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Perceptions of patient education and readiness for hospital discharge following elective total hip or knee arthroplasty, and the impact on 30-day hospital readmission, are described. Evaluating patient education and readiness for hospital discharge can provide the healthcare team with a targeted focus on patients' struggle with energy, personal care, demands, and not feeling physically ready to go home., In 2014, 370,770 total hip arthroplasties (THAs) and 680,150 total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) were performed in the United States (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2018). These numbers are expected to [...]

The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is used to quantify stroke severity. However, it favors detection of signs and symptoms indicative of anterior rather than posterior circulation strokes. Using an expanded NIHSS by medical-surgical stroke nurse responders demonstrated ease of use, feasibility, and high specificity in a patient cohort when posterior circulation stroke was not present., Background The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is used to quantify stroke severity. However, it favors detection of signs and symptoms indicative of anterior rather than posterior circulation [...]

The Fall TIPS (Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety) Toolkit provides individualized, patient-centered fall prevention measures. In a study exploring the toolkit's adoption and its impact on patient knowledge of fall risk factors and interventions, fall rates, and injury rates, results demonstrated increased perceived patient knowledge of patient fall risk and related prevention strategies. An overall decrease in fall rates over time supported use of innovative, individualized fall prevention strategies., The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ n.d.) defined a fall as a sudden, unintended, uncontrolled downward displacement of a patient's body to the ground or other object. This [...]

Distractions threaten patient safety and quality of care. The purpose of this study was to explore hospital nurses' perceptions about distractions to the delivery of patient-centered care. Staffing issues, telephone ringing, computer issues, and multitasking were the four highest-rated distractors., Because nurses play a critical role in delivery of safe, high-quality, patient-centered care, they must be focused and engaged fully. Nurses have numerous responsibilities and deal with many distractions during [...]

Individuals with carotid artery disease often enter the health care system for surgery. Since carotid endarterectomy is a surgical procedure with associated risks, it is essential for health care providers to understand operative interventions and cardiac and neurologic responses to provide competent postoperative care., Nationally, the 1990s have been heralded as the Decade of the Brain. Advances in the care of stroke patients include preventing stroke and minimizing neurologic deficits following stroke through medications [...]