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The Role Of The Faith Community Nurse In Fostering Spirituality In Those With Alzheimer's Disease, Verna Carson Phd, Pmh/Cns-Bc

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Alzheimer ’s disease (AD) strips individuals of memories and abilities that have defined them as productive adults throughout their life. While the decline in memory is real and results in a ‘loss of self’ this does not equate to a ‘loss of soul.’ AD patients continue to have spiritual needs throughout their life as do the family, and/or caregivers. This article explores the spiritual needs and care of AD patients and families and the unique opportunity faith community nurses have to help the AD patient and their support system. The Reisberg Functional Assessment Staging System is used to explain the …

Resourcefulness In African American And Caucasian American Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia: Associations With Perceived Burden, Depression, Anxiety, Positive Cognitions, And Psychological Well-Being, Abir K. Bekhet

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

Providing care to persons with dementia can have negative effects on caregivers' physical and psychological well-being. This secondary analysis explored relationships among perceived burden, depression, anxiety, resourcefulness, and psychological well-being in 28 African American (AA) and 45 Caucasian American (CA) caregivers of persons with dementia.

Design and Methods

Descriptive, cross-sectional design was used to examine the hypothesized relationships in a sample of 73 caregivers.

Findings

CAs reported greater burden (t = −3.68, p < .001), more anxiety (t = −2.66, p < .01), depression (t = −2.21, p < .05), and hostility (t = −2.30, p < .05) than AAs. AAs reported higher scores than CAs on resourcefulness, positive cognitions, and psychological well-being.

Practice Implications

The study findings provided directions for the development of resourcefulness interventions …

Collaborating With Businesses To Support And Sustain Research, Susan Diemert Moch, Debra A. Jansen, Rosemary A. Jadack, Phil Page, Richard Topp

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Financial assistance is necessary for sustaining research at universities. Business collaborations are a potential means for obtaining these funds. To secure funding, understanding the process for obtaining these business funds is important for nursing faculty members. Although faculty rarely request funding from businesses, they are often in a position to solicit financial support due to existing relationships with clinical agency administrators, staff, and community leaders. The economic support received from businesses provides outcomes in nursing research, research education, academic–service partnerships, and client health care. This article describes the steps and processes involved in successfully obtaining research funding from businesses. In …

Vitamin B12: Identification And Treatment Of Deficiencies, Max Mitchell, Donna S. Freeborn

Student Works

Vitamin B₁₂ is essential for the proper functioning of all cells. A deficiency can cause serious hematologic and neurologic damage. Groups at high risk for developing vitamin B₁₂ deficiency include the elderly, vegetarians, pregnant women, persons with pernicious anemia, and patients with a history of gastrointestinal (GI) surgery. The purpose of this article is to increase awareness of vitamin B₁₂ deficiency and discuss its pathophysiology, symptoms, diagnostic testing, and management

The Lived Experience Of Aging: Listening To The Oldest-Old, Julia A. Pusztai

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Although embraced as desirable by most, living into very old age is largely unexplored as a distinct season of life, with increased, varied, and cumulative changes during a unique time of vulnerability and frailty. The purpose of this study was to listen to the oldest-old, and to explore their lived experience of growing old. This hermeneutic phenomenology study examines the experience of finding meaning and living with losses and gains in advanced old age. This study design included three separate interviews one month apart with participants over 85 years of age. Purposive sampling resulted in 13 participants, 5 being male …

Depressive Symptoms Affect Working Memory In Healthy Older Adult Hispanics, Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal, Monica Salazar-Villanea, Edward Liebmann, Esteban Montenegro-Montenegro, David K. Johnson

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objectives: Low and middle income nations will experience an unprecedented growth of the elderly population and subsequent increase in age-related neurological disorders. Worldwide prevalence and incidence of all-types of neurological disorders with serious mental health complications will increase with life expectancy across the globe. One in ten individuals over 75 has at least moderate cognitive impairment. Prevalence of cognitive impairment doubles every 5 years thereafter. Latin America’s population of older adult’s 65 years and older is growing rapidly, yet little is known about cognitive aging among healthy older Latinos. Clinically significant depressive symptomatology is common among community-dwelling older adults and …

Does Simulation Improve Nursing Student Knowledge, Skills, And Attitudes In Identifying Delirium Superimposed On Dementia?, Sheryl A. Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of three manuscripts, to be submitted for publication, exploring the use of simulation in geriatric nursing education. The first manuscript is a literature review. Although, a number of articles exist on the use of simulation in nursing education, there is a paucity of research using simulation emphasizing the care of patients with dementia and delirium as a pedagogical strategy or those using a stringent research design.

