Background: Rehabilitation nursing is practiced in various settings along the healthcare continuum. No framework is noted in the literature that defines the necessary competencies of the rehabilitation nurse. Purpose: To develop a Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing and its application to clinical and educational practice. Method/design: A seven-member Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) task force was convened; conducted a literature review, reviewed current and historical ARN documents, including the Strategic Plan, and developed a Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing practice. Findings: The Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing delineates four domains of rehabilitation nursing practice and essential role competencies. Conclusion: The Competency Model for Professional Rehabilitation Nursing addresses this diverse specialty practice in the current healthcare arena. This framework can be used to guide nurses practicing at different levels of proficiency in various settings. Clinical Relevance: The Competency Model can be used as a structure for staff orientation, evaluation tools, clinical ladder components, role descriptions and rehabilitation nursing courses.

AimTo examine the job satisfaction of nurses who are caring for older adults in healthcare settings in Shanghai, and to explore the underlying factors in order to explain and predict nurses’ job satisfaction.BackgroundChina has the largest elderly population in the world, and its population is aging rapidly. Studies on job satisfaction of nurses providing care for the elderly in China can help to identify problem areas and develop strategies for the improvement of nurses’ working conditions. However, to date, this subject matter has not been thoroughly studied in the Chinese context. Previous studies in other countries show that many factors impact nurses’ job satisfaction, with the practice environment being a critical factor. There is a serious nursing shortage in China, especially in the big cities such as Shanghai. Given the increasing care demand of the aging population, learning about the job satisfaction level among nurses who are caring for older adults can provide essential information to help attract and retain nurses in this specialty area.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among 444 nurses in 22 elderly care institutions in Shanghai. The Chinese version of the Index of Work Satisfaction (IWS) and the Nursing Practice Environment Scale were instruments used. Inferential statistical tests used to analyze the data included Spearman correlation analysis, one-way analysis of variance, and hierarchical regression tests.ResultsThe average overall IWS (part B) score was 135.21 ± 19.34. Personality, job and organizational characteristics were found to be the most influential factors, and the practice environment was identified as having the strongest impact on job satisfaction (Beta = 0.494).ConclusionJob satisfaction level among nurses who are caring for older adults in Shanghai is moderate, but the data suggest that this could be greatly increased if the nursing practice environment was improved.

Self-neglect is a serious and growing problem among older adults. A 2004 survey from Adult Protective Services (APS) showed that adults age 60 or older were named in 85,000 reports of self-neglect from 21 states (Naik, Lai, Kunik, & Dyer, 2008; Teaster, Dugar, Mendiondo, Abner, & Cecil, 2006). Although rehabilitation nurses are obligated to uphold the autonomy of older adults and strengthen their independence, dilemmas result when people's poor health behaviors put them or others at risk for negative consequences. When making decisions about nursing actions related to self-neglecting elderly people, the basic principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and capacity must be considered. The purpose of this article is to discuss major ethical perspectives related to self-neglect among older adults.

Rehabilitation is a specialty area with defined competencies and discrete nursing knowledge. Nurses need to be educated in the basic competencies of rehabilitation to provide safe, quality care to patients with chronic illnesses and disabilities. A critical appraisal of the literature showed that education increased knowledge in a specialty area and had positive benefits for nurses, organizations, and patients. The purpose of this paper is to describe an evidence-based educational intervention. Self-study modules on 15 rehabilitation competencies were developed for 16 nurses working on a new inpatient unit. Outcomes were evaluated using pre and post tests via the online Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) Competency Assessment Tool (CAT). Data were analyzed using the SPSS14.0 statistical package. Paired t-tests demonstrated a significant difference between pre and post test scores on 14 of the 15 competencies measured. Findings suggested that education of nursing staff resulted in increased knowledge about rehabilitation nursing competencies.

Stroke continues to be the third leading cause of death in the United States. According to the National Stroke Association (NSA, 2004) and the American Heart Association (AHA, 2004), there are over 750,000 new or recurrent strokes per year, with many resulting in residual disability. Stroke survivors often deal with the physical, psychosocial, and emotional consequences of stroke long after they have left the safety of professional rehabilitation. Patient instruction from nurses prior to discharge, while necessary, may be done at a point in the recovery process when the stroke survivor is not ready to learn how to deal with such consequences. Using the Mauk Model for Poststroke Recovery, nurses can identify which phase of recovery a survivor is in, and thus tailor care to his or her needs. The purpose of this article is to use the Mauk Model for Poststroke Recovery to present nursing interventions that are appropriate to each of the previously identified six phases of stroke recovery.