Highlights from the July/August Issue of RNJ

If you are an ARN member or a Rehabilitation Nursing Journal (RNJ) subscriber, you should soon receive your July/August 2020 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.  

Using Volume-Based Tube Feeding to Increase Nutrient Delivery in Patients on a Rehabilitation Unit
In caring for rehabilitation patients that have feeding tubes, it often is difficult to ensure that patients are getting their intended amount of nutrition each day. With different therapies and interruptions to the day, it may be that patients are 'short' of their amount by end of the day using a rate-based tube feeding protocol. Clinical researchers at the University of Utah found that by using volume-based tube feedings as opposed to hourly rate-based tube feedings, patients received a greater amount of their enteral feeding, thus providing more food/energy for patients' activities. Read Using Volume-Based Tube Feeding to Increase Nutrient Delivery in Patients on a Rehabilitation Unit.

A Feasibility Study of a Multifaceted Walking Intervention to Maintain the Functional Mobility, Activities of Daily Living and Quality of Life of Nursing Homes Residents with Dementia
Residents with dementia in nursing homes are particularly vulnerable to mobility and functional decline and provide unique challenges to staff. Residents had baseline scores of a timed up-and-go test (TUG), 2-minute walk test, gait speed, and ADL function as measured by the FIM. Through an evidence-based complex walking protocol, residents improved their functional status as compared with residents having usual care. This nurse-led intervention provided low intensity physical activity in the form of one-to-one walking sessions. Read A Feasibility Study of a Multifaceted Walking Intervention to Maintain the Functional Mobility, Activities of Daily Living and Quality of Life of Nursing Homes Residents with Dementia.

Acupunch Exercise Program Development and Feasibility Evaluation for Older Adults
Older adults face threats to their physical decline and can benefit from a regular exercise protocol. It is essential that exercise programs are designed in accordance with the principles of exercise for older adults, occur 3-5 times/week, and that the exercise will enhance physical performance in their ADLs. Based on a traditional Chinese medicine theory—the Jing-Luo theory—an exercise program titled the Healthy Beat Acupunch (HBA) was developed. The HBA program provides older adults with a new set of exercise options. Read Acupunch Exercise Program Development and Feasibility Evaluation for Older Adults.