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Prof Iain Atherton's Outputs (80)

The Scottish Safe Staffing Act at Baseline: Quantitative Findings (2025)
Journal Article
Lake, E. T., Shamsuddin, A., Kiely, S., Lee, L., Golinelli, D., Villani, D., & Atherton, I. (online). The Scottish Safe Staffing Act at Baseline: Quantitative Findings. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.70013

Introduction: Amid a global nurse staffing crisis, in 2019 Scotland legislated the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act to address health care workforce challenges. Instead of requiring patient-to-nurse ratios as legislated elsewhere, this Act r... Read More about The Scottish Safe Staffing Act at Baseline: Quantitative Findings.

Using the new Scottish Longitudinal Outcomes database (LEO) to understand transitions from university to practice amongst nursing students (2025)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Pearsons, A., Mitchell, E., Shields, E., & Atherton, I. (2025, September). Using the new Scottish Longitudinal Outcomes database (LEO) to understand transitions from university to practice amongst nursing students. Presented at Administrative Data Research UK Annual Conference 2025, Cardiff

Objectives
Nursing is facing substantial workforce challenges. Applications to study nursing have declined by 25% in Scotland, while 900 vacancies remain unfilled. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan aims to grow the UK nursing workforce from 350,000... Read More about Using the new Scottish Longitudinal Outcomes database (LEO) to understand transitions from university to practice amongst nursing students.

Does being a nurse reduce likelihood of current smoking: an analysis of nationally representative data to investigate smoking across the UK nursing workforce (2024)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Roberts, N. J., Roberts, N., Jamieson, M., Sharp, M. A., La Spada, L., Pathan, N., Butler, H., Nuttall, M., Hancock, C., Donovan, H., & Atherton, I. (2025, March). Does being a nurse reduce likelihood of current smoking: an analysis of nationally representative data to investigate smoking across the UK nursing workforce. Presented at TSANZ 2025, Adelaide

'“As much as I miss it… I can't bring myself to go back”: Experiences of early career registered nurses who leave nursing.' (2024)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Bastow, F., Atherton, I., McLuckie, C., & Mahoney, C. (2024, September). '“As much as I miss it… I can't bring myself to go back”: Experiences of early career registered nurses who leave nursing.'. Presented at RCN International Nursing Research Conference 2024, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK

Background

There is evidence of a nursing workforce crisis with increasing intention to leave (Royal College of Nursing, 2021), yet little is known about the experience of leaving the profession or direct nursing care. Actual nursing turnover need... Read More about '“As much as I miss it… I can't bring myself to go back”: Experiences of early career registered nurses who leave nursing.'.

Coming and going: A narrative review exploring the push-pull factors during nurses’ careers (2024)
Journal Article
Ejebu, O.-Z., Philippou, J., Turnbull, J., Rafferty, A. M., Palmer, W., Prichard, J., Atherton, I., Jamieson, M., Rolewicz, L., Williams, M., & Ball, J. (2024). Coming and going: A narrative review exploring the push-pull factors during nurses’ careers. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 160, Article 104908. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2024.104908

Background: Shortages of nurses are one of the biggest challenges healthcare systems face around the world. Given the wide range of contexts and individuals working in nursing, a ‘one-size-fits-all’ retention strategy is unlikely to be effective. Kno... Read More about Coming and going: A narrative review exploring the push-pull factors during nurses’ careers.

