Bakgrund: Att genomgå en amputation är en livsomvälvande händelse som bjuder på utmaningar både fysiskt och psykiskt för den drabbade personen inte minst efter utskrivning från sjukhus. Syfte: Syftet med den här litteraturstudien var att sammanställa tidigare kvalitativ forskning om patienters erfarenheter av rehabilitering efter amputation av nedre extremitet efter utskrivning från sjukhus. Metod: Scoping review. Resultat: Resultatet av den här studien byggde på tolv artiklar och fem huvudteman identifierades samt femton subteman. Studien visade bland annat på hur informationsbrist råder från sjukvårdspersonalen till patienten på olika nivåer och att tilliten till personalen är viktig. Bristande ekonomi minskade följsamheten till rehabiliteringen av olika anledningar, men har även en direkt korrelation till patientens överlevnad. Kostnaden för sjukvården beskrevs även som en fråga om liv och död där fri sjukvård var avgörande för socioekonomiskt utsatta grupper. Konklusion: Konklusionen belyste att partner och familj är viktiga för hur patienten tacklar själva rehabiliteringsprocessen. Därför är det viktigt att sjuksköterskan är lyhörd vid vårdövergång från sjukhus till hemmiljö eftersom vårdbördan för familjen ökar och patienten är som mest sårbar. / Background: Going through an amputation is a life-changing event followed by challenges physically and mentally for the affected person not least after discharge from hospital. Aim: The aim of this literature review was to compile previous qualitative research of patients’ experience of rehabilitation after amputation of lower extremity after discharge from hospital. Method: Scoping review. Result: Based on twelve scientific articles five main themes and fifteen subthemes were identified. This study illustrated how lack of information exists from healthcare professionals to the patient on different levels and trust towards the staff is important. Lack of financial resources reduced the adherence to rehabilitation and had a direct correlation to patient survival. The cost of medical care was described as a matter of life and death where free health care was crucial for socio-economically vulnerable groups. Conclusion: The conclusion illuminated the importance of the partner and family for how the patient deal with the rehabilitation process. It is important that the nurse is responsive when care transition occurs from hospital to home environment as the burden of care for the family increases and the patient is the most vulnerable.

This study sought to better understand program evaluation capacity and competency amongst public health nurses. Program evaluation plays a vital role in public health and is an identified core competency for public health practice (Canadian Public Health Agency). In Part One, I conducted a scoping review to systematically map the current literature on this topic and to identify important areas for future research. Twenty-three articles were selected based on pre-established exclusion and inclusion criteria and the assistance of a secondary reviewer. The articles highlighted the value of program evaluation in public health and its importance as a nursing skill amidst the evolving health care sector. Themes identified included: a broader lack of public health competencies (including program evaluation) among all public health professionals; the complexities and challenges of evaluating public health interventions; and the uncertainty of what constitutes adequate evaluation competency in public health. Furthermore, my review noted inconsistent terminology to describe a public health nurse and the need for further exploration around the specific evaluation capacity of public health nurses. In Part Two, I explored the stated or expected evaluation competencies for public health nurses through a document review of relevant Canadian public health nursing core competencies, guidelines, and standards for practice. The identification of 52 stated evaluation competencies, demonstrates the assumption that public health nurses have competency and or capacity related to program evaluation and contrasts with the themes identified in my scoping review. Furthermore, the documents I reviewed included no specific reference to the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES), however some of the included content did align with the CES Program Evaluation Standards. This study demonstrates a misalignment between the discourse in the literature reviewed related to evaluation competency amongst public health nurses and the stated or assumed evaluation competencies put forth in leading public health nursing documentation. In the absence of any standardized evaluation training and preparation for public health nurses, further exploration is needed around what these broad evaluation competencies mean in practice and how they can be objectively assessed, exhibited, and better integrated into public health nursing education and evaluation capacity building activities. These questions warrant further investigation to ensure public health interventions are properly evaluated and that public health nurses have the competencies required for effective public health practice.

