Prescription
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She currently is conducting a study to evaluate the im- pact of a restorative care training program on the quality of assistance provided by nursing assistants during mealtimes. Her philosophy of nursing: “Geriatric nursing is the future! Within the next 30 years, 1 in every 5 people will be over the age of 65.To grow old is to be truly blessed. Nurses in the field of geriatrics will be instrumental in developing new care practices that promote healthy aging, optimally manage chronic illness, and support quality care at the end of life. Geriatric nurses will lead in developing local, state, national, and international policies addressing important health care issues for older adults. Nurses will be chal- lenged to develop new and innovative care practices for older adults that focus on preserving independence, per- sonal choice, and engagement in meaningful activities.” Barb Schrupp, RN, CDONA/LTC, comes to the board through the National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration in Long-term Care. As director of nursing services for Attic Angel Place in Madison, Wis., Schrupp oversees the entire continuum of care for a con- tinuing care retirement community that includes indepen- dent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care. She is founder and president of the Wisconsin chapter of NADONA. She says, “Nursing, to me, represents the epitome of the provision of health care to those in need of it. As a nurse, I am able to not only provide direct care to people with a wide variety of health care needs but also be their advocate to assist them through the often confusing and complex maze of health care providers. “I believe nursing is not a ‘do to’ occupation; rather a ‘do with’ profession. It is a nurse’s responsibility to view the clients who are served as the most important members of the health care team. The physicians test, diagnose, and treat an individual’s medical conditions and illnesses. However, it is the nurse who provides care to meet the physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs that assist an in- dividual on his or her journey to wholeness.This wholeness is either in the form of a full recovery or teaching clients to develop coping mechanisms and ways to live with partial recovery or what may be inevitable declining health re- lated to their medical condition or illness. “I believe geriatric nursing is an evolving specialty still in its early stages of development. My hope is that working with the geriatric population, especially in long-term care settings, becomes viewed as the rewarding and challenging specialty that it is.The elderly population is rapidly becom- ing one of the largest groups in existence yet, sadly, one of the least understood and appreciated. My hope is that car- ing for the elderly becomes accepted unconditionally by so- ciety as important and meaningful to the same degree that caring for younger groups, such as children, is accepted. “I look forward to the day when the news media identify the beautiful and positive stories that happen daily in long-term care rather than focus on the negative stories that occur far less often. My conviction is that geriatric nursing will become recognized as a profession directed toward helping the elderly enjoy a high quality of life and fufillment rather than be identified as a profession di- rected toward soothing the dying.” Copyright 2002 by Mosby, Inc. 0197-4572/2002/$35.00 + 0 34/1/127448 doi:10.1067/mgn.2002.127448 July • August 2002 221 Prescription Alan Sullivan We do the old no favor Keeping them half alive With puréed prunes to savor, Surgeries to survive. We might at least exempt them From over-sober laws. Let marijuana tempt them Or morphine slack their jaws. Instead we offer unctions Like macramé and prayers While hoping our extinctions Prove easier than theirs. A spaniel, if it suffers, Gets succor from the vet. No such luck for the duffers We kennel and forget. Reprinted with permission of Light: A Quarterly of Light Verse
Transcript of Prescription
She currently is conducting a study to evaluate the im-pact of a restorative care training program on the quality ofassistance provided by nursing assistants during mealtimes.
Her philosophy of nursing: “Geriatric nursing is thefuture! Within the next 30 years, 1 in every 5 people will beover the age of 65.To grow old is to be truly blessed. Nursesin the field of geriatrics will be instrumental in developingnew care practices that promote healthy aging, optimallymanage chronic illness, and support quality care at the endof life. Geriatric nurses will lead in developing local, state,national, and international policies addressing importanthealth care issues for older adults. Nurses will be chal-lenged to develop new and innovative care practices forolder adults that focus on preserving independence, per-sonal choice, and engagement in meaningful activities.”
Barb Schrupp, RN, CDONA/LTC, comes to theboard through the National Association of Directors ofNursing Administration in Long-term Care. As director ofnursing services for Attic Angel Place in Madison, Wis.,Schrupp oversees the entire continuum of care for a con-tinuing care retirement community that includes indepen-dent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care. She isfounder and president of the Wisconsin chapter ofNADONA.
She says, “Nursing, to me, represents the epitome ofthe provision of health care to those in need of it. As anurse, I am able to not only provide direct care to peoplewith a wide variety of health care needs but also be theiradvocate to assist them through the often confusing andcomplex maze of health care providers.
“I believe nursing is not a ‘do to’ occupation; rather a‘do with’ profession. It is a nurse’s responsibility to viewthe clients who are served as the most important membersof the health care team. The physicians test, diagnose, andtreat an individual’s medical conditions and illnesses.However, it is the nurse who provides care to meet thephysical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs that assist an in-dividual on his or her journey to wholeness.This wholenessis either in the form of a full recovery or teaching clients todevelop coping mechanisms and ways to live with partialrecovery or what may be inevitable declining health re-lated to their medical condition or illness.
“I believe geriatric nursing is an evolving specialty stillin its early stages of development. My hope is that workingwith the geriatric population, especially in long-term caresettings, becomes viewed as the rewarding and challengingspecialty that it is. The elderly population is rapidly becom-ing one of the largest groups in existence yet, sadly, one ofthe least understood and appreciated. My hope is that car-ing for the elderly becomes accepted unconditionally by so-ciety as important and meaningful to the same degree thatcaring for younger groups, such as children, is accepted.
“I look forward to the day when the news mediaidentify the beautiful and positive stories that happen dailyin long-term care rather than focus on the negative storiesthat occur far less often. My conviction is that geriatric
nursing will become recognized as a profession directedtoward helping the elderly enjoy a high quality of life andfufillment rather than be identified as a profession di-rected toward soothing the dying.”
Copyright 2002 by Mosby, Inc.0197-4572/2002/$35.00 + 0 34/1/127448doi:10.1067/mgn.2002.127448
July • August 2002 221
PrescriptionAlan Sullivan
We do the old no favorKeeping them half aliveWith puréed prunes to savor,Surgeries to survive.
We might at least exempt themFrom over-sober laws.Let marijuana tempt themOr morphine slack their jaws.
Instead we offer unctionsLike macramé and prayersWhile hoping our extinctionsProve easier than theirs.
A spaniel, if it suffers,Gets succor from the vet.No such luck for the duffersWe kennel and forget.
Reprinted with permission of Light: A Quarterly of Light Verse