The occupational roles of nurses and midwives in the UK: an analysis of the Nursing and Midwifery Council-census England and Wales 2021 data linkage study (2024)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Jamieson, M., Savinc, J., & Atherton, I. (2024, September). The occupational roles of nurses and midwives in the UK: an analysis of the Nursing and Midwifery Council-census England and Wales 2021 data linkage study. Presented at International Population Data Linkage Network (IPDLN) 2024, Chicago, IL, USA

OPEN Individual and neighborhood-level social and deprivation factors impact kidney health in the GLOMMS-CORE study (2024)
Journal Article
Sawhney, S., Atherton, I., Blakeman, T., Black, C., Cowan, E., Croucher, C., DS Fraser, S., Hughes, A., Nath, M., Nitsch, D., Scholes-Robertson, N., & Rzewuska Diaz, M. (2024). OPEN Individual and neighborhood-level social and deprivation factors impact kidney health in the GLOMMS-CORE study. Kidney International, 106(5), 928-942. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kint.2024.07.021

Prospective cohort studies of kidney equity are limited by a focus on advanced rather than early disease; and selective recruitment. Whole population studies frequently rely on area-level measures of deprivation as opposed to individual measures of s... Read More about OPEN Individual and neighborhood-level social and deprivation factors impact kidney health in the GLOMMS-CORE study.

Hypertension management and outcomes during the covid-19 pandemic: diagnosis, blood pressure telemonitoring use and mortality (2024)
Journal Article
Hanley, J., Paterson, M., Pollock, R., Parker, R., Neubeck, L., Atherton, I., Mchale, S., Pearsons, A., Mckinstry, B., & Guthrie, B. (2024). Hypertension management and outcomes during the covid-19 pandemic: diagnosis, blood pressure telemonitoring use and mortality. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 23(Supplement_1), https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjcn/zvae098.047

Introduction
The effects of COVID-19 on people with hypertension are poorly understood, but potentially severe both due to increased risk of cardiovascular events post covid (1) and by altering the way people accessed healthcare (2). This study aime... Read More about Hypertension management and outcomes during the covid-19 pandemic: diagnosis, blood pressure telemonitoring use and mortality.

What might make nurses stay? A protocol for discrete choice experiments to understand NHS nurses’ preferences at early-career and late-career stages (2024)
Journal Article
Ejebu, O.-Z., Turnbull, J., Atherton, I., Rafferty, A. M., Palmer, B., Philippou, J., Prichard, J., Jamieson, M., Rolewicz, L., Williams, M., & Ball, J. (2024). What might make nurses stay? A protocol for discrete choice experiments to understand NHS nurses’ preferences at early-career and late-career stages. BMJ Open, 14, Article e075066. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075066

Introduction: Like many countries, England has a national shortage of registered nurses. Employers strive to retain existing staff, to ease supply pressures. Disproportionate numbers of nurses leave the National Health Services (NHS) both early in th... Read More about What might make nurses stay? A protocol for discrete choice experiments to understand NHS nurses’ preferences at early-career and late-career stages.

Exploring the patient experience of remote hypertension management in Scotland during COVID-19: a qualitative study (2023)
Journal Article
Mchale, S., Paterson, M., Pearsons, A., Neubeck, L., Atherton, I., Guthrie, B., McKinstry, B., & Hanley, J. (2023). Exploring the patient experience of remote hypertension management in Scotland during COVID-19: a qualitative study. BMJ Open, 13(12), Article e078944. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-078944

Objectives
The aim of this study was to understand how patients experienced hypertension management, with or without BP telemonitoring, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design, Methods, participants, and setting
This qualitative study conducted b... Read More about Exploring the patient experience of remote hypertension management in Scotland during COVID-19: a qualitative study.

Individuals who lived alone or with an unpaid carer approaching the end of life at 2001 and 2011 census in Scotland (2023)
Report
Savinc, J., & Atherton, I. (2023). Individuals who lived alone or with an unpaid carer approaching the end of life at 2001 and 2011 census in Scotland. Scottish Government

The census provides invaluable information on Scotland’s population and linking it to other data enables analysis of specific groups to inform policy. The following briefing provides key findings relating to the availability of carers at home for tho... Read More about Individuals who lived alone or with an unpaid carer approaching the end of life at 2001 and 2011 census in Scotland.

