College of Health Professions
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Browsing College of Health Professions by Author "Adams, Carmen Ann"
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Item A Focus Group Study of Perceptions of Quality of Care Among Nurses in Nursing Homes(2010-09) Burke, George C.; Adams, Carmen AnnA research team conducted a focus group study of central Texas nurses over a period of several weeks during September and October of 2009, at four different long-term care facilities. The total number of respondents was 15. We sought insight into the experience of nurses in quality of care, the nurses' perceptions of management competence, and we sought the nurses' perceptions of their roles as contrasted with the roles of certified nursing assistants (CNAs). Basing our set of questions on those from a 2001 study of CNAs, we found that nurses view quality in a holistic manner - - meeting the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the resident to the greatest degree possible. We found that nurses in one of the four facilities had made progress in cultural change. Nurses and families saw management competence as the effectiveness and speed in which managers responded to questions or complaints. The study found nurses to be motivated by the job itself, seeing it as a ministry to the elderly. Several managerial implications are included in the study, including management's role in quality, motivation, and cultural change.Item Evaluation of Aromatherapy in Institutional Elder Care Settings(2008-09) Ransom, Sandy; Adams, Carmen AnnThe purpose for conducting this study was to assess the effects of aromatherapy administered by patch application to people living in several Texas nursing homes. Specifically formulated blends of essential oils were evaluated regarding effects on people who inhaled the oils. Three different oil blends were tested. A total of 39 people participated in the study with a mean age of 79.8 A majority (72%) of the participants carried a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or a mental health disorder. Evaluation conducted before and after introduction of one of the blends, a combination of grapefruit and frankincense essential oils, demonstrated significant differences in specific behavioral characteristics exhibited by 13 persons suffering from dementia. Two people were able to stop taking psychotropic medications. One individual was no longer required to live on a locked unit. Additional oil blends, one containing rosemary and orange oils and another comprised of lavender and bergamot oils, yielded statistically insignificant results. However, strong anecdotal evidence was submitted from persons in a small rural home testing the rosemary/orange oil blend. Potential areas impacted through these findings include an increase in the quality of life for the Elders, a more welcoming and reassuring atmosphere for staff members and visitors, a reduction in costs associated with medications, and decreased time and effort dealing with disruptive behavioral issues. All of these issues are dealt with daily in nursing homes throughout the county.