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Ruth Ludwick

Publications and source records attributed to Ruth Ludwick.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

The use of physical restraints as a safety measure in the care of older people in four rehabilitation wards: findings from an exploratory study.

We investigated the prevalence and type of physical restraint used with older persons on four rehabilitation wards in Northern Ireland. A longitudinal observational approach was used. One hundred and two patients were observed on four occasions over a three-day period. Most of the patients (68%) were subjected to some form of physical restraint, side-rails being the most commonly observed method. Those who were restrained were dependent on nursing care to meet their needs and received more drugs than those whose mobility was not restricted. No association was found between restraint use and nursing staffing levels, nor was there any association with the incidence of falls. Nurses rationalised their use of restraint as being linked to wandering and patient protection in cases of confusional type behaviours. An association was found between stroke and the maintenance of positional support through the use of restraints (side-rails and screw-on tabletops). Approximately, one-third of those restrained had this noted in their care plans, with concomitant evidence of patient/family involvement in the restraining decision.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Outcomes of a community-based three-year breast and cervical cancer screening program for medically underserved, low income women.

PURPOSE: To evaluate a community level three-year breast and cervical cancer screening program for medically underserved, low income women. DATA SOURCES: Descriptive data on 128 women gathered from five semiannual screening programs held between 1995 and 1997 were analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: Poor and medically under served women often face barriers that may discourage or prevent screening activity and measures for early detection of breast and cervical cancer. Besides success in recruiting women to the program, community collaborative partnerships were established that continue to sustain this program. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The results from this project provide an example of how advance practice nurses (APNs) can demonstrate meaningful and competitive health care services for underserved women and how APNs can actively evaluate programs they offer that affect the health practices of communities in need.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An improved methodology for advancing nursing research: factorial surveys.

Clinical judgments and decisions are an integral component of nurse work and nurses are increasingly being challenged to account for their judgments and decisions. Nursing research is needed to help explain judgment and decision making in nursing, but most research in this area is almost exclusively characterized by descriptive studies. This article describes the use of the factorial survey method, which combines the explanatory power of a factorial experiment with the benefits of a sample survey. This hybrid technique is an excellent method for studying judgments and decisions across settings, roles, disciplines, and countries. This article outlines the steps of the method and demonstrates its applicability with an exemplar from a study across nurses from 3 countries.

Decision Making↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Self-neglect: a proposed new NANDA diagnosis.

PURPOSE: To propose a new NANDA diagnosis, self-neglect. DATA SOURCES: Research studies and literature published from a variety of disciplines including nursing as well as primary research. DATA SYNTHESES: This diagnosis can be used to describe a constellation of self-care problems of varying severity and impact on the health and well-being of people who self-neglect. Included are two subtypes of self-neglect based on the degree of intentionality. Clarification of self-neglect is long overdue because self-neglect presents conceptual, identification, and intervention problems for nurses, healthcare workers, and for medicolegal systems across settings and in many countries. CONCLUSION: The proposed diagnosis, self-neglect, fills a gap in current standardized terminology. This diagnosis will contribute significantly to nurses leading the way in the explication of an interdisciplinary and international health concern. PRACTICE AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS: Developing self-neglect as a recognized nursing label is vital to clinicians and policy makers within and across countries. Appreciating less serious/non-life-threatening presentations will give nurses a care perspective to improve the health and well-being of those in earlier stages of self-neglect. Definitions for this phenomenon will contribute to care planning and interventions, leading to consistency in practice and research.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Humor in hospice care: who, where, and how much?

Humor has been identified as an intrinsic social phenomenon occurring in all groups throughout human history. It is among the most prevalent forms of human social behavior yet one of the least understood or defined. Although researchers in a number of disciplines have studied the effects of humor on patients, limited work has focused on end-of-life care. The present study investigated social interactions involving humor in hospice settings using nonparticipant observation. Results revealed that humor was present in 85 percent of 132 observed nurse-based hospice visits. Of these, hospice patients initiated humor 70 percent of the time. These findings were consistent regardless of hospice setting. Humor was spontaneous and frequent, and instances of humorous interactions were a prevalent part of everyday hospice work.

Adaptation, Psychological↗