Researching
Researching
The research activity of the University of Maribor, Faculty of Health Sciences is coordinated through the Research Institute and the Institute for Nursing Care and is reflected in quality research work of researchers at the Faculty of Health Sciences and successful acquisition and implementation of national and international projects in all areas of nursing and health sciences.
The Faculty of Health Sciences actively participates in European, national, bilateral and other international projects. Our goal is to increase the number of publications in recognized international magazines with an impact factor. We will continue to actively strive to promote research work, even more intensive involvement in national, European and international projects, employee education, student involvement in research work, as well as formal and informal cooperation with renownend foreign institutions and experts.

HR Excellence in Research
Univerza v Mariboru se zaveda ključnega pomena človeških virov, zato je junija 2009 aktivno pristopila k implementaciji Evropske listine za raziskovalce in Kodeksa ravnanja pri zaposlovanju raziskovalcev (Listina in Kodeks). Strategija »HR Excellence in Research« podpira raziskovalne institucije pri uvedbi in izvajanju določil Listine in Kodeksa v svojih politikah in praksah. Priznanje pa lahko prejmejo le institucije, ki so se občutno približale strategijam in politiki opredeljenim v Listini in Kodeksu.
Na Univerzi v Mariboru smo zelo ponosni, da smo kot prva univerza v slovenskem prostoru pridobili priznanje Evropske komisije za skladnost kadrovske strategije za raziskovalce (Human Resources Strategy for Researcheres – HRS4R) ter dovoljenje za uporabo logotipa »HR Excellence in Research«.
New publications by researchers
Job Satisfaction as a Factor in Nursing Staff's Work Wellbeing and Retention: A Comparative Study of Central and Eastern Europe and Other Global Regions
Authors: Dominika Vrbnjak, Dragana Milutinović, Marija Spevan, Agnieska Pluta, Željko Jovanović, Dušanka Tadić, Cathy Schwartz, John W. Nelson
Journal: Worldviews on evidence-based nursing
Impact factor: 3.4 (JCR 2023)
Publication date: April 2025
Deepening Empirical Understandings of Nurse Work Well-Being: Using Mixed Methods Including Path Analysis to Create Contextualized Outcome Models
Authors: John W. Nelson, Dominika Vrbnjak, Patricia L. Thomas, Cathy I. Schwartz
Journal: Worldviews on evidence-based nursing
Impact factor: 3.4 (JCR 2023)
Publication date: April 2025
Improving Personalized Meal Planning with Large Language Models: Identifying and Decomposing Compound Ingredients
Authors: Leon Kopitar, Leon Bedrač, Larissa J. Strath, Jiang Bian, Gregor Štiglic
Journal: Nutrients
Impact factor: 4.8 (JCR 2023)
Publication date: April 2025
PICOT questions and search strategies formulation: A novel approach using artificial intelligence automation
Authors: Lucija Gosak, Gregor Štiglic, Lisiane Pruinelli, Dominika Vrbnjak
Journal: Journal of nursing scholarship
Impact factor: 2.4 (JCR 2023)
Publication date: Januar 2025
Emergency triage nurses’ perceptions of caring behaviors and the safety of the patient during triage encounters: a grounded theory study
Authors: Zvonka Fekonja, Sergej Kmetec, Urška Fekonja, Nataša Mlinar Reljić, Majda Pajnkihar & Matej Strnad
Journal: BMC Nursing
Impact factor: 3.1 (JCR 2023)
Publication date: Julij 2024
A five-finger mnemonic for teaching schoolchildren the theoretical components of adult basic life support: a modified reactive Delphi-guided development and memorability pilot test with schoolchildren
Authors: Nino Fijačko, Robert Greif, Špela Metličar, Gregor Štiglic, Benjamin S. Abella, Matej Strnad in raziskovalci Delphi study
Journal: BMC Medical Education
Impact factor: 2.7 (JCR 2023)
Publication date: December 2024
Family members’ experiences of everyday caregiving for a family member living with Parkinson’s disease: a qualitative thematic analysis study
Authors: Zvonka Fekonja, Nadja Irgolič, Dominika Vrbnjak
Journal: BMC Nursing
Impact factor: 3.2 (JCR 2022)
Publication date: Februar 2024
The ChatGPT effect and transforming nursing education with generative AI: Discussion paper
Authors: Lucija Gosak, Lisiane Pruinelli, Maxim Topaz, Gregor Štiglic
Journal: Nurse education in practice
Impact factor: 3.2 (JCR 2022)
Publication date: Januar 2024
Nursing students' handling patient safety incidents during clinical practice: A retrospective qualitative study
Authors: Maja Gradišnik, Zvonka Fekonja, Dominika Vrbnjak
Journal: Nurse Education Today
Impact factor: 3.9 (JCR 2022)
Publication date: Oktober 2023
Frailty in community-dwelling older people and nursing home residents: An adaptation and validation study
Authors: Sergej Kmetec, Zvonka Fekonja, Adam Davey, Barbara Kegl, Jernej Mori, Nataša Mlinar Reljić, Brendan McCormack, Mateja Lorber
