Evaluation of the continuity of obstetric home care services (ADOC) between hospitals and local areas - ASL TO5-Piedmont. INTRODUCTION:Home visits by midwives during the postpartum period support physiological recovery, limit the chronicity of health problems and promote the timely diagnosis of maternal and neonatal problems. OBJECTIVE:To describe the midwifery postnatal home care service (ADOC) through the analysis of interventions, outcomes and satisfaction of the families involved. METHODS:Retrospective study conducted in a Piedmont District on 756 new mothers followed up at home after hospital discharge. Socio-demographic and clinical variables were investigated, including hospital follow-ups, re-admissions and links with the network. Family satisfaction was surveyed using a questionnaire. RESULTS:81% of eligible women joined the project and received 2 home visits (IQR 2-3): the first guaranteed the day after hospital discharge in 48% of cases and the second after 3 days (IQR 2-4). Re-admissions were necessary for 1 (0.1%) woman and 3 (0.4%) infants. At the end of ADOC 76,9% of infants were fed with breast milk; 12 cases (1.6%) were referred to the perinatal health network for mental distress; 93,5% of mother-son dyads were referred to the community center. The satisfaction rate was high, particularly for the perceived increased confidence and parental skills in dealing with care needs. CONCLUSIONS:ADOC fostered continuity of care and linkage with the network supporting parenthood and early interception of situations at risk. Activated during the Covid-19 pandemic, it was then structurally implemented in the care provision.
. Compassion and freedom: the example of Alex Pretti. In this issue we publish Giuseppe Gristina's moving remembrance of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a US intensive care nurse who was killed in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026 during protests following a controversial police action. Pretti was also an engaged citizen, active in public life and committed to democratic values. His story reminds us that nursing (and health professionals) identity cannot be confined to hospital wards or clinical settings: nurses work at the intersection of health, social vulnerability, and inequality, and their professional responsibility often extends beyond the bedside into the civic sphere. Pretti's legacy therefore stands as a reminder that the ethics of care continues not only in clinical practice, but also in the way professionals choose to engage with the world around them.
Defining the scope of activity of family/community nurses: the experience of the Veneto Region. INTRODUCTION:The introduction of the family and community nurse (FCN) in Italy, established by Law 77/2020 and Ministerial Decree 77/2022, strengthened primary care but resulted in heterogeneous regional implementation. OBJECTIVE:To describe the Veneto Region's process to define an organizational model for Family and community nursing services (SIFoC) and to develop a standardized catalogue of core FCN activities, improving measurability and governance. METHODS:A regional multidisciplinary working group was established. Semiannual monitoring and benchmarking across Local Health Authorities assessed organizational models, activity volumes, and assessment tools. Initial catalogues (24, then 60 activities) were progressively revised through structured training and consensus meetings. RESULTS:Monitoring revealed variability in organizational structures, assessment tool use, and activity distribution. The final catalogue included 27 core activities organized by care processes, target units (individual, caregiver, family, community), settings, and delivery modes, thus balancing excessive generalization and over-fragmentation. It explicitly incorporated activities such as population stratification, proactive case finding, case management, therapeutic education, and community-level interventions. Integration into regional information systems has been initiated to enhance traceability. CONCLUSIONS:Defining FCN activities proved to be both a technical and cultural process. The described model enhances visibility, measurability, and governance of community nursing practice, providing a foundation for future evaluation of clinical and organizational outcomes.
. Telemedicine and drug adherence in mood disorders: a narrative review of the literature. INTRODUCTION:Mood disorders (ICD-10: F30-F39), including major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, are chronic psychiatric conditions characterized by high prevalence and significant disability. Treatment adherence remains a critical challenge, influenced by a wide range of clinical and psychosocial factors. In recent years, telemedicine has emerged as a strategic tool to promote continuity of care and improve personalized access to mental health services. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effectiveness of telemedicine-based interventions in enhancing treatment adherence among individuals with mood disorders. METHODS:A narrative review of the literature was conducted, including both systematic reviews (SR) and randomized controlled trials (RCT), that investigated digital interventions such as text messaging (SMS), follow-up phone calls, and mobile health applications. A structured data extraction grid was employed for analysis. RESULTS:A total of four studies were included in the review (3 SR and 1 RCT). The interventions assessed ranged from SMS reminders and follow-up phone calls to mobile app-based notifications. The majority of studies reported a statistically significant improvement in treatment adherence compared to standard clinical care. CONCLUSIONS:Simple, low-intensity digital interventions show concrete potential for integration into treatment pathways for mood disorders, offering pragmatic and sustainable solutions to enhance medication adherence in routine care.
. The concept of overeducation and its implication for the nursing profession. Beyond salary-related issues, limited social recognition and the insufficient valorisation of competencies acquired through post-basic education or advanced professional experience also play a significant role in the attractiveness of the nursing profession. The concept of overeducation in this context refers to the mismatch between the level of education attained and the role actually performed. Despite its growing relevance, this concept still lacks a clear theoretical and operational framework, particularly within nursing.A narrative literature review was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, and grey literature sources, including contributions from economic and sociological research to analyse definitions, measurement approaches, causes, and consequences of overeducation, as well as related concepts such as overskilling, skill mismatch, and overqualification.Published papers adopt different definitions making comparisons difficult. Overeducation may take individual or collective forms and can be either temporary or persistent, with economic, organisational, and professional determinants. It may impact on job dissatisfaction, turnover intentions, burnout, and the underutilisation of human capital, but it may also prompt proactive strategies for professional mobility. Measuring overeducation in nursing requires first clarifying how the concept can be operationalized within a profession where advanced education does not always correspond to formally differentiated roles. Studying overeducation becomes essential to understand the alignment between training, recognition of credentials, and the effective use of professional competencies. This involves defining appropriate indicators that capture the alignment between educational attainment, role requirements, and the actual use of competencies in practice.
