Background: The need for structured practice has in recent years appeared in connection with the request for a more evidence-based nursing. In psychiatric care with its complex disabilities, it is important to have methods to identify these. Research has demonstrated the importance of patient participation in nursing that has been shown to affect their mental health. It is essential to get to know how patients with mental illness are capable of involvement in their life situation. The ICF emerged as a useful theoretical framework for development of questionnaires of patient participation. Aim: The aim of the present pilotstudy was to develop and test a questionnaire for participation, based on ICF. Method: This pilotstudy had a quantitative approach and was based on a draft for the purpose described. For the development process two expertgroups were used, one consisted of nurses with experience of ICF and one by former patients recruited from psychiatric patient organizations to discuss participation and item selection. The final questionnaire was answered by 29 nurses, who also could comment on the content in three open questions used for face validity. Cronbach´s alpha was used to calculate internal consistency. The final goal is to develop a concept of two questionnaires for participation. One that will be answered by nurses and another part based on patients self-assessment. During this pilotstudy, the nurse`s part was focused. Result: The result indicated good internal consistency both in the whole Assessment of Participation in Psychiatric care (APP) (0.900) and for each item (0.892-0.904). We also found indication for good face validity.  The result of this pilot study can be useful for further research and development.

The aim of this study was to conduct an instrument test of the Canadian questionnaire Alberta Context Tool (ACT) version Long-Term care for Swedish conditions. ACT is designed in order to measure the context in the care environment and different behaviours related to the changes in clinical practice. In total, 159 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Registered Nurses (RNs) within municipality care of the elderly were included in the survey. The test included the instrument's reliability and face validity.The reliability test was implemented through calculation of Cronbach´s Alpha, and showed internal consistency for five of the scales of the ACT-instrument with Cronbach´s Alpha values ranging between 0,728 and 0,873. However, three dimensions got lower values (0,558 - 0,683).The analysis was carried out with content analysis and carried out for LPNs and RNs in separate groups. The majority of LPNs expressed that it was easy to respond to the questions (56%), while nine percent considered it as difficult. Eleven comments were given about questions that were perceived to be unclear, complicated or contained difficult words. In the RN group only 30 percent considered that the questions were easy to respond to. One third of the RNs considered that part of the questions were unclear, and six RNs expressed also which questions they experienced as unclear. In general, the questions in the ACT were perceived as relevant. The instrument's relevance as a tool to measure contextual factors that influence the implementation of evidence based nursing can also be considered to be determined. By modifying the content in the questionnaire in accordance with what appeared in this survey and to implement yet another test, the instrument should be considered to be relevant for use within Swedish municipality care of the elderly. ACT can be used both as a tool in the work on improvement of clinical practice and as a tool for further research about implementation of evidence based nursing.