Journal: JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING
Impact factor: 3.8 (JCR 2022)
Publication date: Oktober 2023
Management support for healthcare worker's mental health and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cohort study
Authors: Mojca Dobnik, Mateja Lorber
Journal: Sustainability
Impact factor: 3.9 (JCR 2022)
Publication date: Avgust 2023
Sentiment analysis of social media users` emotional response to sudden cardiac arrest during a football broadcast
Authors: Nino Fijačko, Robert Greif, Gregor Štiglic, Primož Kocbek, Benjamin S. Abella
Journal: JAMA network open
Impact factor: 13.8 (JCR 2022)
Publication date: Junij 2023
Learn how to save the life of a victim of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by playing a serious smartphone game
Authors: Nino Fijačko, Špela Metličar, Daniel Vinojčić, Robert Greif, Ruth Masterson Creber
Journal: Resuscitation
Impact factor: 6.5 (JCR 2022)
Publication date: Maj 2023
The Importance of Monitoring the Work-Life Quality during the COVID-19 Restrictions for Sustainable Management in Nursing
Authors: Mateja Lorber, Mojca Dobnik
Journal: Sustainability
Impact factor: 3.889 (JCR 2021)
Publication date: April 2023
Single-Strain Probiotic Lactobacilli for the Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Sabina Fijan ,Nina Kolč, Metka Hrašovec, Gro Jamtvedt, Maja Šikić Pogačar, Dušanka Mičetić Turk, Uroš Maver
Journal: Pharmaceutics
Impact factor: 6.525 (JCR 2021)
Publication date: April 2023
An Opinion on ChatGPT in Health Care - Written by Humans Only
Authors: Jens Kleesiek, Yonghui Wu, Gregor Stiglic, Jan Egger and Jiang Bian
Journal: The Journal of Nuclear Medicine
Impact factor: 11.082 (JCR 2021)
Publication date: April 2023
Development of a low-cost smartphone do-it-yourself training tool for teaching how to use an automated external defibrillator
Authors: Nino Fijačko, Ruth Masterson Creber, Robert Greif
Journal: Journal of medical systems
Impact factor: 5.3 (JCR 2022)
Publication date: Marec 2023
Can ChatGPT pass the life support exams without entering the American Heart Association course?
Authors: Nino Fijačko, Lucija Gosak, Gregor Štiglic, Christopher T. Picard, Matthew John Douma
Journal: Resuscitation
Impact factor: 6.5 (JCR 2022)
Publication date: Februar 2023
Association between Loneliness, Well-Being, and Life Satisfaction before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Mateja Lorber, Jožica Černe Kolarič, Sergej Kmetec, Barbara Kegl
Journal: Sustainability
Impact factor: 3.889 (JCR 2021)
Publication date: Februar 2023
Factors contributing to patient safety during triage process in the emergency department: A systematic review
Authors: Zvonka Fekonja, Sergej Kmetec, Urška Fekonja, Nataša Mlinar Reljić, Majda Pajnkihar, Matej Strnad
Journal: Journal of clinical nursing
Impact factor: 4.2 (JCR 2022)
Publication date: Januar 2023
Review of artificial intelligence-based question-answering systems in healthcare
Authors: Leona Cilar Budler, Lucija Gosak, Gregor Štiglic
Journal: Wiley interdisciplinary reviews, Data mining and knowledge discovery
Impact factor: 7.8 (JCR 2022)
Publication date: December 2022
Content analysis of Twitter users’ responses to the crowd crush tragedy in Seoul, South Korea in October 2022
Authors: Nino Fijačko, Jerry P. Nolan, Gregor Štiglic, Primož Kocbek, Robert Greif
Journal: Resuscitation
Impact factor: 6.251 (JCR 2021)
Publication date: December 2022
Artificial intelligence based prediction models for individuals at risk of multiple diabetic complications: A systematic review of the literature
Authors: Lucija Gosak, Kristina Martinović, Mateja Lorber, Gregor Štiglic
Journal: Journal of nursing management
Impact factor: 4.680 (JCR 2021)
Publication date: November 2022
Hygiene of Medical Devices and Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations for Alcohol-Based and QAC Disinfectants among Isolates from Physical Therapy Departments
Authors: Urška Rozman, Darja Duh, Mojca Cimerman, Sonja Šostar Turk
Journal: International journal of environmental research and public health
Impact factor: 4.614 (JCR 2021)
Publication date: November 2022
Enhancing cardiopulmonary resuscitation education through game-based augmented reality face filters
Authors: Nino Fijačko, Ruth Masterson Creber, Todd P. Chang, Kiril Krsteski, Robert Greif
Journal: Resuscitation
Impact factor: 6.251 (JCR 2021)
Publication date: Oktober 2022
Association between triage nurses' job satisfaction and professional capability: results of a mixed-method study
Authors: FEKONJA, Urška, STRNAD, Matej, FEKONJA, Zvonka
Journal: Journal of nursing management
Impact factor: 4.680 (JCR 2021)
Publication date: Oktober 2022
Heterogeneity of teaching approaches to determine hand position for adult chest compressions among European basic life support instructors
