Continuity of care: A Nursing Needs Assessment Instrument

Based on testing of the Uniform Needs Assessment Instrument (UNAI), a nursing needs assessment tool for adult hospitalized patients was integrated into nursing practice. Some content and format changes to the UNAI occurred as a result of the research process. The revised assessment form is called the Nursing Needs Assessment Instrument (NNAI). Community providers, including nursing home and home health care personnel, use the NNAI to derive necessary admission data for assessing patients, planning care, and communicating with other staff regarding patient needs. Instituting an evidence-based practice change in hospital discharge forms enables the next care provider to consistently meet the patient's continuing needs. (Geriatr Nurs 1998:19:331-4)     

Learning to Observe in Context: Child and Adolescent Inpatient Mental Health Assessment

On child and adolescent inpatient psychiatric units, nursing staff have 24-hour exposure to patients, an excellent vantage point for observing behavior in a variety of situations and interpersonal contexts. How staff members respond to milieu behaviors depends in part on their judgment of what prompted a youngster's response and his/her ability to process the event and control the attendant emotions. To assess such aspects of a child or adolescent's presentation requires that staff appraise not just the presenting behavior but the patient's information-processing and affect-regulation abilities. One way this developmental knowledge can be embedded in practice is through assessment guides that contain observation cues for key issues related to how children/adolescents think, feel, and behave. This article sets down the rationale for the content and organization of such inpatient nursing assessment guides and suggestions for their dissemination to the unit staff.     

Mental Health Needs of Children in School Role of the Child Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse

This article addresses the mental health needs of children in the school system. Children are often exposed to situations in their lives that affect their ability to master developmental and academic tasks resulting in school difficulties. The school system has the opportunity to provide primary prevention and early intervention that will promote the mental health of children. The role of the child psychiatric mental health nurse in the school is described as one model for promoting the mental health of children.     

Health Needs Instrument for hospitalized single-living Taiwanese elders with heart disease: triangulation research design

Aim. The aims of this study were (a) to explore the health needs of hospitalized Taiwanese older people with heart disease who live alone in the community; (b) to develop an instrument to assess their health needs and (c) to examine relationships among their health needs. Design. Three phases were involved in this between‐method triangulation design. Methods. The first phase explored the contextual content of the health needs from the perspectives of a purposive sampling of 34 subjects by the use of an explorative qualitative method. The second phase developed the Health Needs Instrument (HNI) and established its reliability and validity. The last phase implemented the instrument in a cohort and examined their appraisals of each type of health need as well as the relationships among different types of health needs. Results. The HNI encompasses the following five types of health needs: help in managing tangible things, psychological support, medical support, obtaining health information and participation in decision‐making. In the last phase, a purposive sample of 54 subjects (48 men and 6 women) with an average age of 75·3 years was obtained. Subjects’ health needs were ranked as obtaining health information (100%), participation in decision‐making (96%), managing tangible issues (87%), medical support (86%) and psychological support (67%). Detailed items for each type of health need were revealed. By examining the relationship between their health needs, the psychological needs in confronting the subjects’ physical discomfort had a significant correlation with medical support (r = 0·469, P < 0·01), with tangible needs after surgery or an invasive examination (r = 0·460, P < 0·01), with informational needs (r = 0·393, P = 0·034) and with tangible needs of maintaining daily living activities during the hospitalization period (r = 0·290, P = 0·034). The need for tangible help in maintaining daily living activities during the hospitalization period was significantly correlated with the need for medical support (r = 0·341, P = 0·012), with help in managing admissions and discharge procedures (r = 0·374, P = 0·05) and with help after an invasive examination or in the postsurgery period (r = 0·334, P = 0·013). Conclusion. Finally, a conceptual framework was developed to depict this phenomenon. With the help of this HNI, both Eastern and Western health care providers can be empowered to detect the complex health needs of this particular population earlier and more accurately in order to promote their well‐being as well as their health‐related quality of life. Relevance to clinical practice. Empowering nurse clinicians to assess health needs of hospitalized single‐living Taiwanese elders with heart disease.     

Native American Children and Adolescents: Cultural Distinctiveness and Mental Health Needs

Native American families have powerful reservoirs for resilience. Many families experience oppression, exploitation, and poverty that contribute to mental health disturbances. Cultural traditions associated with harmony can promote positive mental health for Native American children and adolescents. Health care providers will benefit from knowing risks, cultural expressions of coping, and a framework for contextual assessment and intervention. The purpose of this paper is to respond to the challenge of developing practices, programs, and policies that are culturally sensitive and helpful for people who need nursing care.     

Working with Families Affected by Mental Distress: Stakeholders' Perceptions of Mental Health Nurses Educational Needs

Family and informal caregivers provide a substantial amount of care and support to people who experience mental health problems. The aim of this study was to explore mental health nurses', students' and service users' perceptions of the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are required by mental health nurses to work with families and carers using a qualitative methodology. Three themes emerged from the data: Knowledge of the family and how mental distress affects the family; working with the family – support and education; and valuing the role of the family. The three themes demonstrate the complexity of preparing mental health nurses to work with families and carers, and the article offers recommendations about how this might be achieved.     

Increased Mental Health Needs and New Roles in School Communities

TOPIC: Mental health issues and partnership roles in school communities. PURPOSE: To heighten the awareness of healthcare providers about the multiple mental health conditions students bring into school communities and the impact of these conditions on students' ability to learn; to encourage partnering between healthcare providers and educators to support students in achieving academic and developmental success. SOURCES: Literature review and authors' experiences with assessment of and intervention with school-age children presenting with impaired mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Health and education systems must increase their partnerships on behalf of children for a healthy future.     

对灾害后卫生需求快速评估方法的系统评价

目的 系统评价国内外灾害后卫生需求快速评估的方法,为我国今后实施灾害后卫生需求快速评估提供参考.方法 计算机检索CNKI(1979～2011.1)、VIP(1989～2011.1)、CBM和PubMed,对符合纳入标准的文献的主要结果进行描述性分析.结果 共纳入65篇文献.其研究类型以方法学介绍和现况调查居多,分别占52.31%和44.62%.绝大多数文献关注的事件是自然灾害,占86.15%.灾害后快速评估的内容包括人员伤亡和现场公共卫生评估,后者又主要包括对灾区公共卫生状况、医疗卫生应对能力、灾民健康状况、外部卫生需求等方面的快速评估.人员伤亡的快速评估方法主要有基于GIS和人工神经网络(ANN)模型等评估方法;现场公共卫生评估主要采用流行病学现场调查,运用问卷调查、访谈、疾病监测等多种方法.结论 灾害后卫生需求的快速评估是灾后的首要任务之一,目前的快速评估方法有待完善和改进.建议将灾害后卫生需求的快速评估分为灾害后人员伤亡情况快速评估和灾害对卫生影响快速评估两个阶段进行.     

对精神病人健康教育需求的调查

从知、信、行三方面了解180例康复期住院精神病病人对精神病有关知识的了解程度以及对健康教育内容、咨询方式的需求。结果显示:多数病人认为生活习惯、性格、遵医行为对疾病的预后有影响,但部分病人不相信精神病可得到长期控制,社会支持不足不一定是疾病复发的原因。教育内容方面:多数病人希望了解精神病发病原因、诱因、治疗方法、康复方法及出院指导方面的有关知识。教育方式上多选择个别交谈及护士家访。