Maria Engström
Professor Nursing
About the researcher
Professor, PhD Caring Science (Nursing) and Registered Nurse.
Thematic Research Areas and Current Research
The Human in the Caring Practice
Ageing well – Care and support of older people
- Garden greenery and person-centered care – nursing home residents’ health and wellbeing (collaboration with Kauno kolegija HEI, Kaunas, Lithuania)
- Disordered eating among older people in residential care settings (collaboration with University of Extremadura Spain and ATU Ireland)
- Loneliness among older people after discharge from hospital
- Care and support of older people in China, Effects of a governmental nursing home training program among managers and front-line staff (collaboration with Professor Xu Lijuan Lishui university)
Return to work for people with long-term illness and an inclusive work environment
- CAN-Work-S
- Improving workforce participation and well-being in individuals with multiple sclerosis
The Caring Environment and Technology Integration
- Digital triage tools in elderly care
- New and increased digital working methods in healthcare – a study of care quality and staff members’ quality of working life
- Working life and nursing care within the Swedish Healthcare Direct – 1177 – telephone advice nursing and chat
Working environment, Learning and Leadership – WELL-being
For staff working in health and community care
- Working with a patient-acuity tool as part of daily management: a mixed methods study focusing on staff's work environment, well-being and health
- Registered nurses’ working life in China and its relationship with quality of care
- Nutrition Education for Health Care Professionals NEHCP
- Internationally educated nurses’ working life – the way into the profession and five years later
- Nurses’ and nursing students’ professional competence, structural conditions, thriving and wellbeing (studies in Sweden and China)
- Clinical practice education -nursing students’, preceptors’ and clinical lectures’ perspectives
Collaboration
- National collaboration with researchers at Uppsala University, Karolinska Institutet, Karlstad University, Gothenburg University and Region Gävleborg.
- International collaboration with researchers at University of Évora Portugal, University of Extremadura Spain, University of Parma Italy, Atlantic Technology University Ireland, University of Oradea Romania, University of Angers France, and Lishui University China.
Collaboration with the surrounding community
- Research project Care intensity measurements as part of daily management: a mixed methods study with a focus on the staff's work environment, well-being and health", Funding dnr 230157 Afa Försäkring. Doctoral student Kristin Dellesjö financed by Region Gävleborg and partly by Afa försäkring.
- Research project Nutrition Education for Health Care Professionals NEHCP – Erasmus+ funding.
- Research project New digital solutions within 1177 Direkt: What is happening to the nurses' work environment - efficiency improvement for better or worse?", Funding dnr 220236 Afa Försäkring.
- Research project New and increased digital working methods in healthcare – a study of care quality and staff quality of working life, doctoral student Maarit Wirkkala financed by Region Gävleborg.
- Research project ValidX together with Region Gävleborg, funding from the Swedish Growth Agency 2018–2022
- Research project Discharge study together with Region Gävleborg, 2014–2016, research partly financed by Region Gävleborg
- Research project Pain study together with Hudiksvall municipality, intervention study
- Research project Värdegrund together with several municipalities Region Gävleborg, project graduate students, intervention study, 2012–2016
- Research project communication and patient safety together with the Anesthesia Clinic, Gävleborg County Council, PhD project, intervention study. PhD student partly financed by the region. 2011–2016
- Research project Elderly care caregivers and leaders. A collaborative project between the University of Gävle, Uppsala University and five municipalities. B-LONG, 2010-2019 (AFA funded)
- Research project "E-validation in elderly care - a tool to make skills visible, strengthen the individual's self-confidence and increase well-being?" The project is carried out in collaboration with Sandviken Municipality's Elderly Care Administration, the municipality's own adult education and HiG. 2008–2016, (Partly financed with project funds from AFA insurance; European Social Fund)
- Research project "Passive positioning alarm in dementia care" together with Gävle municipality and FPX, Invotech, Open Care 2008–2013, research partly funded by the Knowledge Foundation
- Research project together with Hudiksvall Municipality, Gävleborg County Council, DataVis AB, Bergsjö Data AB, Ericsson Network Technologies AB, AB Hudiksvallsbostäder, Uppsala University. 2002–2005
- Research project together with Gävle municipality and local technology companies
2000–2006
- Professor Caring Science, University of Gävle 2016
- Associate Professor Caring Science, Uppsala University 2010
Education
- PhD Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, 2007
