Results of this study identify unintended consequences of fall prevention message on nurses and older adult patients. Further research is needed understand how nurse care for fall risk patients.

The prevalence of ADs increased after Respecting Choices® was initiated in a racially and ethnically diverse community.

Limited mobility (standing and transferring only) is an independent predictor of negative outcomes for hospitalized older patients. Nurses are in a key position to improve outcomes for hospitalized older patients by engaging them in mobility activity, particularly ambulation, but further research is needed to determine how best to engage nurses in these activities.

Objective To examine how surgeons use the “fix-it” model to communicate with patients before high-risk operations. Background The “fix-it” model characterizes disease as an isolated abnormality that can be restored to normal form and function through medical intervention. This mental model is familiar to patients and physicians, but it is ineffective for chronic conditions and treatments that cannot achieve normalcy. Overuse may lead to permissive decision making favoring intervention. Efforts to improve surgical decision making will need to consider how mental models function in clinical practice, including “fix-it”. Methods We observed surgeons who routinely perform high-risk surgery during preoperative discussions with patients. We used qualitative content analysis to explore the use of “fix-it” in 48 audio-recorded conversations. Results Surgeons used the “fix-it” model for two separate purposes during preoperative conversations; 1) as an explanatory tool to facilitate patient understanding of disease and surgery and 2) as a deliberation framework to assist in decision making. Although surgeons commonly used “fix-it” as an explanatory model, surgeons explicitly discussed limitations of the “fix-it” model as an independent rationale for operating as they deliberated about the value of surgery. Conclusions While the use of “fix-it” is familiar for explaining medical information to patients, surgeons recognize that the model can be problematic for determining the value of an operation. Whether patients can transition between understanding how their disease is fixed with surgery to a subsequent deliberation about whether they should have surgery is unclear and may have broader implications for surgical decision making.

Objective To identify the processes surgeons use to establish patient buy-in to postoperative treatments. Background Surgeons generally believe they confirm the patient's commitment to an operation and all ensuing postoperative care, before surgery. How surgeons get buy-in and whether patients participate in this agreement is unknown. Methods We used purposive sampling to identify three surgeons from different subspecialties who routinely perform high-risk operations at each of three distinct medical centers (Toronto, ON; Boston, MA; Madison, WI). We recorded preoperative conversations with three to seven patients facing high-risk surgery with each surgeon (n = 48) and used content analysis to analyze each preoperative conversation inductively. Results Surgeons conveyed the gravity of high-risk operations to patients by emphasizing the operation is “big surgery” and that a decision to proceed invoked a serious commitment for both the surgeon and the patient. Surgeons were frank about the potential for serious complications and the need for intensive care. They rarely discussed the use of prolonged life-supporting treatment, and patients’ questions were primarily confined to logistic or technical concerns. Surgeons regularly proceeded through the conversation in a manner that suggested they believed buy-in was achieved, but this agreement was rarely forged explicitly. Conclusions Surgeons who perform high-risk operations communicate the risks of surgery and express their commitment to the patient's survival. However, they rarely discuss prolonged life-supporting treatments explicitly and patients do not discuss their preferences. It is not possible to determine patients’ desires for prolonged postoperative life support based on these preoperative conversations alone.