University Nursing Reflection Paper: Senior Care Challenges

This nursing reflection paper examines the multifaceted challenges within senior care, focusing on two primary issues: fall risk management and nurse retention in long-term care facilities. The paper delves into the increased vulnerability of elderly patients to falls due to factors like fragile bones and slower healing, emphasizing the necessity of comprehensive fall risk assessments using tools like the Timed-Up-And-Go test. It highlights the importance of environmental modifications, such as decluttering and protective rails, and the need for vigilant medication reviews to prevent balance issues. Furthermore, the paper addresses the difficulties in retaining nurses, attributed to the demanding nature of caring for elderly patients with comorbidities and the emotional support they require. Strategies for nurse retention, including collaborative discussions and supportive leadership, are proposed to improve job satisfaction and reduce turnover. The author concludes that providing care for the elderly is more difficult than younger patients, therefore, attention must be paid to prevent fall risk and steps must be taken to retain nurses.

Running head:NURSING
Reflection Paper
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
As a nursing student, I have recently been reading up on the struggles faced by both
the patients and nurses in the old age care facilities. Two of both common issues in the field
of senior healthcare is the management of fall risk, and the issue of such facilities face
regarding the retention of nurses over the long term.
Discussion
As people become older, they tend to become more prone to losing their balance and
thus having a higher risk of falling down and hurting themselves. Their bones become more
fragile, and the injuries tend to heal slower, which puts them at risk of a fall injury. As a
nurse, I should take specific steps to ensure that I keep the risk at a minimum. Hence, for
ageing adults, we must assess their fall risk via a number of balance tests. These tests may
include Timed-Up-And-Go, 30-Second-Chair-Stand and other similar tests (Phelan et al.,
2015). In my opinion, it is important that we know the risk each patient has of falling so that
necessary precautions can be taken for their healthcare. This may include decluttering the
area around their bed and putting protective rails around his bed as well. It would also be
helpful if he used a device such as a walker. Such patients require close monitoring, and I
would definitely check their medications as well to make sure there is no medication that may
alter their ionic balance as that sometimes tends to make them lose balance (de Jong et al.,
2013). From the readings, I learned that I need to look after all the aspects while caring for
the senior patient to prevent fall risk, including his gait, medications as well as the
environment. Only this will ensure their complete safety.
Taking care of elderly patients is hard work, especially due to their comorbidities and
additional effort required by the nurses (Kim & Han, 2019). They also need more
psychological support than their counterparts. The nurses taking care of them must be

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compassionate, empathetic and willing to listen and support them more than that of a normal
patient. This added burden often causes some nurses to feel pressurised, which may influence
them to leave. In order to ensure nurse retention, specific strategies must be undertaken. This
may include conducting regular meeting and discussion groups among the nurses, where they
discuss how to best take care of a patient. It has been seen that an able and transformative
leadership may cause the nurses to have greater job satisfaction, influencing them to stay. It is
also important to hire the nurses who are actually willing to work with the elderly patients
collaboratively, as some nurses may consider it of ‘low status’ (Blomberg, James & Kihlgren,
2013). I think that if the nurses work collaboratively with the patients, it will be possible to
increase the job satisfaction of the nurses and ensure that they stay in their job.
Conclusion
From the above essay I can conclude that caring for ageing adults are harder than
younger patients. It is essential to play attention to prevent fall risk. Steps should be taken to
ensure retention of nurses.

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Reference
Blomberg, K., James, I., & Kihlgren, A. (2013). Meanings over time of working as a nurse in
elderly care. The open nursing journal, 7, 107–113.
https://doi.org/10.2174/1874434620130726005
de Jong, M. R., Van der Elst, M., & Hartholt, K. A. (2013). Drug-related falls in older
patients: implicated drugs, consequences, and possible prevention
strategies. Therapeutic advances in drug safety, 4(4), 147–154.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2042098613486829
Kim, D. R., & Han, E. K. (2019). Factors Affecting the Care Burden of Nurses Caring
Elderly Patients with Dementia. Journal of Korean Academy of Community Health
Nursing, 30(3), 368-376. https://doi.org/10.12799/jkachn.2019.30.3.368
Phelan, E. A., Mahoney, J. E., Voit, J. C., & Stevens, J. A. (2015). Assessment and
management of fall risk in primary care settings. The Medical clinics of North
America, 99(2), 281–293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcna.2014.11.004