Factors Associated With Function-Focused Care Among Hospitalized Older Adults Living With Dementia

Student nurses' views on an E-Learning module on comfort, safety, and mobility with older adults: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Nursing students often receive insufficient training in older adults' care.

PURPOSE

Examine nursing students' perceptions of an e-learning module developed to enhance their knowledge about the comfort, safety, and mobility of older adults.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was administered to third-year baccalaureate nursing students at a Canadian university after they had completed the comfort, safety, and mobility module. The survey assessed students' perceptions of the e-learning module using four 5-pointLikert-type items. The survey also contained demographic questions and one open-ended question that invited participants to make any comments they wished. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participants'demographic characteristics. Responses to the open-ended quesiton were summative content analyzed.

RESULTS

The survey was completed by 119 participants, who reported that the module increased their confidence, perceptions and knowledge in working with older adults. Participants also found the method of instruction to be convenient, interactive, and enjoyable.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that the learning module has the potential to facilitate student nurses' learning about comfort, safety, and mobility.

'Our Voices Aren't Being Heard': A qualitative descriptive study of nurses' perceptions of interprofessional collaboration in care supporting older people's functioning during a hospital stay

INTRODUCTION

Older people admitted to hospital are highly susceptible to functional decline and related complications. Care supporting their functioning is complex and requires healthcare professionals working in concert, with nurses playing a central role. Yet, little is known about nurses' perceptions of interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in care supporting functioning in acutely admitted older people. To fill this knowledge gap, we elucidate the perspectives of nurses in Ontario, Canada, on IPC in care supporting older people's functioning during a hospital stay.

METHODS

We employed a qualitative methodology in conjunction with a qualitative descriptive design. Thirteen focus groups were held with a purposeful, criterion-based sample of 57 acute care nurses practising in a range of acute care settings (e.g. Emergency, General Medicine, General Surgery, Intensive Care, Coronary Care). Data were thematically analysed.

RESULTS

We identified two overarching themes: (1) IPC is improving, but nurses are excluded from decision-making and (2) nurse advocacy causes friction with other professionals. The first theme captures nurses' perception that IPC in older people's care is improving, but nurses are marginalised in interprofessional decision-making. As a result, nurses perceive that their knowledge is devalued, and their contributions to care supporting older people's functioning are undermined. The second theme underlines a tension between interprofessional team practices and patient- and family-centred care, while also demonstrating nurses' increasing willingness to act as patient and family advocates.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings can be used to enhance IPC in care supporting the functioning of acutely hospitalised older people. To improve IPC, clinical and administrative leaders should cultivate more egalitarian team relationships that encourage nurses to contribute to decision-making and advocate on behalf of older patients and their families.

Interactions that support older inpatients with cognitive impairments to engage with falls prevention in hospitals: An ethnographic study

AIMS

To explore the nature of interactions that enable older inpatients with cognitive impairments to engage with hospital staff on falls prevention.

DESIGN

Ethnographic study.

METHODS

Ethnographic observations on orthopaedic and older person wards in English hospitals (251.25 h) and semi-structured qualitative interviews with 50 staff, 28 patients and three carers. Findings were analysed using a framework approach.

RESULTS

Interactions were often informal and personalised. Staff qualities that supported engagement in falls prevention included the ability to empathise and negotiate, taking patient perspectives into account. Although registered nurses had limited time for this, families/carers and other staff, including engagement workers, did so and passed information to nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

Some older inpatients with cognitive impairments engaged with staff on falls prevention. Engagement enabled them to express their needs and collaborate, to an extent, on falls prevention activities. To support this, we recommend wider adoption in hospitals of engagement workers and developing the relational skills that underpin engagement in training programmes for patient-facing staff.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PROFESSION AND PATIENT CARE

Interactions that support cognitively impaired inpatients to engage in falls prevention can involve not only nurses, but also families/carers and non-nursing staff, with potential to reduce pressures on busy nurses and improve patient safety.

REPORTING METHOD

The paper adheres to EQUATOR guidelines, Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Patient/public contributors were involved in study design, evaluation and data analysis. They co-authored this manuscript.

External urinary catheter devices: A multisite project involving point prevalence

External urinary catheter devices used in hospitals can offer an alternative to indwelling urinary catheters. Prevalence and patient outcomes are not well understood. This multisite project involved point prevalence of device use in patients with labia on acute care units. All patients on included units with corresponding anatomy were observed for presence of device in addition to review of indication of use and chart audit. Device use was 28.8 %. Immobility was the leading indication, and most patients had severe dysfunction as to mobility. For most patients, level of mobility remained the same from admission to discharge. Many patients were either potentially physically able to mobilize out of bed to urinate or were likely continent. There was variation in suction setting and chart documentation. The project lacked a comparison group and collected limited patient information. Areas for future inquiry include prevalence and impact on mobility, continence, and skin integrity.