Carol’s Clinical Corner
I've been in nursing a long time. I tell my students that I went to school with Florence (who was a lovely woman) so I've seen lots of changes in the world of nursing. Nowhere are these changes more profound than in the long-term care arena. I remember going to a nursing home as an early adolescent to visit my grandmother. I was appalled at the conditions in which she had to live and I couldn't wait to leave. Those were the days in which my parents made me promise never to put them in such a place, never to send them to a "home." It was a common sentiment among middle-aged adults who had seen the worst such places had to offer as they cared for their own elderly parents.
My first sense of change came when I was a nursing student and my favorite aunt opened a nursing home. I often visited there and saw her insistence on quality care, compassion and communication between staff, patients and families. She knew each resident by name, made sure their needs were met with skill and grace and became a member of the family of the families of those in her charge.
We now have a true continuum in long-term care facilities that ranges from assisted living to skilled nursing and all the levels in between. I now visit facilities that are so beautifully appointed and professionally managed that I think I am ready to go now!
In the coming months, I will share topics I hope to be of interest and value to you. While the focus will be on topics relevant to clinical practice, some may venture farther afield as there is so much that goes into providing care in the challenging settings in which you work. I look forward to sharing thoughts and to stimulating a rich dialogue. Come, join the party!