• Iowa care centers work with College of Nursing researchers to improve elder care

Long-term care facilities in north central Iowa have teamed with nurse researchers at the University of Iowa College of Nursing to address two common issues for older adults in health care facilities: pain management and incontinence.

"Despite the availability of evidence-based practice protocols that could dramatically improve care and outcomes, the use of these protocols in care facilities is sparse," says Janet Specht, Ph.D., a UI gerontological nursing professor and director of Practice initiatives for the Iowa HCGNE.

With this project, Specht and colleagues Paula Mobily, Ph.D., director of Education initiatives for Center, and Ann Bossen, newly appointed GSTAR, will determine the best educational techniques to help registered nurses and certified nurse aides use the most current knowledge to care for elders with pain and urinary incontinence.

Selected staff at the facilities are assisting in coordinating efforts. Other staff were chosen to lead efforts focusing on concerns of maintaining urine control.

A third team of staff also learned how to lead efforts to improve pain management by looking at non-drug treatment for managing pain and identifying and treating pain in older adults, especially those with Alzheimer's disease. All staff will be involved in the project, through assisting with surveys and integrating the changes into the care they provide for residents.

"This research is significant because of the urgent need in long-term care facilities to improve outcomes for elderly residents with incontinence and pain," Mobily said. The R01 study is funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NR #0096878 - 01 A2).

• Butcher earns 2009 Collegiate Teaching Award

Howard Butcher, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC

Adult and Gerontology Area of Study associate professor Dr. Howard Butcher, is a 2009 University of Iowa Collegiate Teaching Award winner. Dr. Butcher was a 2002-2004 John A. Hartford Foundation Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Post-Doctoral Scholar, at The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. Dr. Butcher is an active faculty mentor for Hartford pre-doctoral scholars including Jimmy Ryes and Heide Bursch. He also served as a co-mentor for Dr. Sara Sanders during her John A. Hartford Foundation Social Work Faculty Mentorship Program. Butcher teaches in both undergraduate and graduate programs each semester. His course on Contemporary Practice Issues, one of the final courses in the Bachelor of Science program, focuses on enduring and contemporary issues in the profession of nursing. At the graduate level he teaches courses to those studying to be psychiatric nurse practitioners. Butcher also teaches qualitative research methods in the doctor of philosophy program.

Dr. Butcher's teaching is exemplified by his dedication to student learning, use of best practices and innovative approaches in educational strategies, and integration of his scholarship into all courses.

According to his nomination for this award, "He doesn't’t just teach his assignment, but fully engages in creative thinking about ways to engage and stimulate student learning, commits time to assuring excellent teaching outcomes, and goes above and beyond in activities that impact teaching/learning in the College. There is clear and consistent evidence that Howard’s teaching is excellent as demonstrated by student evaluations, and his peers are inspired by some of his innovative teaching techniques."

Award recipients were selected for a wide range of attributes, including enthusiasm and creativity in the classroom; the ability to inspire, engage and mentor students; dedication to fostering research and professional development opportunities for students; a knack for incorporating service learning; and the ability to present classroom concepts in practical ways.

Selected Presentations

• Dr. Buckwalter, PhD, RN, FAAN recent and upcoming presentations:

October 18, 2009 Presenter: “Leveraging State and University Resources: The IGEC,” A Time for Transition: Policy, Practice and Research in Aging and Mental Health, The Iowa Coalition on Mental Health & Aging, Des Moines, IA

October 19, 2009 Presenter: “How State Coalitions Can Address Emerging Issues in Mental Health & Aging,” A Time for Transition: Policy, Practice and Research in Aging and Mental Health, The Iowa Coalition on Mental Health & Aging, Des Moines, IA

October 21, 2009 "What's New in Dementia Research and Care?" The Gardens Assisted Living, Fort Dodge, IA

November 17, 2009 “Remembering Mary Starke Harper” Panel (Presenter) Hartford Leadership Conference 2009, Atlanta, GA

November 21, 2009 Symposium: Enhancing Care to Maximize Healthy Aging for People with Dementia and Their Families: Building on the 2009 Alzheimer's Study Group Report Symposium (Presenter) Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA

November 21, 2009 Symposium: Geropsychiatric Nursing Collaborative: Progress and Promise Session Title: Teaching Innovations for Geriatric Mental Health Competencies: Multidisciplinary Approaches Session Type (Presenter) Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA

• Dr. Herr, PhD, RN, FAAN, AGSF upcoming speaking engagements:

November 6, 2009 National Conference on Pain Relief in Older Adults in Baltimore, MD.  Speaking on  Pain Assessment Challenges in Older Adults with Persistent Pain

December 11-12, 2009 International Pain and Dementia Conference in Amsterdam.  Speaking on Pain Assessment in Dementia:  Strategies and Research Agenda

• Dr. Tripp-Reimer, PhD, RN, FAAN was the Keynote speaker at the Transcultural Nursing Society Conference on October 15th 2009 in Seattle, WA. The theme of the conference was “Resurgence and Resettlement: The roles of Transcultural Nursing.”



