Geriatric Nursing Commons^™

Impact Of Training For Nursing Staff In The Prevention Of Hapis, Onyinye E. Ohia, Colleen A. Anthony

Master's Projects

Abstract

Background: The incidence of Hospital acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) have remained a problem in healthcare despite concerted efforts by hospitals and other governmental agencies to eliminate the problem via policy and emphasis on safety. There is support in literature for the training of healthcare professionals as an important tool in the prevention and management of HAPIs. Despite the existence of studies that link training of nurses to a reduction in rates of HAPIs, evidence in support of that is still piecemeal; with poorly defined outcomes.

Aims and objectives: The aim of this integrative review is to identify …

The Use Of The "Get Up And Go Test" As The Initial Screening Measure For Fall Risk With Community Dwelling Seniors, Margaret E. Hermoso

Master's Projects

Falls represent a sizeable public health issue that has serious health-related consequences for both the individual and the medical system at large. Falls are one of the most common events that threaten the independence of older persons with one third of falls occurring in persons over the age of 65 and over 50% in persons over the age of 80 years (2). During an office appointment, senior adults are screened routinely for blood pressure, weight, medication adherence and lab result follow-up. One assessment that is commonly overlooked is evaluating seniors for fall risk. The purpose of this study was to …

Depression Among The Elderly: Screening Practices And Attitudes Among Nurse Practitioners, Grace Le

Master's Projects

Purpose: To examine California's nurse practitioners' (NPs) screening practices and attitudes towards depression among the elderly using the Depression Attitude Questionnaire (DAQ) (Botega, Mann, Blizard, & Wilkinson, 1992). Data sources: One hundred and fifty NPs, selected randomly from the membership of the California Association of Nurse Practitioners (CANP), were surveyed with electronic mailed questionnaires. Seventy-five (50%) self-reported surveys were completed and analyzed. Results: The majority of NPs routinely screened for depression among the elderly. Most thought that life events were not important in the development of depression, held a positive view with pharmacological and psychological treatments of depression, and felt …

Sexuality And The Aging Adult: The Attitude And Practice Of Physicians And Nurse Practitioners, Susan Runsvold

Master's Projects

Background: As the population ages, many quality of life issues will generate discussion. One such issue is sexuality of the aging adult. While there is substantial documentation related to the physiology and desires of the aging adult, little is known about medical practitioners' beliefs and practices regarding sexuality. Method: A 14 question survey with a comment section was developed and mailed to 269 physicians and nurse practitioners in Santa Clara County, California. The responses were evaluated using descriptive statistics. The comments received were grouped related to intent or topic. Results: There was no discernible difference between the beliefs and practices …

The Relationship Between Companion Animals And Health Status Among Older Adults Living In The Community, Agnes M. Eytchison

Master's Projects

A study was conducted on 18 older adult pet owners and non-pet owners residing in a mobile home park to determine self-perception of health status and the level of attachment to pets. Self-reported health status was high and equal for both pet owners and non-pet owners. The level of attachment to the pets was also high. Studies have demonstrated human-animal interactions being beneficial to both individuals and families; but for many residents of mobile home parks and common interest developments, such as condominiums and townhouses, rules prevent companion animal ownership. Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs) aware of the benefits of animal …

The Lived Experience Of Older Mexcian American Adults With Type 2, Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, Lizza C. Abella

Master's Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of Mexican American older adults with type 2, non-insulin dependent diabetes. Research design and results: A phenomenological research approach was used when interviewing a sample of ten English speaking Mexican American older adults in Santa Clara County, California. Three collective themes were identified: Emotions prevalent in living with diabetes, diabetes' impact on life, and cultural factors affecting diabetes self care. Discussion/conclusions/implications: A duality of thoughts and experiences in living with diabetes, and the strong influence of culture and its beliefs characterize the life-world of Mexican American non-insulin dependent …

Reducing The Potential For Falls Among Community Dwelling Older Adults, Sharon-Xiaowen Hu

Master's Projects

This research study used a pre-test and post-test design to determine if a nursing educational intervention would reduce the potential for falls among the community dwelling elderly. The participants (N=15) were: (a) age 65 or older, (b) mentally competent, (c) predisposed to falls, and (d) living independently. Four instruments were utilized to collect data: (a) the Folstein mini-mental state examination (MMSE), (b) a fall predisposition scale, (c) a home assessment checklist (Tideikaar, 1987), and (d) interview questions. Statistics were used to evaluate findings. The results show that a nursing educational intervention had a positive impact to help reduce the risk …

Factors Influencing Compliance In The Treatment Of Elderly Hypertensive Vietnamese Clients, Cuong Phu Pham

Master's Projects

Little is known about health care beliefs and practices among Vietnamese elderly persons living in the United States. In general, studies of patient compliance with medical advice consistently demonstrate a high level of noncompliance. Not following recommendations can have serious negative consequences in the management of disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate compliance among a group of elderly Vietnamese clients with the plan given to them by their physicians for control of hypertension. Because the literature reports a high correlation between income and level of education with compliance in other groups, these factors were also studied as …

Depression In Immigrant Chinese-American Elders, Sandy Chen Stokes

Master's Projects

Depression in later life is a treatable mental disorder (Blazer, 1993) if it is recognized as depression. Because depressive disorders may often go unrecognized and untreated in the Chinese-American elderly population and because treatment for depression can dramatically improve the quality of these later years, correct diagnosis and intervention are vital.

The Effectiveness Of A Strength Training Program On Extremity Strength, Flexibility, And Balance Of Elderly Women, Patricia L. Murphy

Master's Projects

This quasi-experimental study, partially replicating that of Nelson and Wernick (1997), compares balance, flexibility, and extremity strength before and after an 8-week weight-bearing exercise class. Six women, aged 69 to 85, used 1-5 pound wrist weights and ankle weights up to 1 o pounds. Pre-and post-exercise measurements of biceps curls, seated leg lifts with weights, one leg stand, and seated stretches were gathered. Results showed improvement in every category, with the greatest improvement (41.6%) in balance and the least (8.3%) in trunk flexibility. Nursing is uniquely positioned to assist this population by promoting, developing, and implementing such exercise programs.

Caregiver Assessment Of Problem Behaviors In Relatives With Dementia, Barbara J. Glaze

Master's Projects

Caregivers were asked to rank the presence and difficulty of 15 specific behaviors in their relative with dementia. Results showed that in most cases, female caregivers ranked the prevalence and the difficulty of the behaviors higher than the male caregivers. In this study, caregivers experienced positive outcomes from the caregiving experience.

Identifying Polypharmacy In The Older Adult: A Survey Of Nurse Practitioners, Leslyn Ann Watson

Master's Projects

Currently 12% of the population are over the age of 65 and receive more than one third of all prescription medications. These clients are at risk for polypharmacy which defined in the current literature is greater than four or more medications taken on a daily basis (this includes prescription and over the counter (OTC) medications). Polypharmacy places a client at increased risk for adverse drug reactions which can lead to injury and death. This survey of 109 Nurse Practitioners (NPs) identified whether older adults were assessed for polypharmacy. The number of respondents was 64, or 59%. During routine history and …