Beyond the Role of ExtenderIndependent and Interdependent Contributions of Nursing to Geriatric Rehabilitation

Too often, the role of nursing in geriatric neurorehabilitation is defined in terms of extending the care of other disciplines and assuring continuity of selected aspects of care over 24 hours. This article argues that nursing has made significant clinical and scientific progress in contributing, independently and interdependently, to quality rehabilitation care for older adults; and that the role of nursing clearly exceeds the realm of mere extension and continuity of care. Reviewed are nursing's innovations in the areas of promoting comprehensive assessment; fostering functional independence, self-care, and self-care agency; enhancing communication; encouraging family involvement; improving cognitive status; and assuring quality physical care. We conclude with a discussion of the relationship of nursing to other disciplines, and how nursing's contributions can be optimized within the broader context of multidisciplinary geriatric rehabilitation.