Clinical Manifestations.

Background: Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) is a prevalent condition impacting 11.7% of older adults, which increases the risk for mild cognitive impairment and dementia. The transition to SCD and dementia is often accompanied by an increase in affective symptoms (i.

Women Veterans' Stroke Risk Factors: Identified Prevention Methods and Knowledge Gaps.

Introduction: Stroke is a significant health burden for veterans and the fifth leading cause of death for women. Compared to civilian women, women veterans have significant multimorbid physical and mental health conditions contributing to their stroke risk. This scoping review aimed to synthesize evidence on the stroke risk factors specific to U.

Nursing's Role in Psychosocial Health Management After a Stroke Event: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Introduction: Stroke can have profound psychosocial health implications. These constructs are often overlooked and undertreated yet can be as devastating as the physical, functional, and cognitive consequences after stroke.

Aim: This scientific statement aims to evaluate 5 important aspects of psychosocial health (depression, stress, anxiety, fatigue, and quality of life) after a stroke to provide a framework for related nursing care across the poststroke continuum.

Sharing Perspectives in African American Communities to Reduce Stroke Risk Through Community Listening Circles.

Purpose: To build trust and explore community perception on stroke disparities as well as barriers and strengths to stroke prevention.

Design: Mixed methods study.

Methods: A convenience sample (n = 54) of African Americans responded to questionnaires and participated in focus groups.

Toward a Better Understanding of Sex- and Gender-Related Differences in Endovascular Stroke Treatment: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

There are many unknowns when it comes to the role of sex in the pathophysiology and management of acute ischemic stroke. This is particularly true for endovascular treatment (EVT). It has only recently been established as standard of care; therefore, data are even more scarce and conflicting compared with other areas of acute stroke.

End-Of-Life Care Communication in Long-Term Care Among Nurses, Residents, and Families: A Critical Review of Qualitative Research.

RNs in long-term care (LTC) are a critical nexus for end-of-life (EOL) care communication with older adult residents and their families. A critical review of 17 qualitative research studies examined nurses' experience with EOL care in LTC. Findings indicate that time, preparation, advocacy, organizational resources, and a continuous, relational approach support EOL care communication.

Association between Family History of Stroke and Stroke Risk: A Community Survey.

Approximately 20% of the annual 795,000 stroke occurrences in the United States are fatal, and survivors face high-risk of long-term disability. The purpose of this secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey data was to explore the association between individuals' family history of stroke and their stroke risk among Minnesota adults attending the State Fair. The primary study sample (n=207) completed a nine-part survey addressing medical history, stroke risk factor knowledge, and the American Stroke Association stroke risk score.

Challenges and Lessons Learned Tailoring a Behavioral Intervention for Stroke Survivor-Care Partner Dyads.

Introduction: Research is increasingly exploring interventions for patient-care-partner dyads, but little has been reported regarding challenges of implementing dyad-focused interventions. This article reports the lessons learned in a pilot feasibility study of problem-solving therapy versus stroke education in stroke survivor-care partner dyads.

Challenges And Lessons Learned: Challenges arose in numerous aspects of intervention delivery.

Generating Evidence of Critical Care Nurses' Perceptions, Knowledge, Beliefs, and Use of Music Therapy, Aromatherapy, and Guided Imagery.

Background: Critical care settings are known to be fast-paced and technologically advanced. To optimize humanistic care, integration of evidence-based complementary and alternative therapies holds promise. However, evidence of critical care nurses' use of complementary and alternative therapies in clinical practice has not been evaluated recently.

Cognitive Training and Remediation in First-Episode Psychosis: A Literature Review.

Neurocognitive and social cognitive impairments are core characteristics of psychotic disorders, which are present in the first episode of psychosis (FEP) and strongly predict poor social functioning. Addressing cognitive impairments through cognitive training and remediation (CTR) may be a crucial component of recovery-oriented treatment. The objectives of this review were to (1) evaluate the CTR theoretical basis and intervention components and (2) examine the effects of CTR on cognition and social functioning in FEP.

Associations between characteristics of stroke survivors and caregiver depressive symptoms: a critical review.

: Poststroke depression is common in stroke survivors. Evidence suggests that caregivers of stroke survivors also experience depression, at rates similar to survivors (30-40%). While much research has focused on developing better understanding of poststroke depression in stroke survivors, stroke caregiver depression has received less attention.

Correction to: Power of Peer Support to Change Health Behavior to Reduce Risks for Heart Disease and Stroke for African American Men in a Faith-Based Community.

An error in Fig. 1 in this article as originally published ("Theme 6: feelings of belonging and being care for" was missing the numeral "6") has been corrected. The original article has been corrected.

Power of Peer Support to Change Health Behavior to Reduce Risks for Heart Disease and Stroke for African American Men in a Faith-Based Community.

Introduction: Peer support has powerful potential to improve outcomes in a program of health behavior change; yet, how peer support is perceived by participants, its role, and how it contributes to intervention efficacy is not known, especially among African Americans. The purpose of this study was to identify the subjectively perceived experience and potential contributions of peer support to the outcomes of a peer group behavioral intervention designed to change health behavior to reduce risks for heart disease and stroke in African American men in a faith-based community.