The second manuscript provides an overview of two conceptual frameworks (National League for Nursing (NLN)/Jeffries Simulation Framework and situated cognition learning framework) and recommends merging them to guide researchers as …

Defining "Independent Practice" For Nurse Practitioners In The State Of Texas: Envisioning A Workable Model, Hines Ann Tracy

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Health care reform, an aging population, and a decreasing primary care physician workforce has resulted in questioning of primary health care delivery in the United States. Nurse practitioners are being viewed as the possible answer to primary health care provider deficiencies. This advanced practice role, initially developed in the 1960s, has been shown to be an effective, cost efficient alternative to the medical model of health care delivery. Nurse practitioners' licensure and practice are regulated by each individual state resulting in state-to-state variances in the role. This inconsistency leads to further questions regarding the nurse practitioner role and practice independence. …

The Development Of A Faith Community Nursing Intervention To Promote Health Across The Life Span, Donna M. Callaghan

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Purpose: To report the development of a faith community nursing intervention to promote health across the life span. Studies by Callaghan (2003, 2005, 2006), that investigated the relationships among self-care agency, self-care self-efficacy, and health-promoting self-care behaviors, support the importance of spiritual growth on older adults’, adults’, and adolescents’ initiative and responsibility for self-care. This report will focus on applying these results and the research evidence that supports the integration of these concepts in the development of a health promotion intervention.

Procedures: Data was merged from Callaghan’s studies (2003, 2005, 2006) in order to investigate to what extent do self-care …

Promoting Self-Transcendence And Well-Being In Community-Dwelling Older Adults : A Pilot Study Of A Psychoeducational Intervention., Valerie Lander Mccarthy, Jiying Ling, Sharon Bowland, Lynne A. Hall, Jennifer Connelly

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Self-transcendence changes how older adults perceive themselves, their relationships with others, the material world, and the metaphysical or spiritual dimension. It is associated with multiple indicators of well-being. The purpose of this pilot study (N = 20) was to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention to increase self-transcendence and well-being of older adults. Data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations. All variables trended in the directions hypothesized. Self-transcendence increased in the intervention group and decreased in the control group but not significantly. The group × time interaction for life satisfaction was significant (z = 2.89, …

Postoperative Delirium Prevention In The Older Adult: An Evidence-Based Process Improvement Project, Tracy Layne, Sheila A. Haas, Judy E. Davidson, Audrey Klopp

Nursing: School of Nursing Faculty Publications and Other Works

Postoperative delirium is a major complication in hospitalized older adults. Implementation of a screening tool and evidence-based delirium-prevention protocol on a surgical unit increased nurses’ knowledge regarding delirium, increased identification of delirium, and produced medical treatment alterations leading to positive patient outcomes.

Integrating Emerging Areas Of Nursing Science Into Phd Programs, Susan J. Henly, Donna O. Mccarthy, Jean F. Wyman, Patricia W. Stone, Nancy S. Redeker, Ann Marie Mccarthy, Jacqueline Dunbar-Jacob, Marita Titler, Shirley M. Moore, Margaret M. Heitkemper, Yvette P. Conley

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science aims to “facilitate and recognize life-long nursing science career development” as an important part of its mission. In light of fast-paced advances in science and technology that are inspiring new questions and methods of investigation in the health sciences, the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science convened the Idea Festival for Nursing Science Education and appointed the Idea Festival Advisory Committee to stimulate dialogue about linking PhD education with a renewed vision for preparation of the next generation of nursing scientists. Building on the 2010 American Association of Colleges of Nursing …

