Highlights from the January/February Issue of RNJ

If you are an ARN member or a Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) subscriber, you should soon receive your January/February 2021 issue in the mail. Check out a preview of three great articles that will be gracing the pages of this issue, or visit the journal online to read the full issue.

Extrinsic and Behavioral Fall Risk Factors in People with Parkinson's disease: An integrative Review
As rehab nurses, we know that our patients with Parkinson's disease are at high risk for falling. As patients' balance and coordination decline and there are increasing limits on their functional activities, the risk becomes greater. Kuljeerung & Lach use the person-environment fit framework to identify fall risk factors as intrinsic, extrinsic or behavioral in nature. Understanding the type of factors involved in a fall can help inform interventions to reduce falls in patients. Read the article.

Using the Preparedness Assessment for the Transition Home After Stroke Instrument to Identify Stroke Caregiver Concerns Predischarge: Uncertainty, Anticipation, and Cues to Action
Stroke survivors and their caregivers face enormous challenges as they transition from the IRF to home. As rehab nurses, we make every effort to educate caregivers about what to expect at home, but often they are unprepared to the role they are committing to. The Preparedness Assessment for the Transition Home After Stroke (PATH-s) is a 25-item instrument designed to assess stroke survivor caregiver readiness to care for the stroke survivor when they are discharged home. The study involved interviewing caregivers after they had completed the instrument and before their family member was discharged. During the interviews, participants were asked to 'think out loud' about what their thoughts were when responding to each question. The data the researchers received improved the item validity and relevance of the instrument, and also helped make the caregivers aware of the concerns they had about the caregiving role. Read the article.

Educating Nurses on Supported Mirror Viewing for Patients After Amputation and Other Visible Disfigurements
One intervention that may affect the psychological well-being of patients who have suffered a visible body disfigurement due to surgery or trauma is supported mirror viewing. Although this is a first step in helping patients accept a new image, nurses are hesitant to offer a mirror to a patient who has such a disfigurement. Typically, the reason for not doing so is the nurse didn't want to 'upset' the patient. There is little mirror education worldwide, leaving nurses to their own mirror experiences and best-guess guidelines. This study involved nurses in two hospitals that underwent 'mirror education', consisting of a video, a PowerPoint lecture and discussion. The aim of the intervention was to increase nurses' self-confidence in offering mirror viewing to patients. The results of the study demonstrated that an educational intervention increased nurses' confidence to offer mirror viewing to their patients. Read the article.