Debra A. Jansen

Restorative Activities of Community-Dwelling Elders

This study was conducted to identify the restorative activities of community-dwelling elders. Exposure to restorative activities, such as observing nature, is associated with improved concentration, more effective cognitive functioning, and feelings of greater mental energy, peacefulness, and refreshment. Little literature exists regarding the types and benefits of restorative activities engaged in by elders, a group in need of means to promote optimal daily functioning. A qualitative descriptive design was used. Thirty (28 women, 2 men) community-dwelling elders (ages 65 to 92 years) were interviewed using open-ended questions to ascertain their perceptions of restorative activities. A content analysis of themes produced 12 categories of restorative activities: creative outlets, altruism, nature, social connections, cognitive challenges, physical activity, reading, family connections, spirituality and reflection, cultural activities, travel, and other activities. Additional studies with larger, culturally diverse samples and more men are warranted before implementing restorative interventions with elders in the hopes of promoting optimal functioning and well-being.

Attentional demands and daily functioning among community-dwelling elders.

Everyday life is full of numerous demands for attention that can affect the ability to function. For elders, examples of these attentional demands include negotiating public transportation and driving, sensory losses, and physical discomforts and worries that make it harder to concentrate and complete tasks. The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between attentional demands and the ability to manage daily activities requiring concentration for 54 community-dwelling elders (34 women, 20 men). As theorized, attentional demands correlated (r = –.58) significantly with daily functioning: Elders with more attentional demands perceived themselves as having greater difficulty managing tasks requiring concentration. Attentional demands accounted for a significant proportion of variance in functioning (12%), even after partialling out the effects of depressive symptoms and health. Findings support the theorized relation between attentional demands and daily functioning, as well as nursing interventions aimed at decreasing attentional demands to promote effective functioning for elders.

Perceived Barriers to Participation in Mentally Restorative Activities by Community-Dwelling Elders

Abstract Mentally restorative activities are leisure-like experiences that range from simply looking out a window at a natural view, to participating in hobbies that absorb and interest a person. They have been associated with feelings of renewed energy and concentration, refreshment, and mental clarity. Elders, in particular, may be helped by these activities. The purpose of this study was to identify perceived barriers to engaging in mentally restorative activities. A content analysis of interview data from 30 community-dwelling elders (28 women, 2 men) revealed 11 barrier categories: Health limitations, lack of time, ageist attitudes, transportation difficulties, lack of companion, financial constraints, weather, limited opportunities, family separation, safety, and lack of space.

Science on a Shoestring: Building Nursing Knowledge With Limited Funding

Building the science for nursing practice has never been more important. However, shrunken federal and state research budgets mean that investigators must find alternative sources of financial support and develop projects that are less costly to carry out. New investigators often build beginning programs of research with limited funding. This article provides an overview of some cost-effective research approaches and gives suggestions for finding other sources of funding. Examples of more cost-effective research approaches include adding complementary questions to existing funded research projects; conducting primary analysis of electronic patient records and social media content; conducting secondary analysis of data from completed studies; reviewing and synthesizing previously completed research; implementing community-based participatory research; participating in collaborative research efforts such as inter-campus team research, practice-based research networks (PBRNs), and involving undergraduate and doctoral students in research efforts. Instead of relying on funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other government agencies, nurse researchers may be able to find support for research from local sources such as businesses, organizations, or clinical agencies. Investigators will increasingly have to rely on these and other creative approaches to fund and implement their research programs if granting agency budgets do not significantly expand.

Mentally restorative activities and daily functioning among community-dwelling elders.

ABSTRACT Mentally restorative activities are leisure-like experiences based on the Kaplan attention restoration theory. Participation in them has been associated with feelings of renewed energy, concentration, and mental clarity. The purposes of this study were to examine the relationships between mentally restorative activities and the ability to manage daily life activities for a sample of 54 community-dwelling elders, and to assess the associations with depressive symptoms and perceptions of variety. As theorized, feeling restored after participating in the activities correlated significantly with daily functioning, depressive symptoms, and variety. Participation frequency, however, did not correlate significantly with daily functioning. Frequency of participation in potentially restorative activities may be less important than the quality of and individuals preference for them.

Embedding Research in Undergraduate Learning Opportunities

As a means of promoting scholarship, faculty are increasingly including undergraduate nursing students as team members in faculty-led research projects. Research involvement is a high-impact educational practice that enhances student engagement and retention rates and enables the reflection and integration of learning. The purpose of this article is to describe the benefits and innovative ways of directly involving undergraduate nursing students in faculty-guided research projects. Case examples from four non-research-intensive nursing programs are presented to illustrate the benefits of undergraduate student research involvement to students, faculty, their communities, as well as the nursing profession. Student assistance in all phases of the research process, ranging from research question generation, literature reviews, methods development, and data collection and analysis, to presentations and manuscript publication, motivates and helps faculty progress with their research programs. Benefits also include the creation of effective learning experiences that build nursing knowledge and potentially contribute to community health.

The Meaning of Variety for Community-Dwelling Elders

Variety often is referred to as the “spice of life.” Despite being important to the well-being of elders, variety is a concept that has not been fully defined or explored in the health care literature. The purposes of this study were to ascertain the meaning of variety to community-dwelling elders and to examine the relationship between variety and selected demographic variables. Thirty-four community-dwelling elders were interviewed. A content analysis revealed five meaning-of-variety categories: range of activities, novel possibilities and challenges, spice of life, unstructured, and relationships. The meaning of variety appears to be highly subjective, with peoples preferred levels and types of variety being specific to them.

Collaborating With Businesses to Support and Sustain Research

Financial assistance is necessary for sustaining research at universities. Business collaborations are a potential means for obtaining these funds. To secure funding, understanding the process for obtaining these business funds is important for nursing faculty members. Although faculty rarely request funding from businesses, they are often in a position to solicit financial support due to existing relationships with clinical agency administrators, staff, and community leaders. The economic support received from businesses provides outcomes in nursing research, research education, academic–service partnerships, and client health care. This article describes the steps and processes involved in successfully obtaining research funding from businesses. In addition, case examples for securing and maintaining funding from health care agencies (evidence-based practice services) and from a health manufacturing company (product evaluation) are used to demonstrate the process.