Nursing Education's Dynamic History: Challenging, Creative, and Courageous.

ABSTRACT: Professional nursing education has changed through the decades, from experiential training governed by religious sisters to formal education on theory and research for practice. Numerous types of nursing programs have been developed to meet professional and healthcare needs, and the popularity of different programs has varied over time. The purpose of this article is to explore the history of nursing education and the challenges the 21st century presents to nurse educators and clinicians. Strategies are offered for Christian nurse leaders to forge new pathways for education and move the profession forward.

Nurse Author: Who Me? Yes, You!

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Potential nurse authors may find writing a challenge, including managing the publication process from getting started through submission to revision of the work and its acceptance. This special article presents strategies to help inexperienced writers develop and hone skills for journal publication. POTENTIAL PUBLICATION STRATEGIES: Tips discussed here that may lead to manuscript acceptance include selecting a topic of interest, using motivational self-talk approaches and structuring time to write, choosing coauthors, targeting a journal for submission, writing strong sentences in active voice, developing a structured abstract, using correct citation and reference formats, understanding reviews and resubmitting the manuscript, and keeping momentum to produce continued writing results. Practical writing hints are also suggested for inexperienced writers. RELEVANCE AND CONCLUSION: These strategies can help guide nurse writers in planning, navigating the system, and finding success as a published author.

Educating Chinese Nurses About Rehabilitation Nursing: Findings From a Single Cohort Quantitative Pilot Project.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to present results of a pilot program to educate nurses in China about rehabilitation nursing. DESIGN: A single cohort, pre- and posttest design with an educational intervention. METHODS: A 3-day basic rehabilitation nursing education program was conducted in Shanghai and Hangzhou by a certified rehabilitation nurse specialist from the United States. The effect of the educational intervention was measured using pre- and posttests for six topic areas. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations, and paired samples t tests. FINDINGS: Paired samples t tests showed a significant improvement (p < .01) as a result of the educational intervention on all three tests covering the six basic topics. CONCLUSIONS: The knowledge of the nurses on topics of basic rehabilitation nursing significantly increased as a result of the educational program. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Rehabilitation nurses interested in international travel and developing professional relationships with nurses in China can provide education to promote our specialty practice overseas.

The Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing.

BACKGROUND: Rehabilitation nursing is practiced in various settings along the healthcare continuum. No framework is noted in the literature that defines the necessary competencies of the rehabilitation nurse. PURPOSE: To develop a Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing and its application to clinical and educational practice. METHOD/DESIGN: A seven-member Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) task force was convened; conducted a literature review, reviewed current and historical ARN documents, including the Strategic Plan, and developed a Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing practice. FINDINGS: The Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing delineates four domains of rehabilitation nursing practice and essential role competencies. CONCLUSION: The Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing addresses this diverse specialty practice in the current healthcare arena. This framework can be used to guide nurses practicing at different levels of proficiency in various settings. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The Competency Model can be used as a structure for staff orientation, evaluation tools, clinical ladder components, role descriptions and rehabilitation nursing courses.

The effect of advanced practice nurse-modulated education on rehabilitation nursing staff knowledge.

Rehabilitation is a specialty area with defined competencies and discrete nursing knowledge. Nurses need to be educated in the basic competencies of rehabilitation to provide safe, quality care to patients with chronic illnesses and disabilities. A critical appraisal of the literature showed that education increased knowledge in a specialty area and had positive benefits for nurses, organizations, and patients. The purpose of this paper is to describe an evidence-based educational intervention. Self-study modules on 15 rehabilitation competencies were developed for 16 nurses working on a new inpatient unit. Outcomes were evaluated using pre and post tests via the online Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) Competency Assessment Tool (CAT). Data were analyzed using the SPSS14.0 statistical package. Paired t-tests demonstrated a significant difference between pre and post test scores on 14 of the 15 competencies measured. Findings suggested that education of nursing staff resulted in increased knowledge about rehabilitation nursing competencies.

The Mauk Model for Poststroke Recovery: assessing the phases.

Despite the estimated 795,000 strokes occurring in America annually (American Heart Association, 2009), few practical models guide nurses when they provide quality care to stroke survivors. The Mauk Model for Poststroke Recovery is a theoretical framework concerning six phases of poststroke recovery. The purpose of this article is to discuss a pilot study detailing the ways in which nursing students used the Mauk model to identify these phases of stroke recovery via patient case examples. A sample of 30 volunteer nursing students read five case studies and determined the phase of stroke recovery. Descriptive statistics about sample characteristics and frequencies were calculated using SPSS 14 for Windows. Nearly 57% (n = 17) of the students rated all of the case studies to the correct phase. Ways in which the model might be clarified and used as a valuable tool when assessing the phase of stroke recovery are described.

Ethical perspectives on self-neglect among older adults.

Self-neglect is a serious and growing problem among older adults. A 2004 survey from Adult Protective Services (APS) showed that adults age 60 or older were named in 85,000 reports of self-neglect from 21 states (Naik, Lai, Kunik, & Dyer, 2008; Teaster, Dugar, Mendiondo, Abner, & Cecil, 2006). Although rehabilitation nurses are obligated to uphold the autonomy of older adults and strengthen their independence, dilemmas result when people's poor health behaviors put them or others at risk for negative consequences. When making decisions about nursing actions related to self-neglecting elderly people, the basic principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and capacity must be considered. The purpose of this article is to discuss major ethical perspectives related to self-neglect among older adults.

Nursing interventions within the Mauk Model of Poststroke Recovery.

Stroke continues to be the third leading cause of death in the United States. According to the National Stroke Association (NSA, 2004) and the American Heart Association (AHA, 2004), there are over 750,000 new or recurrent strokes per year, with many resulting in residual disability. Stroke survivors often deal with the physical, psychosocial, and emotional consequences of stroke long after they have left the safety of professional rehabilitation. Patient instruction from nurses prior to discharge, while necessary, may be done at a point in the recovery process when the stroke survivor is not ready to learn how to deal with such consequences. Using the Mauk Model for Poststroke Recovery, nurses can identify which phase of recovery a survivor is in, and thus tailor care to his or her needs. The purpose of this article is to use the Mauk Model for Poststroke Recovery to present nursing interventions that are appropriate to each of the previously identified six phases of stroke recovery.

Financial gerontology and the rehabilitation nurse.

Rehabilitation nurses, particularly those who work in geriatrics, recognize that the elderly have become increasingly heterogeneous, with many remaining active well into their 80s and beyond. As the baby boomers enter older adulthood, the senior healthcare market will be greatly affected. The areas of finance, economics, and marketing are seeing new trends that combine the expertise of financial planners with healthcare advisors and advocates for seniors. One emerging specialty area is financial gerontology. This article defines financial gerontology, presents emerging trends and certifications related to the field, and discusses implications for the rehabilitation nurse.