Gerontological Nursing, ch. 6 The Specialty of Gerontological Nursing

Terms in this set (36)

Competency
Having skill, knowledge, and ability to do something according to a standard.
Evidence-based practice
Using research and scientific information to guide actions. Relies on the synthesis and analysis of available information from research.
Geriatric nursing
Nursing care of sick older adults.
Gerontological Nursing
Nursing practice that promotes wellness and highest quality of life for aging individuals.
Standard
Desired, evidence-based expectations of care that serve as a model against which practice can be judged.
Hartford Geriatric Nursing Initiative
Developed in 2003, has significantly contributed to the growth of EBP in gerontology.
Knowledge base
The conditions that older adults experience can cut across many clinical specialties, thereby challenging gerontological nurses to have a broad knowledge base. The risk of complications is high. Other factors, such as limited finances or social isolation, affect the state of health and well-being.
Meta-analysis
A process of analyzing and compiling the results of published research studies on a specific topic.
Cost analysis
Cost-related data are gathered on outcomes to make comparisons.
Benchmarking
Performance is compared with best practices or industry averages.
Gerontological Competencies
- Differentiate normal from abnormal findings
- Assess the older adult's physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual status and function
- Engage the older adult in all aspects of care to the maximum extent possible
- Provide information and education on a level and in a language appropriate for the individual
- Individualize care planning and implementation of the plan
- Identify and reduce risks
- Empower the older adult to exercise maximum decision making
- Identify and respect preferences arising from the older adult's culture, language, race, gender, sexual preference, lifestyle, experiences, and roles
- Assist the older adult in evaluating, deciding, locating, and transitioning to environments that fulfill living and care needs
- Advocate for and protect the rights of the older person
- Facilitate discussion of and honor advance directives
ANA Standards of Practice for Gerontological Nursing
Describes the responsibilities for which nurses are accountable.
Nursing Principles
Proven facts or widely accepted theories that guide nursing actions.
Factors Influencing the Aging Process
Inherited factors are believed by some researchers to determine the rate of aging. Malnourishment, exposure to environmental toxins, diseases, and stress can hasten the ill effects of the aging process. In contrast, mental, physical, and social activity can reduce the rate and degree of declining function with age.
Principles of Gerontological Nursing Practice
- Aging is a natural process common to all living organisms.
- Various factors influence the aging process.
- Unique data and knowledge are used in applying the nursing process to the older population.
- Older adults share similar self-care and human needs with all other human beings.
- Gerontological nursing strives to help older adults achieve wholeness by reaching optimum levels of physical, psychological, social, and spiritual health.
Nursing Process
The nursing process provides a systematic approach to the delivery of nursing care and integrates a wide range of knowledge and skills.
Core needs
Include physiological balance, connection, and gratification.
Self-care practices
When an unusual circumstance interferes with an individual's ability to meet these demands, nursing intervention could be warranted.
Optimal Health and Wholeness
One can view aging as the process of realizing one's humanness, wholeness, and unique identity in an ever-changing world.
Nursing Actions within the Framework of the Self-care Theory
- Strengthening the individual's self-care capacity
- Eliminating or minimizing self-care limitations
- Providing direct services by acting for, doing for, or assisting the individual when demands cannot be met independently.
Gerontological Nursing Roles
Healer, caregiver, advocate, innovator, and educator.
A Holistic Approach
A holistic approach is essential, recognizing that older individuals must be viewed in the context of their biological, emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual elements.
Caregiver
In this role, gerontological nurses use gerontological theory in the conscientious application of the nursing process to the care of older adults. Nurses working in this specialty area are challenged to gain the knowledge and skills that will enable them to meet the unique needs of older adults and to assure evidence-based practices are utilized.
Educator
An important area for consumer education is teaching older adults how to interpret and compare various plans to enable them to make informed decisions.
Advocate
Advocacy for individual clients is essential and can include aiding older adults in asserting their rights and obtaining required services.
Innovator
Nurses have opportunities to develop new technologies and different modalities of care delivery.
Advance Practice Nursing Roles
Gerontological nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists have been shown to improve the quality and reduce the cost of care for older persons in a variety of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and ambulatory care.
EBP in Gerontology
Bridging research to the practice setting is an important function of the gerontological nurse.
Importance of EBP in Gerontology
Older adults' delicately balanced health status and high risk of complications, along with rising consumer expectations and a highly litigious society, reinforce the importance of evidence-based practice.
Integrative Care
Integrating the best of conventional and alternative/complementary therapy supports holistic care.
Educating Caregivers
With increasing numbers of family members providing more complex care in the home setting than ever before, it is essential that the education of this group not be overlooked.
New Practice Models in Gerontological Care
Nurses must recognize that their biopsychosocial sciences knowledge, clinical competencies, and human relations skills give them a strong competitive edge over other disciplines in affecting a wide range of services.
Reasons for premature hospital discharges
Higher acuity of nursing home residents, limited home health visits, and third-party insurer control of service costs.
Effects of changes in reimbursement policy
Earlier hospital discharges, limited home health visits, increased complexity of nursing home residents, and greater out-of-pocket payment for services by patients demonstrate some of the effects of changes in reimbursement policy.
Efforts toward cost-containment
Test creative staffing patterns, use lay caregivers, abolish unnecessary practices, ensure self care, and advocate for older adults.
Quality Geriatric Care as Perceived by Nurses in Long-Term and Acute Care Setting (study)
This study demonstrates that without evidence-based guidelines to assist nurses in providing care that promotes autonomy, independence, and high-quality services, they feel less satisfied with the care offered to older patients.
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