Geriatric Nursing RSS feed: Current Issue. Geriatric Nursing is a comprehensive source for clinical information and management advice relating to the care of older adults. The journal's peer-reviewed articles report the latest developments in the management of acute and chronic disorders and provide practical advice on care of older adults across the long term continuum. Geriatric Nursing addresses current issues related to drugs, advance directives, staff development and management, legal issues, client and caregiver education, infection control, and other topics. The journal is written specifically for nurses and nurse practitioners who work with older adults in any care setting. Geriatric Nursing is the official journal of the American Assisted Living Nurses Association, National Gerontological Nurses Association, Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association and is indexed in Medline, ISI and CINAHL.http://www.gnjournal.com/?rss=yesElsevier Inc.en © 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Geriatric Nursing0197-4572311January 2010 © 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. healthpermissions@elsevier.comhttp://www.gnjournal.com/article/PIIS0197457210000042/abstract?rss=yesTable of Contents10.1016/S0197-4572(10)00004-2Geriatric Nursing 31, 1 (2010)2010-01-01Geriatric Nursing2010-01-01311S0197-4572(10)X0002-712http://www.gnjournal.com/article/PIIS0197457210000054/abstract?rss=yesEditorial Board10.1016/S0197-4572(10)00005-4Geriatric Nursing 31, 1 (2010)2010-01-01Geriatric Nursing2010-01-01311S0197-4572(10)X0002-733http://www.gnjournal.com/article/PIIS0197457210000078/abstract?rss=yesInformation for Readers10.1016/S0197-4572(10)00007-8Geriatric Nursing 31, 1 (2010)2010-01-01Geriatric Nursing2010-01-01311S0197-4572(10)X0002-744http://www.gnjournal.com/article/PIIS0197457210000066/abstract?rss=yesInformation for Authors10.1016/S0197-4572(10)00006-6Geriatric Nursing 31, 1 (2010)2010-01-01Geriatric Nursing2010-01-01311S0197-4572(10)X0002-7e1e2http://www.gnjournal.com/article/PIIS0197457209004947/abstract?rss=yes For the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to work with the Nurse Service Organization (NSO), which provides professional liability insurance for nursing professionals. This coverage is underwritten by the American Casualty Company of Reading, Pennsylvania, a CNA company. With over 40 years of experience providing quality professional liability insurance to health care professionals, CNA has an outstanding reputation for handling claims quickly and fairly. I have been impressed, and truthfully amazed, by the dedication of the organization and its employees to nursing and to helping keep nurses safely and effectively engaged in practice. It is the personal relationships that NSO cultivates with its clients (us nurses!) that makes this group the premier choice for coverage among many of us at the individual level, and I anticipate it is the reason why multiple nursing organizations continue to endorse this group.It Is All About RelationshipsBarbara Resnick10.1016/j.gerinurse.2009.11.002Geriatric Nursing 31, 1 (2010)2010-01-01Geriatric Nursing2010-01-01311S0197-4572(10)X0002-7Editorial57http://www.gnjournal.com/article/PIIS0197457209003930/abstract?rss=yesImpulsivity in older adults is poorly understood and there is limited literature on the relationship between impulsivity and falls. This retrospective study evaluated the relationship between of inattention and impulsivity related falls (IRF) in hospitalized older adults. The sample (N = 192) included patients 65 years and older with a documented in-patient fall in 2007. “Impaired judgment” was identified as the critical attribute of IRF. The Confusion Assessment Method item for inattention was extracted as the variable for inattention. Twenty-eight percent (28%) of falls were classified as IRF. A significant relationship was found between inattention on the shift prior to a fall and the fall being an IRF (Chi-square = 45.5, df = 1, p = .00, Phi = .54, p = .00). Early identification of older adults with impaired attention has potential to reduce IRF when nursing uses this assessment to implement additional safety interventions for hospitalized older adults.Evaluating the Relationship Between Inattention and Impulsivity-Related Falls in Hospitalized Older AdultsBarbara E. Harrison, Marisa Ferrari, Cathy Campbell, Michael Maddens, Ann L. Whall10.1016/j.gerinurse.2009.09.002Geriatric Nursing 31, 1 (2010)2009-11-13Geriatric Nursing2009-11-13311S0197-4572(10)X0002-7Feature Articles816http://www.gnjournal.com/article/PIIS0197457209003942/abstract?rss=yesThe purpose of this study was to gain understanding about nurse practitioners' (NPs') prescriptive decision making for geriatric patients with attention to pharmaceutical marketing influences. Prior research has focused on physician prescribers and identified suboptimal practices. Because the majority of medications are prescribed to older adults, NPs in geriatric practice were targeted as an information-rich group to interview about prescribing issues. Given the exploratory nature of this research, qualitative focus group methods were employed using content analysis. Fifteen NPs were recruited at an annual national geriatric