NURS 3540 Gerontological Nursing Active Learning Guide 3 PDF

NURS 3540 – Gerontological Nursing Module 3 Active Learning Guide Module 3 Active Learning Guide Chapter 7 & 8 Purpose/Overview Active learning guides help students to focus their study time by using knowledge-level information, then focusing on the application and analysis of information to provide...

NURS 3540 – Gerontological Nursing Module 3 Active Learning Guide Module 3 Active Learning Guide Chapter 7 & 8 Purpose/Overview Active learning guides help students to focus their study time by using knowledge-level information, then focusing on the application and analysis of information to provide the context in relation to the course and career skills. Students should review the active learning guide before beginning to engage with the module content, then work to complete the guide during and after engaging with the content. An active learning guide is not the same as a study guide or a test blueprint. It serves as a guide to help the student navigate the course and content. Instructions Review the active learning guide before you begin reading and engaging with other content in the module. Looking at the questions beforehand will give you a preview of the information you will be learning, including the key concepts and takeaways. As you work through the module content, complete the active learning guide. Some questions may be reflective and require that you finish all content prior to responding. The completed learning guide will be turned in on Sunday night at 1159 pm. There are a possible 5 points for this learning guide. Reading Focus Areas In the text, you will see essential boxes, such as Safety Alerts which discuss issues related to the care of older adults. Research Highlights, which contain a summary of pertinent current research related to chapter topics. Resources for Best Practice provide suggestions for further information for chapter topics and tools for practice. Healthy People boxes refer to goals cited in Healthy People 2030. Clinical judgment and next generation NCLEX examination style questions are located at the end of every chapter. Please review these questions as they are good practice for the exam. I. Communicating with Older Adults 1. Define Elderspeak and provide four characteristics of this type of discrimination? Pg 76 Elderspeak → A form of speech that is patronizing. It is remeniscent of baby talk. Used in common in communication between healthcare workers and elder adults in hospitals and nursing homes. Box 7.2 NURS 3540 – Gerontological Nursing Module 3 Active Learning Guide Using a singsong voice, changing pitch and tone, and exaggerating words Using short and simple sentences Speaking more slowly Using limited vocabulary Repeating or paraphrasing what has just been said Using pet names (diminutives) such as “honey” or “sweetie” or “grandma” Using collective pronouns such as “we”—for instance, “Would we like to take a bath now?” Using statements that sound like questions 2. List two alternative therapies to enhance communication with the elderly and describe the method used. Pg 77 Storytelling → This is a complementary and optional therapy that nurses can utilize to boost communication with the elderly. A person’s life story can inform caregivers about the patient and this is an essential part of the assessment process. Storytelling can deliver diagnosis, etiology, treatment, prognosis, and informing about living with an illness from the sufferer’s point of view. This will raise the cultural competence of the healthcare worker. Reminiscing → This is an intervention that is vital in understanding the elderly adult. Not only can reminiscence extend a pleasurable experience that can boost the quality of life through increased socialization, feelings of connectedness with the group provide cognitive stimulation, communication improvement, promotes personal growth and decrease depression scores. II. Adult Cognition pg 84 1. What are the components of cognitive function? Language, memory, thought, executive function, attention, perception and judgment. 2. Please read box 8.1. What did you learn from the Myths about the aging brain? I learned that in general, people do not know much about the brain and how it functions. Any one topic that surprised you? I was surprised to read that some think the brain does not create new cells. 3. Define the following terms: pg 85 a. Cognitive Reserve (CR) → is centered on the idea of neuroplasticity and relates to the strength and complexity of neuronal dendrite connections from which information is transmitted and cognition NURS 3540 – Gerontological Nursing Module 3 Active Learning Guide and mentation emerges. The greater the strength and complexity of these connections, the more the brain can absorb damage before cognitive functioning is compromised. b. Neuroplasticity → Positive neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to make more and stronger connections between neurons in response to novel situations. Negative neuroplasticity refers to the atrophy of such connections in response to low stimulation or physiological insults. 4. Identify four ways that nurses and /or elders promote/maintain cognitive health? Pg 87 Council them on smoking cessation. Council them to follow the guidelines promoted by the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine regarding daily physical activity. Council them on the importance of partaking in intellectually challenging and creative leisure activities. Council them about ways to reduce their exposure to serious head injury (wearing seat belts, wearing helmets during contact sports, cycling, skateboarding, and skiing). III. Health Literacy pg 90 1. Define Health Literacy → The level that an individual has the mental aptitude to obtain, process, and comprehend basic fundamental health information and the corresponding services that are needed to make suitable health decisions. 2. What are three interventions regarding written materials, nurses can use to support Health Literacy? pg 91 The written material is able to do the following: a. attract the intended reader’s attention. b. hold the reader’s attention. c. makes the reader feel respected and understood. d. help the reader comprehend the messages in the material. e. motivate the reader into action. Audio/Video Focus Areas 1. Please watch the video Communicating with the Elderly and Disabled (Helping #2) (3:05). Document the tips for speaking with an elderly person here. First impressions matter. Posture is important. Be conscious and aware of your body language. Be conscious and aware of their body language. Remember to smile. Be mindful of your vocal volume. Be NURS 3540 – Gerontological Nursing Module 3 Active Learning Guide respectful. Speak to the individual as an adult. Be honest about your feelings. 