Geriatric Nursing
Volume 26, Issue 1 , Pages 7-10, January 2005

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Global study on nursing 

Sigma Theta Tau International, the Honor Society of Nursing, recently concluded a global study of the role, future, and challenges facing the nursing profession. Arista3, the third in a series of conferences held around the world, brought nearly 200 medical experts on nursing and health care together during the last 3 years. Among its findings is the fact that the nursing shortage is global, although the causes of that shortage are different in different parts of the worlds. For example, in the United States and Canada, the most prevalent problem is the aging of the nursing work force. In African and the Near East, AIDS and related deaths among nurses are the most prevalent problems creating the nursing shortage. An executive summary of Arista3 is available at no cost, and the full report is available for purchase at www.nursingsociety.org.

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Survey finds nursing at the peak of the top 10 health care career opportunities 

A survey conducted by the Health Job Bank, an online resource designed to connect job seekers and employers, showed that Americans looking for a career in health care will find the highest number of opportunities in nursing. Although nursing itself is subdivided into four career paths—registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, certified nurse assistants, and licensed practical nurses, the overall need for nurses is considerable. For more information, you can visit the Health Job Bank Web site at www.healthcarejobbank.com.

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GSA and AJN partner to offer Geriatric Nursing Special Series 

The Gerontological Society of American (GSA) and the American Journal of Nursing (AJN) are joining together to improve the care of older adults in a 3-year project: the Geriatric Nursing Special Series. Through this, AJN and GSA hope to show best practices and deliver cutting-edge research information on the care of older adults to nurses across all clinical practices. With more than 50% of hospital patients over age 65 and only 1% of nurses certified in gerontology, the series is designed to help nurses in hospitals and nursing homes to develop the age-specific competencies required by federal regulatory agencies and the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. AJN will produce a bimonthly series on nursing care of older adults, publishing 15 evidence-based articles and columns over a period of 30 months. Additionally broadcasts and other multimedia materials will be available such as videotapes, DVDs, and CD-ROMS to disseminate the series and related information to institutions and facilities that employ nurses and others involved in hands-on care of older adults. The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing will also contribute to the project, identifying opportunities for distributing these materials to nurses interested in obtaining certification in geriatrics or simply enhancing their knowledge of caring for older adults. The aims of the program are threefold: 1) to increase the number of nurses sitting for certification in geriatrics, 2) to stimulate institutional changes in nursing care of older adults, and 3) to increase the number of certified and noncertified nurses in all specialties who are fulfilling their continuing education requirements through self-study in care of older adults.

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Nurse Internship Program 

Few nursing professionals have the opportunity to try a job before they commit to it, but through the Nurse Internship Program at the Ohio Sate University (OSU) Medical Center, newly licensed RNs can learn new technical skills and experience the cultures within various medical units before deciding whether to pursue a long-term career in a specific area. The paid 16-week program provides full salary and benefits and includes formal classroom instruction specific to each specialty track, as well as clinical rotations that allow individuals to explore related services and make important contacts in other areas through the hospital. For more information on this OSU nursing program or the Clinical Ladder Program for advancement in the nursing profession, contact kristen.kelley@fahlgren.com.

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Nursing home advocates call on California's governor to protect seniors 

Nursing home advocates recently rallied in Sacramento and Los Angeles, California, to deliver thousands of postcards requesting the state's governor to protect seniors by signing the Nursing Home Quality Care Act (AB 1629). This legislation will change the way Medi-Cal funds nursing homes to improve quality and accountability by basing reimbursements on the actual cost of providing care. AB 1629 will bring in an estimated $900 million in federal Medicaid dollars for nursing home care over the next 4 years, according to a recent release from the California United for Nursing Home Care Coalition. It is hoped that other states may find this a useful model for ensuring quality nursing home care.

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Duke-Carolina to bring visiting Geriatric Nursing professor to campus 

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University schools of nursing have established a Visiting Professorship in Geriatric Nursing to enhance the quality of geriatric patient care and nursing education. Dr. Sarah Kagan, recipient of the 2003 John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation's Genius Award, is the first recipient of the professorship. She recently gave a talk titled, “What's Wrong with This Picture?—Nurses' Influence on Being Old and Ill in America” at the Carolina campus. Faculty members from both universities will meet with the visiting professor to explore new ideas in geriatric care and education.

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Life Care Centers of America Directors of Nursing (DONs) join NADONA/LTC 

The National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration in Long Term Care (NADONA/LTC) recently announced that Life Care Centers of America will sponsor 2-year memberships for its directors of nursing. Life Care Centers of American operates more than 260 skilled nursing, Alzheimer's, assisted living, and retirement centers in 28 states. Susie Hutchings, RN/CPHQ, senior vice president of clinical services for Life Care Centers of American said, “We believe in providing an environment in which our DONs are recognized and rewarded for their individual contribution and feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in their work. Providing NADONA/LTC membership and the many unique benefits that accompany that membership is a natural extension of that belief.” Life Care is the first corporation to sponsor its DONs fully in CDONA certifications through NADONA/LTC's online university. All DONs at Life Care Centers of America will become certified via www.nadonauniversity.org.

