Teresa L. Cervantez Thompson

Two Sides to the Caregiving Story

Abstract Purpose: This descriptive study examined problems and successes that a sample of 73 adult caregivers new to the role expressed in the first year of caring for stroke survivors. Data were collected from May 2002 to December 2005. Method: Bimonthly, trained telephone interviewers asked the participants open-ended questions to elicit their experience in caregiving. Guided by Friedemann’s framework of systemic organization, we analyzed the data using Colaizzi’s method of content analysis. Results: There were 2,455 problems and 2,687 successes reported. Three themes emerged from the problems: being frustrated in day-to-day situations (system maintenance in Friedemann’s terms), feeling inadequate and turning to others for help (coherence), and struggling and looking for “normal” in caring (system maintenance vs. change). Three themes were attributed to the successes: making it through and striving for independence (system maintenance), doing things together and seeing accomplishments in the other (coherence), and reaching a new sense of normal and finding balance in life (individuation and system maintenance). Conclusion: These findings provided an in-depth, theorybased description of the experience of being a new caregiver and can help explain how caring can be a difficult yet rewarding experience. Knowledge of the changes over time allows health care professionals to tailor their interventions, understanding, and support.

Caregivers dealing with stroke pull together and feel connected

Changes that can accompany stroke may create considerable stress for individuals caring for the affected person. This study explored the coping process for nine rural-dwelling caregivers of persons with stroke and the responses of these caregivers to a Web-based support program. The qualitative data management program QSR N 5 was used to analyze quotes from telephone interviews and computer entries. Stories of how caregivers came together and supported one another emerged from the data collected as part of a larger study that examined the experience of caring. Friedemanns framework of systemic organization guided data analysis and interpretation. Actions demonstrated by the caregivers illustrated the process of crisis resolution through family togetherness in which nurses were included. The findings of this study aided in understanding this process and gave direction for nurses working with such clients.

RehabNurse-L: An Analysis of the Rehabilitation Nursing LISTSERV Experience

&NA; Computer‐mediated discussion is a form of communication via the Internet through groups known as listservs, chat‐rooms, bulletin boards, newsgroups, or discussion forums. An increasing number of professionals are using these forums to ask and answer common concerns about their practices. Deeper meaning lies within messages that is broader than just an individual posting or a simple communication thread. The messages can have far‐reaching effects. Our purpose in this qualitative research was to understand why RehabNurse‐L LISTSERV® (RehabNurse) participants use the listserv, describe their RehabNurse experiences, how they used information from postings, and their perception of the value of using RehabNurse for their practice. The Rehabilitation Nursing Foundation funded this study. Nurses identified the RehabNurse as a means of “keeping up,” sharing, learning, problem solving, and support within their practice. They appraised the information posted on RehabNurse in search of credible entries as well as experiences similar to their own. Nurse respondents described their RehabNurse involvement in terms of community and connectedness, identifying roles familiar to the participants. RehabNurse postings not only were shared within the discussion group, but also extended to their work environment—team members, peers, administrators, patients, and families.

A Self‐Medication Program in a Rehabilitation Setting

&NA; Self‐medication, while not a new concept, is infrequently used in a hospital setting. It has been utilized to a limited extent in geriatric, obstetric, pain control, and rehabilitation programs. This article describes the process of initiating a self‐medication program on a rehabilitation unit, provides criteria for inclusion into the program, and discusses program results. Instituting the self‐medication program required a concerted interdisciplinary effort that included nurses, physicians, and pharmacists. The program identified the difficulties rehabilitation patients have in taking their medications and allowed development of adaptive techniques. The program also identified patients who were unable to take medications properly. The self‐medication program was of great benefit in the rehabilitation setting and is applicable in any institutional setting.

Developing a Culturally Competent Workforce through Collaborative Partnerships

Inthis article, the authors describe a federally funded project to implement a partnership model involving the Transcultural Nursing Society (TCNS) and two universities that have undergraduate and graduate programs in nursing. The overall goal of the project is to use transcultural nursing as a framework for developing the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor cultural competencies of nursing faculty, practicing .nurses, and nursing students. The purpose of this article is fourfold: (a) to describe the background and environmental context of the TCNS-university partnership; (b) to provide an overview ofthe project objectives, key partners, and organizational structure of the partnership; (c) to discuss the current and future project activities; and (d) to critically examine the benefits of partnering for both the TCNS and the two universities involved in this project.