J Gerontol Nurs
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Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia among older adults. Valvular heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, aortic stenosis, hypertension, coronary artery disease, pericarditis, thyrotoxicosis, pulmonary disease, cardiac surgery, alcohol excess, and alcohol withdrawal are associated with atrial fibrillation. ⋯ This article presents an individual example of an elderly man exhibiting a new onset of atrial fibrillation and the interventions required to manage the associated complications. Atrial fibrillation places patients at risk for stroke from a thromboembolism; thus, pharmacological and nonpharmocological care strategies for managing patients with atrial fibrillation are discussed.
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The purpose of this descriptive pilot study was to describe sleep characteristics of hospitalized older adults and the nighttime environmental noise and light they encountered. Study participants included patients in an acute care setting; actigraphy and light and sound meters were used to measure the variables. Mean sleep time was 215 minutes, and the average sleep efficiency was 44.72%. ⋯ Mean sound levels were 52.87 dB(A). Sleep was markedly impaired in an environment of elevated light and sound levels. Understanding the role of noise and light in the sleep efficiency of ill older adults can help nurses identify sources of noise and light and initiate sleep improvement protocols.
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More than half of hospitalized older adults will experience delirium, which--if left untreated--can lead to detrimental outcomes. Despite the prevalence and severity of delirium, nurses recognize less than one third of cases. Because little is known about how nurses manage this problem, a qualitative study was conducted to explore how nurses care for hospitalized older adults at risk for delirium. ⋯ The context in which nurses choose their priorities and interventions was reflected in the themes of the Care Environment and Negative Beliefs and Attitudes about older adults. Nurses are caring for an older population whose care requirements are different than those of younger people and in a context where this challenging work is rarely addressed. To improve care, the older population must be acknowledged, and nurses must possess the knowledge and resources needed to meet this population's unique needs.
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Delirium is frequently overlooked in hospitalized adult patients of all ages. Because nurses spend significant amounts of time with patients, the nursing assessment is vital to the identification of delirium. ⋯ Delirium rates are reported for patients across all shifts for 1 month. The majority of nurses found the Confusion Assessment Method to be an effective, user-friendly instrument for the assessment of patients' cognitive status over time.