Does cognitive impairment moderate the relationship between social isolation and anxiety? A 5-year longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample of community residing older adults.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety is common in older adults and social isolation is one of the leading factors associated with their anxiety. However, what is unknown is how the relationship between social isolation and anxiety differs by cognitive status. Therefore, this study was conducted to (1) compare the level of social isolation and anxiety in older adults who developed probable dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to those who maintained normal cognitive function over 5 years; and (2) determine if cognitive impairment moderates the relationship between changes in social isolation and changes in anxiety over 5 years. METHODS: A secondary data analysis was conducted using the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP): Wave 2 (2010-2011) and Wave 3 (2015-2016). The participants were categorized into three groups: Participants who developed probable dementia over 5 years (4.3%), developed probable MCI (19.1%), or maintained normal cognitive function (76.6%). Weighted linear regression analyses with a group interaction were used to examine the moderating effect of cognitive impairment on the relationship between changes in social isolation and anxiety. RESULTS: At the 5-year follow up, there were statistically significant differences in social isolation between the three groups (p = 0.043). Regression analyses showed that increased social isolation over time was related to increased anxiety over 5 years regardless of cognitive status after controlling for covariates (p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between social isolation and anxiety was a universal phenomenon regardless of cognitive status. Tailored interventions targeting both people with or without cognitive impairment are needed to lessen social isolation and anxiety.

Nurse, Provider, and Emergency Department Technician: Perceptions and Experiences of Violence and Aggression in the Emergency Department.

INTRODUCTION: Patient/visitor violence and aggression (V&A) in the emergency department occurs daily. Few interventions exist to decrease V&A. Research describing prevalence, severity, and perceived safety among ED clinicians is limited. METHODS: A descriptive survey explored V&A against ED clinicians in one urban emergency department. A sample of nurses, ED technicians, physicians and advanced practice providers participated. Participants completed a demographic survey, Personal Workplace Safety Instrument for Emergency Nurses (PWSI-EN), and ENA V&A frequency checklist. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for unadjusted and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) for adjusted associations were used to assess differences in the PWSI-EN survey composite score and "feeling safe in the ED" among ED roles. ANCOVA was adjusted for potential confounders: sex, race, years working in emergency department, and shift worked. RESULTS: Sixty-five (46.4%) of the 140 ED clinicians returned surveys, which were almost evenly distributed between ED clinician roles and sex. Mean age was 37.2 (range: 21-64) years. All (100%) nurses and providers reported being verbally abused. More nurses reported physical violence (n = 21, 87.5%) than providers (n = 7, 36.8%) and ED technicians (n = 11, 55%). Nurses and ED technicians reported experiencing greater prevalence of physical violence than providers (P < .05). Nurses (mean 3.29, range 2.95 to 3.63) were more fearful for their personal safety than ED technicians (mean 3.88, range 3.48 to 4.28) (P < .03). DISCUSSION: V&A are common creating a fearful environment. However, little research regarding clinician perceptions exists. Our study aids in identifying areas for clinician-targeted strategies to prevent ED V&A.

Systematic Debriefing for Critical Events Facilitates Team Dynamics, Education, and Process Improvement.

BACKGROUND: Debriefing is used in clinical settings to support interprofessional staff, improve processes, and identify educational needs. Nurses who lead debriefing sessions are empowered to improve processes. PROBLEM: Nurse leaders identified the need for debriefing outside the critical care areas due to the rising acuity levels. APPROACH: Two nurse leaders developed a debriefing initiative in one urban teaching hospital following rapid responses, codes, and stressful situations. Nurses developed a Debriefing Facilitation Guide to collect qualitative aspects of clinical emergencies to improve processes, education, and team dynamics. OUTCOMES: Following each debriefing session, we deductively purposively coded the qualitative data into 3 a priori themes: the American Heart Association's team dynamics, process improvement, and educational opportunities. We identified opportunities for improvement for these themes during our first 54 debriefing sessions. CONCLUSIONS: Following each debriefing session, the debriefing nurse leader intervened on all educational and process improvement opportunities identified and facilitated positive team dynamics.

