Caring for elders: the role of registered nurses in nursing homes

Abstract

Gerontological care in nursing homes receives little interest from students and newly qualified nurses alike. Yet, this population does have ever-more complex needs that call for a wide array of nursing competencies. This article highlights the essential contributions of registered nurses in the context of nursing homes and is part of a research study aimed at grasping the nature of caring for elders. The researchers used the methodology inspired from activity analysis using focus groups. Situations identified by the respondents as being disruptive have been looked at in cross-perspective. The results show that the work carried out by the registered nurses constitutes the linchpin of institutional functioning. Their contribution consists of coordinating all the activities that take place, while striving to make them relevant to the caretakers, residents, and their relatives. This key role comprises three fields of activities: organizational and innovative activities; autonomous, person-centered activities; and ethical tension management activities. By helping to meet the daily challenges pertaining to the care and monitoring of very old people and by dealing with situations that are often tragic, they carry out tasks that are stimulating on human, intellectual, and relational levels.

Competence for older people nursing in care and nursing homes: An integrative review

“…Ethical dilemmas are common in nursing homes; therefore, it is important to identify them. Ethical competence includes the ability to respect autonomy and privacy and to support the individuality and integrity of older people (Bedin, Droz‐Mendelzweig, & Chappuis, ; Carlson & Bengtsson, ; Carlson, Rämgård, Bolmsjö, & Bengtsson, ). Nursing homes are an environment where nurses have to reflect on how to ensure human dignity and respect for one resident while ensuring quality of life for the rest of the residents at the same time (Bedin et al., ).…”

Caring for Residents of Eldercare Facilities: A Concept Analysis

“…Ideally, it contributes to well‐being for both the caregiver and receiver and inspires caregivers to improve their professional skills and efficacy (Haugan, ). Recognizing the need for social interaction by residents can facilitate caring behaviors (Bedin et al., ). For example, our previous study (Hwang et al., ) revealed the importance of relational activities for caregivers and residents.…”

“…The Oxford Dictionaries () defines caring as “the practice of looking after those unable to care for themselves, especially on account of age or illness.” However, the specific practices associated with caring have not been comprehensively defined. Previous qualitative studies that have attempted to clarify the caring construct in elder care have focused on either the caring traits of hospital nurses (Liu, ) or on‐the‐job responsibilities of nurses in institutions (Bedin, Droz‐Mendelzweig, & Chappuis, ), and some studies have even investigated specific factors that impede caring in eldercare facilities (Tuckett et al., ). In some quantitative systematic reviews (Papastavrou, Efstathiou, & Charalambous, ) and inductive meta‐synthesis approaches (Finfgeld‐Connett, ), caring is simply viewed as a process or category.…”

“I'm not sure I'm a nurse”: A hermeneutic phenomenological study of nursing home nurses' work identity

“…The optimisation of stability in residents' conditions within the context of multimorbidity that can be achieved in NHs frees residents from focusing on their physiological conditions so that they are able to turn their attention to other concerns such as social pursuits. Literature that analyses and describes the NH nurse role (Bedin et al., ; Perry et al., ) and the management of multimorbidities in NHs (Condelius, Edberg, Hallberg, & Jakobsson, ; Kwong, Pang, Aboo, & Law, ) indicates that the presence of RNs in nursing homes has a significant influence on residents' health and well‐being. It seems then that participants' negative and disparaging attitudes regarding their own skills practice suggest that they do not recognise the management of multimorbidities as highly skilled practice.…”

“…For example, Hunter and Levett‐Jones () suggest that due to the frailty, dependency, increasing acuity and high incidence of multimorbidities within the resident population, NH nurses require complex and extensive skill sets. Bedin, Droz‐Mendelzweig, and Chappuis' () study concludes that NH nurses are primarily organisers, responsible for coordinating and evaluating care, and supervising support staff. In common with support staff, they assist residents with personal care.…”