。从组织的角度来看,复杂性科学对临床护理实践和护理管理也具有高度的适用性和相关性。将复杂性科学作为分析复杂护理系统的工具,有助于增进我们对患者、家庭、医生、医院和专业护理机构工作人员之间有效互动以及教育的理解。 影响: 了解与护士在医疗保健环境中的关键作用相关的复杂性科学可促进护理工作和护理理论的发展。复杂性科学的应用为护士提供了一门语言,使他们从护理教育、实践和管理的还原主义观点中解放出来。.

Keywords: complex adaptive systems; complexity science; nursing; scoping review.

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References

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