International consensus-based policy recommendations to advance universal palliative care access from the American Academy of Nursing Expert Panels.

The purpose of this consensus paper was to convene leaders and scholars from eight Expert Panels of the American Academy of Nursing and provide recommendations to advance nursing's roles and responsibility to ensure universal access to palliative care. On behalf of the Academy, these evidence-based recommendations will guide nurses, policy makers, government representatives, professional associations, and interdisciplinary and community partners to integrate palliative nursing services across health and social care settings. Through improved palliative nursing education, nurse-led research, nurse engagement in policy making, enhanced intersectoral partnerships with nursing, and an increased profile and visibility of palliative care nurses worldwide, nurses can assume leading roles in delivering high-quality palliative care globally, particularly for minoritized, marginalized, and other at-risk populations. Part II herein provides a summary of international responses and policy options that have sought to enhance universal palliative care and palliative nursing access to date. Additionally, we provide ten policy, education, research, and clinical practice recommendations based on the rationale and background information found in Part I. The consensus paper's 43 authors represent eight countries (Australia, Canada, England, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, South Africa, United States of America) and extensive international health experience, thus providing a global context for the subject matter.

The relationship between sensory loss and health literacy in older adults: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: As sensory loss may impact the ability to receive and apply health information, a relationship between sensory loss and health literacy may exist. The purpose of this systematic review was to explore the relationship between hearing, vision and dual sensory loss and health literacy in older adults. METHODS: Studies examining the relationship between sensory loss and health literacy in older adult populations using a validated health literacy instrument were included. The search was conducted in the CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, AgeLine and REHABdata databases in May-June 2021. RESULTS: Nine studies were included. Findings revealed a positive association between hearing and vision loss and low health literacy. DISCUSSION: This review highlights a relationship between hearing and vision loss and low health literacy. The small number of studies and overall heterogeneity of study methods limits strength of this evidence. Individuals with sensory loss may benefit from additional clinician support in receiving and applying health information.

Patient Extrication Process for Urban Emergency Departments.

OBJECTIVES: This project aimed to create and implement a safe and efficient role-based process to rapidly extricate traumatically injured persons transported to the emergency department via police transport or private vehicle. METHODS: A simulation exercise was conducted with an interdisciplinary team of ED personnel, Philadelphia Police Department, and University of Pennsylvania police officers to identify the necessary steps to rapidly extricate traumatically injured individuals. RESULTS: The simulation exercise identified several new processes needed to complete rapid extrications of traumatically injured individuals from private and police vehicles. These included a safe drop-off location, ED personnel role identification, proper personal protective equipment donning, 2 rapid extrication techniques, and a hard stop for weapon check by security before entering the emergency department. CONCLUSIONS: Through simulation, the ED interdisciplinary team was able to develop a role-based safe and efficient rapid extrication process. Educating new ED personnel, security, and Pennsylvania police continues to facilitate ongoing safe rapid extrication practices in the emergency department.

American Academy of Nursing Expert Panel consensus statement on nursing's roles in ensuring universal palliative care access.

The purpose of this consensus paper was to convene leaders and scholars from eight Expert Panels of the American Academy of Nursing and provide recommendations to advance nursing's roles and responsibility to ensure universal access to palliative care. Part I of this consensus paper herein provides the rationale and background to support the policy, education, research, and clinical practice recommendations put forward in Part II. On behalf of the Academy, the evidence-based recommendations will guide nurses, policy makers, government representatives, professional associations, and interdisciplinary and community partners to integrate palliative nursing services across health and social care settings. The consensus paper's 43 authors represent eight countries (Australia, Canada, England, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, South Africa, United States of America) and extensive international health experience, thus providing a global context for the subject matter. The authors recommend greater investments in palliative nursing education and nurse-led research, nurse engagement in policy making, enhanced intersectoral partnerships with nursing, and an increased profile and visibility of palliative nurses worldwide. By enacting these recommendations, nurses working in all settings can assume leading roles in delivering high-quality palliative care globally, particularly for minoritized, marginalized, and other at-risk populations.

