Nursing sensitive outcomes in healthy aging promotion: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Interventions which promote healthy aging are emerging as a priority considering the demographic and epidemiological transitions that have emerged, in the second half of the twentieth century, in the most developed countries. The analysis of the results of nursing interventions which may have promoted healthy aging can help us analyse our current practices, contribute to the development of more effective interventions, and make the impact of nursing care more transparent. We conducted a systematic literature review which aimed to identify aging determinants sensitive to nursing interventions within people aged 18 or older. The guidelines from the Cochrane Centre were followed. We formulated the research question using the PI[C]OD method: “What are the healthy aging results, sensitive to nursing interventions, in adults (over 18 years old)?” We conducted a search using the EBSCO HOST interface which led to the selection of eleven studies. We found evidence of 54 nursing sensitive outcomes in terms of functional status, self-care, control of symptoms, health-promoting activities, health-related quality of life, and satisfaction with nursing interventions. These results were evaluated in community interventions performed in different contexts. We concluded that community nurses are in a uniquely privileged position to develop interventions that influence healthy aging, reinforcing the importance that people of any age adopt healthy behaviours to have a long, active and healthy life.