Background: People who use drugs (PWUD) are disproportionately burdened by rates of HIV and Hepatitis C, more likely to experience stigma, social exclusion, and as a result, have poorer health outcomes. To mitigate these inequities in health, people with lived experience of drug use are, and should be, included in decisions that affect them. There is evidence that including PWUD in the development and delivery of harm reduction programs, services, and drug policy ensures such initiatives addresses their needs most effectively. As such, the purpose of this thesis is to present the findings of a scoping review of the peer-reviewed literature examining the involvement of people who use drugs (PWUD) in the development and delivery of harm reduction programs, services, and drug policy. Methods: Scoping reviews represent an increasingly popular method used to review the literature of a particular topic. It is a process of summarizing, or ‘mapping’, a range of evidence in order to convey the breadth and depth of a particular field. This scoping review implemented a search strategy focused on three categories: search terms that describe ‘peer engagement’, search terms that describe ‘substance use’ and finally search terms that describe ‘harm reduction programs/services/policy’. Searches of five academic electronic databases were conducted. Peer-reviewed literature published between 2010 and 2020 that discussed the involvement of PWUD in the development and/or delivery of harm reduction programs, services, or drug policy was included in the scoping review. Results: The search strategy produced a total of 1902 references. After duplicates were removed, thirty-two references met the inclusion criteria and were included for analysis. This scoping review identified five characteristics from each study: 1) type of study, 2) location of study, 3) year of publication, 4) type of engagement/participation, and 5) peer roles. Conclusion: One critical finding of this scoping review is the highest level of participation among PWUD was achieved when drug-user organizations were involved. / Graduate

The purpose of this thesis is to scope the literature to understand how people who use injection drug (PWIDs) experience access to hepatitis C (HCV) testing and diagnosis. The design was a scoping review methodology, guided by Arksey and O’Malley, JBI, and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A search was conducted through seven electronic databases using a peer-reviewed search strategy. Five studies were yielded through two-level screenings. The extracted data were synthesized using conventional data analysis and reported using tables and narrative summaries. Four categories were found: Awareness and Knowledge, Stigma, Healthcare Service, and Psychological Responses. The studies were conducted in Australia, UK, and US published between 2014 to 2018. A total of 19 participant characteristics were extracted to contextualize their experiences. The World Health Organization’s definition of accessibility should be defined through the guidance of the constructed truths of the individuals in the current context. The lack of demographic data and connection to client quotes further exacerbates the inequities among the population through overlooking their intragroup identities.

This thesis looks at the process of reunification for Indigenous children following a time in the care of the child welfare system. To understand what has been studied in the area of reunification of Indigenous children back to their families, a scoping review process is undertaken to gathering and mapping the available research. The initial search produced a total of 1823 abstracts. After applying an inclusion and exclusion reviewing process, the scoping review resulted in a total of 44 literature sources for this study. This study uses Cindy Blackstock’s Breath of Life Theory as the theoretical framework to understand and reimagine the process of reunification from the perspective of the child, the family, the worker, and substitute caregiver. The review found support for the idea that research and programs relating to reunification for Indigenous children needs to use Indigenous methods and ways of thinking. Five themes emerged from this review, the use of Indigenous ways of knowing, this theme is central throughout the literature and informs the other four themes: structural vs. individual assessment/intervention, trauma/reconciliation, connections/relationships, and Indigenous research. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

Introduction: Psychosocial problems (PSPs) are common issues associated with negative health outcomes. Since general practitioners are the first point of contact for any health-related concern, understanding their options to recognise patients with PSPs plays an important role as it is essential for early intervention and can prevent serious conditions. The objective of our scoping review is to map published evidence on the usage of instruments to identify patients with PSPs in general practice. Methods and analysis: We will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist and the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewer’s Manual on scoping reviews. A systematic search of four electronic databases (Medline (Ovid), Web of Science Core Collection, PsycInfo, Cochrane Library) will be conducted for quantitative and qualitative studies published in English, Spanish, French and German. Main study characteristics as well as information on identification instruments will be extracted and visualised in structured tables to map the available evidence. The protocol has been registered with Open Science Framework, https://osfio/c2m6z. Ethics and dissemination: This study does not require ethical approval as we will not collect personal data. Dissemination will consist of publications, presentations and other knowledge translation activities.

