Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to L A Caruso.
The authors discuss an innovative, collaborative management model intended to promote optimal patient care, personal and professional nurse satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness. The model delineates the role components of the nurse manager, the clinical nurse specialist, and the clinical nurse. Although the model is applied to a high-risk antenatal unit, staff members and managers can easily adapt the model to any unit.
This paper describes the Spinal Treatment Program at Columbia Hospital in Milwaukee. The primary goal of the program is to efficiently return the employee with a work-related back injury to the work setting. The two-phase program has been developed to provide treatment of acute injury, patient education, work hardening, and an assessment of the patient's ability to perform job tasks. Preliminary evaluative data are presented for patients treated from 1982 to 1984. The patient's discharge status (returned or did not return to work) was examined as a function of sex, age, educational level, employment category, duration of pain, or worker's compensation status. Results indicated that discharge status was significantly related to sex, employment category, duration of pain, and worker's compensation status.
Level I fieldwork in occupational therapy is coming under close scrutiny by fieldwork sites and schools as accountability in health care becomes increasingly significant. The Wisconsin Council on Education (Wiscouncil) has been examining the problems encountered in implementing Level I fieldwork at both the technical and professional levels since fall 1982. A survey of 169 occupational therapy clinicians and educators was conducted in Wisconsin to address the following: objectives, assessment, scheduling, cost-effectiveness, and areas of responsibility. Results of this survey indicated that the concerns identified within the state may exist at a broader level. Two members of Wiscouncil expanded the project to look at Level I fieldwork issues nationwide. The nationwide survey results indicate a strong concern among clinicians about the cost-effectiveness of implementing Level I fieldwork. There appear to be different beliefs about the overall objectives of Level I among clinicians, occupational therapy educators, and occupational therapy assistant educators. The majority of clinicians felt that uniform objectives and a uniform evaluation for Level I fieldwork would help facilitate the experience for them.
Patients with low back pain are among the largest group of health care consumers today. During an episode of acute back pain the patient may be hospitalized for diagnostic workup and medical management, processes to which occupational therapists can contribute. The occupational therapist's evaluation includes assessment of the patient's activities of daily living and understanding of back protection and pain behaviors. The therapist involves the patient in managing his or her back problem by teaching problem-solving skills and identifying appropriate life-style changes. Instruction is provided in proper body mechanics, anatomy of the spine, work simplification, relaxation, and adaptive methods of performing daily activities. Given the short hospitalization period, outpatient follow-up may be provided to facilitate the application of information learned in the hospital to home and work settings. The goal of occupational therapy is to help the patient with low back pain return to a productive life-style.