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The feasibility and acceptability of a twostep screening protocol for delirium identification was pilot tested. Step 1, a screening tool, comprises two items: "Please tell me the day of the week," and "Please tell me the months of the year backwards starting with December." If either/both items are incorrect, Step 2, a 3-minute diagnostic assessment, follows. Trained researchers enrolled 24 hospitalized older adults and identified 22% to be delirious after a reference standard assessment. Thereafter, physicians and RNs completed the two-step protocol, whereas certified nursing assistants (CNAs) completed the screener only, on the same patients. All three clinical assessments were successfully completed in 100% of enrolled participants and within the target 2-hour time window in 91%. The screener and two-step protocol achieved high sensitivities and specificities in RNs, CNAs, and physicians. Qualitative information on barriers to and facilitators of implementation was also collected. Nurses and other clinicians can feasibly implement this ultra- brief screener and two-step protocol, which holds promise to improve delirium identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translational research is a leading trend in science with the aim of bridging the research-practice gap to significantly speed the implementation of effective interventions in clinical practice. Integrating the values and preferences of older adults and their families into this process is critical to the success of translational research. Engaging communities in meaningful research is an important part of advancing translational science in which older adults are partners in developing solutions to the health needs of individuals within communities. The current article describes one approach to developing an infrastructure (i.e., community-based nursing research network) to support patient-centered care within translational research. Nurses are uniquely poised and prepared to assume leadership roles in community-based research networks to support a true collaboration among stakeholders that prizes the voices of older adults and integrates them into practice efforts. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 40(10), 66-74.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for nurse scientists has never been greater, given the complexity of health problems facing our world and the rising cost of providing care to prevent and treat them. The development of nurse researchers is critical to preserve and advance the scientific foundation of the discipline. In this article, two successful doctoral students present their personal views about the cognitive and behavioral transformation they experienced during their program of study, highlighting what they believe to be important resources that enhance doctoral education and sharing how they overcame the challenges encountered. The framework of transformational leadership is used to highlight important aspects of their development as nurse scientists. Action steps for attracting a greater number of nurses to a career in science are recommended. [J Nurs Educ. 2014;53(7):403 -409. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, the number of people older than 60 is expected to triple over the next 50 years, and as the population ages so do family caregivers. Increased levels of depression and low ratings of subjective well-being in caregivers are consistently associated with older age, the spousal relationship, and female caregiver gender. Less well known is the effect care delivery models have on the older adult as his or her spouse approaches the end of life. The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges faced by older adult spousal caregivers providing end-of-life care across different life-limiting illness trajectories in distinctive care delivery models. An instrumental case study using purposive sampling identified the following themes for older spousal caregivers: balancing multiple morbidities; feeling overwhelmed and exhausted; dealing with personal health issues; feeling isolated; and coordinating care. Implications for health care providers are also examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biography of geriatric nurse Sarah Hall Gueldner is presented. Gueldner grow up in an extended family of four generations in a rural community in Tennessee. She took up a nursing degree at the University of Tennessee, and master's degree in nursing at Emory University. Currently, she is a nursing professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and at Binghamton University in New York. She is a fellow in American Academy of Nursing, among others and authored 100 publications.

Type 2 diabetes is a significant health problem among middle-aged and older adults in the United States. Given the life-altering nature of this condition, examination of the psychosocial context in which people with diabetes live may enhance long-term diabetic care. This qualitative study aimed to understand the similarities and differences in spouses' beliefs about diabetes, the perceived effects on daily life, and the management of diabetes in the context of marriage. Data analysis revealed three themes: vulnerability, burden, and getting by. This descriptive study provides a unique perspective on couples' beliefs about diabetes, which have important implications for the nursing community in acknowledging spousal beliefs in the management of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the use of focus groups in social science. Purpose of focus groups; Tips for planning and conducting a focus group; Implications of focus groups for gerontological nursing.

Introduces a series of articles on nursing.