Problems of nursing home residents: nurse and resident perceptions

The nurse's consideration of the nursing home resident's perspective of his or her problems conveys respect for the resident as an individual and as a valued source of information concerning his or her own needs. Such consideration facilitates mutual setting of goals for patient achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine the similarities and differences between the nurse's perception of the nursing home resident's problems and the resident's perception of his or her problems. Thirty-one residents and their nurses completed questionnaires to identify perceived needs for assistance with daily activities and to assess the presence and degree of specified common problems. Out of 45 items, significant differences between nurse and resident ratings were found for the following 7 items: assistance needed for bathing and grooming, appetite problems, loss of bladder control, difficulty breathing at rest, decreased sense of smell, and loss of usefulness. Implications for nursing practice and nursing staff education are discussed.