Though more recognition has been placed on the cruciality of university staff in their roles supporting the internationalization of higher education (HE), research-based understandings of micro level engagement have been largely neglected. This critical realist scoping study explores the extent of peer-reviewed articles published between 2017 and 2022 regarding university staff experiences and perceptions of internationalization in Australian and South Korean HE. A total of 34 relevant articles were found using a systematic approach to data collection. The findings confirm previous studies which demonstrate that internationalization research largely focuses on the perspectives and experiences of academic staff while non-academic staff and HE leadership and management are under-researched. Six dimensions of internationalization were represented, with ‘Teaching, Supervising, and Supporting Students’ being the most-researched across the body of literature overall and the ‘Internationalization of the Curriculum’ and ‘English-Medium Instruction Practice and Policy’ the most-researched in Australia and Korea respectively. The review also brought up several conceptual issues. While all university staff research participants in the Korean HE context were explicitly defined based on their nationality, ethnicity, and/or cultural background, university staff participants in the Australian HE context were often not described beyond their occupation. However, the majority of articles researching staff interactions with international students in the Australian HE context did include descriptions of national, ethnic, and/or cultural background. Additionally, the authors of the selected articles in both contexts rarely disclosed their own subjectivity and connection to the topic being researched. This study has illuminated the need for future research on the perspectives and experiences of all university staff in relation to internationalization and argues for future research that acknowledges the positionality of the researcher and the complexity of the identity of its participants.

In 2014, UNAIDS published the Gap Report that identified adults aged 50 years and older as a vulnerable group being left behind in HIV treatment and prevention efforts (UNAIDS, 2014). This manuscript thesis is composed of two data chapters that aim to address the gap in the HIV, aging, and disability literature by exploring what is known about the quality of life and disability experiences of older adults aged 50 years and older living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The purpose of the scoping review was to map out published literature on quality of life among older adults living with HIV in SSA. Following Arksey & O’Malley’s framework for conducting scoping reviews, 6 databases were searched resulting in 1021 titles and abstracts that were screened for inclusion resulting in a total of 8 articles included for review and synthesis. The review confirmed a dearth in research literature on older adults living with HIV in SSA as included studies were only conducted in 2 out of 47 countries in the region. The qualitative study addressed this gap in knowledge by exploring the disability- related experiences of 10 older men and women living with HIV in Zambia. The qualitative study identified 5 major themes: 1. Multiple Symptoms and Impairments: Variation in Onset and Duration; 2. Daily Activities and Participation: Shaped by Gender Roles; 3. HIV Status Disclosure: Hindered by Stigma, Driven By A Purpose; 4) Poverty and Food Insecurity: Precarious Employment; and 5) Managing An Altered Uncertainty: Changes Resulting From A Prolonged Life. These findings demonstrated that while participants were benefiting from antiretroviral therapy, many still experienced disability. The component studies in this thesis complement one another and advance dialogue about the quality of life and experiences of disability in older adults living with HIV in SSA and points to a need for further research so that fewer people are left behind. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

TITLE: Work, Health and the Economy: Examining Predictors of Early Retirement Among Older Canadian Workers OBJECTIVES: To investigate the contribution of socio-demographic, health, work, and health behaviour factors to the transition from work to early non-disability retirement among older Canadian workers during a period of economic recession compared to a period of non-recession. METHODS: A systematic scoping review was conducted to identify the predictors of early retirement reported in the published literature. This study also used data from Statistics Canada’s National Population Health Survey to explore the predictors of early retirement among two prospective cohorts of older Canadian workers aged 45-64 that spanned a non-recessionary economic period in Canada (cohort 1: 1994-1999) and a period which included an economic recession (cohort 2: 2006-2010). The impact of various factors on early retirement was examined using logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Findings from the systematic scoping review were used to construct a list of variables to explore as predictors in the model. Factors which were associated with higher transitions into early retirement included older age (cohort 1: OR=1.42; cohort 2: OR=1.31), living in Quebec (cohort 1: OR=2.26), occasional (cohort 1: OR=2.56) or regular drinking (cohort 1: OR=2.32), low job satisfaction (cohort 1: OR=3.42; cohort 2: OR=3.33), working part-time (cohort 1: OR=2.16; cohort 2: OR=2.26), and employment in public administration (cohort 1: OR=2.77). While being a woman (cohort 1: OR=0.59), immigrant (cohort 1: OR=0.57), and higher job security (cohort 1: OR=0.73) were associated with lower exits to early retirement. There were differences observed in the effects of occasional and regular drinking, and for living in Quebec, on early retirement between the two contrasting economic time periods. The comparison of the provincial effect suggested that early retirement varies to some extent with the provincial unemployment rate. CONCLUSIONS: Predictors of early retirement among older Canadian workers are multifactorial. Results suggest that factors beyond individual determinants may influence early retirement and future research is needed to better understand what aspects of the provincial context are driving retirement decisions. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