- Primary Care Nurse, 1992
- Registered Nurse, 1986
Pedagogical Education
- University of Gävle, Higher Education Pedagogy – Teaching and Formal Exercise of Authority, 7.5 credits 2018
- University of Gävle, Higher Education Pedagogy - Perspectives on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 7.5 credits, 2015
- Uppsala University Supervisor training, Step II, course for doctoral supervisors 2010
- Uppsala University Care pedagogy, 20 credits 1997
- Uppsala University Supervision of theses in health sciences (doctoral course), 5 credits 2004
Experience of Teaching
- University of Gävle, Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, Professor in Caring Science 100 %, permanent employment 2016–
- University of Gävle, Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, Senior Lecturer in Caring Science 100 %, permanent position 2007–2016
- University of Gävle, Department of Caring Science and Sociology, Lecturer in Caring Science 100 %, 1998–2006
Main supervisor (ongoing)
- Maarit Wirkkala, doctoral student in Caring Science, University of Gävle
- Kristin Dellesjö, doctoral student in Caring Science, University of Gävle
- Zhu Kewen, doctoral student in Caring Science, University of Gävle
Co-supervisor
- Karin Lundin, doctoral student in Caring Science, University of Gävle
- Linda Eklund, doctoral student in Caring Science, University of Gävle
- Frida Lindgren, doctoral student in Caring Science, University of Gävle
- Maria João Revés Mendes Silva, doctoral student in Caring Science, Universidade de Évora, Portugal
Completed supervisory assignments
Main supervisor
- Denice Högstedt, doctoral student in Caring Science, University of Gävle, PhD 2024
- Monica Kaltenbrunner Nykvist, PhD student in occupational health science University of Gävle, PhD 2020
- Heidi Hagerman, Uppsala University Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, PhD 2019
- Charlotte Roos, Uppsala University Department of Public Health and Health Caring Sciences, licentiate degree 2017
- Maria Randmaa, Uppsala University, Department of Public Health and Health Caring Sciences, PhD 2015
Co-supervisor
- Tomas Lindmark, doctoral student in Social Work University of Gävle, PhD 2024
- Kristina Tödt, doctoral student in Caring Science, University of Gävle, PhD 2024
- Marie Bjuhr, doctoral student in Caring Science, University of Gävle, PhD 2023
- Ylva Pålsson, doctoral student Uppsala University, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, PhD 2020
- Eva Dahlkvist, Örebro University, Care Sciences, licentiate degree 2015
- Britt-Marie Sjölund, KI, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, PhD 2014
- Annakarin Olsson, Örebro University, Care Sciences, PhD 2013
- Annica Ernesäter, Uppsala University, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, PhD 2012
Research Projects – Completed
- Nursing students' self-reported Nurse Professional Competence at the time of graduation and one year later. Together with Professor Xu Lijuan Lishui university
- First line managers' working life, health, and quality of care
- Lean, health and working conditions in primary care (PhD student Monika Kaltenbrunner)
- Working life in Swedish healthcare – internationally educated nurses' and physicians' perspective
- Care after hospital discharge – older people's quality of life, health and functional capacity (Partly funded by Region Gävleborg)
- Older people's opportunities to remain in working life – a population-based study with data from the SNAC project.
- Augmented reality for balance training in elderly care (Augmented reality)
- E-validation in elderly care – a tool to make competence visible, strengthen individual self-confidence and increase well-being? Work environment and health among staff in elderly care: a model for validation and learning with the support of ICT among staff lacking formal skills (Partly financed with project funds from AFA insurance; European Social Fund)
- Valid-X
- The way into a profession – the driving force of learning, part of this a PhD project of Peer learning
- Caregivers and leaders in elderly care; the interplay between structural conditions, management and leadership, work situation, staff wellbeing and quality of care (Partly financed by AFA insurance; Region Gävleborg)
- Patient safety and communication in anesthesia and intensive care (Partly financed by Region Gävleborg)
- Electronic tracking system in dementia care – in cooperation with university, companies and the public sector (Partly funded by KK-stiftelsen)
- Pressure Ulcer Prevention (Partly funded by the Regional Research Council of Uppsala and Örebro Region)
- The garden – an integrated part of elderly care?
- The national fundamental values in elderly care – older persons' perspective (Partly funded by Region Gävleborg)
- Pain in older people with or without cognitive impairment - an intervention study where the perspectives of older people and caregivers are sought
Research methodology at undergraduate and graduate level in nursing programs at the University of Gävle and in the nursing program given in collaboration with Lishui University in China.
This page was last updated 2025-03-14