Where less is more: Limited feedback in formative online multiple‐choice tests improves student self‐regulation (2023)
Journal Article
Say, R., Visentin, D., Saunders, A., Atherton, I., Carr, A., & King, C. (2024). Where less is more: Limited feedback in formative online multiple‐choice tests improves student self‐regulation. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 40(1), 89-103. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12868

Background: Formative online multiple‐choice tests are ubiquitous in higher education and potentially powerful learning tools. However, commonly used feedback approaches in online multiple‐choice tests can discourage meaningful engagement and enable... Read More about Where less is more: Limited feedback in formative online multiple‐choice tests improves student self‐regulation.

Have increased deaths at home during the pandemic returned to pre-pandemic levels? An analysis of publicly available Scottish death registrations (2023)
Journal Article
Savinc, J., & Atherton, I. M. (2023). Have increased deaths at home during the pandemic returned to pre-pandemic levels? An analysis of publicly available Scottish death registrations. Journal of Public Health, 45(4), e664–e667. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdad156

Deaths at home increased in Scotland at the start of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by ~35%. The majority did not involve COVID-19. This has implications for resource allocation and care at the end of life. Publicly available weekly... Read More about Have increased deaths at home during the pandemic returned to pre-pandemic levels? An analysis of publicly available Scottish death registrations.

Competencies and standards in nurse education: The irresolvable tensions (2023)
Journal Article
Collier-Sewell, F., Atherton, I., Mahoney, C., Kyle, R. G., Hughes, E., & Lasater, K. (2023). Competencies and standards in nurse education: The irresolvable tensions. Nurse Education Today, 125, Article 105782. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2023.105782

This paper explores the inherent contradiction between the purpose of nurse education – to produce critical thinking, autonomous and accountable future nurses – and the prescription of standards and competencies to realize this goal. Drawing on examp... Read More about Competencies and standards in nurse education: The irresolvable tensions.

Differences in end-of-life health service usage between people who died at home before and during the pandemic in Scotland (2022)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Savinc, J., & Atherton, I. Differences in end-of-life health service usage between people who died at home before and during the pandemic in Scotland. Presented at International Population Data Linkage Conference 2022

Objectives
To compare health service usage of people who died at home in Scotland during the Covid-19 pandemic to the population who died at home prior to the pandemic, as a proxy measure of end-of-life care availability during the pandemic.

Appr... Read More about Differences in end-of-life health service usage between people who died at home before and during the pandemic in Scotland.

Differences in end-of-life hospitalisation patterns between people who died at home before and during the pandemic in Scotland (Preliminary results) (2022)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Savinc, J., & Atherton, I. (2022, June). Differences in end-of-life hospitalisation patterns between people who died at home before and during the pandemic in Scotland (Preliminary results). Paper presented at 19th International Medical Geography Symposium (IMGS 2022), Edinburgh

Deaths at home in Scotland increased by approximately 36% in 2020 and 2021 compared to the 2015-2019 period. Only about 2% of home deaths were Covid-related. This represented a shift of deaths from hospital to home during the pandemic and entailed a... Read More about Differences in end-of-life hospitalisation patterns between people who died at home before and during the pandemic in Scotland (Preliminary results).

Are deprivation-specific cancer survival patterns similar according to individual- and area-based measures? A cohort study of patients diagnosed with five malignancies in England & Wales, 2008-2016 (2022)
Journal Article
Woods, L. M., Belot, A., Atherton, I., Ellis-Brookes, L., Baker, M., & Ingleby, F. C. (2022). Are deprivation-specific cancer survival patterns similar according to individual- and area-based measures? A cohort study of patients diagnosed with five malignancies in England & Wales, 2008-2016. BMJ Open, 12(6), Article e058411. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058411

Objective: To investigate if measured inequalities in cancer survival differ when using individual- (‘person’) compared to area- (‘place’) based measures of deprivation for three socio-economic dimensions: income, deprivation and occupation
Design:... Read More about Are deprivation-specific cancer survival patterns similar according to individual- and area-based measures? A cohort study of patients diagnosed with five malignancies in England & Wales, 2008-2016.