This article explores policy implications and selected methodological topics relating to long-term care (LTC) quality. We first discuss the Teaching Nursing Home Program (TNHP), in which quality of care in teaching nursing homes (TNHs) was found to be superior to the quality of care in comparison nursing homes (CNHs). A combination of outcome and process/structural measures was used to evaluate...

In the 2000-2004 Enterprise Bargaining round between the Australian Nursing Union and the South Australian state government, it was agreed that public hospitals would be staffed according to Excelcare timings or benchmarks. Excelcare is a computerised workload produce that measures the number of hours and minutes needed to perform a range of nursing tasks for patients on a given ward. This brou...

This study examined the effectiveness of distance education compared with campus based learning among nursing students. Distance education in nursing curricula is increasing. Academic nurse leaders must demonstrate the effectiveness of distance learning. This study is unique in that two cohorts, distance learners and campus learners, were taught synchronously by the same faculty member. Quantit...

OBJECTIVES To conduct a descriptive epidemiological analysis of external cause deaths (premature, usually injury-related, and potentially preventable) of nursing home residents in Australia. DESIGN Retrospective study of a cohort of nursing home residents, using coronial data routinely recorded by the National Coronial Information System. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Residents of accredited Aus...

OBJECTIVES To measure the importance of religion among nursing home residents, describe their use of religious coping strategies, and examine the association between religiousness, religious coping, and psychological well-being. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Two nursing facilities in Boston, Massachusetts. PARTICIPANTS One hundred forty cognitively intact to moderately impaired lo...

OBJECTIVE This report describes changes in the use of voluntary workers in nursing homes between 1985 and 1999. Statistics are presented on selected characteristics of nursing homes using voluntary workers and the services they perform. Factors that may contribute to the increased use of voluntary workers are also discussed. METHODS The data presented in this report were collected from the 19...

BACKGROUND Quality of life (QOL) is a goal for nursing home residents, but measures are needed to tap this phenomenon. METHODS In-person QOL interviews were attempted for 1988 residents, stratified by cognitive functioning, from 40 nursing homes in five states. Likert-type response options were used with reversion to dichotomous responses when necessary; z-score transformations were used to c...

Education programs at all levels must be able to demonstrate successful program outcomes. Grades alone do not represent a comprehensive measurement methodology for assessing student learning outcomes at either the course or program level. The development and application of assessment rubrics provides an unequivocal measurement methodology to ensure a quality learning experience by providing a f...