Psychometric Properties Of The Family Caregiver Delirium Knowledge Questionnaire, Margaret J. Bull, Jennifer M. Sjostedt, Lesley Boaz, Debra L. Oswald

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

A valid, reliable measure of family caregivers’ knowledge about delirium was not located in the literature; such an instrument is essential to assess learning needs and outcomes of education provided. The purpose of the current study was to (a) develop a family Caregiver Delirium Knowledge Questionnaire (CDKQ) based on the Symptom Interpretation Model; and (b) establish validity and reliability of the measure. The 19-item CDKQ was developed and administered to 164 family caregivers for community-dwelling older adults. Descriptive statistics were examined for all variables. Psychometric testing included confirmatory factor analysis, item-to-total correlations, and internal consistency reliability. A three-factor model provided …

Nurses' Self-Efficacy For Managing Elder Abuse, Alana Anderson

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Elder abuse is a serious issue that negatively affects physical and mental health in a significant portion of the older population. Abuse of older adults is not adequately detected or reported. Nurses have frequent contact with older victims of abuse, providing them the opportunity to play a significant role in detecting, reporting, and intervening in such cases. Nurses are reluctant to intervene due to lack of education on elder abuse and lack of self-efficacy in their ability to properly manage elder abuse. This quantitative, descriptive study was designed to determine whether educational content on elder abuse, perceived capability, and self-efficacy …

The Contemporary Use Of Nurse Practitioners In U.S. Emergency Departments, Jeffrey L. Bevan

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Problem: The increased demand for emergency care in the United States (U.S.) has been well-documented and there is growing utilization of nurse practitioners in U.S. emergency departments. However, little is known about the nurse practitioner (NP) role in the emergency department setting within the past five years.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to describe the demographic characteristics of patients, patient conditions treated, diagnostic tests ordered, and procedures performed by nurse practitioners in a national sample of U.S. emergency departments.

Methodology: This secondary analysis used a non-experimental quantitative, descriptive exploratory design to review data from the National Hospital Ambulatory …

Impact Of Implementing The Geriatric Resource Nurse Model On Fall And Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcer Rates, And Length Of Stay In Older Adults In An Acute Care Hospital, Elzbieta Kmiecik, Cathie E. Guzzetta, Mary-Michael Brown, Qiuping Pearl Zhou, Desale Sameer

GW Research Days 2015

Background.Older adults are at high risk for adverse care outcomes, such as injuries from falls, hospital acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs), and prolonged length of stay (LOS). Available evidence suggests outcomes may improve when older adults are cared for by healthcare providers with competence in geriatrics. To improve outcomes, an acute care not-for-profit teaching hospital in Washington DC area implemented a Geriatric Resource Nurse (GRN) model that prepares registered nurses (RNs) as clinical experts on core geriatric principles on four general care wards (three medical-surgical and one cardiac).

Objectives. Toexamine the effects of GRN model implementation on fall and …

Activity-Rest And Skin Temperature Circadian Rhythms And Sleep Patterns In Community-Dwelling Women, Kristina L. Leyden

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore activity-rest and temperature circadian rhythms and sleep patterns in ambulatory women of reproductive, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal stages. Study aims were to (1) correlate the patterns of activity-rest with skin temperature and determine (2) lead-lag relation between activity-rest and circadian temperature rhythm, (3) stability of activity-rest patterns during work and non-work days, (4) duration of actigraphy sampling sufficient to reliably capture activity-rest patterns, and (5) sleep parameters in participating women across reproductive stages.

Design: Analysis of extant data sets.