Authors: Nino Fijačko, Ruth Masterson Creber, Sander Van Goor, Matej Strnad, Robert Greif
Journal: Resuscitation
Impact factor: 6.251 (JCR 2021)
Publication date: September 2022
Health conditions and long working hours in Europe: a retrospective study
Authors: KOROŠEC, Darja, VRBNJAK, Dominika, ŠTIGLIC, Gregor
Journal: International journal of environmental research and public health
Impact factor: 4.614 (JCR 2021)
Publication date: September 2022
The importance of monitoring the psychological wellbeing and mental health of nursing staff for sustainable management
Authors: LORBER, Mateja, DOBNIK, Mojca
Journal: Sustainability
Impact factor: 3.889 (JCR 2021)
Publication date: Julij 2022
Internet use and psychosomatic symptoms among university students: cross-sectional study
Authors: ŠTIGLIC, Gregor, MASTERSON CREBER, Ruth, CILAR BUDLER, Leona
Journal: International journal of environmental research and public health
Impact factor: 4.614 (JCR 2021)
Publication date: Julij 2022
Components for providing person-centred palliative healthcare: An umbrella review
Authors: Sergej Kmetec, Zvonka Fekonja, Jožica Černe Kolarič, Nataša Mlinar Reljić, Brendan McCormack, Árún Kristín Sigurðardóttir, Mateja Lorber
Journal: International journal of nursing studies
Impact factor: 5.837 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Junij 2022
Experiences with dignity among older people confined to beds living in a nursing home: A qualitative descriptive study
Authors: Zvonka Fekonja, Sergej Kmetec, Mateja Lorber, Janja Lavrač, Wilfred McSherry, Nataša Mlinar Reljić
Journal: Journal of Nursing Management
Impact factor: 3.325 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Maj 2022
The Healthcare Environment Survey: A multicountry psychometric evaluation of nurses’ job satisfaction
Authors: John Nelson, Dominika Vrbnjak, Patricia L. Thomas, Sebahat Gözüm, Alba Lucia Bottura Leite de Barrros, Michal Itzhaki
Journal: International Nursing Review
Impact factor: 2.871 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Maj 2022
Probiotics for preventing and treating infant regurgitation: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Jann P. Foster, Hannah G. Dahlen, Sabina Fijan, Nadia Badawi, Virginia Schmied, Charlene Thornton, Caroline Smith, Kim Psaila
Journal: Maternal and Child Nutrition
Impact factor: 3.092 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: December 2021
Caring for children and adolescents victims of domestic violence a qualitative study
Authors: Leona Cilar Budler, Jadranka Stricević, Barbara Kegl, Monika Pevec, Petra Klanjšek
Journal: JOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT
Impact factor: 3.325 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: November 2021
Explaining artificial intelligence with visual analytics in healthcare
Authors: Jeroen Ooge, Gregor Štiglic, Katrien Verbert
Journal: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews-Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery
Impact factor: 7.250 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: November 2021
Teaching children and adolescents basic life support using gamification
Authors: Nino Fijačko, Ruth Masterson Creber, Lucija Gosak, Gregor Štiglic, Pavel Skok
Journal: RESUSCITATION
Impact factor: 5.262 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Oktober 2021
Evaluating Quality, Usability, Evidence-Based Content, and Gamification Features in Mobile Learning Apps Designed to Teach Children Basic Life Support
Authors: Nino Fijačko, Ruth Masterson Creber, Lucija Gosak, Gregor Štiglic, Dominic Egan, Brian Chaka, Nika Debeljak, Matej Strnad, Pavel Skok
Journal: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Impact factor: 4.773 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Julij 2021
Public sentiment analysis of Twitter reaction on sudden cardiac arrest at EURO 2020
Authors: Nino Fijačko, Ruth Masterson Creber, Gregor Štiglic, Primož Kocbek, Pavel Skok, Robert Greif
Journal: RESUSCITATION
Impact factor: 5.262 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Julij 2021
Health Recommender Systems: Systematic Review
Authors: Robin De Croon, Leen Van Houdt, Nyi Nyi Htun, Gregor Štiglic, Vero Vanden Abeele, Katrien Verbert
Journal: JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
Impact factor: 5.428 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Junij 2021
The Healthcare Environment Survey: A multicountry psychometricevaluation of nurses’ job satisfaction
Authors: John W. Nelson, Dominika Vrbnjak, Patricia Thomas, Sebahat Gözüm, Alba Lucia Bottura Leite de Barros, Michal Itzhaki
Journal: International nursing review
Impact factor: 4.1 (JCR 2022)
Publication date: Junij 2021
