Janice Roper

Ethnography in nursing research

Overview of Ethnography Ethnography as Method Headwork and Footwork What to Do Before Writing the Proposal Writing the Research Proposal Getting Your Foot in the Door Now Go Do It! What to Do with All That Data Ethical Responsibilities

Agitation in the demented patient. A framework for management.

The inability to manage agitation has led to institutionalization of the patient by the family, overuse of physical restraints, and inappropriate use of psychotropic medication, all of which confound the behavior of the demented individual. It is not only the behavior of the patient but also the interpretation of that behavior that is critically important in the successful management of agitation. Caregivers must be careful to assess their own reactions and responses to patient behaviors before actions are taken that may not lessen agitation but increase the frequency and intensity of patient action.

Nurse caregiver feelings about agitation in Alzheimer's disease

This study examines the feelings of nurse caregivers of patients with Alzheimers disease (AD) who are agitated. Methods included participant observation, examination of medical records, and ethnographic interviews of 17 nurse caregivers from one inpatient setting. Two patterns of feelings emerged from the data. One pattern was associated with caregiver expressions of personal identification with and vulnerability to AD. These nurses endorsed feelings of helplessness, men hopelessness, and frustration when providing care to agitated AD patients. A second pattern situated nursing interactions within the realistic context of the patients response to the illness. Caregiver feelings of confidence, competence, and satisfaction were associated with the second pattern. The relationship between the feeling states of nurse caregivers and their reported management of agitation in AD is discussed. Recognition and awareness of distressing feelings is a necessary first step for nurses to learn less personalized reactions to patients and respond more objectively to agitated behaviors.

Managing delirious patients.

What should you do when your patient becomes delirious? Is there a way to avoid this problem? How can you be sure its delirium and not dementia or some other disorder? The answers to these and other questions will help you take better care of these difficult patients.