NP conference. They worked in all regions of the United States, had an average of 9 years prescribing experience, and participated in 1 of the 2 focus groups. The key theme that emerged was that they were more than a prescriber. Findings revealed overwhelming consistency among the NP participants that their nursing background instilled a holistic approach that encompassed both nondrug and therapeutic drug options and skepticism about drug marketing, as well as offered a positive difference by tailoring to their patients' biophysical, psychological, and economic needs with an involvement in the interplay of geriatric care issues not typically addressed by physicians. The participants' reported approaches were in alignment with geriatric prescribing recommendations.More than a Prescriber: Gerontological Nurse Practitioners' Perspectives on Prescribing and Pharmaceutical MarketingDiane Feeney Mahoney, Elissa Ladd10.1016/j.gerinurse.2009.09.003Geriatric Nursing 31, 1 (2010)2009-11-13Geriatric Nursing2009-11-13311S0197-4572(10)X0002-7Feature Articles1727http://www.gnjournal.com/article/PIIS0197457209004169/abstract?rss=yesThrombus-related conditions are increasing in the elderly population. This article provides an overview of thrombus formation and describes the various pharmacologic options for prevention. Thromboprophylaxis requires an assessment of the risks and benefits of treatment so that catastrophic bleeding does not result. A practice model, the “S.A.F.E. Triad” is proposed to provide a framework for addressing safety concerns, while algorithms assist with decision-making.Antithrombosis Management in Community-Dwelling Elderly: Improving SafetyDenise Bockwoldt10.1016/j.gerinurse.2009.10.001Geriatric Nursing 31, 1 (2010)2010-01-01Geriatric Nursing2010-01-01311S0197-4572(10)X0002-7Feature Articles2836http://www.gnjournal.com/article/PIIS0197457209004170/abstract?rss=yesSeveral meditative movement interventions have been designed for older adults in the community setting. Previous reviews have reported on the objective efficacy of interventions, but little has been reported on the effectiveness of such interventions. The purpose of this review is to report the perceived psychosocial benefits and health outcomes of meditative movement such as Tai chi (TC) and Qigong to inform clinicians on what interventions “work” under what conditions and for whom. Thirty seven studies were included in this review and were synthesized with three content areas: perceived improved outcomes and mediators; and perceived factors for initiating TC. The 37 studies included 1856 participants (mean age 67.76) who were mostly women (n=1435) and white (n=808). Some were Taiwanese (n=117), non-white (n=72), Chinese (n=39) and African American (n=28) and the studies were conducted in 9 countries. Clinicians can use the findings of this review to identify motivational factors for initiation and adherence and identify specific benefits from an effective TC intervention.Perceived Benefits of Meditative Movement in Older AdultsCarol Rogers, Colleen Keller, Linda K. Larkey10.1016/j.gerinurse.2009.10.002Geriatric Nursing 31, 1 (2010)2010-01-01Geriatric Nursing2010-01-01311S0197-4572(10)X0002-7Feature Articles3751http://www.gnjournal.com/article/PIIS0197457209004959/abstract?rss=yes The recent publication of the Trial to Reduce Cardiovascular Events with Aranesp Therapy (TREAT) serves confounding and perhaps condemning evidence against the use of erythroid stimulating agents (ESAs) in predialysis patients with chronic kidney disease. However, the additional value of the TREAT results is questionable, given the design of the trial and the background evidence surrounding the use of ESAs that has amassed since 2006. This objective of this commentary is to summarize and interpret the TREAT trial in light of current practice and recent literature and to provide a suggested approach to the use of ESAs in the long-term care population going forward.Trick or TREAT? More Condemning Evidence Against ESAsBarbara J. Zarowitz10.1016/j.gerinurse.2009.11.003Geriatric Nursing 31, 1 (2010)2010-01-01Geriatric Nursing2010-01-01311S0197-4572(10)X0002-7Pharmacy Column5254http://www.gnjournal.com/article/PIIS0197457209004960/abstract?rss=yes Ask anyone what the most important issue on their minds is these days, and you will get 1 of 2 answers—the economy or health care. So, it is no surprise that legislators and regulators in Washington, D.C., have been intensely focused over the past 9 months to a year on drafting new laws, proposing new policies, and enforcing old laws and policies—all with the goal of increasing patient access to quality health care, while decreasing the “out-of-pocket” expenditures for that care from patients and from the federal government. Since September 2009, the House of Representatives has authored a health care reform bill, and the Senate has just recently come out with its version of a bill. In addition to the 2 draft pieces of health care reform legislation, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has recently published a regulation that sets out the payment rates for physicians and nonphysician practitioners (such as nurse practitioners) for 2010, and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) has