Cross-cultural diagnostic applicability of the Pictogram Test.

The aim of this study was to determine whether the Pictogram Test (PT; Vygostsky, 1960) a test of logical memory that was developed in Russia, is applicable for diagnosing and understanding thought disturbances in schizophrenia within an English-speaking population. Participants included 62 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders and 80 community nonpatients from Russia and the United States. We used correlational analysis to organize PT variables into Concrete (CI), Attribute (AI), and Geometric (GI) indexes.

So you want to be a Director of Nursing ... now what!

The authors believe that even an experienced DON might need at least two months to adequately adjust and/or professionally realign problematic areas of concern in a new position. This opinion is in direct contrast with Maun (1998). Maun states "If a DON is moving to this job from another similar position, the overall program may take a week, not including any other corporate or facility specific orientations.

Dealing with emotional outbreaks of Alzheimer's clients on a special unit.

Staff who work exclusively on Alzheimer's disease units need to develop strategies to deal with emotional outbreaks of these clients. This project demonstrated that staff is not helpless in dealing with Alzheimer clients, and it reinforced the staff by validating that they, too, are experts in coping with daily problems of Alzheimer's clients. Another asset was the inclusion of the staff in this study.

Inservice programs. The easy way!

According to adult education principles, any inservice should stimulate and validate staff roles as NAs. Pure lecture presentations are easily achieved in the churches of their choice. It is the job of the DONs to offer a variety of programs to NAs.