Perioperative care – Ulrica Nilsson's research group

The research within Postoperative Care focuses on identifying vulnerable groups of persons undergoing surgery and to develop and evaluate person-centered, safe, cost-effective interventions to systematically monitor and support patients in their postoperative recovery, specifically in their postoperative neurocognitive recovery

Our Research

The research within the group is based on a person-centered approach. The research covers development and testing of instruments, health economy, health literacy, quality of life, symptoms and discomfort. The intervention studies take place in close collaboration between researchers, patients and health care. The goal is finding innovative solutions and evidence-based knowledge to be implemented in clinical practice in order to increase the quality of patient's postoperative recovery as well as and to emphasize specialist nurses’ unique competence in perioperative care.

Ongoing Projects

Postoperative recovery

Principal Investigator: Ulrica Nilsson

The program aims to describe, measure, define and explain postoperative recovery. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used in order to search for differences and similarities, factors that influence postoperative recovery as well as create a model / theory and to further development of the Swedish version of Quality of Recovery (SwQoR). The project is based on the patient's perspective, but relatives and the staff's views are also studied.

Postoperative neurocognitive recovery

Principal Investigator: Ulrica Nilsson

The project aims to explore postoperative neurocognitive recovery among older people that have undergone surgery in general or regional anaesthesia. Neurocognitive recovery is explored through mixed methods and through several aspects such as measuring cognitive performance by analogue and digital neurocognitive tests, measuring biomarkers, exploring patient experiences and relatives' experiences, assessing symptoms and signs, studying associations between other factors that may affect the development of neurocognitive decline as well as to  study postoperative neurocognitive recovery over time. The research program consists of the following projects:

CoME- Cognitive Measurements and Experiences

The project aims to study older people's early postoperative neurocognition recovery after undergoing surgery in relation to postoperative neurocognitive function, inflammatory biomarkers, fatigue, postoperative recovery and to describe the patient and relative's experiences of early postoperative cognition.

PICASU - Postoperative digital Cognitive Assessment and Support

The project aims to test and evaluate a digital cognitive screening tool (Mindmore-P) and to explore neurocognitive decline among older people who have undergone surgery and to describe their experiences of postoperative cognitive recovery if suffering from neurocognitive decline. Furthermore, to study potential associations between postoperative neurocognitive decline and early postoperative delirium, fragility, physical function, postoperative recovery, etc.

Patients view of the care at the PACU

Principal Investigator: Karuna Dahlberg

This project aims to describe patients’ experiences of the care at the PACU.

Health literacy

The project aims to psychometric evaluate health literacy instruments, and measure health literacy. The research program consists of the following projects:

Psychometric evaluation of HLS-EU-Q16 and eHEALS

Principal Investigator: Ulrica Nilsson

The overall aim is to psychometric evaluate the Swedish and Arabic versions of HLS-EU-Q16 and eHEALS, and to compare Arabic and Swedish speakers’ Health literacy, eHealth literacy levels and health in Sweden. HLS-EU-Q16 (The Health Literacy Survey European Questionnaire) measuring general health literacy and eHEALS (eHealth literacy scale) measuring electronic health literacy. The project also aims to study eHealth literacy among people that have suffered from Covid -19 and have been cared for in an Intensive care unit.

SEHLO - Self-efficacy and health literacy influence outcome after bariatric surgery

Principal Investigator: Maria Jaensson

The project aims to study health literacy, self-efficacy and registry data from the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry (SOReg) in a group of people who have undergone bariatric surgery.

The specialist nurse perioperative care and competence  

The project aims to explore and describe specialist nurse care and competences   in the perioperative context from an organizational level to the nurses’ view. The research program consists of the following projects:

Swedish nurse anaesthetists’ non-technical skills

Principal Investigator: Martin Jarl/Ulrica Nilsson

To adapt and psychometric evaluate the NANTS (Nurse Anesthetists' Non-Technical Skills) questionnaire in a Swedish context, and to evaluate NANTS in a population of nurse anesthetists’ and   nurse anesthetists’ students.  Furthermore, to describe the surgical team's perceptions and experiences of an excellent nurse anesthetist and   in relation to non-technical skills.

Defining the role and competence of the nurse working at the PACU

Principal Investigator: Karuna Dahlberg

This project is an international and national collaboration with the aim to describe and compare the role and competence of the nurse working at the PACU both from a national as well as an international perspective.

Publications

All publications from group members

Staff and contact

Group leader

All members of the group

Other people connected to the group

  • Bergman, lina
  • Falk, anna
  • Conte, helen
  • Escher, Cecilia
  • Lampi, maria
  • Markovic, Gabriela
  • Saarijärvi, Markus
  • Thorell, Anders
  • Wångdahl, Josefin
  • Guenna, Holmberg Amina
  • Nömm, Marcus
  • Cetina, Anton
  • Zecevic, Ernad
  • Nymark, Carolin
  • Björklind, Caroline