Title: Week 7 Welcome
Course: 16SP-ASN-210-GH1A1-ADV NUR THROUGH LIFESPAN I > Section: Week 7

GERONTOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS & REHABILITATION CONCEPTS

Ignatavicius:

Chapters 2

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Weber:

Chapter 32

Welcome to Week # 7 of ASN 210.  You made it! Next week will be your ASN 210 Final. It is amazing to look back and see what we have learned already. You are doing an amazing job! This week we will focus on the RN role with concepts related to the health care issues of older adults. We will learn the RN elements of coordinating care by collaborating with members of the health care team to provide care to older adults in community or inpatient settings. With that, we will also focus on the many perspectives of rehabilitation, which is the process of learning to live with chronic and disabling conditions.  Finally, we will discuss the many perspectives that surround end-of-life issues. Understanding the weight of this important time in the patient’s life will facilitate the RN student to advance the particular skill sets needed to optimal palliative care.

The particulars of assessment of the older adult population are important highlights, such as fall prevention, noting the signs of elder abuse, neglect, and depression. It is important for you to understand the use of chemical and physical restraints, along with alternative interventions and related legal aspects. You must also learn the problems and stresses that are prevalent in the older adult patient and supports for those who care for this population. Throughout the lessons and readings, there is emphasis on providing a safe care environment for older adults, the multiple problems and situations (i.e., accidents, falls, safe medication use, confusion) that contribute to problems etc. Planning for retirement and the future is a concern to this population. Nurses have capabilities and tools to ease this transition. The roles of the collaborative interdisciplinary team members are integral in the process of rehabilitation. We will use the nursing process framework to discuss the nurse’s role in managing this ever-growing population by learning how to make effective assessments, analyzing data, arriving at a nursing diagnosis, and then coming up with a plan and expected outcomes.

How are your decision-making and teaching skills in regards to gerontological and rehabilitation needs of patients?  It is helpful to understand the transition of the patient from an acute care setting to a community setting. Finally, many perspectives that surround end-of-life issues are important for the RN to understand. We will take a systematic look at elements that nurses need to know to help patients and their families through this difficult period. We will explore methods of assessing the patient’s physical and psychological status, discuss appropriate interventions—traditional, complementary, and alternative—in order to understand how to best treat the patient and family during this time. The use of hospice care as an end-of-life intervention and the topics of grief and bereavement are important elements to understand. This includes the topics regarding grief and bereavement, and the legal and ethical implications of euthanasia or the withholding of medical treatment in certain situations.

Here is your To-Do List this Week:
Tuesday- Week 7 Pre-Quiz (Pass/Fail)

Lessons:

- Gerontological Nursing
- Rehabilitation Nursing
- Palliative Nursing

Wed & Sunday- W7 Discussion Forum 5- 10 Points
Friday- Unit Post Quiz- 20 Points
Sunday- REFLECTIVE JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT- 25 Points