• Dr. Mobily, PhD, RN recent and upcoming presentations:
  

October 8th, 2009  Poster Presentation.  Lackman, A., Yeggy, L., Schwartzkopf, J., Russell,  J. Kang, H., Bossen, A., Mobily, P., Specht, J. Improving Urinary Incontinence in Long Term Care Settings: The Multi-Level Translation Research Application in Nursing Homes (MTRAIN). National Gerontologic Nurses Association Annual Meeting. St. Louis, MO. 

October 9th 2009  Paper Presentation. Bossen,A.  Yeggy,L,  Specht,J. &  Mobily, P. Translating Research into Practice for Improving Continence and Pain Control.  National Gerontologic Nurses Association Annual Meeting. St. Louis, MO. 

November, 2009  Paper Presentation.  Specht, J., Bergen-Jackson,K., Mobily, P., Bossen, A., Yeggy, L., Kang, H.W. Leadership and Empowerment among Nursing Home Staff: Results from the MTRAIN Study.  Sigma Theta Tau International Convention.  Indianapolis, Indiana

• Dr. Howard Butcher , PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC recent and upcoming presentations:

October, 2009 Master class—SUHB Back to basics. A preconference seminar presented at the 2009 Conference of the Society of Rogerian Scholars “Diversity and Complexity: Appreciating Unitary Science and Arts, at Florida Atlantic University.

November, 2009 Living with Alzheimer’s Disease: Caregivers’ Deepest Feelings. Presented at
The Gerontological Society of America 62th Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta, GA.

• Dr. Lisa Skemp, PhD, RN, MA recent presentation

October 18, 2009 Globalization of Drug Therapy. From Iowa with Love: serving the global underserved: How effective are individual community based projects? University of Iowa, Iowa city, Iowa

Selected 2009 Publications HCGNE Faculty

• Bjoro, K. & Herr, K. (2009).  Chapter 5.  Assessment of Pain in the Nonverbal and/or Cognitively Impaired Adult.  In Smith, H. (Ed.) Current Therapy in Pain. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier, p. 24-37.



• Bossen, A., Specht, J.& McKenzie, S. (2009). Needs of persons with early stage Alzheimer’s Disease:  The evidence. The Journal of Gerontological Nursing,35(3),8-15



• Buckwalter, K. C., Grey, M., Bowers, B., McCarthy, A. M., Gross, D., Funk, M., & Beck, C. (2009). Intervention research in highly unstable environments. Research in Nursing & Health, 32(1):110-121.



• Dowling-Castronovo, A. & Specht, J.P. (2009).  How to try this:  Assessment of transient urinary incontinence in older adults.  The American Journal of Nursing, 109(2),62-71.



• Grando, V. T., Buckwalter, K. C., Maas, M. L., Brown, M., Rantz, M. J., & Conn, V. S. (2009). A trial of a comprehensive nursing rehabilitation program for nursing home residents post-hospitalization. Research in Gerontological Nursing, 2(1), 12-19.



• Lindsey, P. L., & Buckwalter, K. C. (2009). Psychotic events in Alzheimer’s Disease: Application of the PLST Model. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 35(8):20-27.



• Smith, M., Kolanowski, A., Buettner, L. L., & Buckwalter, K. C. (2009). Beyond bingo: Meaningful activities for persons with dementia in nursing homes. Annals of Long-Term Care, 17(7):22-30.



• Specht, J., Taylor, R., & Bossen, A. (2009).  Partnering for care:  The evidence and the expert.  Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 35(3),16-22.



• Titler, M., Cullen, L. & Buckwalter, K. (2009). Setting the Future Research Agenda for Translation Science. NNPN Journal of Evidence-Based Practice, 1 (1):1-14. 

 

• Aging and Mental Health Meeting - October 18-20, 2009
  
  
  

An exciting national conference “A Time for Transition: Policy, Practice, and Research in Aging and Mental Health” took place at the Embassy Suites in downtown Des Moines, on October 18th - 20th.  The Iowa Department of Human Services, Division of MHDS, partnered with the Iowa Coalition on Mental Health and Aging, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors - Older Persons Division, the National Association of PASRR Professionals, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the development of this conference.

