Topics About 'Geriatric Nursing'.

I was one of those little girls whose mother didn't like her. She liked my sister just fine -- thought she was perfect in every way. Me -- not so much. For most of my life, there was nothing I could ever do that was good enough for her, nothing I sai...

Basically, on the 3-11 shift, I am the only one left in charge to handle emergencies, family concerns, and personnel issues. Close to ten years in this position, now with iron clad nerve fiber, intestinal fortitude, and a sense of humor, there is not...

Not every long-term care nurse chooses LTC as a profession. Sometimes, it chooses us. But no matter how you've arrived at your first job in a nursing facility, there are challenges awaiting you that you didn't anticipate, especially if you're coming ...

This afternoon, as I was saying hello to the newest resident of my assisted living facility and getting slobbered on by the ancient Bassett hound she'd brought with her, I was reminded of an incident from my way-back days as a student nursing assista...

She lies in her narrow nursing-home bed with eyes closed and feet elevated on pillows, looking much like the little girl in the faded black-and-white photographs she showed me that first day in her new apartment. In her pink fleecy oversized pajamas ...

Geriatric residents are major fall risks because of forgetfulness and dementia. A syndrome called "Sundowner's" is prevalent when someone is lucid during the daytime hours but as the evening hours progress they act "bonkers". Many a time while respon...

Take Ed, our resident Oscar the Grouch. He's a World War II vet who also worked as a train conductor; his manner is gruff, and his language is often as colorful as the Oregon Ducks cap he wears. He enjoys nothing more than to wheel himself about the ...

He was darling with his white hair, big dimples, infectious smile, and a voice wispy and cheerful. Looking over at me he said, "Hi my sweetheart, my darling, my honey I love you." Wow, what a great way to start my eight-hour shift. Since he was total...

With the advent of chill winds and falling leaves, it almost seems as if the world is in a hurry to finish its business before winter comes: animals grow thicker coats and store up food for the long, cold months; flowers fade and vines wither; humans...

It is a question I am often asked whenever I meet new people. After the how-do-you-dos are said and the subject inevitably turns to "what do you do?", I almost always get sympathetic looks and comments on how I must be such a saint to work in a nursi...

Nursing homes are finding this new method of bringing residents to a dining room setting to be very effective in managing weight loss. Part of my supervisory responsibilities on a 3-11 shift was to oversee the dining room, assisting anyone in need, a...

AN staff were recently able to interview Teresa Tarnowski Goodell, RN,CNS,PhD,ACNS-BC,CWCN,TCRN. She is a faculty member and board member for Visionem, Inc., an educational and consultation company that provides trauma nursing education throughout th...

You should spend time listening to their stories even if it makes no sense to you. Listening develops a relationship. This means spending time to chat and reassure patient of your love and care for them and maintaining a positive, warm and confidenti...

Anyone who works around the demented elderly population can attest to the fact that they sometimes say the darndest things. Mr. Rider is a pseudonym for the slightly plump octogenarian nursing home resident who had some cognitive decline due to vascu...

A middle-aged woman tiptoes out of your elderly patient's room as you stand at the computer making your latest entry, then sneaks a look back to make sure her mother is still sleeping. Shyly, she approaches you and whispers, "Do you have a minute?" Y...

Long-term care nursing is a specialty that involves helping patients who need extended care as they deal with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Long-term care nurses coordinate the care of patients, perform nursing skills, respond to changes in con...

The phone in my pocket rings. I have been an ADN for all of three days now. I am still orienting, though my preceptor scheduled to teach a class while I covered the house. Her presumption of faith in me is both inspiring and terrifying. The er is cal...

I believe rules can be bent at times. Heck, I feel that some rules can even be outright broken as long as doing so has brightened someone's day. Billie is a pseudonym for the septuagenarian nursing home resident whom I first met seven years ago when ...

Individuals dream everyday on how to accomplish their milestone, which is to become a senior one day. This can be very challenging for people as nobody knows what the future holds for them. According to Brandon, "There is no clearly defined age when ...

They couldn't safely give care to everyone who needed it because there was one particular lady who was very confused and had an exceptional case of restlessness that evening. She would try to wander continually except for brief 3-5 minute periods whe...

Most nurses and CNAs have been taught the obvious -- elderly patients must be moved gently and carefully due to fragile skin and weakened bones - but few of us have been taught the subtler techniques of patient positioning that can often give good pa...

"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood" might be the theme song in many assisted living communities, which are often organized into two or more 'neighborhoods' of 10 to 25 residents, depending on the building's layout and size. Each neighborhood h...

We should never have gotten involved with this guy. First of all, Donald Lee* (name changed to protect privacy) was, in my humble opinion, much too young for assisted living. A short, compact man with salt-and-pepper hair, he was barely three years o...

Some time ago I picked up PRN work at a rehab/LTC facility that ended quite poorly. I will first list my problems with the experience and then go in depth on the issue. I will draw comparisons and make stark contrasts. Let's first start with my list ...

It never fails....you're walking down the hall to check on your new patient when you hear an aide loudly attempting to persuade sweet, confused, deaf-as-a-post Ethel to get into bed "BECAUSE IT'S NIGHTTIME AND EVERYONE IS GOING TO SLEEP!" Ethel, for ...