Sample and Setting: Seven community-dwelling women, 27-to-54-years old

Methods: Participants wore an actigraph …

Live Model Simulation: Improving Nursing Students' Attitudes And Knowledge Of Alzheimer's Disease, Teresa Maharaj

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Our country's older adult population (those 65 and older) continues to grow at unprecedented rates yet few nurses are prepared to safely and competently care for them with their challenging needs, especially those with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). Research focused on teaching strategies that influenced students' preconceived attitudes and improved knowledge toward older adults with or without Alzheimer's disease (AD) is limited. This study examined whether a live-model simulation used as a teaching modality could improve student attitudes and knowledge of AD. Findings indicated that within the group of students who participated in the AD lecture and AD …

Choices Related To Maximizing Quality Of Life At End Of Life, Theresa Lynn

Dissertations

Humans, including those residing in the United States, can live in denial of their own mortality. Because of this, futile care is sometimes provided, often at great monetary expense and for little or no return in terms of quality or length of life. At least two opportunities exist for making choices regarding care at the end of life in the U.S.: completing advance directives and choosing hospice care. This dissertation consists of three studies related to this topic. The first is a quantitative study about advance directives and attitude toward death. The advance directive completion rate among adults in the …

Connecticut's Elderly Population: An In-Depth Analysis Of Current And Future Trends In Elder Care, With A Focus On Dementia And Cognitive Decline, Emily J. Snodgrass

Honors Scholar Theses

The aging population in Connecticut currently represents ~15% of the state’s population but is anticipated to rapidly increase over the next 20 years. My thesis is an examination of the types of interventions and programs currently available for elderly persons with memory impairment and cognitive decline, as well as the challenges associated with caring for a larger elderly population. Data collected from interviews with CT healthcare and research professionals representative of the diverse specialties of aging together with an analysis of current research literature are used to demonstrate the importance of continued research and expansion of appropriate and accessible services …

Barriers To Music Therapy In The Care Of Those With Alzheimer's/Dementia, Karin E. Kvam

Honors College Theses

This pilot study examines the barriers caregivers encounter when implementing music therapy in the care of those with Alzheimer’s/dementia. An 8-question survey was distributed at two long-term care facilities and an Alzheimer’s support group to understand how often and in what ways music therapy is utilized, as well as what barriers caregivers face when using the therapy. Results indicated that, although the majority of caregivers report using music therapy, it is not implemented as frequently as it could or should be. Caregivers report a knowledge deficit as the main reason for not implementing music therapy. The data suggests that an …

The Meaning Of Patient-Nurse Interaction For Older Hospitalized Women: A Phenomenological Study, Deborah Mize

Doctor of Education (EdD)

The purpose of this dissertation is was to explore how older women perceived their interactions with nurses after receiving care in a hospital setting. Older women are a vulnerable population subject to being overlooked or misunderstood by the nurses caring for them, hence the importance of this study. To gather the data on older women’s lived world of nursing care, I used a phenomenological approach based on a hermeneutic framework that considers linguistic, historical, and social factors to interpret older women’s lived world of nursing care while hospitalized. I personally interviewed seven women between the ages of 66 and 81 …

Factors That Lead To Hospital Readmissions And Interventions That Reduce Them: Moving Toward A Faith Community Nursing Intervention, Deborah J. Ziebarth

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Abstract

Hospital readmissions affect over 80 percent of all Medicare enrollees. Hospitals have a responsibility to their Medicare patients to keep them safe after discharge in their homes and communities. With changes in the Medicare reimbursement model, hospitals are examining efficient methods of decreasing avoidable re-admissions. A Faith Community Nurse Transitional Care Program may be just the answer to improve patient’s discharge experience, ensure post-discharge support and reduce re-hospitalization.

Methods

In preparations for testing a Faith Community Nurse Transitional Care Program Model, a systematic integrative review was needed. Using PRISMA, a search was done, inclusion criteria identified, and articles retrieved. …

Examining Faith Community Nurses’ Perception And Utilization Of Electronic Health Records, Carole N. Mattingly, M. Eve Main

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify current faith community nurse documentation practices, explore factors impacting intention to adopt electronic health records, and identify perceived barriers and benefits to electronic health record use among faith community nurses practicing in the Midwest. The technology acceptance model is used to examine impact of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of electronic health records on intention to adopt.