Supporting evidence for geropsychiatric nursing as a subspecialty of gerontological advanced practice nursing.

Advanced practice nurses (APRNs) make significant contributions to the mental health of older adults. Despite the surge in the number of older adults, the number of APRNs choosing educational preparation for geropsychiatric nursing (GPN) is limited. The purpose of the GAPNA GPN Position Statement is to sustain a new vision for the nursing profession that will improve the care of older adults with psychiatric and mental health disorders. This position paper was written by a diverse group of APRNs with the collective intent to reflect respect, decrease stigma, remove controversy, and uphold a positive, person-centered approach to mental disorders among older adults and their families. The GAPNA GPN Position Statement was written to advance excellence in the GPN subspecialty, provide holistic care for older adults and make recommendations for practice. Blending gerontological and psychiatric nursing results in a subspecialty at the top of the APRN Consensus Model pyramid.

Fear of falling in sensory impaired nursing home residents.

Objectives: Fear of falling (FOF) causes excess disability in nursing home (NH) residents and is associated with vision and hearing impairment. We explored factors associated with FOF in 225 NH residents with vision, hearing or dual sensory impairment.Methods: We explored age, gender, cognition, depression, social engagement, illness burden, falls, physical function, mobility, falls self-efficacy and outcome expectancy as predictors of FOF using univariate logistic regression modeling, followed by multivariate analysis by group (visual, hearing, dual, total sample).Results: Fifty-one percent of residents had FOF. Residents who had FOF reported better cognition, lower falls self-efficacy, and higher outcome expectancy in the total sample and in most impairment groups. Falls outcome expectancy predictedFOF in the total sample and in the visual and hearing sensory impairment groups.Conclusion: When addressing FOF in NH residents it is important to address sensory status along with fears about falling to promote function.

Managed Long-Term Services and Supports for Medicaid Only and Dually Eligible Individuals.

More and more states are addressing the long-term services and supports needs of Medicaid only and dually eligible persons by developing Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) programs. States are moving away from fee-for-service plans and coordinating care through these capitated programs. The goals of these programs include greater efficiency while maintaining quality and better coordination of care. For dually eligible persons, the expansion of MLTSS has been made possible through the creation of the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services by the Affordable Care Act to improve communication and coordination between state and federal programs. MLTSS invest heavily into home and community-based services and care coordination to increase the efficiency of their organizations and improve person-centered care. Nurses who engage with this vulnerable population are in a prime position to further innovate this model to improve person and family outcomes. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 46(6), 7-11.].

Innovative care models across settings: Providing nursing care to older adults.

The aging demographic shift occurring world-wide is creating an opportunity for innovative care models to address the burgeoning care needs of the expanding population of older adults. Nursing and advanced practice nursing as well as interprofessional models past and present hold insights into how to meet the needs of older adults across the continuum of care. A review of past and present models of care is provided. These models across settings emphasize maximizing the role of nurses and advanced practice nurses. The models reviewed include: On LOK and Programs of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE); Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE); Teaching Nursing Homes; Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers (INTERACT); Missouri Quality Initiative (MOQI); Evercare/Optum; Nurses Improving Care for Health System Elders (NICHE); Acute Care for the Elderly Unit (ACE Unit); Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP); Age-Friendly Health Systems; and the Transitional Care Model. Each model emphasizes education on the special needs of older adults, providing easy access to evidence-based tools and interventions, as well as strong interprofessional collaboration. Sustainable evidence-based nursing and interprofessional innovations are present across health care settings from the community, long-term care and the acute care setting to address the complex needs of older adults.

Integrative review: Persistent vocalizations among nursing home residents with dementia.

