New Directions | July 2021
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A Message From the President
I don’t know where you are, but it is HOT here in Texas. That being said I hope each of you are having a good summer and planning a getaway sometime! Your association has been hard at work planning the Leadership Conference to be held in October and preparing to review the candidates for the DEGN designation. 

Now to continue with Ashton Applewhite’s book, This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism. Chapter 3 is about Forget Memory: The Older Brain. What the author shares is something we need to remember. One of the greatest myths is that old age and mental incompetence go hand-in-hand. 
Coronavirus and Older Adults
Newly Vaccinated, Older Adults Emerge From COVID Hibernation: ‘I Am Feeling Good About Moving Forward’
Bill Griffin waited more than a year for this moment: Newly vaccinated, he embraced his 3-year-old granddaughter for the first time since the pandemic began.

“She came running right over. I picked her up and gave her a hug. It was amazing,” the 70-year-old said after the reunion last weekend.

Spring has arrived with sunshine and warmer weather, and many older adults who have been vaccinated, like Griffin, are emerging from COVID-19-imposed hibernation.
Health and Aging Expert Looks at COVID’s Impact on Older Adults of Color
A new study by Emily Nicklett could be key to addressing the unique health challenges of COVID-19 on an often-overlooked population: older adults of color.

Nicklett, who is an associate professor of social work in the UTSA College for Health, Community and Policy, hopes her work will lead to improved methods for engaging this population in health-promoting behaviors, which could be critical to stopping the next public health crisis before it starts.

“Currently, the mechanisms through which pandemics and other disruptions exacerbate racial and ethnic health inequities—a public health crisis—are not well understood,” Nicklett said.
America’s Pandemic State of Mind Coming to an End
The latest Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index shows the country’s fears of coronavirus continue to fall as people increasingly get out of the home and back into the world. This inflection point appears to represent many Americans adjusting to a post-pandemic world, even as much of the rest of the world struggles with surging rates. However, there remains a substantial block of the population opposed to the vaccine but unwilling to engage in protective measures presenting a risk of a new surge of cases or an incubator for a virus variant.
Distinguished Educator Spotlight
Suggestions for Incorporating Delirium into Pre-Licensure Nursing Simulation
Thomas J. Blodgett, PhD, RN, AGACNP-BC
Assistant Professor
Duke University School of Nursing
Delirium is an acute change in neurocognitive status and is associated with myriad undesirable outcomes. This condition often goes unrecognized and untreated, and some have called for delirium to be an “essential component” in undergraduate nursing education (Copeland & Barron, 2019). 

Simulation has been identified as an effective strategy for applying knowledge to potential clinical scenarios. Since simulation-based experiences provide controlled and supportive learning opportunities (Rudolph, Raemer, & Simon, 2014), the simulation lab may be an ideal setting for students to gain experience with identifying delirium in simulated patients. 

The purpose of this brief article is to offer suggestions for faculty to design, implement, and evaluate simulation experiences that focus on delirium detection in hospitalized older adults. Standards 1 through 6 of the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice by the International Nursing Association of Clinical Simulation Learning (INACSL) will be used as an organizing framework (INACSL Standards Committee, 2016). 
Elder Abuse: A Menace in Philippine Society
Pearl Ed G. Cuevas, PhD, MAN, RN, FGNLA
Associate Professor, School of Nursing
Centro Escolar University, Manila, Philippines
In the Philippine culture, stigma is attached to the institutionalization of elderly parents in home-care facilities. Thus, Filipino families continue to be the primary provider of care and support for elderly family members. It is because Filipinos believe that intergenerational family solidarity will remain strong with the co-residence of elderly parents who share their wisdom to family members. As co-residence with the family remains to be the most common living arrangement for the elderly, the co-dependency paradigm takes place as the children is expected to take care of the elderly. This is related to the Filipino concept of paying the debt of gratitude or “utang na loob”. 

However, recent changes in social and cultural norms pose many challenges to the traditional Filipino family structure. This shift has weakened the support mechanisms from the family needed by the elderly. This issue has increased with the number of elderly individuals suffering from chronic illnesses, functional limitations and severe disabilities. The four main concerns of the urban Filipino in the low to medium socio-economic status is security in old age, their health status, the impact of aging and elder abuse.
Stroke Health Disparity Among African Americans:
Call to Action
Niloufar Niakosari Hadidi, PhD, APRN, CNS-BC, FAHA
Associate Professor
University of Minnesota, School of Nursing
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in Americans and particularly among African American and racial minorities1. African Americans are 2-5 times more likely to experience stroke than their Caucasian counterparts 2 and they tend to suffer from stroke at younger ages.3 For reasons that are not completely clear, stroke affects African American communities at a higher rate, with earlier age of onset, and leads to worse outcomes compared with people from other races. This is partially attributed to the higher frequency of modifiable stroke risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity in African Americans4. 

In 2010, the American Heart Association (AHA) introduced Life’s Simple 7 (LS7), a guideline targeting health behaviors and risk factors, as a means to promote ideal cardiovascular health.5 It consists of 7 modifiable risk factors, including cigarette smoking, body weight, physical activity, diet, blood pressure, total cholesterol and blood glucose. Ideal cardiovascular health is defined by the seven factors 1) smoking abstinence or cessation, 2) BMI<25 kg/m2, adequate level of physical activity (150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both), healthy diet, total cholesterol <200mg/dL, blood pressure <120/80 and fasting glucose<100 mg/dL in the absence of diabetes mellitus by AHA guidleine.5
Check Out This Great Read!
The aim of this study was to provide an overview of interventions targeting hospital care of patients with dementia. We conducted a systematic review, including interventional study designs. We searched five electronic databases, conducted a hand search and performed citation tracking. To assess risk of bias, we used Cochrane Collaboration's tool, ROBANS and AMSTAR. We narratively summarized the outcomes.
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The findings of twenty studies indicated a broad range of interventions and outcomes. We categorized the interventions into eight intervention types. Educational programs were the most reported intervention type and resulted in improved staff outcomes. Family-/person-centered care programs, use of specially trained nurses and delirium management programs were effective in improving some patient-related outcomes.