A qualitative study of family members' experiences of their loved one developing dementia and their subsequent placement in a nursing home
Authors: Zvonka Fekonja, Sergej Kmetec, Barbara Novak, Brendan McCormack, Nataša Mlinar Reljić
Journal: JOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT
Impact factor: 3.325 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Januar 2021
Diabetes management of older adults in nursing homes: A retrospective study
Authors: Mateja Lorber, Sergej Kmetec, Nataša Mlinar Reljić, Zvonka Fekonja
Journal: JOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT
Impact factor: 3.325 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Januar 2021
Sweet, Fat and Salty: Snacks in Vending Machines in Health and Social Care Institutions in Slovenia
Authors: Urška Rozman, Igor Pravst, Urška Pivk Kupirovič, Urška Blaznik, Primož Kocbek, Sonja Šostar Turk
Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Impact factor: 3.390 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: September 2020
Pixel CO2 Laser for the Treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence: A Prospective Observational Multicenter Study
Authors: Damir Franić, Ivan Fistonić, Maja Franić‐Ivanišević, Željko Perdija, Miljenko Križmarić
Journal: LASERS IN SURGERY AND MEDICINE
Impact factor: 4.025 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: September 2020
What motivates students to enter nursing? Findings from a cross-sectional study
Authors: Leona Cilar Budler, Marija Spevan, Klavdija Čuček Trifkovič, Gregor Štiglic
Journal: NURSE EDUCATION TODAY
Impact factor: 3.442 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Julij 2020
Validation of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale among nursing students in Slovenia
Authors: Leona Cilar Budler, Majda Pajnkihar, Gregor Štiglic
Journal: JOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT
Impact factor: 3.325 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Julij 2020
The Effects of Gamification and Oral Self-Care on Oral Hygiene in Children: Systematic Search in App Stores and Evaluation of Apps
Authors: Nino Fijačko, Lucija Gosak Leona Cilar Budler, Alenka Novšak, Ruth Masterson Creber, Pavel Skok, Gregor Štiglic
Journal: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Impact factor: 4.773 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Julij 2020
Early detection of type 2 diabetes mellitus using machine learning ‑ based prediction models
Authors: Leon Kopitar, Primož Kocbek, Leona Cilar Budler, Aziz Sheikh, Gregor Štiglic
Journal: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
Impact factor: 4.379 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Julij 2020
Interpretability of machine learning-based prediction models in healthcare
Authors: Gregor Štiglic, Primoz Kocbek, Nino Fijačko, Marinka Žitnik, Katrien Verbert, Leona Cilar Budler
Journal: WIREs Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery
Impact factor: 7.250 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Junij 2020
Effectiveness of school-based mental well-being interventions among adolescents: A systematic review
Authors: Leona Cilar Budler, Gregor Štiglic, Sergej Kmetec, Owen Barr, Majda Pajnkihar
Journal: JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING
Impact factor: 3.187 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Maj 2020
An international cross-cultural study of nursing students' perceptions of caring
Authors: Majda Pajnkihar, Primož Kocbek, Kasandra Musović, Yuexian Tao, Natalia Kasimovskaya, Gregor Štiglic, Roger Watson, Dominika Vrbnjak
Journal: NURSE EDUCATION TODAY
Impact factor: 3.442 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Januar 2020
National and regional hospitalization rates for allergic disorders in the United States: A 17-year time-trend analysis
Authors: Primož Kocbek, Nino Fijačko, Bright I Nwaru, Paige Wickner, Aziz Sheikh, Gregor Štiglic
Journal: ALLERGY
Impact factor: 13.146 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: November 2019
R you ready? Using the R program for statistical analysis and graphics
Authors: Gregor Štiglic, Roger Watson, Leona Cilar Budler
Journal: RESEARCH IN NURSING & HEALTH
Impact factor: 2.228 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Oktober 2019
Health Professionals’ Knowledge of Probiotics: An International Survey
Authors: Sabina Fijan, Anita Frauwallner, László Varga, Tomaž Langerholc, Irena Rogelj, Mateja Lorber, Peter Lewis, Petra Povalej Bržan
Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Impact factor: 3.390 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Avgust 2019
Self-reflection during first clinical practice: The experiences of nursing students
Authors: Nataša Mlinar Reljić, Majda Pajnkihar, Zvonka Fekonja
Journal: NURSE EDUCATION TODAY
Impact factor: 3.442 (JCR 2020)
Publication date: Januar 2019