ABSTRACTBackground:Nursing home (NH) residents with dementia commonly exhibit persistent vocalizations (PVs), otherwise known in the literature as disruptive or problematic vocalizations. Having a better understanding of PVs and the research completed to date on this phenomenon is important to guide further research and clinical practice in NHs. This integrative review examines the current literature on the phenomenon of PVs among NH residents with dementia. METHODS: We conducted a search in the PubMed, Scopus, Ovid Medline, and CINAHL databases for articles published in English. Articles were included if the focus was specifically on research involving vocal behaviors of older adults with dementia residing in NHs. RESULTS: Our literature search revealed eight research articles that met the inclusion criteria. These studies were published in 2011 or earlier and involved small sample sizes. Seven of these studies were descriptive and the eighth was a non-pharmacological intervention study for PVs exhibited by NH residents with dementia. These studies were vastly different in their labeling, definitions, and categorization of the PVs as well as methods of measuring PVs. CONCLUSION: The heterogeneity of the evidence limits the ability to make recommendations for practice. Given the paucity of research on this phenomenon; recommendations for additional research are given.

"You only have time for so much in 12 hours" unmet social needs of hospitalised patients: A qualitative study of acute care nurses.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore the experiences of nurses caring for socially at-risk patients and gain an understanding of the challenges nurses face when providing care. BACKGROUND: Nurses play a pivotal role in caring for hospitalised patients with social risk factors and preparing them for discharge. Few studies have explored whether acute care nurses are adequately supported in their practice environments to address the unique needs of socially at-risk patients as they transition back into community settings. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive study of nurses working in a large urban academic medical centre. METHODS: We conducted six semi-structured focus groups of nurses (n = 21). Thematic content analysis was performed to analyse the transcripts from the focus groups. We adhered to COREQ guidelines for reporting this qualitative study. RESULTS: Six key themes emerged: (a) nurses' assessments of social risk factors, (b) experiences providing care, (c) barriers to care, (d) fear of "labelling" socially at-risk patients, (e) unmet social care needs and (f) recommendations to improve care. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that nurses are able to identify social risk factors. However, prioritisation of medical needs during acute care hospitalisation and lack of organisational supports may deter nurses from fully addressing social concerns. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Acute care nurses should be involved in the development of future efforts to address the needs of socially at-risk patients and be provided with additional supports in their practice environments. This could include continuing education to build nursing competencies in community-based care and social vulnerability.

An oral health baseline of need at a predominantly African American Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE): Opportunities for dental-nursing collaboration.

This descriptive study sought to establish an oral health baseline of need for enrollees at a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and identify opportunities for nursing interventions. The Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT) was applied to a random sample of 120 enrollees, 64 of whom met inclusion criteria, agreed to participate to assess their oral health status, and were included in the analysis. The mean OHAT score was 4.4 (SD = 2.6; range 0-12). Higher scores indicate poorer oral health. The oral conditions found needing the most attention were gums, saliva, natural teeth, dentures, and oral cleanliness. Oral cleanliness scored the worst on the OHAT, highlighting opportunities for nursing interventions and the necessity for oral hygiene routines. This study also identifies the need for nurses to address enrollees' oral health and relay information back to the PACE interdisciplinary team (IDT) to initiate referrals to the dentist as needed.

Impact of a Hospital Evidence-Based Practice Center (EPC) on Nursing Policy and Practice.

