ObjectiveTo analyze the methods and effects of the reformation of undergraduate course of geriatric nursing in China. MethodsIn the spring semester of 2012 and 2013, we implemented the experiential scenario teaching and autonomous group learning with simulation and heuristic teaching method, and the nursing undergraduates were given scale of Kogan's attitude toward older people and Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz 1 for investigation. The attitude to and knowledge on the elderly were compared before and after the study. Meanwhile, we also surveyed the interest in geriatric nursing among the students. ResultsThe interest in, attitude to and knowledge on the elderly among the students increased considerably after the teaching reformation. ConclusionThe undergraduate course teaching reformation of geriatric nursing with the simulation and heuristic teaching method has achieved good effects, and it can be widely used in geriatric nursing teaching in China. In the future, the reformation should focus on improving the students' professional interests and career choice.
Objective To evaluate the effect of situational leadership theory training on head nurses’ leadership style in nursing management, and summarize the application methods of situational leadership theory. Methods In December 2013, by means of convenience cluster sampling method, 154 head nurses of West China Hospital of Sichuan University were selected for a Leadership Style Self-rating Questionnaire survey, of whom 84 attended the situational leadership theory training one month ago. The questionnaire score was compared between the trained head nurses (the trained group) and the non-trained ones (the non-trained group). Results A total of 154 questionnaires were issued, and 109 valid ones were recovered, in whom 72 were trained by the situational leadership theory while the other 37 were not. The average scores of head nurses’ flexibility and efficacy in the trained group (22.35±5.12 and 55.67±7.59) were higher than those in the non-trained group (19.03±4.05 and 50.95±5.30), and the proportions of head nurses with high flexibility and high efficacy in the trained group (61.1% and 31.9%) were higher than those in the non-trained group (32.4% and 8.1%), and the differences above were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions The training of the situational leadership theory can improve the application of theory to clinical nursing management and promote the head nurses’ flexibility and efficacy to accelerate their work enthusiasm and personal improvement. It can also promote team cohesion and sense of accomplishment by creating a positive team atmosphere to make the efficient usage of limited human resources.
The balance ability is the basic guarantee for the human body to maintain the posture and complete every daily life activity, and it is also an important physical quality index for the elderly. Insufficient balance ability may lead to falls among the elderly, which may lead to fractures, long-term pain, craniocerebral trauma, disability, and even death and other serious adverse consequences. Under the background of China’s rapid aging population and the strong advocacy of the combination of medical care and nursing, improving the balance ability of the elderly is an effective way to prevent the elderly from falling down, and is of great significance to reduce the accidental injury for the elderly. In this paper, the methods and the latest progress of balance function evaluation and training for the elderly at home and abroad are reviewed in order to provide reference for the formulation of intervention programs to improve the balance function of the elderly, so as to improve the quality of life of the elderly and open up a new path for the realization of healthy aging.
Under the new era background of actively advocating the " active health” in the elderly, the prevention methods of falls not only include environmental modification, reasonable drugs, emotional support, disease prevention and control, etc., but exercise should also be integrated into them. Exercise training can significantly improve muscle strength, balance, and mobility in the elderly, thereby reducing the risk of falls. This paper reviews the biomechanical causes of falls in the elderly, the sports training prescriptions for fall prevention in the elderly, and the research prospects of sports training for fall prevention in the elderly. It is hoped that the elderly population could establish an active healthy lifestyle based on sports training, elevate the physical fitness continuously, reduce the fall injury, and improve the quality of life through strength, balance, and endurance training.
Objective To investigate the rehabilitation status of patients with cerebral apoplexy at different ages six months after discharge from hospital. Methods Using the Barthel Index, the Modified Rivermead Mobility Index, the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale, and a self-designed rehabilitation exercise questionnaire, we conducted a cross-sectional investigation on the daily living ability, mobility, depression, and self-rehabilitation exercise of 207 stroke patients six months after discharge, who were discharged from the Rehabilitation Department of West China Hospital of Sichuan University between April 2017 and July 2019. The rehabilitation status of young and middle-aged (≥20 and <60 years old) stroke patients and elderly (≥60 years old) stroke patients were compared. Results There were 91 elderly patients and 116 young and middle-aged patients. Six months after discharge, the incidences of dysfunction in daily living ability (97.8% vs. 90.5%; χ2=4.598, P=0.032) and depression (51.2% vs. 36.2%; χ2=4.043, P=0.044) were higher in the elderly patients than those in the young and middle-aged patients, and the mobility score (26.38±9.77 vs. 29.47±10.60; t=2.154, P=0.032) and the proportion of patients taking self-rehabilitation exercise (93.4% vs. 100.0%; χ2=5.708, P=0.017) were lower in the elderly patients than those in the young and middle-aged patients. Conclusions In the process of continued rehabilitation nursing, different rehabilitation nursing measures should be implemented according to different ages, focusing on elderly stroke patients, and strengthening the supervision and promotion of rehabilitation training of daily living ability and mobility, psychological nursing and self-rehabilitation exercise compliance of elderly patients.