Aims: To explore the impact of 12 American Nurses Association recognized standardized nursing terminologies (SNTs) on patient and organizational outcomes.Background: Previous studies reported an effect of SNTs on outcomes, but no previous frameworks nor meta‐analyses were found.Design: Systematic review and meta‐analyses.Review Methods: PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and OpenGrey databases were last consulted in July 2021. All abstracts and full texts were screened independently by two researchers. The review included primary quantitative studies that reported an association between recognized SNTs and outcomes. Two reviewers independently assessed the risk of bias and certainty of evidence for each meta‐analyzed outcome using the “Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation” (GRADE) approach.Results: Fifty‐three reports were included. NANDA‐NIC‐NOC and Omaha System were the most frequently reported SNTs used in the studies. Risk of bias in randomized controlled trials and not‐randomized controlled trials ranged from high to unclear, this risk was low in cross‐sectional studies. The number of nursing diagnoses NANDA‐I moderately correlated with the intensive care unit length of stay (r = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.31–0.44). Using the Omaha System nurse‐led transitional care program showed a large increase in both knowledge (d = 1.21; 95% CI = 0.97–1.44) and self‐efficacy (d = 1.23; 95% CI = 0.97–1.48), while a reduction on the readmission rate (OR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.09–0.83). Nursing diagnoses were found to be useful predictors for organizational (length of stay) and patients' outcomes (mortality, quality of life). The GRADE indicated that the certainty of evidence was rated from very low to low.Conclusions: Studies using SNTs demonstrated significant improvement and prediction power in several patients' and organizational outcomes. Further high‐quality research is required to increase the certainty of evidence of these relationships.Clinical relevance: SNTs should be considered by healthcare policymakers to improve nursing care and as essential reporting data about patient's nursing complexity to guide reimbursement criteria.

Terminally ill patients are at high risk of pressure ulcers, which have a negative impact on quality of life. Data about pressure ulcers’ prevalence, incidence and associated factors are largely insufficient. To document the point prevalence at admission and the cumulative incidence of pressure ulcers in terminally ill patients admitted to an Italian home palliative care unit, and to analyse the patients’ and caregivers’ characteristics associated with their occurrence. Retrospective chart review. Patients (n = 574) with a life expectancy ⩽6 months admitted to a palliative home care service were included in this study. The prevalence and incidence rates were 13.1% and 13.0%, respectively. The logistic regression models showed body mass index (p < 0.001), Braden score at risk (p < 0.001), Karnofsky Performance Scale index <30 (p < 0.001), patients’ female gender, patients’ age >70 and >1 caregiver at home as the dichotomous variables predictors of presenting with a pressure ulcer at time of admission and during home palliative care. The notable pressure ulcers’ incidence and prevalence rates suggest the need to include this issue among the main outcomes to pursue during home palliative care. The accuracy of body mass index, Braden Scale and Karnofsky Performance Scale in predicting the pressure ulcers risk is confirmed. Therefore, they appear as essential tools, in combination with nurses’ clinical judgment, for a structured approach to pressure ulcers prevention. Further research is needed to explore the home caregivers’ characteristics and attitudes associated with the occurrence of pressure ulcers and the relations between their strategies for pressure ulcer prevention and gender-related patient’s needs.

Heart failure (HF) is a cardiac clinical syndrome that involves complex pathological aetiologies. It represents a growing public health issue and affects a significant number of people worldwide. To synthesize evidence related to the impact of telemonitoring strategies on mortality and hospital readmissions of heart failure patients. A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, Engineering Source, and INSPEC. To be included, studies had to be in English or Italian and involve heart failure patients of any NYHA class, receiving care through any telecare, remote monitoring, telemonitoring, or telehealth programmes. Articles had to contain data on both mortality and number of patients who underwent rehospitalizations during follow-ups. To explore the effectiveness of telemonitoring strategies in reducing both one-year all-cause mortality and one-year rehospitalizations, studies were synthesized through meta-analyses, while those excluded from meta-analyses were summarized narratively. Sixty-one studies were included in the review. Narrative synthesis of data suggests a trend towards a reduction in deaths among monitored patients, but the number of rehospitalized patients was higher in this group. Meta-analysis of studies reporting one-year all-cause mortality outlined the protective power of care models based on telemonitoring in reducing one-year all-cause mortality. Meta-analysis of studies reporting the number of rehospitalized patients in one-year outlined that telemonitoring is effective in reducing the number of rehospitalized patients when compared with usual care strategies. Evidence from this review confirms the benefits of telemonitoring in reducing mortality and rehospitalizations of HF patients. Further research is needed to reduce the heterogeneity of the studies.