The conference featured content on three critical areas:

1.      Pre-Admission Screening and Resident Review in residential facilities,
2.      Collaborative models of evidence-based practice, 
3.      Emerging issues in mental health and aging.

This conference featured leading experts in mental health and aging from across the country including:

Bob Knight who is just one of five people to have received a lifetime achievement award from the American Psychological Association for his contributions to the field of clinical psychology and aging

Steve Bartels who recently served on the President’s Commission on Mental Health, and is past president for the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.

Robyn Golden who Chairs the Board of Directors for the American Society on Aging, and previously served as a  John Heinz Senate Fellow advancing federal policies on behalf of older adults with mental health needs.

Dan Timmel a policy analyst for the CMS and a national expert in the implementation of the federal Pre Admission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) program

Ellen Berra from Wisconsin’s Physicians Group an expert in regulations and reimbursements of Medicare services provided to older adults with mental health needs.

Alixe McNeil who develops programs for the National Council on Aging and currently serves as Chair of the National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging

Nancy Wilson who leads a national effort in the implementation of emerging models of community based care for older adults with mental health needs, including PEARLS and Healthy IDEAS 

• 20th Annual Long-term Care Conference & Leadership Workshop
  November 12-13, 2009
  
  

The Leadership Workshop and the 20th Annual Long-Term Care Conference are intended for healthcare professionals who wish to encourage more positive and creative approaches to caring for older adults in long-term care, assisted living and adult day health environments. The focus of these programs will be on implementation of evidence-based practices in interdisciplinary environments.  The Leadership workshop will discuss ways to create a nurturing work environment. The keynote presentation titled “Seven Habits for Happiness” will provide tools to create enduring happiness in your life today. The afternoon session will highlight key topics of interest relative to substance abuse, palliative care, and dealing with difficult situations related to dementia.

The Long-Term Care Conference will focus on communication and discuss various topics key to developing and implementing evidence-based practices. Communication is extremely important in all aspects of our lives. The keynote presentation will provide definitions of effective communication and will explain the characteristics of ineffective communication, and ways to identify sources of miscommunication.  Additional key topics discussed will include psychiatric issues, pharmacology, behavioral challenges, infection control, and creative approaches to recreational therapy. Target Audience: Long-Term Care, Assisted Living, and Adult Day Health Administrators, Directors of Nursing, Assistant Directors of Nursing, RNs, LPNs, CNAs, Activity/Recreational Therapy Directors, Social Workers, Home Health Care Staff, and Hospice Staff. For Additional Information contact Kay Geguzis at (319) 335-7108 or by e-mail at kay-geguzis@uiowa.edu. Conference brochures can be downloaded from our College of Nursing website:www.nursing.uiowa.edu.

 

• TimeSlips Training

TimeSlips is an innovative national project developed in 1989 by Dr. Anne Basting that uses an effective storytelling method with people with dementia to reaffirm their humanity and connection with staff, family and friends.  Dr. Basting is the director of the Center on Age and Community at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. The Center on Age and Community is now the national headquarters for the TimeSlips project. A  TimeSlips storytelling session requires a facilitator, recorder, and a group of 8-10 participants.  This method targets participants primarily in the mid stages of dementia although we have found that later stages may also participate.  To begin a session, a picture is used from which participants will build the story around.  The picture is usually in black and white, and should not be of a family member or of famous persons or places.

Janet K. Specht, PhD, RN, FAAN

Each participant is given a copy of the picture.  Group members are welcomed and  all are reminded that this is a fun activity in which there are only right comments, what everyone says is important and will be a part of the story.  The facilitator begins to ask questions about the picture such as “What should we name our story?  What do you think these people are doing?  Who are these people and what should we name them?”  A recorder records everything that is said and who said it. Periodically the story is read back and then further questions are asked.  The emphasis of the sessions is on tapping the creative side of persons with dementia and to have a good time. At the University of Iowa the Center on Aging and the John A. Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence have partnered to become a designated training center for TimeSlips for health care students.  A four hour course is offered each semester for students supplemented with a practicum experience in actually conducting a session.  Lavon Yeggy, RN, BC is a certified TimeSlips trainer and conducts the classes and practicum each semester.  Attendance has been at 20-30 students each semester for the past two years.  Students in nursing, social work, leisure studies, and aging studies attend.  Staff from some of the surrounding area nursing homes, assisted living facilities and adult day services have also attended the training sessions.  Usually all of the Gero Young Nurse Clinicians attend the training and do more sessions during the semester. Students who participate in the TimeSlips project often are able to view people with dementia in a new light.  They are able to see that loss of memory does not make it impossible to communicate with people, that people with dementia like to laugh and have fun and want to communicate and are often able to communicate given the opportunity that encourages their creative side.  Students are amazed that people do remember the stories from one session to another and often greet students are the door to ask if its time for story telling again. Participants and staff like the intervention and make many positive comments about it, but research is needed to assess the benefits of the program for persons with dementia.  Meanwhile it provides a powerful way for students and staff to interact with and promote interaction among persons with dementia.  For more information about TimeSlips check the website www.TimeSlips.org.