En litteraturstudie i form av en scoping review genomfördes för att ta reda på vilka strategier skolan behöver utveckla för att stötta elever med selektiv mutism på organisations-, grupp- och individnivå. Selektiv mutism (SM) är en funktionsnedsättning som yttrar sig i en talångest. Det är även en diagnos enligt DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) som karaktäriseras av en oförmåga att tala i vissa situationer där tal förväntas, t.ex. i skolan, medan individen talar obehindrat i andra miljöer, t.ex. i hemmet. Elever med selektiv mutism är i behov av stöd i skolan, både för att nå målen med sin utbildning och i sociala sammanhang. Forskning visar att skolan behöver mer kunskap om och förståelse för SM för att stötta dessa elever. Därför är den här studien viktig. I studien identifierades fem forskningsartiklar - och tre huvudteman med vardera tre underteman växte fram. Det första temat var ”Strategier i skolan för att stötta elever med SM på organisationsnivå” med undertemana ”lärarnas behov av utbildning kring SM”, ”lärarnas relationskompetens” och ”hälsa och lärande”. Det andra temat var ”Strategier i skolan för att stötta elever med SM på gruppnivå” med undertemana ”systematiskt arbete med anpassningar i klassrummet”, ”socialt samspel” och ”delaktighet och inflytande”. Det tredje temat var ”Strategier i skolan för att stötta elever med SM på individnivå” med undertemana ”individuella anpassningar och stödstrukturer”, ”tal, språk och kommunikation”, ”rätten till kunskapande, vänskapande och välbefinnande”. Resultatet visar att lärare behöver mer kunskap om och förståelse för SM. De behöver förmåga att bygga trygga relationer till elever med SM och deras vårdnadshavare, och förmåga att skapa kommunikationsvänliga klassrumsmiljöer, samt acceptera alternativa kommunikationsmetoder. Skolan behöver arbeta med såväl individuella som generella anpassningar och stödstrukturer, samt ge lärare förutsättningar att kunna ge elever med SM möjligheter till kunskapande, vänskapande och välbefinnande i skolan. / A literature review in the shape of a scoping review was performed to identify which strategies schools need to develop to support students with selective mutism on organizational, group and individual level. Selective mutism (SM) is a disability that manifest itself as a speech anxiety. It is also a diagnosis according to DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) characterized by an inability to speak in certain situations in which speaking is expected, e.g., at school, while the individual speaks freely in other environments, e.g., at home. Students with selective mutism need support both to achieve the goals in their education and in social development. Research shows that school needs more knowledge and a shared understanding about SM to support these students. Therefore, this study is important. The study identified five research articles and three main themes with three subthemes each emerged. The first theme was “Strategies in school to support students with SM at organizational level” with the sub-themes “teachers' need for knowledge about SM”, “teachers' relational skills”, “health and learning”. The second theme was “Strategies in school to support students with SM at group level” with the sub-themes “systematic work with adaptation in the classroom”, “social interaction”, “participation and influence”. The third theme was “Strategies in school to support students with SM on an individual level” with sub-themes “individual adaptations and support structures”, “speech, language and communication”, “the student’s right to active learning, doing friendship, and well-being”. The results show that teachers need more knowledge about SM to develop an understanding. They need to be able to build stable relationships with students with SM and their guardians, to create communication-friendly classroom environments, and to accept alternative communication methods. Schools need to work with both individual and general adaptations and support structures. Schools also need to provide teachers with the necessary framework for them to be able to give students with SM opportunities to student active learning, doing friendship and well-being at school.