However, current evidence is insufficient to declare which interventions are effective in improving dementia care in acute hospitals. Future research should focus on relevant patient and family caregiver outcomes and must consider the complexity of the interventions when evaluating them.
Scholarship Opportunities
Post Doctoral Researcher
The College of Nursing and Health Professions at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA seeks candidates for postdoctoral research fellowships. Postdoctoral fellows will join interprofessional teams engaged in clinical and community-based research to impact health and wellness of individuals and communities. Research programs within the College utilize biopsychosocial models, innovative designs and approaches including engagement of stakeholders in the research process. There is a strong interest in aging and dementia, health disparities, community health and prevention; health care quality, prevention-based interventions, and implementation science.
The initial appointment will be for one year, with the potential for funding to be extended a second year. Decisions regarding fellowship extensions will be based on scholarly productivity, mid-year and year-end progress reports, and availability of resources. The position provides salary and benefits consistent with NIH postdoctoral fellows.
Opportunities for Fellowships exist in the following research programs:

Aging and behavioral interventions ( Rose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili rad83@drexel.edu, Dr. Laura N. Gitlin)
Post-doctoral fellows will have the opportunity to participate in and contribute to impactful use-inspired interdisciplinary aging research in the thematic areas of high relevance to older adults, their families, healthcare and payment systems, communities and policy makers. Thematic areas include: preventing and managing chronic conditions, enhancing active and purposeful living, enabling aging in place in home and communities; family caregiving; dementia care; implementation science.
Graduate Gerontology Healthcare Certificate
The University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation has a new graduate gerontology healthcare certificate available, which combines your hands-on experience with our first-class education. Learn new skills, enhance your expertise and take your career to the next level while providing seniors specialized care they deserve.

The certificate program offers a curriculum designed to enhance your skills when working with older adults, their families and/or caregivers. GHC prepares you for the future, one where it is predicted adults 65 and over will represent 20 percent of the population by 2030.

If you have questions or are interested in learning more before applying, please contact Dr. Kathryn Daniel at kdaniel@uta.edu
Academic Opportunities
Endowed Professor of Geriatrics/Gerontology
We seek a strong research leader with a powerful combination of vision, energy, and leadership who will embrace and model the patient-centric culture within UAMS.

Reporting to the Associate Dean for Research, the Endowed Professor’s primary responsibility includes working with College leadership to develop the Gerontology Research Cluster for the College of Nursing. This will involve building a research portfolio for the cluster, mentoring junior faculty associated with this research focus in the College, and participating in the research vision and strategy building with other research cluster leaders in the CON to meet College and institutional research goals and metrics. The successful candidate will teach a minimum of one course per semester in the PhD program, mentor graduate students, and participate on PhD dissertation committees. Participation on other college and institutional administrative and service duties will also be expected.

For immediate consideration, please inquire with an updated copy of your CV/resume so we can discuss the position by phone. All inquiries should be sent to Eric Dickerson (ericd@kbic.com) and/or Dr. Richard Jordan (rjordan@kbic.com).
Claire Dumke Ryberg, R.N. Presidential Endowed Chair in End-of-Life/Palliative Care
The University of Utah College of Nursing seeks an established, visionary nurse scholar to become the inaugural holder of the Claire Dumke Ryberg, R.N. Presidential Endowed Chair in End-of-Life/Palliative Care. This Endowed Chair will help build the pipeline of palliative care clinicians, scholars and/or researchers, as well as advance the discovery, organization, transmission, and application of knowledge and health policies to meet the unique health care needs of patients living with serious illness and/or near end of life. The Endowed Chair is a 5- year tenure-line or career-line appointment, renewable upon successful review. Academic rank and salary for this full-time, 12-month appointment will be commensurate with qualifications.
NHCGNE's Nook
Save the Date for NHCGNE's Leadership Conference!
October 26-28, 2021
Join us for the 2021 NHCGNE Leadership Conference, the premier leadership development conference in gerontological nursing! The conference will feature commissioned white papers, plenary sessions, leadership workshops, discussant reports and panel discussions that explore the current state of knowledge about national and international aging, dementia and mental health science, curricular innovations, evidence-based clinical practice, and health policies.
Submit a poster to help showcase and advance successful models of practice, education, research and dissemination in the field of older adults and their caregivers.

Abstracts are being solicited for poster sessions only. Abstracts should be submitted via the NHCGNE website by July 25, 2021.
Volunteer with NHCGNE to assist in reviewing poster abstracts. Help showcase and advance successful models of practice, education, research and dissemination in the field of older adults and their caregivers. Please notify NHCGNE if you would like to review by July 20, 2021.
Say it with "Got Content"!
Next New Directions Content Submission Deadline:
September 2021
Deadline: August 20, 2020 (Publish September 5)
ï»żNewsletter submissions should be sent to NHCGNE Staff at info@nhcgne.org with 
NHCGNE New Directions Submission in the subject line. 
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