Age-Friendly Health Systems: Delivering evidence-based care to older adults.

This article discusses the Age-Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) initiative, which aims to provide safe and effective care for older adults by focusing on the 4Ms framework: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility. This article also outlines strategies for educating nurses on incorporating the AFHS initiative into their routine care and the potential impact on nursing care for older adults.

A quality improvement approach to develop an educational initiative for an age-friendly health system.

Authors describe a quality improvement approach to develop and pilot test educational materials with an aim to educate MinuteClinic providers in the provision of age-friendly care using the 4Ms Framework: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, Mobility. The team used surveys, focus groups and site visits to develop educational prototypes with Plan-Do-Study-Act iterative cycles to improve the education. Educational materials introduced providers to 4Ms assessment and evidence-based act on strategies for older adults in the convenient care setting.

Social Determinants of Health and COVID-19 Behaviors and Beliefs Toward Immunizations Among Latinxs.

Introduction: Sixty million Latinxs make up 26.4% of all COVID-19 cases in the United States. It is uncertain whether behaviors and beliefs of immunizations among Latinxs is influenced by social determinants of health.

Adolescent use of electronic nicotine delivery systems.

Use of electronic nicotine delivery systems is flourishing among adolescents. The long-term effects have not been fully determined; however, literature suggests there is potential for significant harm. Providers must be aware of usage trends, device safety, and product knowledge.

An evidence-based resource for the management of comorbidities associated with childhood overweight and obesity.

Purpose: Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is often accompanied by obesity-related comorbidities. An integrative review of the literature was performed to create a comprehensive algorithm to help primary care providers manage the common comorbidities associated with childhood overweight and obesity.

Data Sources: The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source, and PubMed databases were searched.

Effects of position and operator on high-frequency ultrasound scan quality.

Objectives: High-frequency ultrasound may evaluate those at risk for pressure ulcers. Images may be obtained by clinicians with limited training. The prone position is recommended for obtaining sacral scans but may not be feasible in the critically ill.

Implementing evidence-based medication safety interventions on a progressive care unit.

While preparing medications in complex health care environments, nurses are frequently distracted or interrupted, which can lead to medication errors that may adversely affect patient outcomes. This pilot quality improvement project, which took place in a 32-bed surgical progressive care unit in an academic medical center, implemented five medication safety interventions designed to decrease distractions and interruptions during medication preparation: nursing staff education, use of a medication safety vest, delineation of a no-interruption zone, signage, and a card instructing nurses how to respond to interruptions. Four types of distractions and interruptions decreased significantly between the two-month preimplementation and two-month postimplementation periods: those caused by a physician, NP, or physician assistant; those caused by other personnel; phone calls and pages placed or received by the nurse during medication administration; and conversation unrelated to medication administration that involved the nurse or loud nearby conversation that distracted the nurse.

Grace and glory: how one can make a difference.

In 2010, a free clinic in northeast Oklahoma City opened its doors and began seeing nonemergent patients. This evidence-based article illustrates the impact of the clinic on its community. It discusses the benefits and financial implications and the operation of the free clinic through contributions and volunteerism, and highlights strengths and limitations.

Outcomes of a quality improvement project implementing stroke discharge advocacy to reduce 30-day readmission rates.

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine whether use of aspects of a transitional care model by nurse navigators would affect 30-day readmission rates in hospitalized ischemic stroke patients discharged home with self-care. Thirty-day readmission rates and emergency department (ED) visits were compared before, during, and after the implementation of the revised discharge process. Comparative analysis demonstrated reductions in readmissions and in ED visits.