BACKGROUND: In 2006, our healthcare system created a hospital Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) to support the local delivery of high-quality, safe and high value patient care. Since then, the importance of healthcare staff work life has also been highlighted, and together these four elements form the Quadruple Aim framework. Synergistic to this Aim, the Magnet® program promotes and recognizes organizational nursing excellence. OBJECTIVE: To examine the EPC's work to inform nursing policy and practice in support of the goals of the Quadruple Aim framework and Magnet® designation. METHODS: Methods used included the following: (1) descriptive analysis of the hospital EPC's database of rapid reviews; and (2) administration of a 40-item electronic questionnaire to nurses who requested an EPC review during fiscal years (FY) 2015 and 2016. RESULTS: Of 308 rapid reviews completed in the EPC's first 10 years, 59 (19%) addressed nursing topics. The proportion of reviews relevant to nursing increased from 5% (2/39) in the center's first 2 years to 44% (25/60) in FY 2015-2016. The majority of nursing reviews (39/59) examined processes of care. Of 23 nurses eligible to participate in the survey, 21 responded (91%). Nurses with administrative or managerial responsibilities requested 70% of reviews; clinical nurse specialists and bedside nurses requested 17% and 9%, respectively. Reviews were used to support clinical program development (48%), provide clinical guidance (33%), update nursing policies or procedures (24%) and develop training and curricula (24%). Nurses were satisfied with the hospital EPC reviews (mean; 4.7/5), and 95% indicated they were likely to request a future review. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: A dedicated hospital EPC in partnership with nursing offers a unique mechanism for promoting a culture of evidence-based practice. Nurses at all organizational levels use the services of a hospital EPC to inform nursing policy and practice and are highly satisfied with the process, supporting the Quadruple Aim and Magnet® designation.

How home health nurses plan their work schedules: A qualitative descriptive study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To describe how home health nurses plan their daily work schedules and what challenges they face during the planning process. BACKGROUND: Home health nurses are viewed as independent providers and value the nature of their work because of the flexibility and autonomy they hold in developing their work schedules. However, there is limited empirical evidence about how home health nurses plan their work schedules, including the factors they consider during the process and the challenges they face within the dynamic home health setting. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive design. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 registered nurses who had >2 years of experience in home health and were employed by one of the three participating home health agencies in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Data were analysed using conventional content analysis. RESULTS: Four themes emerged about planning work schedules and daily itineraries: identifying patient needs to prioritise visits accordingly, partnering with patients to accommodate their preferences, coordinating visit timing with other providers to avoid overwhelming patients, and working within agency standards to meet productivity requirements. Scheduling challenges included readjusting the schedule based on patient needs and staffing availability, anticipating longer visits, and maintaining continuity of care with patients. CONCLUSION: Home health nurses make autonomous decisions regarding their work schedules while considering specific patient and agency factors, and overcome challenges related to the unpredictable nature of providing care in a home health setting. Future research is needed to further explore nurse productivity in home health and improve home health work environments. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Home health nurses plan their work schedules to provide high quality care that is patient-centered and timely. The findings also highlight organisational priorities to facilitate continuity of care and support nurses while alleviating the burnout associated with high productivity requirements.

Home health nurse decision-making regarding visit intensity planning for newly admitted patients: a qualitative descriptive study.

Despite patients referred to home health having diverse and complex needs, it is unknown how nurses develop personalized visit plans. In this qualitative descriptive study, we interviewed 26 nurses from three agencies about their decision-making process to determine visit intensity and analyzed data using directed content analysis. Following a multifactorial assessment of the patient, nurses relied on their experience and their agency's protocols to develop the personalized visit plan. They revised the plan based on changes in the patient's clinical condition, engagement, and caregiver availability. Findings suggest strategies to improve visit planning and positively influence outcomes of home health patients.

Person-Centered Care for Older Adults With Serious Mental Illness and Substance Misuse Within a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.

Providing person-centered care (PCC) to older adults with dual diagnosis, co-occurring serious mental illness (SMI), and substance misuse is complex and requires an interprofessional team. Older adults, who qualify for both Medicaid and Medicare (i.e., dual-eligibles) are overrepresented in the population of older adults with SMI and substance misuse. Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) exist to support community living needs of nursing home-eligible older adults and are increasingly in a position to serve older adults with SMI and substance misuse issues. PACE programs provide integrated person-centered mental health care to address the serious medical, social, and emotional complications posed by having SMI and substance misuse disorders. The case study presented illustrates PCC provided to a dual-diagnosis PACE participant, illustrating the impact of recent and past trauma on current psychopathology and substance misuse. Finally, recommendations for addressing PCC of dual diagnosis within the PACE model are provided. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 42(5), 11-17.].