Gayle Varnell

How animal-assisted therapy affects discharge teaching: a pilot study.

ANIMAL-ASSISTED THERAPY (AAT) has been shown to benefit patients who need critical care nursing. Under direction of health services and education professionals, animal-assisted therapy can also provide physical, emotional, and cognitive benefits to people with special needs. In AAT, a goal-directed intervention, an animal that meets specific criteria is integral to the treatment process. The health care professional who specializes in AAT identifies physical, psychological, and cognitive goals for each patient. She then develops a treatment plan that incorporates the therapy animal as the tool to help achieve those goals and evaluates and documents the patient’s progress.

Comfort in the Eye of the Storm: A Survey of Evacuees With Special Medical Needs

INTRODUCTION This article reports on a descriptive study conducted in a Medical Special Needs Shelter with evacuees from Hurricane Gustav in 2008. This shelter was operated by the faculty, students and staff of the University of Texas at Tyler in Tyler, TX. METHODS A descriptive survey approach was used to determine the perception of the shelter experience of evacuees with special medical needs. Evacuees were interviewed by baccalaureate nursing students to assess experiences with the admission process, rest and sleep, food activities, medications and treatments and feelings of safety. RESULTS Most evacuees were ambulatory, but 48% required human or mechanical assistance. Most had chronic health problems. Overall, the evacuees were pleased with the shelter experience. DISCUSSION The admission process was expedient and the evacuees felt welcomed and safe in the shelter. Most slept without difficulty, and boredom was not a problem. Assistance with medications or management of medical conditions was provided for 63%. Areas of dissatisfaction were toilet and shower facilities and quality/quantity of food.

A Collaborative Model for Preparing Advanced Nurse Practitioners—A 10-Year Retrospective

This article describes the collaborative model for preparing nurse practitioners that was developed in response to the need for an increased number of family nurse practitioners (FNPs) in rural East Texas. Beginning with a brief history of the development of the collaborative program, the collaborative model is described as it relates to the student, faculty, institution, and community. Based on evaluation of both the strengths and challenges of the collaborative model, the cooperative model was developed to better recognize the strengths of both institutions.