Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R Davidhizar.
There is a revolution today in the adult life cycle. People are leaving childhood sooner, but taking much longer to grow up and much longer to die. By the turn of the century, 1 in 5 persons will be over age 55. As people retire earlier and live to be older, extensive preparation needs to be made for retirement. This should be a priority for health professionals as well as for those they serve.
Growing old is not what it used to be. Many self-care actions can enhance one's chance of growing old without illness or disease. This necessitates preparing for old age while one is young. Preparation for second adulthood can vastly improve physical and emotional health in old age. It is important that nurses and other health care professionals teach health promotion strategies to persons at all ages in order to assist individuals to live life to its fullest throughout their lifetime.
Use of a team approach is a technique that can facilitate writing for professional publication. There is an art to writing with a team, which includes carefully selecting a writing partner who will complement personal skills and expertise and being able to work in a collaborative way through the writing process. There are benefits in the team approach that are of particular significance in mentoring novice writing in the publication process. However, there are also obstacles that should be anticipated and planned for.
Abuse is a major problem in American society. The problem of abuse among ethnically diverse persons is an area about which most health care professionals know little. This article describes the Giger-Davidhizar Model of Transcultural Assessment as a tool of assessment of the client who is abused. Use of a framework for assessment can enable more culturally competent care to be delivered.
The concept of the passage of time is familiar to most people regardless of ethnic heritage. However, some persons are more time-bound than others. This article discusses the qualities of time-bound individuals and outlines strategies for responding to time-bound madness.
1. Extending cultural care beyond language enhances the use of mental health services and fosters a mutually agreed-on plan of care. 2. Understanding cultural characteristics facilitates an understanding of behavior, family and social dynamics, and adaptation patterns to stress that can empower clients to work toward their goals and validate the impact of emotions and behaviors on others. 3. Culturally appropriate mental health care reflects a synthesis among communication, space, social organization, time, environmental control, and biological variables.
Classification of chronic psychiatric patients to determine staffing needs is an emerging issue confronting many psychiatric nurses. This paper follows the development of a patient classification system for chronic psychiatric patients in the United States. Few tools are available and those cited in the literature tend to report minimal validity and reliability and lack applicability to the setting or for the purpose desired. The tool demonstrated use and acceptance by nurses and was found to meet the comprehensive needs of patients it was designed to serve.
The literature is relatively silent on how managers should deal with a reduction in force (RIF). One difficulty is dealing with the "surviving" staff and maintaining credibility. It is important to assess the organizational climate and plan and carry out a forum for the remaining staff. It is especially important to consider the psychologic effects of staff reduction, which include a sense of loss of control, hostility, and a tendency to want to find fault or blame. Lack of attention to these matters can lead to a RIF that compromises the work effectiveness of the organization by reducing the dedication of surviving members of the organization.
Change seems to be the one constant in health care. This article examines how employees react to change and provides guidelines to help them and managers overcome barriers to change. These guidelines include providing support during change, using appropriate interventions, helping staff find the challenge in change, helping them find the stamina for change, and fostering teamwork.
Humor has the potential to be positive or negative, character building or destructive. Many suggest that a sense of humor is necessary for good health, whether of an individual or an organization. This article presents ways in which managers can foster a "laughing with" (instead of "laughing at") attitude as a means of managing stress, enhancing teamwork, and maintaining employee satisfaction in the face of adversity.
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Paranoid thinking is a common phenomenon that is experienced in everyday life and consequently can found among health care professionals and employees. Health care professionals sometimes experience paranoid thoughts about the actions and intentions of others in the workplace. It is important for the health care professional to understand paranoid thoughts and to respond appropriately if these feelings are experienced. Appropriate action can be important in maintaining the professional's image in the workplace.
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The elderly patient in the laboratory department often brings special needs. The accelerated rate of social change, as well as technological changes in the world in general, have subjected the elderly to an unprecedented need to adapt. The ability of elderly persons to make effective adaptations is impeded by a society that places less value on age, resulting in psychological and psychosocial stresses that do not affect younger individuals. In addition to the pressures of society, the elderly patient often comes to the laboratory with special needs. When staff are alert to these special needs and respond therapeutically, the experience of the elderly patient in the laboratory can be enhanced and positive.
If effective and efficient care is to be provided, the licensed practical/vocational nurse must be aware of differing cultural health practices and beliefs among people. Nurses should identify sources of discrepancy between the client's health beliefs and practices and health providers' perceptions of health. However, nurses must also recognize that while there are differences between cultural groups, many differences also exist between people of the same culture. Thus, an individualized assessment must be conducted if culturally appropriate care is to be planned and delivered.
Nurses may find themselves in a home situation where a child demonstrates characteristics of a child with ODD. While the nurse is not in the home to provide therapy for the child, it may be evident that the parents need help in determining an appropriate plan of action. While it is not the role of the nurse to diagnose the child, the nurse who is aware of the symptoms of ODD may play a very significant role in assisting the parents in dealing therapeutically with the child.