Methods: A peer support group intervention was implemented to increase health knowledge and to improve health behaviors in line with the American Heart Association's Life Simple 7 domains (get active, control cholesterol, eat better, manage blood pressure, lose weight, reduce blood sugar, and stop smoking).

Complex Decision-Making in Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Thematic Analysis.

Background: Heart failure follows a highly variable and difficult course. Patients face complex decisions, including treatment with implantable cardiac defibrillators, mechanical circulatory support, and heart transplantation. The course of decision-making across multiple treatments is unclear yet integral to providing informed and shared decision-making.

Part II: The Effects of Aromatherapy and Guided Imagery for the Symptom Management of Anxiety, Pain, and Insomnia in Critically Ill Patients: An Integrative Review of Current Literature.

This review is part II of a 2-part series that presents evidence on the effectiveness of aromatherapy and guided imagery for the symptom management of anxiety, pain, and insomnia in adult critically ill patients. Evidence from this review supports the use of aromatherapy for management of pain, insomnia, and anxiety in critically ill patients. Evidence also supports the use of guided imagery for managing these symptoms in critical care; however, the evidence is sparse, mixed, and weak.

Part I: The Effects of Music for the Symptom Management of Anxiety, Pain, and Insomnia in Critically Ill Patients: An Integrative Review of Current Literature.

Critical care environments are known for provoking anxiety, pain, and sleeplessness. Often, these symptoms are attributed to patients' underlying physiological conditions; life-sustaining or life-prolonging treatments such as ventilators, invasive procedures, tubes, and monitoring lines; and noise and the fast-paced technological nature of the critical care environment. This, in turn, possibly increases length of stay and morbidity and challenges the recovery and healing of critically ill patients.

Nonpharmacological Treatments for Post-Stroke Depression: An Integrative Review of the Literature.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and the number one cause of long-term disability. Seventy-five percent of annual stroke victims are older than 65. Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a common consequence of stroke, with the estimated prevalence ranging from 25% to 79%.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging as experienced by stroke survivors.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a noninvasive technique that measures brain activation, has been increasingly used in the past decade, particularly among older adults. Use of fMRI in research with stroke survivors in recent years has substantially contributed to researchers' understanding of the pathophysiology of stroke sequelae. However, despite the increasing popularity and use of fMRI, little is known about the patient experience of fMRI under research circumstances.

Feasibility of a Pilot Study of Problem-Solving Therapy for Stroke Survivors.

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility and potential effectiveness of problem-solving therapy (PST) on stroke survivors' depressive symptoms and function in the rehabilitation stage of recovery.

Design: This study employed a repeated measures experimental design.

Methods: We recruited a convenience sample of 22 ischemic stroke survivors and randomized to treatment group receiving PST and control group receiving standard care.

A pilot study of the trajectory of functional outcomes in stroke survivors: implications for home healthcare.

This longitudinal, prospective pilot study (N = 23) explored patterns of functional recovery using the functional independence measure (FIM) at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months poststroke. Results showed that the subcategory of self-care had the most observable improvement, whereas communication had the least improvement. Study results have implications for clinicians, as they are instrumental in assessment, and in determination of treatments and level of care required to promote optimal rehabilitation and recovery of function across all dimensions.

Lighting the fire with mentoring relationships.

Mentoring provides fuel to advance nursing science and ensure a growing cadre of career nurse scientists. With the demand for well-prepared nursing faculty in the area of academic geriatrics, mentoring by expert faculty provides an optimal opportunity for retention and growth of junior faculty. Reflecting on 2 years of a mentoring relationship in the Hartford Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity (BAGNC) postdoctoral scholar program, the BAGNC Claire M.

Developing grant writing skills to translate practice dreams into reality.

In an era of health care reform and limited financial support, good ideas for changes in clinical practice may await the available time, resources, and attention that are required to test and implement them. Developing grant writing skills is a way to attract resources to explore the feasibility and potential efficacy of changes to improve patient outcomes or efficiencies of care. This article describes the purpose of grant writing by advanced practice nurses (APNs), discusses the needs for and benefits of grant writing, identifies types and sources of available grants, describes potential roles of APNs in grant writing, describes ways to overcome barriers to grant writing, and presents strategies for writing winning grants to develop and improve practice in acute and critical care settings.

Participant withdrawal: challenges and practical solutions for recruitment and retention in clinical trials.

A major challenge in the conduct of clinical trials is recruiting and retaining adequate numbers of study participants. Pressure for steady recruitment and retention is great. A wide range of strategies are used to retain participants; however, some approaches raise ethical questions.

Lessons learned in recruitment and retention of stroke survivors.

Recruitment and retention are considered among the most challenging steps in the research process. This becomes especially significant when the research population is stroke survivors with complex health needs and poststroke sequelae. The purpose of this article was to set forth and discuss challenges, barriers, and strategies in recruitment and retention of stroke survivors in a pilot study.

Natural patterns of change in poststroke depressive symptoms and function.

The objective of this study was to evaluate patterns of change in depressive symptoms and function in ischemic stroke patients 0 to 3 months poststroke. Twenty-three newly diagnosed ischemic stroke patients were enrolled in a study with nonrandomized prospective longitudinal design to assess function and depressive symptoms on admission, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months poststroke in a tertiary care acute rehabilitation center in the Midwest. Participants' mean age was (69 ± 11.