CARE at the UW-Madison School of Nursing
“Almost everyone experiences stress,” says Megan Zuelsdorff, PhD, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing. “Stress is an underlying construct for a lot of my research. I think of it as both an outcome and as a social determinant of other aspects of health,” she says. She points out that …
Five years ago, Kathryn Gerber, BSN, RN was a junior at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing, volunteering with the Watertown Dementia Awareness Coalition. “Before this experience, I knew what dementia was, but I wasn’t aware of the wider community aspects,” Gerber said in 2015. “For example, if a person with dementia goes into …
Nearly all of us want to stay in our home as we age. There are benefits to doing so. Our family and friends are more likely to be nearby. We know where to find our favorite activities. After years of appointments, our health care providers can more easily notice changes and anticipate needs. It often …
Public health practitioners across Wisconsin can now estimate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in their communities. By looking at color-coded maps based on health care data, they can tell how many people in a single zip code are at risk for severe complications from the novel coronavirus. Several University of Wisconsin–Madison research groups collaborated to …
“An ombudsman is the voice of the people—that’s the literal translation of the word,” Kim Marheine tells some 150 undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing. Marheine oversees Wisconsin’s long-term care ombudsman program. “It’s very fulfilling work,” she says. “I’ve never worked anywhere other than long-term care. I was that 15-year-old nursing …
“Today we’re continuing to focus on strategies that help us maintain and even improve our brain health,” says University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing student Laura Block. “Today’s brain health strategy is sleep,” says Block, standing before an attentive group in a mirrored gym room. “We don’t know exactly why humans need such a long …
Dwayne Dobschuetz, APRN, Geriatric Nurse Practitioner at Northwestern Medicine and University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing alumnus, remembers the day his career changed. He had worked in Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s emergency department for nearly 20 years, and had recently joined three other nurses there in focusing on older patients’ needs. “The physician who headed the …
It could be the beginning of a joke: A nurse and an engineer walk into an emergency department. In reality, it’s a powerful partnership for healthcare innovations. “If you want to design something that’s actually going to work for different healthcare settings, you need to work with nurses,” says Nicole Werner, PhD, an assistant professor …
“You have got your own space.” “A weight is lifted off my shoulder.” “It’s lovely just being independent for once.” These quotes show the importance of respite care to family caregivers of older adults (Ashworth and Baker, 2000). Respite care provides a short break for family caregivers—anywhere from a few hours to several days or …
Rural communities are aging more rapidly than are other areas, in Wisconsin and across the country. Nearly everyone wants to stay in their community as they age. Increasingly, rural leaders are asking how they can help older residents to thrive. Some are pioneering age-friendly approaches that other communities can learn from. In Wisconsin, three coalitions—in …