 

• BAGNC 2009 Scholars
  

Deb Burdsall started out working as a nurse’s aide in 1974, working in a variety of nursing homes, hospitals and schools.  After graduating from Allegheny College with a degree in psychology she attended The Evanston Hospital School of Nursing. After graduation, she worked in medical oncology and telemetry before returning to long term care. In long term care she has worked as staff nurse, nursing supervisor, MDS/care plan coordinator, inservice coordinator, adult day services nurse/ child day care nurse, infection control, and community liaison for emergency preparedness. She has been Infection Preventionist since 1993. Deb recently completed a Masters in Nursing and is continuing as a John A Hartford Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Scholar at The University of Iowa College of Nursing as a doctoral student with a focus in aging studies and epidemiology.

Deb Burdsall, RN, MSN

She works part time as Infection Preventionist at Lutheran Life Communities in Arlington Heights Illinois, an elder care community with full continuum of care, including adult and child day services, assisted living, care within a complete memory support continuum, and sheltered, intermediate and skilled care.  She is also actively involved with APIC (Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology). Deb has board certifications in gerontological nursing (ANCC) and infection control (CBIC).  Her academic mentors are Kennith Culp, PhD, RN, FAAN (primary) and Loreen Herwaldt, MD (secondary). Dr. Culp has expertise in gerontology and epidemiology. He holds a joint position in The University of Iowa College of Nursing and the College of Public Health. He is a fellow in the Gerontological Society of America (GSA)   Dr. Herwaldt holds a joint position in The University of Iowa College of Medicine as well as the College of Public Health, in Internal Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of Iowa. She is the epidemiologist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

 

Mary Ellen Stolder, RN, MA, MS, ANP, BC

Mary Ellen Stolder is an adult nurse practitioner with a varied background in nursing education, nursing administration and clinical practice. Stolder has served as a director of nursing in long-term care, as an administrator of a continuing education program for nurses at the University of Wisconsin –Eau Claire, and as associate dean for an associate degree nursing program at Western Technical College in La Crosse, WI.   Stolder has also taught history at two University of Wisconsin campuses and  participated in a research study that examined the value of oral history as an intervention to humanize gerontological nursing care. Her dissertation focus is the  relationship between age-related memory changes in later life, memory-self-efficacy beliefs and self initiated and compensatory behaviors among the oldest-old community dwellers, in order to promote the independence of elders.

Primary mentor: Kathleen Buckwalter, PhD, RN, FAAN,  University of Iowa Distinguished Professor of Nursing and director of the Iowa HCGNE. Secondary mentor: Kevin Duff, PhD,  University of Utah, Consultant:. Robin Whittemore, PhD, APRN,  Yale University School of Nursing

 

 

Award at APNA Doctoral candidate in Adult and Gerontological Nursing, Megan Liu, won second place in the student competition at the recent 23rd Annual American Psychiatric Nurses Association conference in Charleston, SC. October 6-9, 2009 for her poster, "Examining Perceived Stigma in Persons with Dementia".  N=106 posters were displayed at the conference. Poster development and travel expenses were covered by an Adult and Gerontology Research Award and support from the Hartford Center. Megan's doctoral advisor and dissertation chair is Kathleen Buckwalter, director of the Iowa HCGNE.

Megan Liu, RN, BSN, MSN

• GSTARS (Geriatric Students in Training for Academic Roles and Service)

Charlene S. Aaron, MSN, RN, BC

Charlene S. Aaron, MSN, RN, BC received a BSN from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1994, a MSN in Nursing Systems Administration in 2006, from Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University, and is pursuing a Doctorate in Nursing in Aging from the University of Iowa. She is a full-time student with a projected completion date of May 2012. Charlene’s professional career includes acute care, community and long-term care nursing. Administrative roles as Director of Nursing and Interim Administrator at three long-term care facilities in central Illinois, have served as preparation for continued leadership opportunities in nursing. Currently, Charlene directs the Teaching Nursing Home Project at Mennonite College of Nursing. The project focuses on improving the culture of long-term care throughout the state of Illinois and encouraging our student nurses to choose long-term care as a career option.