This study is a quantitative exploratory research study utilizing a cross-sectional researcher-developed 39-item questionnaire. Surveys were distributed by mail and e-mail to faith community nurses practicing in South-Central Indiana and Western Kentucky. …

Loma Linda Nurse - Vol. 23, No. 01, Loma Linda University School Of Nursing

Loma Linda Nurse

Contents

From the dean

2 | Elizabeth Bossert shares her thoughts

News

4 | New dean continues tradition of strong leadership at LLU School of Nursing

6 | Honoring outgoing dean Marilyn Herrmann

7 | New BS-to-DNP program to begin

8 | First class of CRNA students graduates

9 | Vision 2020 charts future of Loma Linda University Health

10 | School expands to fill West Hall and upgrades skills laboratories

Features

12 | Learning assistance program offers safety net for struggling nursing students

14 Alumni profile: Dexter Emoto honored by grateful patient

15 | Student profile: Christian Rawlon gives …

Assessment Of The Preoperative Assessment: A Case Study, Steven James Birchenough

Nurse Anesthesia MSNA Student Capstones

The geriatric population defined as individuals 65 years of age or older is expected to increase to 20% of the total population by the year 2020. This population currently makes up one-third of the surgical population and is projected to double by 2020. The perioperative risks for this population are also increased and pose significant increases in morbidity and mortality. The need for a detailed preoperative assessment is crucial in any surgical patient. It is increasingly imperative for the geriatric surgical patient as assessment is vital for the surgical team to make decisions regarding the projected necessity, plan and desired …

The Use Of Teamstepps® In The Development And Implementation Of Staff Nurse Councils, Katreena Collette Merrill

Journal of Undergraduate Research

1. TeamSTEPPS training: As a result of this project, 395 number of students received training on TeamSTEPPS. Students created case studies and role play videos about communication in healthcare.
2. In addition to the effect on the senior undergraduate nursing students and family nurse practitioner graduate students, we were able to implement TeamSTEPPS into a new interprofessional education course STDEV 214R.
3. As a result of this project, we were contacted by the Agency for Healthcare Research Quality for an interview on how we have applied TeamSTEPPS. Results of the interview will be posted on the web site in 2015 citing Brigham Young …

Improving Nurses Knowledge Of Delirium And Implementation Of The R.A.D.A.R. Screening Tool At Two Post Acute Care Facilities In The United States, Kanah Lewallen

DNP Projects

Delirium in post acute care patients is under-recognized and linked to poor patient outcomes. Nurses in the post acute care setting are currently not using a standardized tool for assessing delirium, but the literature suggests they should do this routinely. The purposes of this study were to evaluate methods for improving the management of delirium in post acute care and to evaluate the implementation of a new screening tool for delirium (Recognizing Active Delirium As Routine or R.A.D.A.R.). This quasi-experimental study was conducted at two post acute care facilities in an urban location. The study included the implementation of a …

Search Strategies Used By Older Adults In A Virtual Reality Place Learning Task, Rebecca L. Davis, Catherine Weisbeck

Peer Reviewed Articles

Purpose of the study: Older adults often have problems finding their way in novel environments such as senior living residences and hospitals. The purpose of this study was to examine the types of self-reported search strategies and cues that older adults use to find their way in a virtual maze

Design and Methods: Healthy, independently living older adults (n = 129) aged 55–96 were tested in a virtual maze task over a period of 3 days in which they had to repeatedly find their way to a specified goal. They were interviewed about their strategies on days 1 and 3. …

Improving A Fall Prevention And Management Program In An Acute Care Setting, Ashlee D. Gallion

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

In-patient falls are common but preventable adverse events. A patient fall has become a targeted event that hospitals across the country are trying to prevent by implementing new evidence-based strategies and techniques. The purpose of this capstone project was to implement a valid and reliable fall risk assessment tool and a post-fall huddle process. Following a 30-day pilot of the new fall prevention protocol on a medical-surgical unit at the Cabell Huntington Hospital, the documentation of fall risk and post-fall huddles was examined. Fall rates during the pilot were compared to pre-implementation rates. During this project, the new fall risk …