Facial features to be used to diagnose pain in dementia sufferers

Facial features to be used to diagnose pain in dementia sufferers

Undiagnosed pain of dementia sufferers could soon be measured by facial recognition technology, as part of an Electronic Pain Assessment Tool (ePAT) being developed at Curtin University.  The ePAT, which is linked to the camera on a smart phone or tablet, is designed to quickly and accurately detect, evaluate and document the severity of pain in non-communicative patients with dementia.
http://healthsciences.curtin.edu.au/news_facial-features-used-to-diagnose-pain-in-dementia-sufferers.cfm

Enjoy the holidays free from luggage-related injuries
November 12, 2013 Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Holiday travel can mean long lines and hurried sprints through sprawling terminals. It also can mean neck, wrist, back and shoulder pain, and even injury, from carrying and lifting heavy luggage. In fact, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were 53,790 luggage-related injuries in 2012. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these tips for safely lifting and carrying luggage.

See https://members.aapainmanage.org/aapmssa/ecmssamsganalytics.click_through?p_mail_id=E79650A17510607B1C53110 for tips!

In nursing practice it is critical to identify the patient problem clearly before intervening.

In evidence-based practice it is equally important to identify the problem clearly before searching for the best evidence. One way to do this is the tool PICO. PICO is not the LA boulevard. It is this:
P = Problem & patient population
I = Intervetion proposed
C = Comparison intervention (might be standard practice)
O = Outcome that you will measure.

An example
P = Patients with Type 2 diabetes who need to change exercise behavior
I = Behavior Change & Behavior Modification Therapy
C = Usual care
O = Exercise Behavior, Blood Glucose Control, & Weight Reduction

Now you know a secret of good problem identification!

Merry Christmas!

In making your practice evidence-based, you will find it helpful to understand what evidence includes and what kind of evidence is stronger than other types of evidence. In five (5) minutes you can understand it better!! Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H8w68sr0u8

Happy evidence hunting!

Nutrition Journal
Research Open Access

The effect of the Thanksgiving Holiday on weight gain

Holly R Hull1,3, Duncan Radley2, Mary K Dinger1 and David A Fields*3,4

Want to know what those yummy calories will do for you? Check out this full text online:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1660573/pdf/1475-2891-5-29.pdf

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

Congratulations to Grace Kim BSN RN PCCN and Sarah McIlheney BSN RN CMSRN whose poster was accepted through peer review to the Odyssey Regional Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society Conference & WON 2nd place for Innovative Projects Poster at that conference on November 1, 2013! (see attachments)

Their project, Evidence Based Nurse Communication to Improve Pain Management Among Nurses in the Acute Setting, was first presented by them during the 2013 NHMC/CSUN Collaborative Evidence Based Practice Day. During the EBP day they presented as part of a panel and had a poster. They used Swanson's model of caring to guide their work.

They then submitted an abstract and improved their poster for display during Odyssey.

Nurse education level leads to higher job satisfaction and retention rate.
Allison Park, S.N., Tritia Tajima S.N., Yen Tran, S.N.
California State University, Northridge, Department of Nursing

Abstract

Many researchers find that BSN-educated nurses have higher job satisfaction than do RNs with less education. We recommend therefore that staff pursue BSN and and that hospitals invest in educational support of their staff. The hoped for outcomes are higher RN satisfaction, increased retention, and reduced cost to agencies.

References
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Larrabee, J. H., Wu, Y., Persily, C. A., Simoni, P. S., Johnston, P. A., Marcischak, T. L., Mott, C. L., Gladden, S. D. (2010). Influence of stress resiliency on RN job satisfaction and
intent to stay. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 32(1), 81-102.
Parry, Julianne. (2008). Intention to leave the profession: antecedents and role in nurse turnover. The Journal of Advanced Nursing, 64, 157-167.
Rambur, B., McIntosh, B., Val Palumbo, M., & Reinier, K. (2005). Education as a determinant of career retention and job satisfaction among registered nurses. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 37(2). 185-192.
Sexton, K. A., Hunt, C. E., Cox, K. S., Teasley, S. L., & Carroll, C. A. (2008). Differentiating the workplace needs of nurses by academic preparation and years in nursing. Journal of Professional Nursing, 24, 105-108.
Simon, M., Muller, B. H. & Hasselhorn, H. M. (2009). Leaving the organization or the profession a multilevel analysis of nurses’ intentions. The Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66, 616-626
Zurmehly, J. (2008). The relationship of educational preparation, autonomy, and critical thinking to nursing job satisfaction. The Journal of Continuing in Nursing, 39. 453-460.