Several authors have highlighted the role of intuition in expertise. In particular, a large amount of data has been collected about intuition in expert nursing, and intuition plays an important role in the influential theory of nursing expertise developed by Benner (1984). We discuss this theory, and highlight both data that support it and data that challenge it. Based on this assessment, we pr...

Clinical delirium in the hospitalized geriatric patient is defined and described. Use of the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) and Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia (PAINAD) screening tools is discussed. Nursing strategies to identify and prevent delirium are explored.

Paediatric in-patients are at high risk of malnutrition but validated paediatric screening tools suitable for use by nursing staff are scarce. The present study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the new Paediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Score (PYMS). During a pilot introduction in a tertiary referral hospital and a district general hospital, two research dietitians assessed the validity...

Hematological abnormalities, characterized by cytopenias, are a problem commonly encountered by persons with HIV or AIDS. Cytopenias can be multifactorial in their causation and potentially life threatening to this population. An understanding of the various causes of these cytopenias and the appropriate nursing care are tantamount to nursing practice and to ensure quality of life. Goals of med...

Community health nursing has the potential to reach beyond the individual and create interventions that affect the community as a whole. The Nursing Model of Community Organization for Change presented in this article describes the relationships among the concepts of empowerment, partnership, participation, cultural responsiveness, and community competence within a community organizing context....

Setting-specific outcome measures present a major barrier to monitoring patient progress across the continuum of care. This study demonstrated Rasch analysis for the creation of a crosswalk between the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), which is used in inpatient rehabilitation, and the Minimum Data Set (MDS), which is used in skilled nursing facilities. To create the crosswalk, we used dat...

key principle underlying the Excellent Care for All Act was the importance of evidence in guiding decisions across the healthcare system. The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) has led pan-Canadian efforts for several years to bring evidence to decisions about what will be covered and what will not be covered in Canadian healthcare. In this interview, the CEO of CADTH ...

BACKGROUND The interRAI Acute Care instrument is a multidimensional geriatric assessment system intended to determine a hospitalized older persons' medical, psychosocial and functional capacity and needs. Its objective is to develop an overall plan for treatment and long-term follow-up based on a common set of standardized items that can be used in various care settings. A Belgian web-based sof...

1. Bravo G, Dubois MF, Charpentier M, De Wals P, Émond A. Quality of care in unlicensed homes for the aged in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. CMAJ 1999;160(10):1441-55. 2. Phillips LR, Morrison EF, Chae YM. The QUALCARE scale: developing an instrument to measure quality of home care. Int J Nurs Stud 1990;27:61-75. 3. Kane RL. In: Rimer S. Reporter’s notebook: paradoxes are a recurring theme at...

OBJECTIVE To review the concept, components, and characteristics of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment technique. DATA SOURCES Medline and non-Medline literature search. STUDY SELECTION The following key words were used: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment; all available years of study were reviewed. DATA EXTRACTION Studies that assessed the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment technique...