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Introduction. Patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing renal replacement therapy have complex care needs. To address this, nephrology and dialysis nurses must possess expertise in advanced specialist and disciplinary skills. The aim of this review is to analyze post-graduate academic training pathways and clinical-care training in the field of nephrology and dialysis nursing in the Italian context. Methodology. A narrative review of the literature was conducted in May 2024, using databases such as CINAHL and Medline-PubMed, with a selection criterion limited to primary and secondary studies published in Italian and English. To supplement the search, particularly within the Italian context, grey literature sources were consulted. Results. Post-graduate nephrology nursing education in Italy is mainly offered through First-Level Masters, as well as Second Level Masters and specialization courses, which are provided at various academic institutions. Analysis of the educational programs revealed the presence of common "core" teachings across all pathways, covering renal disease pathophysiology, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and dialysis nursing care, alongside significant heterogeneity in other proposed teachings. Clinical-care training emerged as a fundamental aspect in both post-graduate education, professional integration for newcomers, and continuous professional development. Conclusions. The growing healthcare need for specialist skills suggests the necessity of integrating field-based training with standardized post-graduate academic pathways, possibly in collaboration with relevant Nursing Scientific Societies. This synergy would not only promote the enhancement of nursing competencies but also ensure a high quality of care delivery., (Copyright by Società Italiana di Nefrologia SIN, Rome,Italy.)

A systematic review (SR) is a research method for synthesizing evidence on a specific topic. Among the various types of systematic reviews, there are SRs of guidelines (CPGs) and SRs of SRs. Traditionally, they are limited to just one type of secondary evidence. This paper introduces an innovative SR methodology that combines CPGs and SRs to improve evidence synthesis and overcome the limitations of isolated use. Essential steps that should always precede the actual research process include registering the research protocol, formulating research questions and setting inclusion/exclusion criteria. Using the PRISMA protocol for comprehensive database searches, it's crucial to combine keywords with boolean operators and remove duplicates. The eligibility of studies should be assessed by selecting potentially relevant articles through an initial screening of titles and abstracts, followed by a meticulous analysis of the full-texts. Rigorous evidence evaluation tools, such as AGREE II for CPGs and AMSTAR 2 for SRs, and the double reviewer approach ensure high-quality selections. Additionally, converting summarized results into percentages and applying statistical analyses facilitate interpretation and improve the reliability of rater assessments. A further characteristic of this methodology is its adaptability to the evolution of healthcare research., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Background and Aim: Patient with chronic kidney disease (CKD) must adhere to a nutritional therapy characterized by a restrictive dietary scheme. Nutritional self-care can be enhanced through the use of nutritional apps. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the characteristics of specific nutritional apps for chronic renal failure available in Italy., Methods: A systematic search of mobile apps was conducted by two academic researchers in three Italian App stores: Google Play Store, Apple Store and Huawei AppGallery. Of the 1602 apps identified, 2 apps (Miku; MyFIR) were evaluated with the Italian version of a Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS-ITA) by a multidisciplinary team of 20 professionals., Results: The study found that the two selected apps, available in the Google Play Store and Apple Store, aim to increase well-being through the acquisition of knowledge and behavioral change; but none identify health goals that should be achieved. The strategies used by the two applications are: information, education, monitoring and cognitive-behavioral challenge. The technical analysis showed adequate protection of personal data but only the most downloaded app (Miku) provides the possibility to share content, to send reminders and to browse when offline., Conclusions: The main Italian app stores have two applications to monitor physical health and nutrition in patients with renal disease. Although these are free, easily accessible, navigable and valid in terms of health monitoring and information, greater availability of the offer would be desirable.

Background: The purpose of the study is to identify, through a survey, the parameters that need to be monitored during a hemodialysis session and to merge them into a surveillance flow sheet that allows the optimal conduction of the treatment. Methods: The study was conducted using the questionnaire methodology and involved 78 nurses working in the nephrological area in Italy. The majority of participants have an age of service greater than 10 years and belong to a hemodialysis context. Results: The data show how the surveillance flow sheet is a diversified tool according to the treatments carried out. However, the majority of dialysis flow sheets have a section dedicated to the medical-nursing diary, a space for recording the access characteristics and there is also a good level of digitalization of the instrument. The frequency of detection of vital and monitor-related parameters varies on the basis of the treatment carried out, the registration of the identification number and the filter label are not a uniform practice. Finally, the majority points out the need for an improvement of the surveillance card in use. Conclusions: The research highlights the lack of uniformity of the dialysis surveillance process. The study proposes as a solution to the problem a universal medical-nursing flow sheet, called CUSTODE, which can guide the professional in the management of hemodialytic treatment, through the registration of a minimum data set., (Copyright by Società Italiana di Nefrologia SIN, Rome, Italy.)

Background: Nephrology, dialysis and kidney transplant facilities welcome patients with such different characteristics that they push the nurse into the sphere of care complexity, often generating criticality for the client and the professional. The purpose of the study is to understand the perception nephrological area nurses have about safety and the main difficulties encountered during the training course. Methods: The research was carried out through the questionnaries methodology and involved 104 nurses who work or have worked in the nephrological area in Italy. 58% of participants have an age of service over 16 years. Results: The data show how much the study path is judged to be lacking in the ability to provide adequate basic knowledge to deal with insertion in a context of Nephrology and dialysis. The study shows that those who have worked for less than 5 years consider the training methods unsatisfactory, generating insecurity at the end of the course. The main technical-professional difficulties encountered are the conduct of the hemodialysis and the management of the arteriovenous fistula. Conclusions: The research demonstrates how the construction of core competencies in the new hire is an issue widely experienced by the professional but not always shared nationwide., (Copyright by Società Italiana di Nefrologia SIN, Rome,Italy.)