Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a pressing global health challenge, driving the need for effective antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes. Despite nurses’ critical role in care delivery, their involvement in AMS remains under-recognized. Objectives: This mapping review aims to identify barriers and facilitators influencing nurses’ engagement in AMS programmes and examine nursing-sensitive outcomes associated with their participation, using Irvine’s Nursing Role Effectiveness Model (NREM) as a guiding framework. Methods: A systematic mapping review was conducted following Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidance and reported using the PRISMA-ScR checklist. The protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, CI-NAHL, Scopus, LILACS, Scielo, and grey literature sources. Data were extracted and categorized according to the NREM domains: structure, process, and outcomes. Results: Thirty-two studies were included. Key barriers included limited AMS knowledge, role ambiguity, hierarchical dynamics, communication gaps, and lack of standardized nursing outcomes. Facilitators encompassed targeted AMS education, participation in multidisciplinary discussions, managerial support, and defined nursing roles. Nurse-led interventions showed potential to improve infection control and antibiotic administration, although standardized outcome reporting remains scarce. Conclusions: Framed by the NREM, this review underscores the essential contribution of nurses to AMS. Addressing structural barriers, enhancing role clarity, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration are critical to enabling nurses’ full participation. Strengthening nursing engagement in AMS not only supports effective antimicrobial use and patient safety but also reinforces health system resilience and sustainability.

Urinary tract infections are among the most prevalent types of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in hospitals and nursing homes, and they are primarily a result of unnecessary catheter usage and inadequate care. In Portugal, epidemiological data indicate that catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) remain widespread in clinical settings, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality rates among vulnerable populations. This study aimed to assess urinary catheter use in an oncology ward in Portugal and to evaluate nurses’ adherence to the government-endorsed standards for preventing CAUTIs. An observational study was conducted over a four-month period with daily assessments of nurses’ practices during urinary catheter insertion and maintenance using a government-endorsed auditing tool. Data were collected through on-site observations and nurses’ feedback. The findings revealed a urinary catheter utilization rate of 17.99%. However, there was a lack of complete adherence to government-endorsed standards among oncology nurses (0%). These results indicate that current practices lack evidence-based standardization. Therefore, there is a need to develop and implement quality improvement initiatives to enhance patient safety and experiences.

Objective to adapt and validate the Instrumental Expressive Social Support Scale (IESS) in a sample of older people. Method methodological study. The sample of 964 community-dwelling older people was randomly divided into two groups. The first group was used as a calibration sample to study the number of factors underlying social support through Principal Axis Factoring, and the second group as a validation sample to test the “best fit” model through Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Results exploratory Factor Analysis suggested a three-factor solution, which was confirmed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The factors were similar to those in the pre-existing dimensions of the original instrument and were named as Sense of control (α = 0.900), Financial support (α = 0.802), Familiar and socio-affective support (α = 0.778). Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed acceptable fit. The model’s goodness-of-fit indexes were satisfactory (χ2/df = 5.418; CFI = 0.903; NFI = 0.884; RMSEA = 0.098). The convergent validity was supported by associations between social support and medication adherence and positive affect. The discriminant validity was evidenced by association with negative affect. The reliability analysis showed high values of internal consistency. Conclusion the instrument proved to be a valid measure for the assessment of social support in older people.

Blood culture is crucial for accurate and timely bacteremia diagnosis and guide antibiotic therapy. However, during culture sampling, contamination can occur, resulting in misdiagnosis, unnecessary antibiotic exposure, and prolonged hospitalization. This before-and-after intervention study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a multimodal intervention in preventing blood culture contamination. The study was conducted in a 170-bed hospital in Portugal and included a total of 23,566 blood cultures. Contamination rates were assessed in two phases: Phase 1 (before intervention, month 0) included 10,928 cultures, and Phase 2 (after intervention, month 6) included 12,638 cultures. During the study period, a multimodal intervention targeting the nursing staff was implemented, consisting of training actions, guideline updates, regular data monitoring and feedback, and introduction of a blood culture pack. Following the intervention, blood culture contamination decreased from 6.8% (Phase 1) to 3.9% (Phase 2). A comparative analysis revealed that the risk of contamination before the intervention was nearly four times higher in first culture, OR = 3.97 (CI 2.86–5.49). Our findings suggest that the multimodal intervention enhanced nurses’ adherence to recommended practices, resulting in a reduced risk of blood culture contamination, earlier identification of infectious agents, and improved accuracy of antibiotic therapy.