published its 2010 Work Plan, a document that provides a road map to that body's issues and concerns in the health care field. The following is a summary of the provisions of these recent legislative and legal issuances, recognizing that the House and Senate health care reform bills are still in draft and likely subject to significant modifications before they are presented to the President for his signature and enactment into law.Legislative/Legal Update—What's New in Washington for Geriatric Nursing CareSusan A. Turner10.1016/j.gerinurse.2009.11.004Geriatric Nursing 31, 1 (2010)2010-01-01Geriatric Nursing2010-01-01311S0197-4572(10)X0002-7Legal Column5557http://www.gnjournal.com/article/PIIS0197457209004972/abstract?rss=yesStorytelling can be therapeutic. For the person, it is both validating and valuing—as nothing else can do. There is a connection between old age and spirituality and a quest for transcendence—to express one's self as part of the human condition. This article seeks to describe the links among spirituality, nursing care, and patient/resident storytelling, and includes suggestions on how to help older adults tell their stories, even if they are cognitively challenged by memory and language loss. It describes a worldview as expressed in several of the new nursing theories as “humanness”: a life cycle of continuous growth leading, perhaps, to “self-transcendence.” Storytelling can be peacemaking and transformative. The voice of the “wounded storyteller” and how nurses can make that voice heard might be the takeaway message.StorytellingEthel Mitty10.1016/j.gerinurse.2009.11.005Geriatric Nursing 31, 1 (2010)2010-01-01Geriatric Nursing2010-01-01311S0197-4572(10)X0002-7Assisted Living Column5862http://www.gnjournal.com/article/PIIS0197457209004984/abstract?rss=yes Nursing has been at the forefront of solutions for improving quality, safety, and affordability of our nation's health care. As I write this, Health Care Reform has a legislative foothold, and nursing is positioned to influence the reformation of health care policy and delivery systems for all Americans. The Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) includes provisions that focus on improved access to care, community-based care, and prevention. Although these features are important, initiatives aimed at improving the quality of care and work life in hospitals are sorely needed. Hospitals are the place where 35 million Americans, 38% aged over 65 years, receive treatment each year and where 3 out of 5 registered nurses work.Individualized Care for Frail Older Adults: Challenges for Health Care Reform in Acute and Critical CareMary Beth Happ10.1016/j.gerinurse.2009.11.006Geriatric Nursing 31, 1 (2010)2010-01-01Geriatric Nursing2010-01-01311S0197-4572(10)X0002-7Acute Care of the Elderly Column6365http://www.gnjournal.com/article/PIIS0197457209004996/abstract?rss=yesHello! As the National Geriatric Nursing Association's new section editor for Geriatric Nursing, I am delighted to be on board! I would like to formally thank the outgoing NGNA section editors, Dr. Neva Crogan and Dr. Bronwynne Evans, for all of the countless hours they contributed as coeditors and for orienting me to my new position. I have been warmly welcomed by many folks who work daily at moving geriatric nursing to the forefront, and I thank them for sharing their expertise and ideas for the future of the NGNA Section in Geriatric Nursing.NGNA SectionSara L. Campbell10.1016/j.gerinurse.2009.11.007Geriatric Nursing 31, 1 (2010)2010-01-01Geriatric Nursing2010-01-01311S0197-4572(10)X0002-7NGNA Section6670http://www.gnjournal.com/article/PIIS019745720900500X/abstract?rss=yesThe Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA) begins 2010 with an optimistic view for the coming year, eager to assist in the changes that are to come. Our nation is facing complex issues on implementation of health care reform and we must assist Congress in its efforts to create a high-quality, cost-effective health care delivery system, especially for older Americans. Advanced practice nurses (APNs) who work with older adults can play a key role in addressing the acute and growing nationwide shortage of health care professionals trained to meet the unique needs of our aging population. APNs also have the knowledge and expertise to assist in educating and training other health care workers in working with and caring for older adults as this population explodes.GAPNA Anticipates Reform with OptimismLisa Byrd10.1016/j.gerinurse.2009.11.008Geriatric Nursing 31, 1 (2010)2010-01-01Geriatric Nursing2010-01-01311S0197-4572(10)X0002-7GAPNA Section7174http://www.gnjournal.com/article/PIIS0197457209005011/abstract?rss=yesHello Everyone! I am so excited to tell you all about our trip to the wonderful AALNA 5th annual conference; it was held on Saturday, October 3. The windy city's Hilton Chicago, a cherished landmark with its stirring grandeur and architectural design of the roaring ’20s was the host hotel for the conference.AALNA Nurses Go to Chicago: New Directions in Outstanding Resident CareKathleen McDermott10.1016/j.gerinurse.2009.11.009Geriatric Nursing 31, 1 (2010)2010-01-01Geriatric Nursing2010-01-01311S0197-4572(10)X0002-7AALNA Section7576