Six Steps in Reading to Appraise Scientific Publications: Discover a Different Path.

BACKGROUND: Effectively reading scientific publications, for example, research/quality improvement, is an acquired skill. Critical appraisal identifies articles' strengths and weaknesses related to credibility and authenticity or appropriate standards. AIM: To stimulate rehabilitation nurses' interest/participation in reading to appraise published studies (using brief evaluation questions). STEPS APPROACH: Read in this order: (1) title, abstract, and key words (are these words clear and directly connected to identified problem?), (2) discussion and conclusion (how are results/findings interpreted; are there recommendations for actions?), (3) results/findings (do key outcomes relate to the problem?), (4) introduction and review of literature (what are main arguments for study/project; does the study build on what's already known?), (5) data collection and analysis methods (are materials/procedures described for gathering information and evaluation?), and (6) references (are citations accurate/up-to-date?). DISCUSSION/RELEVANCE/CONCLUSION: Steps taken on this path help close the gap in reading to appraise scientific publications, discovering ways to build evidence-based rehabilitation nursing practices.

The Journey of Web-Based Education for Caregivers of Persons With Dementia: It Didn't Happen Overnight.

Family caregivers provide long-term, complex care in home settings where most persons with dementia (PWD) live. These men/women caregivers differ in responses and approaches to caring problems. Following our review of the research literature and needs assessment from caregivers of PWD (group 1), a comparison revealed key caregiver gender differences in caring problems and approaches. We developed and implemented a Web-based Educational Modules (WBEMs) project focused on gender-based differences to offer unique support for men/women caregivers who face these problems. Other caregiver evaluators (group 2) agreed the WBEMs were well designed with clear, credible, informative content. Evaluators' suggestions for larger font size and navigation directions were incorporated in module improvements. Six modules were eventually placed on an established university-sponsored caregivers' website. WBEMs have potential to reestablish well-being for caregivers of PWD. Home healthcare nurses and other healthcare providers can use, adapt, or create additional modules to meet the needs of and support for caregivers and patients living in community settings.

Meanings of Falls and Prevention of Falls According to Rehabilitation Nurses: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

PURPOSE: Guided by Friedemann's theoretical framework, this survey explored the meaning of a fall of an institutionalized older adult or fall prevention to rehabilitation registered nurses and whether the experience changed the nurse's practice. DESIGN: Qualitative, descriptive survey. METHODS: A convenience sample of 742 rehabilitation nurses was asked to describe these experiences and the impact on their practice. FINDINGS: Themes discovered related to the meaning of a fall include negative feelings (incongruence) and positive feelings (congruence). Themes related to the meaning of preventing a fall include positive feelings (congruence). Practice change themes emerged from both the experience of a fall and fall prevention. Practice change themes were drawn to Friedemann's (1995) process dimensions. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nurses' experiences and meanings of falls uncovered negative and positive feelings about these falls. New findings of this study were the positive feelings expressed by nurses, when there was no injury or when a fall was prevented.

Web-based psychosocial assessment for caregivers of persons with dementia: a feasibility study.

PURPOSE AND DESIGN: Most of the 5.4 million Americans with dementia are cared for by family members who experience care needs and time constraints. This quasi-experimental study examined the experience of using a psychosocial assessment instrument to understand caregiver needs delivered in an interview versus a self-administered web-based format. METHODS: Ten family caregivers were randomized to an interview group or a web-based group with two advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). Surveys captured the caregivers' and APRNs' assessment experiences. FINDINGS: There were no statistically significant differences between the two caregiver groups. Both groups rated the assessment instrument as excellent or good, finding it easy to complete capturing real needs they frequently denied or ignored. The APRN reported the web-based format was easier to use. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Healthcare providers could use web-based caregiver assessment as an effective, efficient method for identifying care needs and planning interventions that promote balance/congruence in caregivers' lives.

Choices: anger and anger management in rehabilitative care.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Violent acts are on rise and rehabilitation providers as caregivers may encounter anger on a daily basis. The purpose of this article is to discuss anger and describe anger management strategies based on behavioral interventions grounded in Choice Theory. CHOICE THEORY: Applying choice theory to anger is the belief that people are internally, not externally motivated, and that outside events do not make people do anything. Thus, what drives people's anger behaviors are internally developed notions of what is important and satisfying for them. CLINICAL RELEVANCE AND CONCLUSION: Anger becomes a choice along with its management. Choosing strategies to manage anger are key to reducing the potential for angry emotions to escalate to the point of aggressive and violent acts that threaten caregivers and clients safety. Anger-free environments promote mental/physical health and establish elements of safe living and working environments in a variety of rehabilitative care settings.

Alzheimer disease in women: a clinical and genetics perspective.

Upon completion of this activity, the learner will be able to: 1. Identify clinical and genetic characteristics and considerations associated with Alzheimer disease (AD). 2. Describe assessment and management strategies for AD. 3. Describe nursing implications for women and families with, or at risk for, AD.

Effect of an inpatient nurse-directed smoking cessation program.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a nurse-directed smoking cessation intervention for adults hospitalized in a small community hospital using a quasiexperimental, prospective, longitudinal design with biochemical validation of self-reported tobacco abstinence. Sixty-eight inpatients were assigned to either a control (n = 30) or an intervention group (n = 38). The control group received smoking cessation literature. The intervention group received smoking cessation literature and a nursing intervention. Each member of the intervention group was randomly assigned to a one or four telephone call subgroup for post discharge nurse follow-up at 3 months. Fifty-five participants completed the study. Smokers receiving the nurse-directed intervention were significantly more likely to be tobacco abstinent at 3 months (n = 17, 55%) than smokers in the control group (n = 5, 21%). Within the intervention group, tobacco abstinence at 3 months was not significantly different between the one and four telephone call groups. For the total sample, smoking relapse was significantly higher for participants who lived with another smoker.