The American journal of nursing
-
Older adults are especially vulnerable to malnutrition, which often goes undetected and increases the risks of illness and death. The Joint Commission has required U. S. hospitals to provide nutrition screening to all patients within 24 hours of admission, but that doesn't cover patients in other settings, nor is there a standardized assessment tool for finding malnutrition in older adults. ⋯ It consists of 18 questions and can be completed in about 15 minutes. A short form, containing the first six questions, can be used for screening. For a free online video demonstrating the use of this tool, go to http://links.lww.com/A221.
-
The generation of electric power is one important source of pollutants such as mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and fine particulate matter that can affect the respiratory, cardiovascular, and central nervous systems and cause pregnancy complications. But protecting people from environmental health hazards has become increasingly complex. Air pollutants are often invisible and travel many miles virtually undetected. Nurses can play a critical role in preventive strategies, as well as in the national debate on energy production and dependence on fossil fuels.
-
Delirium is common in older adults who have dementia, but too often nurses confuse the symptoms of delirium with those of dementia and it goes unrecognized and untreated. Delirium can signal a serious underlying condition such as infection or dehydration and can increase the risk of falling and the length of hospitalization. This article presents an algorithm meant to guide nurses in the assessment and treatment of delirium superimposed on dementia. For a free online video demonstrating the use of this algorithm, go to http://links.lww.com/A211 [corrected].
-
As the population grows and the proportion of older adults increases, the incidence and prevalence of dementia are expected to increase dramatically. Health care providers' lack of awareness of current geriatrics practice and persistence in holding the outdated belief that confusion is a normal part of aging contribute to significant under recognition of dementia in all settings. Early recognition and diagnosis are critical to carrying out best practices in the care of older patients. ⋯ The tool consists of a three-item recall task and a simple clock-drawing task. The Mini-Cog takes only three to five minutes to administer and requires minimal training. For a free online video demonstrating the use of this tool, go to http://links.lww.com/A204.
-
For patients and their loved ones, delirium can be a frightening experience. A fluctuating mental status is important to identify because it often signals a need for additional treatment. The Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) diagnostic algorithm enables nurses to assess for delirium by identifying the four features of the disorder that distinguish it from other forms of cognitive impairment. It can be completed in five minutes and is easily incorporated into ongoing assessments of hospitalized patients. (This screening tool is included in the series Try This: Best Practices in Nursing Care to Older Adults, from the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at New York University's College of Nursing.) For a free online video demonstrating the use of this tool, go to http://links.lww.com/A209.