Jeanette Rossetti

Management of Relocation in Cognitively Intact Older Adults.

Relocation, a major life transition that can affect health positively and negatively, is moving from one permanent home to another. Many older adults will relocate at some time during their life. Relocation is also a complex process that requires careful consideration and planning before the move (i.e., pre-location) and adjustment to the new home after the move (i.e., post-relocation). The current article is a summary of content based on a comprehensive evidence-based practice guideline focused on management of relocation in cognitively intact older adults. The guideline was designed to be used across diverse settings by nurses and other providers. Pre-relocation guidelines include assessment for the need for relocation, interventions prior to moving, and outcomes for evaluation of the pre-relocation process. For post-relocation, content focuses on assessment of risks for not adjusting after the move as well as intervention guidelines to promote adjustment and outcomes for evaluation. Implications include advocacy for older adults by using the guideline, disseminating it, and conducting future research. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 42(11), 14-23.].

Decreasing the Stigma of Mental Illness Through a Student-Nurse Mentoring Program: A Qualitative Study

Stigma is defined as endorsing prejudicial attitudes about mental illness leading to discriminatory behaviors. It undermines the quality of medical care received by people with mental illness. Research suggests contact based interventions are effective in reducing stigma and increasing positive attitudes towards people with mental illness. This paper describes the development of a consumer led student-nurse mentoring program as part of nursing student education. People with lived mental health experience would mentor student nurses regarding the harmful effects of stigma and the beneficial outcomes of affirming attitudes. Seventy members of stakeholder groups (people with lived mental health experience and student nurses) participated in focus groups. Qualitative analyses revealed themes across stakeholder groups regarding: perceived mental health stigma from nurses, ways to reduce stigma, target message for the mentorship program, characteristics of mentors and logistics in developing such a program within the student nurse curricula.

Early identification of relocation risk in older adults with critical illness.

One aspect of an evidence-based practice (EBP) guideline on managing relocation in cognitively intact older adults is elaborated upon in this article. The older population is at particular risk for needing to relocate to a new permanent home following hospitalization for a critical illness, but planning for these moves is often done in crisis mode. The purpose of this article is to sensitize nurses to risks for relocation in critically ill older persons and to encourage application of the EBP guideline in practice. Recommendations for risk assessment are made including using existing and supplementary assessment methods and data. Implementing EBP guidelines such as this is one key element in providing quality care to critically ill older adults.

Behavioral Health Staff’s Pet-Assisted Therapy: An Exploratory Study

The purpose and objectives of this exploratory descriptive study were threefold: to assess the impact of pet-assisted therapy on the overall well-being of behavioral health staff, to document whether pet-assisted therapy affected the retention of behavioral health staff, and to explore and describe therapeutic measures behavioral health staff implemented in using pet-assisted therapy in the delivery of mental health patient care. The participants in this study were 10 behavioral health staff members who were involved with the pet-assisted therapy program at a private psychiatric hospital in a Chicago suburb. Themes that emerged from the study included Self-Awareness, Morale, Innovative Therapeutic Strategies, Challenges, and Future Directions. This article describes these themes in detail, provides quotations from participants to further highlight meaning, and discusses the powerful effect of pet-assisted therapy on both patients and staff in the therapeutic milieu.

Creating a Culture of Evidence in Nursing Education Using Student Portfolios

There has been a growing interest in the use of portfolios to assess nursing student progress in areas such as critical thinking, problem solving, and communication. The data obtained from student portfolios can be used to improve undergraduate nursing curricula; however in order for change to occur, closing the assessment feedback loop is essential. The portfolio program of one Midwestern school of nursing has successfully used portfolio evidence to effect undergraduate curricular change. This portfolio program, under the direction of the school’s Portfolio Subcommittee, involves active participation by students, faculty and administration. Examples of curricular improvements based on portfolio findings included increasing rigor in course assignments, improving student self reflection, promoting students’ ability to write in the discipline, and maintaining writing assignments in larger classes.

Moving Nursing Program Portfolio Assessment From Midterm to End of Program: Lessons Learned

Portfolio assessment promotes a culture of evidence, evaluates program outcomes, and provides an opportunity to assess the acquisition of knowledge and skills that are not easily assessed by examinations and other traditional assessment methods in nursing curricula. The portfolio program of 1 Midwestern school of nursing recently moved portfolio assessment to the end of program. The process of this change including logistics, rubric development, and lessons learned is highlighted.

Using Findings From the Human Rights Authority Reports to Inform Psychiatric Nursing Practice

BACKGROUND: In Illinois, the Human Rights Authority (HRA) exists to conduct investigations of complaints of violations of the rights of persons with disabilities. PURPOSE OF STUDY: The purpose of this study is to describe the findings from the HRA investigations and to determine significant implications for psychiatric nursing practice. METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used, and the sample was composed of reports from the Illinois Guardianship & Advocacy Commission HRA (N = 129) for 2008. RESULTS: Allegations of restriction/notification of rights were significantly more likely to be substantiated than other allegation types. State hospitals were less likely to have allegations against them, whereas medical hospitals were less likely to have inadequate treatment allegations and more likely to have restriction/notification of rights allegations. CONCLUSIONS: The HRA findings will inform psychiatric nursing practice by expanding the nurses’ knowledge of patient rights issues.