Charlene is member of Sigma Theta Tau International, Gerontological Society of America, Long-Term Care Nurses Association, Illinois HealthCare Association, National Gerontological Nurses Association and a board member of the Alzheimer’s Association for the Greater Chapter of Illinois, serving on the governance committee. Charlene’s research agenda includes researching the physical, psychosocial, and economic cost of caring in African-American families providing dementia care to family members at home. The goals of the research are to inform nursing science about cultural considerations in dementia caregiving, to support families of vulnerable populations caring for older adults afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease.

 

Ann Bossen, MSN is a second year doctoral student studying gerontology, with a primary interest in interventions for dementia care and the natural environment. She recently submitted a F31 grant entitled, “Exploring barriers to use of natural environment interventions in dementia care”, currently under review.  Bossen has worked as the project director and co-PI in the AoA Alzheimer’s Disease Demonstration Grants with Janet Specht & Geri Hall, and now is project director for Dr. Specht’s RO1 grant “Improving continence and Pain in LTC, the Multi-level Translation in Research Application In Nursing homes (MTRAIN) project”.  Bossen is active in state, national and international professional and dementia related groups. Of note is the Dementia Day Camp group (DDC), which is an international multidisciplinary group of researchers with a mission to promote collaborations in research on dementia, which is supported in part by the Iowa HCGNE.

Ann Bossen, MSN

In the upcoming 10th annual conference in Norway, Bossen will present her preliminary dissertation work, June 2010.  Other international research projects she has been involved in include an electronic self staffing system in nursing homes in Iceland, and earlier work in Russia.  She has presented at many state, regional and national conferences. Both her BSN and MSN with certificates in Global Health and Informatics are from the University of Iowa College of Nursing.

 

HCGNE assumes responsibility for EBPs The University of Iowa’s John A. Hartford Foundation Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence (HCGNE) is assuming responsibility for the Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Guidelines, following the end of the successful 15 year tenure of the Research Translation and Dissemination Core through the Gerontological Nursing Interventions Research Center (GNIRC). The editorial staffs for the GNIRC and the HCGNE are working closely in the transition, so that the high quality of the guidelines can be maintained through keeping them updated, having the guideline abstracts available on the National Guideline Clearinghouse, and publishing summaries of the guidelines quarterly in the Journal of Gerontological Nursing.

• "The Alzheimer's Project" Moderated by Hartford Center Faculty

The Hartford Center is hosting a 4-part presentation of HBO’s hit documentary, THE ALZHEIMERS PROJECT.

Part 1 of 4, "The Memory Loss Tapes", was held October 15, 2009, in the College of Nursing 4th Floor Lounge. Supper and movie snacks were provided and more than 40 students, staff, and faculty were in attendance.

Part 2 of 4 "Momentum in Science" is scheduled for December 3, 2009, in the College of Nursing, 4th Floor Lounge. Supper and movie snacks will again be provided.

Parts 3 and 4 will be presented during spring semester 2010.

THE ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT is a presentation of HBO Documentary Films and the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health in association with the Alzheimer's Association®, Fidelity® Charitable Gift Fund, and Geoffrey Beene Gives Back® Alzheimer's Initiative.

The first of the four documentaries in THE ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT, "The Memory Loss Tapes", provided an up-close and personal look at seven individuals living with Alzheimer's, across the full spectrum of the progression of the disease.

"Momentum In Science" (December 3) is a two-part state-of-the-science film that takes viewers inside the laboratories and clinics of 25 leading scientists and physicians, revealing some of the most cutting-edge research advances.

“Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?' (Spring 2010) with Maria Shriver" captures what it means to be a child or grandchild of one with Alzheimer's, while "Caregivers" (Spring 2010) highlights the sacrifices and successes of people who experience their loved one's descent into dementia.

Improving Assessment and Treatment of Pain in Nursing Homes: 
A National Nursing Collaborative

John A. Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence
University of Iowa College of Nursing 490 NB
50 Newton Road Iowa City, IA  52242

Phone: (319) 335-7083
Fax: (319) 335-7129

E-Mail: Bonnie-kinkead@uiowa.edu

http://www.nursing.uiowa.edu/hartford