University of Wisconsin–Madison

Tag: evidence-based practice

Evidence-Based Practice Corner: Understanding the Needs of Heart Failure Patients

Heart failure is a serious and growing problem, especially for older adults. It’s the only major cardiovascular disease that’s increasing in prevalence, and is the most common diagnosis for hospital patients age 65 and older. Good follow-up care, including taking medications properly, making healthy diet choices and monitoring changes in condition, is necessary to manage …

Evidence-Based Practice Corner: Getting and Keeping Seniors Active

We all need exercise to stay healthy, no matter what our age. But maintaining activity is not easy—only one of two people who start an organized exercise program stick with it. For older adults, regular physical activity can not only improve their health, but also increase their chances of remaining independent. What types of exercise are …

Nurse Residencies: Now Coming to Long Term Care

It’s not surprising that nurse residencies—ten-week to year-long transition to practice programs offering targeted training and mentoring—are increasingly popular among new nurses and their employers. By better supporting nursing staff, residencies improve the quality of care and increase nurse retention rates. The clear benefits have led the Institute of Medicine to recommend nurse residency programs across …

Safety vs. Privacy: The Use of a PERS by Frail, Older Women

Celebrating the research of Dr. Eileen Porter Dr. Eileen Porter’s research interests have their roots in her childhood: the small Kansas town in which she grew up had a robust intergenerational social network. Porter spent a lot of time with her grandparents and their friends and developed strong bonds with the older adults in the …

Movement Equals Independence

For older adults admitted to the hospital, whether they’re able to walk and remain independent when they’re discharged may all depend on the nurse they get, according to a new study in the International Journal of Nursing Studies by UW–Madison School of Nursing research faculty Barbara King, PhD, RN (see photo), and Barbara Bowers, PhD, RN, …

What A Pain! A Study of the Treatment of Pain in Older Adults with Dementia

Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi, a PhD candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a John A. Hartford Foundation Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Predoctoral Scholar, researches a topic that hits close to home: pain. That is, Gilmore-Bykovskyi studies the decisions and strategies used by health care providers to manage the physical pain experienced by nursing home residents …