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Drugs prescribed for elderly Americans are often risky 

Many Americans over age 65 have prescriptions for drugs considered potentially risky for elderly patients, yet in a recent issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine (August 9, 2004), researchers found that over the course of a year, 1 in 5 elderly Americans filled a prescription for at least 1 drug classified as a “drug of concern” according to established criteria known as the Beers list. The findings suggest that some doctors may be uninformed about increasing risks presented by common medications as people age, thus underscoring the need to show more clinical evidence for the risks presented by particular drugs when taken by elderly patients. The elderly are rarely included in the clinical trials that generate information about drug side effects. The Beers list, a list of criteria for determining the appropriate use of medication in elderly living in nursing homes, was initially developed in 1991 from a panel of experts and then refined in 1997 for institutional use in any setting, named 28 medications or medication classes considered inappropriate for use in elderly patients. An update of the Beers list including 48 medications or classes of medications to avoid in adults aged 65 or older was published in the December 8, 2003, issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Warn patients to practice safeguards when using online pharmacies 

In light of high prescription prices, many consumers are looking to the Internet to provide cheap sources for their medications. Consumers should be careful to screen out unscrupulous online pharmacies. Look for the seal from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy or call (847) 698-6227 to learn whether an online pharmacy is in good standing. Online pharmacies labeled VIPPS (Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites) have met the strict standards of the Boards of Pharmacy. Make sure your online pharmacy asks for prescription and doctor verification and provides the opportunity for consult with an online pharmacist in case of questions about the prescription or potential drug interaction. Also make sure a telephone number is provided in the event additional questions arise.

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National Private Duty Association supports pending legislation in California 

The National Private Duty Association (NPDA) is a national voice for organizations that provide private home care services and an advocate for services that benefit the consumers for whom they care—seniors, children, persons with disabilities, those with chronic health conditions, and anyone whose quality of life can be improved by having a caregiver help in their home. The NPDA has worked to drum up support for proposed California legislation (AB 2704: Underground Economy in Home Care), a law that would begin to address the issues of protecting consumers of home care and close the trust-account loophole. The NPDA was founded in 2002 and is the nation's first association for providers of private home care services. NPDA chapters are being formed across the country, and to date the Association represents more than 500 home care agencies in 44 states and Puerto Rico. Its mission is to enhance the strength and professionalism for private home care providers through education and best practices. Further information can be found on their Web site at www.privatedutyhomecare.org.

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Caregiving and depression 

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University recently disclosed initial findings that showed grandmothers who were primary caregivers in their families experienced greater stress and depression than non-caregivers. With the aging population on the rise in the United States and an anticipated increase in the number of grandmothers taking on the caregiving role, the Case researchers are trying to understand how to help these women stay healthy and identify factors that may moderate the effects of stress. This 4-year National Institutes of Health–funded study, which concludes in 2005, includes comparison groups of grandmothers living in multigenerational homes and non-caregiver grandmothers and examines the links between the women and their families in terms of overall stress, health, and well-being.

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Clinical study seeks patients 

The New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center recently announced that it is seeking patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma to participate in a multicenter, single-arm, open-label Phase II trial of Velcade. Mantle cell lymphoma, an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is not curable with existing therapies, and only one-fifth of patients survive more than 5 years following diagnosis. For information regarding study entry criteria or to find a local study site, call (866) 835-2233.

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Resources 

Careers in Aging— Professionals seeking work in the field of geriatrics have a wide variety of occupations and areas that can utilize their services. The Association for Gerontology in Higher Education has a great Web site that outlines a host of information about careers in Gerontology and Geriatrics at www.careersinaging.com/careersinaging/job_career.html.

Web Sites to Investigate— The Web sites that follow may be worth visiting. The first, www.centerwatch.com, lists more than 41,000 industry and government sponsored clinical trials, as well as new drug therapies recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It also lists information on what government-funded research studies are currently underway at the National Institutes of Health. The second site, www.searchpointe.com, provides background information on medical doctors and doctors of osteopathy with an active license to practice in the United States. The information, compiled from private, professional, and federal agencies and medical boards, includes doctor locations, degrees, training, licenses, and disciplinary actions. You can also learn where a doctor attended medical school and what specialized training the doctor has received, such as fellowships.

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Web site fills gaps in Geriatric Nursing knowledge 

GeroNurseOnline.org, a new Web site of the Nurse Competence in Aging (NCA) initiative, is a collaboration of 3 major nursing organizations. The site is a sophisticated resource for nurses who wish to learn more about geriatric syndromes and their possible causes and treatments and to translate that knowledge for the immediate benefit of their patients. It is a resource for nurses nationwide and will help enhance nursing practice and improve patient outcomes for older adults. The site can be searched in 3 ways: by patient clinical signs and symptoms, specific geriatric topics, or specialty nursing practice areas. The content is organized into 3 levels of depth and complexity: Need Help Stat, Want to Know More, and Topic Resources. The goal of the NCA initiative is for 60 specialty nursing associations to be designated “Web Fellows” who will be responsible for providing content to the site in relation to that specialty area.

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Internet-based CEU program for nurses 

A new knowledge resource from Sigma Theta Tau International, the Honor Society of Nursing, is now available. CareeRxel™ is a new, Internet-based continuing education program for nurses and nursing students that provides self-paced activities to aid in identifying the deep motivators that stimulate high performance and high fulfillment in the workplace. To learn more about CareeRxel and to download a demo of the program, visit the society's Web site, www.nursingsociety.org/publications.

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Online Geriatric Care Management Certificate 

Kaplan University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies has introduced a new online program that provides comprehensive geriatric care management training for health care professionals. The Geriatric Care Management Certificate will be offered online as a 12-month, noncredit program beginning in December 2004. Geriatric care managers are increasingly in demand, and the online, self-paced program delivery affords busy health and human services professionals the opportunity to break into this dynamic field. For more information on this program or to enroll, contact the Web site at www.Kaplan.edu/hcp.

PII: S0197-4572(04)00431-8

doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2004.12.009

Geriatric Nursing
Volume 26, Issue 1 , Pages 7-10, January 2005

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