2. Please watch the video How Do I Talk to a Blind Person? (3:18). What are the seven “rules” when communicating with someone who is blind? Introduce yourself by name. Speak normally. Speak directly to them no through others. Ask first before offering help. Be clear and specific when giving directions. Use normal everyday language during conversation. When walking away, say so. Treat them as you would any other person. Do not let their blindness keep you from seeing the whole person. Website Focus Areas See Box 8.5 of the text and review these websites. Find one “Best Practice” for maintaining cognitive health in the elderly population from each website below. a. National Institutes of health: → Controlling high blood pressure, being physically active, and making healthy dietary choices, can help reduce your risk of many chronic health conditions and may help reduce your risk of dementia. Link is broken. Found page by searching National Institutes of Health: Cognitive and Emotional Health Project: The Healthy Brain. b. CDC → Management of hearing loss, depression, diabetes, and obesity. c. National Institute on Aging ← Volunteer in your community, at a school, or at your place of worship. How does the nurse take the best practices above and use them to maintain cognitive health? The nurse will create a care plan that includes interventions that will incorporate making time for exercise, consulting a nutritionist and encouraging medication adherance. Application Questions or Case Studies The following case studies were retrieved from the textbook: Touhy, T.A., & Jett, K.F. (2020). Ebersole & Hess' toward healthy aging: Human needs & nursing response (10th ed.). Elsevier. Case Study 1 Mary Jackson is a community health nurse who visits retirement centers within the community. She rotates between several facilities, providing NURS 3540 – Gerontological Nursing Module 3 Active Learning Guide screenings and educational seminars to the residents. Providing health promotion and disease prevention activities to the older adults allows the residents to remain healthy, with the ultimate goal of reducing the incidence of morbidity and mortality. Mary has been successful at implementing group exercise programs at each of the retirement centers. She engages in conversations with the residents at each center so that she can assess the varied health needs at each one. Monthly educational topics have included diabetes management, physical activity needs of the older adult, basic nutrition, and the importance of routine screenings and vaccinations. The educational seminars are well attended and residents often invite outside family members to attend as well. 1. Health literacy plays a major role in providing education. What are the goals and objectives of Healthy People 2030 regarding health literacy? Pg 90 Increase the proportion of adults with broadband internet Increase the proportion of adults offered online access to their medical record Increase the proportion of persons who use electronic personal health management tools Increase the proportion of persons who use the internet to communicate with their health care provider Increase the proportion of quality health-related websites Increase the proportion of health-related websites that meet three or more evaluation criteria for disclosing information that can be used to assess information reliability Case Study 2 An 85-year-old widow is admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. She lives in an assisted living facility in the community. The transfer papers that accompanied her to the hospital note that she is cognitively intact: “alert and oriented times three.” The RN who completed her admission assessment noted that she was “alert and oriented to person, time, and place, but occasionally responded inappropriately to questions.” The patient is documented as having normal hearing. You are the nurse caring for the patient when her daughter comes to visit. Her daughter informs you that her mother is “very hard of hearing” but does not wish to use her hearing aids because they make her “feel old.” 1. Discuss how beliefs and attitudes about aging influence or alter nursing care. Ageism can have a negative influence on older adults general health, well being and the quality of care received. There is a tendency for NURS 3540 – Gerontological Nursing Module 3 Active Learning Guide some healthcare providers to withhold patient education from older patients. The manner that some healthcare providers attitude and tone of voice can be condescending and have a marginalizing effect on the patient. What aspect of ageism could have influenced the admission assessment in this case? The RN who completed her admission assessment noted that she was “alert and oriented to person, time, and place, but occasionally responded inappropriately to questions.” This admission assessment note can be interpreted as a level of consciousness change, indicating an acute neurological issue. 2. When dealing with older adults, many people communicate with Elderspeak. Provide some examples of Elderspeak and discuss the impact this type of communication may have on the older adult. Elderspeak is communication that involves talking slowly, in a high pitched voice while using terms of edearment like sweetheart or honey, in a tone that is routinely used with a child. Elderspeak can stregthen negative stereotypes around aging and can undermine their self-esteem. 3. Discuss effective communication strategies for older adults. Many older adults have hearing and vision issues. So the communication will need to be focused. Talk to the older patient as the adult they are, their circumstances does not lessen who they are. When speaking to them do not hurry or make them feel rush. Speak slowly to them to give them time to process. Speak in using plain language, no jargon. Ask them routinely, if they need any clarification. Also, speak to them face to face, do not block or guard your mouth when speaking. Give them the opportunity to read your lips if needed.